Exceptional trip to Portugal

Portugal | Apr 11 - Apr 25, 2024

The music was wonderful, the food was not as good as other restaurants we ate at in Lisbon.

Our guide, Guilherme was marvelous, he took us through Lisbon and showed us short cuts for getting up to either side of the city, ie Chiado. As we walked he gave us the history of Lisbon, pointing out events that left its mark on the city, for example the earthquake and subsequent tsunami, which destroyed the city and who was responsible for it being rebuilt. We stopped along the way to sample cod cakes and beer, he showed us where to get the best bifana as we walked over to the Alfama section with its quiet narrow streets. We ended our tour in commerce square and under the archway to the city. By taking us up one side of the city and then across to the other side we enjoyed amazing vistas of the city. I was a bit sad when our tour was done, it was an amazing morning.

This was a marvelous day. We visited Fatima and Batalha in the morning, had lunch in Nazare and drove up above to some amazing vistas, wandering through fun street vendors (The ladies with all the skirts!). On our way back to Lisbon we stopped for a brief stroll through Obidos. The religious art and architecture of both Fatima and Batalha were stunning. Fatima was populated by the faithful, as a mass was about to start in the Cathedral of the Holy Trinity and we watched the procession bringing a statue of Mary from her chapel to the modern cathedral. In contrast was Batalha, which was quiet and frozen in time, home to the faithful of Monarchs of the past, the architecture was impressive even with the unfinished section being weathered by time and the elements. Nazare is not a large beach community and the day we were there the surf was very calm, but the restaurant we ate at played the surfing competitions on large screens showing a very different surf at Nazare. I can honestly say I ate the best seared tuna there I have ever eaten in my life. It was served with sautéed turnip greens and new potatoes. Absolutely delicious! After lunch we drove up to the part of the beach community on the top of the cliffs, the view was spectacular as it was a perfectly clear day. Our guide led us thru the street vendors to a small chapel that was completely done in tile and told us the story of how this chapel came to be on the cliff. Finally on our way back we stopped in the little historic town of Obidos and slowly wandered as our guide told of the history.

This day we explored Pena Palace and Regaleira. Both of these places are not like anything I have ever seen before, both uniquely stunning and beautiful, rich in history. We both appreciated having sufficient time to take everything in. The tour of Pena had time slots, which was a brilliant way to ensure that the palace was not just swamped with visitors. The palace is meticulously maintained and just a marvel to see as well as the vistas it affords. Regaleira is an architectural masterpiece in both the structures and gardens and while there were plenty of visitors, the grounds have a quality of peaceful solitude.

Walking up to and through the Moorish Castle there was fog rolling up the mountain, which just cleared as we hit the highest parts. It was very breezy making the flags on the battlements flutter. Mother nature was helping us appreciate the ruins with dramatic mystery! From the top you can see Pena Palace which is a stark contrast in time and history. Afterwards we explored Monserrate Palace whose gardens were a tremendous achievement, aside from being beautiful. There was the fern forest, the desert garden filled with cactus, a small lake right in front of the house and a few perfect specimens of immense trees from different continents. Out through the back of the palace were patio areas with pergolas dripping with wisterias all in bloom. The palace itself has no more furnishings, but the architecture is uniquely awe inspiring.

There was some overlap between food we tasted in the morning on our walking tour and the Delicious TukTuk tour. We did visit a small restaurant that was thru a very Moorish patio garden which was very beautiful, there we sample three different dishes all of which were tasty. The best thing about the tour was the little restaurant and sitting still for a bit. I am glad we took the TukTuk tour because it was a memorable experience bouncing along the tram tracks , an unusual way to see the city.