Lisbon

Arriving after dark last night, we weren't able to enjoy the grounds around the pousada, but this morning as a bright sunny day dawned, the serenity and beauty of the setting transported me back to an era when the convent was occupied by monks and nuns rather than noisy tourists.

Back on the road we are heading to our final destination – Lisbon. Founded in  1200 BC by the Phoenicians, the town soon became a port of call for Mediterranean ships sailing to northern Europe. Lisbon became the capital when the Moors invaded in 1147. Vasco de Gama, Portugal's great navigator in the 1400's added trade routes to India. In 1755 a violent earthquake shook the city. Survivors fled to the banks of the Tejo River only to be killed when a huge tsunami destroyed the lower portion of the town.

What a surprise as Lisbon came into view – we were crossing the Tejo River on the Golden Gate Bridge or at least a close replica! The same engineer who had designed the famous San Francisco bridge had also designed this one in Lisbon. Strangely enough we were ahead of schedule and had a free hour before starting our schedule for the day. I took advantage of it to walk down to the river for a beautiful view of the Tejo River and the memorial to the citizens who died in the earthquake and tsunami. With a few minutes to spare I treated myself to a decadent cappuccino loaded with whipped cream!

First on our agenda was a site inspection of the 5* Avenida Palace Hotel followed by a cocktail reception (and it was only noon!) Across the street was our host for lunch, the Altis Avenida Hotel. The first property was a lovely traditional hotel while the second was a new contemporary hotel. Lunch was again delicious and accompanied by tasty Portuguese wines.

A visitor could easily spend days exploring this fascinating country, but we only had one afternoon.and it was already 3pm. First stop was the National Coach Museum containing an exceptional collection of ceremonial vehicles from the Royal family, dating back to the 17^th century. The oldest carriage was very interesting as it had carried the king on a 2-month journey from Madrid to Lisbon. Really interesting was the bench seat facing him with a hole cut out for quick 'potty breaks' without taking time for a stop..

Next visit was to Jeronimo's Monastery, exemplifying the Manueline architectural style that emerged during the Exploration Era to the New World. Included in the carvings were fruits, animals and peoples of the new civilizations that were being discovered.

As the sun set, our last stop of  the day  was the Belem Tower which is Lisbon's equivalent of our Statue of Liberty. This tower had a matching tower built in the mouth of the Tejo River which navigators last saw as they sailed to unknown destinations and the first sight the lucky few saw upon their return. The Great Earthquake destroyed one of the towers and totally changed the flow of the river so that only one tower remains and it is now next to the shore. It was a very fitting sight for our last day in Portugal.

Our hotel for the evening was the crowning event of our week. The Pestana Palace was a former palace that has been restored with care taken to maintain as much of the original design and furnishings as possible. It is absolutely gorgeous and makes guests truly feel that they are staying in a palace.

Our farewell dinner was at the Casa do Leao Restaurant, an old castle on the banks above the river . What a perfect setting with the lights of this beautiful city and bridge twinkling below us. I have fallen in love with Portugal and hope to bring some of you back to share the magic of this wonderful country.

Linda

The Romans, Cork, Wine and Olive Oil

Due to yesterday's tight schedule and my fatigue last night I forgot to include the story behind the Pousada Dona Maria I in Quelez where we stayed.. She was the queen mother of Pedro IV and Miguel who fought each other for control in a bitter 19^th century Civil War. Our pousada and Maria's palace across the street are in the the Baroque style of the 18^th century.

Leaving Quelez and skirting Lisbon, we suddenly saw the most incredible full rainbow. With dark clouds behind it, each color (remember Roy G Biv?) was brilliant. Heading east from the outskirts of Lisbon we crossed the wide Tejo River which runs beside the city and empties into the Atlantic. The bridge over the river is almost 11 miles long and is the longest bridge in Europe.

Passing acres and acres of cork trees beside the road, Anna, our wonderful guide explained the important cork industry in Portugal. They are the major cork producing country in the world. The photo shows a tree which has undergone several harvesting of its cork bark.

Our first destination was Evora in the Alentejo Region east of Lisbon. A walled-town since Roman times, Michelin rates it 3* (his highest rating and “worthy of a journey”). The photo of the ancient Roman temple ruins provide evidence of the 1^st and 2^nd century Roman occupation. Walking through the town we could see brilliant white houses, alleys cut by arches, flower-decked terraces and openwork balconies and tiled patios. A lovely sight, indeed! We even had time to do a little shopping for cork products. I was amazed by all the items made from cork – umbrellas, hats, shoes, coats, jewelry, etc.

A very interesting site was the Chapel of the Bones.  The walls were literally covered in bones and skulls.  Apparently, the people were told it was an honor to have your bones placed here, but rumor has it that the church was trying to save money and effort by not having to bury the remains.

The Cathedral was built in the late 12^th and 13^th century in the Transitional Gothic style (Romanesque characteristics but completed in the Gothic style) Another old church contained beautiful blue tiles below gilded alters.

Next came a site inspection of the Pousada dos Loios situated beside the Roman temple This pousada had been a convent in the 16^th century and instead of room numbers, each door had a cell number.

By now it was 2pm and our stomachs were definitely vocal. Lunch was prominent in our minds as we drove past lush farmlands in the Alentejo region to the world famous Esporao Wine Estate. I was surprised at the vastness of the estate as well as the number of olive groves interspersed among the vineyards. Lunch was incredible and including wine tastings with each of the 4 courses starting with a sparkling rose on arrival. The wines were delicious as was the lunch We were told the wines are exported to the US, and I am definitely going to look for them as they were excellent. To work off this 4-wine lunch, we wandered around the grounds surrounding the main house. It was about 5pm by the time we departed the estate. Now this is the way to enjoy lunch!

An hour and a half later we arrived at our last pousada, the Pousada da N. Senhora da Assuncao, a restored 16^th century convent situated in the Arralolos valley. Rumor has it that this valley is famous for its carpets but that shopping must be postponed for another trip. After a tour of this convent (totally different from the one in Evora) we had dinner and then fell into bed. Another very full, but fascinating day.!

Tomorrow – our last day – will be spent touring Lisbon.

Linda

Portugal's Medieval Cities - Obidos and Sintra

The clouds caught up with us today as we departed Porto and headed south along the western coast with stops to experience Portugal's rich monumental, artistic and archaeological heritage, 13 of whom have been classified as UNESCO World Heritage sites.

Two and a half hours out of Porto we arrived in Obidos, a postcard-like fortified city founded by the Moors in the 8^th century. A silting of the bay deprived this city of its coastal location and, today it is 10km inland. It's still a beautiful medieval town and we loved exploring its narrow, winding streets. 

Especially lovely were the walls of the Praca de Santa Maria church which were covered in beautiful blue tiles depicting large plant motifs.  Unfortunately, photos were not allowed inside.

We are becoming spoiled with all the special meals we've had at the posadas. Climbing these steps we entered the Posada de Obidos another gourmet lunch. Not surprising, my appetite appeared as the tantalizing aromas filled the dining room.. .We all loved this small posada situated totally within the old castle which was a wedding present from a 15th century king to his bride. No wall can be moved within these historic structures so the posada retained the feel of the original castle. The photos depict the entrance, the tower suite and the dining room.. The entire experience from dining to a tour of the unique bedrooms and views of the town from windows in the thick stone walls was something straight out of King Arthur.

Leaving Obidos we were feeling very mellow from the delicious food and wine and certainly would have enjoyed a nap. Who am I kidding???


Next stop was the quaint and aristocratic town of Sintra whose most famous resident was Lord Byron, the English poet. For 6 centuries it has served as a summer residence of Portugal's kings and is still a favorite of Lisbon's wealthy. It's a must for any visitor to the area not only because of the history but also the beauty of the mountain scenery.   Time did not permit a tour of the Vila Palace, the best preserved medieval royal palace in Portugal and now a UNESCO World Heritage site, but it's definitely on my bucket list when I return  The town was lovely, and I enjoyed walking  the narrow streets and sipping a capuccino as the sun set on another wonderful day in Portugal.

Tomorrow we check out of the Pousada Dona Maria I and drive to the Alentejo Region near Lisbon.
Linda

Douro Valley -- The Port Wine Region

A great breakfast and a beautiful sunny morning – A perfect start for our day of touring in the Douro Region of Portugal The Douro River runs east to west across northern Portugal and is famous for its port wine production.. As we left Porto, our drive took us northeast through rural valleys and hills covered with vineyards and higher through mountain passes..Lush green orange trees loaded with their ripe fruit added to the colorful display in the middle of winter.

Two hours later we stopped in Peso da Regua to tour the wine Museum. A very knowledgeable tour guide explained the process of port wine production. Never served as accompaniment to a meal, this wine is sweeter and has a much higher alcohol content than table wine. The production process is similar to table wine, but the fermentation process is stopped prematurely to prevent the loss of anymore of the sugar. Wine brandy is added to the grapes to increase the alcohol content since there will be no further fermentation.

Interestingly, like the champagne region of France which is the only area where champagne can be produced, the Douro Region in the 1700's was declared the official (and only) region where port wine can be produced.

Armed with our newly-acquired knowledge, we drove to the nearby Quinta(farm) de la Pacheca for a delicious 4-course lunch accompanied by the Quinta's own wines. I was again reminded that there are no fast meals in Europe By the time we finished our leisurely lunch, toured the vineyard and had a port wine tasting, it was 4pm.

Our last stop on our way back to Porto was the historic old city of Aramente containing houses dating back to the 15^th century and a lovely old bridge leading to the Cathedral. The tomb of the city's patron saint of fertility, Gonzalo lies here. We were very careful not to make any supplications to him!

Returning to our hotel in Porto we barely had time to change for our dinner at the brand new Yeatman Hotel overlooking the historic center of town. I was literally blown away by this property. It was one of the most unique hotels I've ever seen in Europe. Definitely worthy of a return visit. Another delicious dinner and numerous Portuguese wines! Didn't get back to the hotel until after midnight. Am taking no responsibility for spelling and grammar in this post.

Tomorrow we depart this wonderful region and head south where more sights and tastes of this magical country await us.

Linda

Discovering Magical Portugal

After a fall sabbatical for baby Kate's birth, I am back on the road again. This time to Portugal on an Escapade Vacations Fam. For those of you unfamiliar to my other trips, a Fam is offered to travel agents to familiarize them with a destination.  Having only been to Lisbon previously, I was excited to see the Douro region of Portugal with it's wonderful port wine country as well as other historical sites in central and southern Portugal

The flight to Porto was an easy 6-hr nonstop from Newark. After a delicious breakfast at our hotel, the Infante de Sagres, a lovely boutique property filled with beautiful antiques, I was refreshed and ready to explore this UNESCO World Heritage site. As you can tell from my photos, it was a gorgeous sunny morning – perfect for photos and exploring. Passing quaint buildings covered with unique tiles for which Portugal is famous, I walked down cobblestone streets to the Douro River. Beautiful old houses cling to the hills sloping down to the river and sidewalk cafes dot the quay. I could have spent several hours here sipping a cafe com leite (Portuguese for Starbucks latte), but it was time to grab a quick lunch and head back to the hotel.

No rest for the weary – the afternoon included a tour of the famous sites of the city. First stop was a visit to the Casa da Musica, Portugal's most famous concert hall designed by the Dutch architect Rem Koolhaas. There were many similarities for me to the Sydney Opera House and just as interesting.From there we continued on to the 19th-centry Stock Exchange Palace. Again, fascinating due to the beautiful antiques and architecture. The tour concluded with a brief visit to the Lello bookshop, an exquisite landmark in the neo-Gothic style dating back to the early 1900's.

Our first day ended with a Welcome Dinner at the Pousada do Freixo at 8pm (2am Austin time.)!   I had not been in bed since 3:45am Monday morning so I was definitely ready for the comfortable bed awaiting me in my room. I don't remember my head hitting the pillow!

We leave at 9am tomorrow morning for a full day in the port wine region. First tasting is at 10am!

Linda

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