I think as I was packing up this morning and thinking about the Lisbon blogs, I didn't really explain the city very well. Of course the photos gave a nice look into what we saw, but overall the city is as all big cities are...big, with beautiful spots, not so beautiful spots, Cartier and Prada stores as well as gypsies selling scarves or playing music on the streets for money. I think a lot of the action in this city happens while we are asleep ;) but the restaurants we went to were excellent and the people are very friendly. There is a statue in every square (and there are lot of squares) and the architecture is all over the place with very modern buildings and more traditional type architecture that I think they try pretty hard to preserve at least the facades. There have been a couple of really big earthquakes here...1700s and 1800s that took out quite a bit of history, but the enormous original aqueduct still stands. The sidewalks and pedestrian areas were all made from these small squares of stone. Everywhere! The thought of all the years and years spent on making these lovely walks simply amazed us. We obviously only got an overview of the city, just catching a glimpse of Lisbon because it is so big, but I'd say if you were in Portugal, it is a must see. Don't drive into it if you don't have to and taxis are everywhere and we never paid more than 7 Euros to go anywhere, including our trip from the Sheraton to the airport. Be sure to have plenty of Euros on you because many places do not take credit cards. Shopping options are plentiful, but it is either malls, fancy side street stores or jip joints, but it seemed like good souvenir shopping was a bit more difficult and we didn't come across any markets on the entire trip!
The Sheraton was in a pretty good spot, but it was a taxi ride to most sites you'd want to see. The Sheraton was quite posh and ultra modern. Like I said before, the bathroom was totally glassed in and even tho that was cool, the walls and carpet were dark and the lighting was poor. Even the hallways were dark and poorly lit, however the doors going into the rooms were covered in brown leather and the number to your room was lit on a fancy piece of glass. But after 4 nights I found it to be a bit too dark and closed in for my taste. Again, everyone was friendly and the concierge taught us how to say "thank you" and spelled it out for us on a piece of paper. Most of the Portuguese in the city spoke English, so when you've been speaking in English to them, but thanked them with the word "obrigado" they kinda laughed. But we found the word to be beautiful and fun to say, so we used it often. :)
Our fight from Lisbon to Charlotte was on US Airways and it was a 3 seat and 3 seat 757. Guy kinda dreaded the flight home that he'd be sitting next to Chatty Cathy or even worse, Stinky Stanley, but as luck would have it, the flight only had 60 passengers and there were tons of empty seats. It has been years since we have been on an overseas flight that wasn't packed like sardines. The guy a couple of rows ahead of us was a US Airline pilot heading back to the US with his family, so that was just enough reassurance for me to sleep like a baby in my medically induced coma for the entire trip. Very nice indeed.
In Charlotte we grabbed a cheeseburger and fries at Chili's restaurant and are now waiting for our flight to STL. Our plane just pulled up so I think this is were the Spain/Portugal blog ends. What a great experience we've had and all the prayers for safe and healthy travels were appreciated more than you know. God has truly blessed us to be able to experience such wonderful places and we are truly, truly grateful.
Wednesday, May 28, 2014
Tuesday, May 27, 2014
Day 16 - Lisbon, Portugal
Exhausted from yesterday, we started our morning slow and didn't head out until close to 11am. We walked to the Pastelaria Versailles (check out the photo of the inside of the place) to get some pastries for breakfast. This bakery has been here for over 100 years. There were a bunch of older men working the long counter. We got ours togo, but several people were inside and outside at tables enjoying a cup of coffee. We decided to find a bench under a tree and eat our goodies. They were fabulous except the ones that looked like mini donuts...those were even too sweet for me - and that is saying a lot! After these treats we headed toward the Hop on Hop off buses. On the way we passed another bakery and thought we may need a bus snack. We came upon the Pastelaria Sequeira, which had also been in business since 1902. They didn't speak English as well, but we did leave there with two fabulous little cheese sandwiches!
We made our way to the same Hop on Hop off bus company that we had been riding all over Spain. But in Portugal they didn't take a credit card. Several places in Lisbon didn't take credit cards. So luckily we've had enough Euros on us when we needed them, but there have been a few meals that we could have been in trouble! - So we get our tickets and begin today's adventure. We took the red line first (there is also a blue line). It went on for about an hour and a half, and at one point at the Marina we did actually hop off. The red line comes by every half hour and the blue line is every hour. So we made a mental note to ourselves not to hop off the blue line! We also hopped off by the train station and I got a Starbucks and we walked around a bit. We hopped back on and took it back to the main bus area where we hopped off and hopped right onto the blue line. We made about 4 stops and we decided since it was about 3pm we'd better get lunch. So we hopped off.
We walked around in a wonderful pedestrian area and looked at several restaurants. Guy chose Moma Bistrot. He was wanting to either have calamari or little fried mackerels. So today's special just happened to be little fried fishies. I got some photos to document his lunch, but he didn't eat the heads. He apologized to the waitress that he left the heads on the plate, but she said she is Portuguese and she does not eat the heads either. She didn't like eating the eyes and teeth she said. But she did love the tails because they were crunchy and delicious. So as we are waiting for the check, this adorable Indian family sits a few tables over. They had two little boys, one about 3 and one about 9months (he had maybe 4 or 6 teeth in the front if you moms out there can put an age to that description). The waitress had brought them menus (paper) and the baby began eating the menu. It was hilarious. He would take a bite and then spit it out. He was like blowing it out of his mouth. We were dying laughing, but the mom had him on her lap and she was laughing, too. I got up to go to the bathroom and when I came back, the menu was gone and the mom was covered in tiny pieces of paper. The little bugger was adorable with black hair and big brown eyes. Funny.....
So as we walked back to the bus pick up area we hopped onto the bus that came immediately. We are already seated when I asked Guy if it was the red or blue line. It was the red, so we hopped off! Remember we had earlier made a "note to self" to not hop off the blue bus because it ran hourly? Well we kinda forgot about that. So we seriously stood there and people watched for easily 40 minutes. When the blue line did come by we were ready to sit! So we rode the bus for well over an hour and we called it "the bus that went nowhere". Really, some of the areas we went were kinda sketchy and not really worthy of our limited tourist hours. It even went to the airport. Really? We decided that it was only to promote the Portuguese airline. The blue line also went onto the main roads (almost like an interstate) and when you are on top of the bus and it is open, that gets a bit scary going so fast. If in Lisbon, we don't recommend you take the blue route of the Hop on Hop off bus. In our opinion, your time is better spent in the area down by the marina or the square by the train station. We did hop off early because it was close by the hotel and it was a bit drizzly, so we went into a mall - the El Corte Ingles. It had everything you could ever need. A movie theater with 14 cinemas, a grocery store, clothes, electronics, gourmet foods, restaurants, souvenirs...the list goes on! After a quick look around we headed back to the hotel.
Once back to the hotel it is nearly 7:30. We are tired. So we Trip Advisored a place to eat. We contemplated going back to Limoncello, but decided from 2000 possible restaurants in the area, we should probably try a new place. We chose a bistro called Lateral. It is like 33rd out of 2000 places and it had a variety of options and was within walking distance to the hotel. We did catch a cab on the way there because it was raining and it cost less than 4 euros. I'm not sure the cab driver was too happy...but maybe he'll get us tomorrow when we have to go to the airport. :) The driver turned onto the street, but was heading in the wrong direction, so we just had him stop and we walked back less than one block to the restaurant. The staff was friendly and like we have recently become used to... they brought out an appetizer but don't tell you it cost 2.60 euros per person if you ate it. Guy read it on the menu. At least last night at Limoncello they did tell us there was a charge if we wanted to keep the appetizer. So we kept it and it was good - bread with a couple of hummus options and butter. Guy ordered a hamburger and I had a Caprese sandwich that had eggplant on it. Guy said his burger was good and he'd order it again. Mine was good, too, but I would not give it another go in the future. The potato wedges I had were good, but he had the fries and they were cold. They were skinny fries like Steak 'n Shake and they called them salted chips, so maybe they were supposed to be more like long skinny potato chips. We weren't sure. So at the end of the meal we ordered a chocolate mousse because people were giving it great reviews online. It was certainly delicious, but extremely rich! Almost like eating icing.
We walked back to the hotel because the rain had stopped and even though it was about 7 or 8 blocks, it was a nice walk. Back at the hotel I got the pictures from today downloaded, filled out some post cards and chatted with mom on the phone and Amanda via Viber. Even tho today's blog isn't really too detailed, the day was action packed and we got a lovely narrated tour of the city. The photos from today really tell the story of the bus tour and what we saw. Blessed again, the weather was gorgeous until the very end of our bus ride when the drizzle moved in. It already seems to be clearing off.
So now the packing begins...yikes. There is no way it will all fit into our bags and we didn't buy a little duffel bag or anything, so we'll see how it all goes in the morning and since our flight doesn't leave until noon, we figured we could make an emergency run to a shop for a bag if necessary. :) Good night from Lisbon. Looking forward to tomorrow night - sleeping in our own bed and seeing Nero.
We made our way to the same Hop on Hop off bus company that we had been riding all over Spain. But in Portugal they didn't take a credit card. Several places in Lisbon didn't take credit cards. So luckily we've had enough Euros on us when we needed them, but there have been a few meals that we could have been in trouble! - So we get our tickets and begin today's adventure. We took the red line first (there is also a blue line). It went on for about an hour and a half, and at one point at the Marina we did actually hop off. The red line comes by every half hour and the blue line is every hour. So we made a mental note to ourselves not to hop off the blue line! We also hopped off by the train station and I got a Starbucks and we walked around a bit. We hopped back on and took it back to the main bus area where we hopped off and hopped right onto the blue line. We made about 4 stops and we decided since it was about 3pm we'd better get lunch. So we hopped off.
We walked around in a wonderful pedestrian area and looked at several restaurants. Guy chose Moma Bistrot. He was wanting to either have calamari or little fried mackerels. So today's special just happened to be little fried fishies. I got some photos to document his lunch, but he didn't eat the heads. He apologized to the waitress that he left the heads on the plate, but she said she is Portuguese and she does not eat the heads either. She didn't like eating the eyes and teeth she said. But she did love the tails because they were crunchy and delicious. So as we are waiting for the check, this adorable Indian family sits a few tables over. They had two little boys, one about 3 and one about 9months (he had maybe 4 or 6 teeth in the front if you moms out there can put an age to that description). The waitress had brought them menus (paper) and the baby began eating the menu. It was hilarious. He would take a bite and then spit it out. He was like blowing it out of his mouth. We were dying laughing, but the mom had him on her lap and she was laughing, too. I got up to go to the bathroom and when I came back, the menu was gone and the mom was covered in tiny pieces of paper. The little bugger was adorable with black hair and big brown eyes. Funny.....
So as we walked back to the bus pick up area we hopped onto the bus that came immediately. We are already seated when I asked Guy if it was the red or blue line. It was the red, so we hopped off! Remember we had earlier made a "note to self" to not hop off the blue bus because it ran hourly? Well we kinda forgot about that. So we seriously stood there and people watched for easily 40 minutes. When the blue line did come by we were ready to sit! So we rode the bus for well over an hour and we called it "the bus that went nowhere". Really, some of the areas we went were kinda sketchy and not really worthy of our limited tourist hours. It even went to the airport. Really? We decided that it was only to promote the Portuguese airline. The blue line also went onto the main roads (almost like an interstate) and when you are on top of the bus and it is open, that gets a bit scary going so fast. If in Lisbon, we don't recommend you take the blue route of the Hop on Hop off bus. In our opinion, your time is better spent in the area down by the marina or the square by the train station. We did hop off early because it was close by the hotel and it was a bit drizzly, so we went into a mall - the El Corte Ingles. It had everything you could ever need. A movie theater with 14 cinemas, a grocery store, clothes, electronics, gourmet foods, restaurants, souvenirs...the list goes on! After a quick look around we headed back to the hotel.
Once back to the hotel it is nearly 7:30. We are tired. So we Trip Advisored a place to eat. We contemplated going back to Limoncello, but decided from 2000 possible restaurants in the area, we should probably try a new place. We chose a bistro called Lateral. It is like 33rd out of 2000 places and it had a variety of options and was within walking distance to the hotel. We did catch a cab on the way there because it was raining and it cost less than 4 euros. I'm not sure the cab driver was too happy...but maybe he'll get us tomorrow when we have to go to the airport. :) The driver turned onto the street, but was heading in the wrong direction, so we just had him stop and we walked back less than one block to the restaurant. The staff was friendly and like we have recently become used to... they brought out an appetizer but don't tell you it cost 2.60 euros per person if you ate it. Guy read it on the menu. At least last night at Limoncello they did tell us there was a charge if we wanted to keep the appetizer. So we kept it and it was good - bread with a couple of hummus options and butter. Guy ordered a hamburger and I had a Caprese sandwich that had eggplant on it. Guy said his burger was good and he'd order it again. Mine was good, too, but I would not give it another go in the future. The potato wedges I had were good, but he had the fries and they were cold. They were skinny fries like Steak 'n Shake and they called them salted chips, so maybe they were supposed to be more like long skinny potato chips. We weren't sure. So at the end of the meal we ordered a chocolate mousse because people were giving it great reviews online. It was certainly delicious, but extremely rich! Almost like eating icing.
We walked back to the hotel because the rain had stopped and even though it was about 7 or 8 blocks, it was a nice walk. Back at the hotel I got the pictures from today downloaded, filled out some post cards and chatted with mom on the phone and Amanda via Viber. Even tho today's blog isn't really too detailed, the day was action packed and we got a lovely narrated tour of the city. The photos from today really tell the story of the bus tour and what we saw. Blessed again, the weather was gorgeous until the very end of our bus ride when the drizzle moved in. It already seems to be clearing off.
So now the packing begins...yikes. There is no way it will all fit into our bags and we didn't buy a little duffel bag or anything, so we'll see how it all goes in the morning and since our flight doesn't leave until noon, we figured we could make an emergency run to a shop for a bag if necessary. :) Good night from Lisbon. Looking forward to tomorrow night - sleeping in our own bed and seeing Nero.
Monday, May 26, 2014
Day 15 - Sintra, Portugal
We headed for the train station around 10am. Trains left for Sintra every 15 minutes or so. It was like a commuter train and it was about a 40 minute ride, but it made 12 stops. So Sintra isn't that far away. We got our tickets (round trip only 9 euros for both of us) and headed for the train. We were all loaded and then someone from the station got on the train and said something in Portuguese. Not sure what it was, but everyone got off and started running to the next train. So what does a good tourist do? Follow the crowd! Apparently another train had pulled in behind our train and it had us blocked. On the ride to Sintra, there was no scenery really to speak of. Just a lot of city suburb views and a lot of graffiti.
We saw the Palace before we got to our stop. It is already breathtaking. From the station in Sintra we walked to the city center. We did just a bit of shopping and Guy investigated about a bus up to the Palace. We had read that you can walk, but you are mentally ill if you do. Ha ha. So we bought tickets for the bus and off we went. How this great big city sized bus made it around all these tiny tight switchbacks I have no idea, but Guy says they obviously can't put the newbie bus drivers on this route! When we got to the top, we bought our tickets for the Palace of Pena and the Moorish Castle. It was still an intense 15 minute walk up to the Palace from there. We walked slowly and when we got to near the top the photo ops began. What an amazing place. The Palace of Pena also has a large park surrounding it. Guy read online that it takes some people 4 days to see everything in Sintra. Anyhoo...here is what we saw in one day....starting with a bit of history about the Palace. In medieval times it was a 12th century chapel. In 1503 Convent of Our Lady of Pena was donated to the Order of the Hieronymites by the King Don Manuel I. In 1755 the Monastery suffers serious damage from a great earthquake and falls into decline. In 1838 the Monastery was purchased by Don Fernando II. In 1885 Don Fernando II dies and the property is left in his will to the Countess of Edia. In 1889 the state purchased the Palace and Park and in 1912 it was converted into a museum. Whew. The funny thing was when Guy and I were walking from the Palace, a guy said to his wife "I'll bet when they built this thing they said, someday this place will be a giant tourist trap". I don't think that is what they were thinking when they built it, but his comment was hilarious. Enjoy the photos. There are lots of them and similar shots, just different angles. This place was a photographer's dream.
From the Palace we walked through part of the Park. We had a map of it, but there was no way we could have covered the entire thing. So from the park we went to the Moorish Castle. It was a fort built around the 10th century by the Muslim people that occupied the area. It acted as a control tower for the Atlantic Coast (which you can see in some of today's photos) and the land to the north. It served as an outpost for the city of Lisbon. The 135 steps down to the beach the other day in Albufeira were childs play compared to the steps we walked today. The Moorish Castle has two sides. We hit the tallest section and our feet forced us to call it a day. We had some great photo ops from the top and a great view of the Palace. The sun was in the wrong spot in the sky to get a great photo of the Palace, but that is ok. The best shot of the Palace could really only be done from a helicopter. We took a bus back down to the city center where I shopped a bit and had a gelato (it was okay - but not real gelato). After a short break we walked back to the train station and caught the next train back to Lisbon. On the train, we both promptly fell asleep.
Attached to the gorgeous exterior of the train station (I'll try to get a picture of it tomorrow) is a Starbucks. I needed to get a "Portugal" mug and with that purchase we could get some free wifi to locate a place for dinner. We talked about coming back to the hotel for a nap first, but we both knew if we did that we'd be too tired to get back out and would eat some kind of pizza delivery. So Guy asked me what sounded good and I said "to be honest, a big plate of pasta". So we Trip Advisored Italian Restaurants and came across the Limoncello that was only .2 miles away. We pulled up the map on the iphone and we could see where we were and the pin of the restaurant. Not too far away. So I kept the phone on because I knew when we walked out of Starbucks and the wifi ended, the map would stay. It did, but the dot that showed where we were moved with us. I'm not sure how, but I was a bit paranoid and double checked that our cellular data was turned off, because if it were accidentally on - that would be costing us a fortune. It was off, but the dot moved with us all the way to the restaurant.
When we arrived, the employees and owner were eating. Guy asked if they were open yet and the guy said no, but for us to come on in and they'd give us some bread. Guy told them to enjoy their dinner and we'd be back. They told us about 30 minutes. So exhausted, I suggested we go across the street to the bar and have a Coke, just to get off our feet. But Guy wanted to explore the area a bit and we walked around. We stopped to watch some street performers dance and did some window shopping. We came across a mall and I found a pair of sandals that I bought. So it would have been cheaper for us to have gone across the street for a Coke! Ha ha.
Probably 45 minutes or so later we went back to the restaurant and the gentleman at the door said to go upstairs. The server, Jono, had reserved us the best seat in the house. He thanked us for being so understanding and he appreciated the fact that we actually returned. His English was impeccable and he was really talkative (all night) which was fun. They brought out a starter of olives, olive oil and tuna spread. He said the cost was 1.70 per person if we wanted it. Strange way to do things, but it worked and we kept it. We were going to order bruschetta, but since we kept this instead we only ordered our entrees. Guy got the Veal Scallopini Limone and I got spaghetti marinara. I know that is boring, but that is what I was craving. The food came out promptly and it was all delicious. For dessert we ordered Tiramisu and it, too, was fabulous. Maybe the best we've ever had. He brought us complimentary limoncello and we sipped it down. We can't tell you how wonderful this place was. Everyone was so nice and treated us very well. The service was outstanding and even the owner came by the table to ask if everything was good. ;) We told them we'd "like" them on Facebook. They'll be sure to get a good review from Guy on Trip Advisor as well. What a great way to end a really spectacular day.
Tomorrow we will do the city tour by Hop on Hop off bus. There are two routes that take an hour and a half each, so at least we get to sight see sitting down tomorrow. I'm afraid it may be too cold to sit up top, but I can tell you my jacket today was worth every euro!
Sunday, May 25, 2014
Day 14 - Lisbon, Portugal
Well this morning was bitter sweet. We again indulged in fabulous breakfast then walked out to the cliff's edge for one last long look at this amazing scenery. There were fishing boats, a sail boat and even a guy fishing of a kayak this morning. A beautiful, beautiful day. Even tho the area we stayed at may have not been the coolest little town in the area, the views from the hotel were second to none and we'd recommend it. So we said goodbye to the ocean and packed up and hit the road for Lisbon.
The two and a half hour trip was pretty easy. The Interstates were not that busy and the scenery was pretty awesome. At first there were pointy little "mountains" - about Tennessee mountain size, then it got very flat, then the rolling hills started again. The speed limit was 120 kph and I stayed right at that speed. However, other people were flying by me, some so fast it made our car shake. As we got into Lisbon it was HUGE! There were cruise ships and this bridge that almost looked as big as the San Francisco bridge. We went over it but I was concentrating on driving I didn't realize it was so big until we saw it later from a distance. We took a wrong turn, but we got back on track pretty quickly. The address for the Europcar for some reason wasn't going to where Guy had it marked on the map. So we instead came upon our hotel and pulled in. Guy checked us in while I sat in the car because I wasn't in a legal spot. When he came out we carried out stuff in and got into the elevator. For those of you who know me, you know I don't do elevators and heights well. The drive in was quite taxing and when I got in the tiny elevator to go to the 14th floor and the doors closed...I was done. I got to the room and looked out the window from 18 stories and decided I couldn't do it. So with great patience, Guy got us a room on the 2nd floor, which is really the 6th floor due to 4 floors of other things before the rooms begin. They showed me where the stairs were and even though it is in a service area of the hotel, I can use them when I want. We did have a room with a great view, but now it is just the parking lot. We won't be in here much...but still it makes me feel a little bad.
Now about the rooms. We are at the Sheraton in downtown Lisbon. The location seems pretty good and the lobby is very chic. The rooms have glass bathrooms, so if we so chose to, shower time could get pretty entertaining. But not being the exhibitionist types, Guy lowered the shades so we couldn't see in. The rooms are very dark but very very modern and cool. Great hotel.
After getting the car returned and settling in the room, we decided to head out for some sight seeing and chose a restaurant for dinner down by the Castle. It is cold and as the sun goes down things are going to get a bit uncomfortable. So we chatted with the hop on hop off bus lady and she said that everything is basically closed on Sundays except the Castle and the malls. Did someone say Mall? Girl needs a jacket! So to the mall we went. Guy got some McDonalds fries while I did some shopping. I finally settled on a cheap black windbreaker at a store that was like a Sports Authority. I needed something just to cut the wind and that could be shoved in the backpack. So success, and as we walked out the door I pulled the tags off and put that baby on! NICE!
We hopped a cab to the Castle and he took us right up to the top! We bought tickets and walked around for at least an hour, getting some great shots of the city from the top. There was a small area of ruins and we went through the museum to look at the artifacts they had found. It was built by the Moors in the mid 11th century. Alfanso Henriques booted the Moors out in 1147 and became the first king of Portugal. So there is a tidbit for you. So most of the shots today are of the Castle.
We exited the Castle and hopped a cab to the restaurant we chose for dinner. It is in the top 20 of over 2000 restaurants on Trip Advisor. I know by now you are probably getting tired of hearing about Trip Advisor...but it is really such a huge help, because without it, choosing a restaurant would basically be a crapshoot. The cabbie spoke great English and was hilarious. He told us about Portugal's Independence in 1974 and some of the country's politics. He pointed out important sights and told us that last night (the crowd in for the soccer match) was "Crazy my friends". So he let us off just before the restaurant as he couldn't drive down that street (pedestrians only). He told us how safe the city was and people walk around safely all hours of the night going to bars and discos. ;) He is from Lisbon and really loves it here. The people in Portugal have been super nice. When we stopped for gas for the rental car today, Guy was having some trouble and the man getting gas next to us came over to help him. He had to go inside to talk to them to just have them turn the pump on and to let us pay inside. He literally ran back out to start the pump for Guy. The majority of people here are just wonderful!
We ate dinner at the Leitaria A Camponeza. It is a little hole in the wall that only had 12 tables. Lucky for us, there was a two by the door and we were able to take it. There was only one waitress and she was a stern gal. Sometimes sharp with the customers and other times not. She was nice to us, but we got a "no chit chat...just order" feel from her and we were ready when she came to the table. I ordered veal and Guy ordered salmon. Guy had a view of the restaurant (mine was of outside) and he pointed out that some of the meat was coming out on big skewers and she was hanging it on a hooks at their tables. When I looked around, everyone had lanterns and hooks. We had no idea how ours was going to come out, but lucky for me...mine was on a skewer! It was hilarious. It just dangled over my plate and I just pulled it off as I needed more. It came with potatoes, rice and a salad. The meat I had was above and beyond our expectations. It was grilled, but had some kind of seasoning on it that was great but not too much. It was perfect. What a special treat to a very long and exhausting day! After our main course, I ordered a piece of cheesecake and it was lemon flavored, but just a hint...nothing tangy about it, just creamy and delicious. Guy got one bite, but he wasn't fast enough to get two bites. LOL. There are also lots of pictures from the restaurant as well. It was fun.
We were tired tonight and decided to catch a cab back to the hotel instead of walking around. It was nearly dark, but the night shots would have been pretty spectacular. We'll catch them another night. So good night from Lisbon - I'm sure it is going to be quite the adventure. I already have a good feel about the city. :) Tomorrow, the "must see" town of Sintra! Stay tuned!
The two and a half hour trip was pretty easy. The Interstates were not that busy and the scenery was pretty awesome. At first there were pointy little "mountains" - about Tennessee mountain size, then it got very flat, then the rolling hills started again. The speed limit was 120 kph and I stayed right at that speed. However, other people were flying by me, some so fast it made our car shake. As we got into Lisbon it was HUGE! There were cruise ships and this bridge that almost looked as big as the San Francisco bridge. We went over it but I was concentrating on driving I didn't realize it was so big until we saw it later from a distance. We took a wrong turn, but we got back on track pretty quickly. The address for the Europcar for some reason wasn't going to where Guy had it marked on the map. So we instead came upon our hotel and pulled in. Guy checked us in while I sat in the car because I wasn't in a legal spot. When he came out we carried out stuff in and got into the elevator. For those of you who know me, you know I don't do elevators and heights well. The drive in was quite taxing and when I got in the tiny elevator to go to the 14th floor and the doors closed...I was done. I got to the room and looked out the window from 18 stories and decided I couldn't do it. So with great patience, Guy got us a room on the 2nd floor, which is really the 6th floor due to 4 floors of other things before the rooms begin. They showed me where the stairs were and even though it is in a service area of the hotel, I can use them when I want. We did have a room with a great view, but now it is just the parking lot. We won't be in here much...but still it makes me feel a little bad.
Now about the rooms. We are at the Sheraton in downtown Lisbon. The location seems pretty good and the lobby is very chic. The rooms have glass bathrooms, so if we so chose to, shower time could get pretty entertaining. But not being the exhibitionist types, Guy lowered the shades so we couldn't see in. The rooms are very dark but very very modern and cool. Great hotel.
After getting the car returned and settling in the room, we decided to head out for some sight seeing and chose a restaurant for dinner down by the Castle. It is cold and as the sun goes down things are going to get a bit uncomfortable. So we chatted with the hop on hop off bus lady and she said that everything is basically closed on Sundays except the Castle and the malls. Did someone say Mall? Girl needs a jacket! So to the mall we went. Guy got some McDonalds fries while I did some shopping. I finally settled on a cheap black windbreaker at a store that was like a Sports Authority. I needed something just to cut the wind and that could be shoved in the backpack. So success, and as we walked out the door I pulled the tags off and put that baby on! NICE!
We hopped a cab to the Castle and he took us right up to the top! We bought tickets and walked around for at least an hour, getting some great shots of the city from the top. There was a small area of ruins and we went through the museum to look at the artifacts they had found. It was built by the Moors in the mid 11th century. Alfanso Henriques booted the Moors out in 1147 and became the first king of Portugal. So there is a tidbit for you. So most of the shots today are of the Castle.
We exited the Castle and hopped a cab to the restaurant we chose for dinner. It is in the top 20 of over 2000 restaurants on Trip Advisor. I know by now you are probably getting tired of hearing about Trip Advisor...but it is really such a huge help, because without it, choosing a restaurant would basically be a crapshoot. The cabbie spoke great English and was hilarious. He told us about Portugal's Independence in 1974 and some of the country's politics. He pointed out important sights and told us that last night (the crowd in for the soccer match) was "Crazy my friends". So he let us off just before the restaurant as he couldn't drive down that street (pedestrians only). He told us how safe the city was and people walk around safely all hours of the night going to bars and discos. ;) He is from Lisbon and really loves it here. The people in Portugal have been super nice. When we stopped for gas for the rental car today, Guy was having some trouble and the man getting gas next to us came over to help him. He had to go inside to talk to them to just have them turn the pump on and to let us pay inside. He literally ran back out to start the pump for Guy. The majority of people here are just wonderful!
We ate dinner at the Leitaria A Camponeza. It is a little hole in the wall that only had 12 tables. Lucky for us, there was a two by the door and we were able to take it. There was only one waitress and she was a stern gal. Sometimes sharp with the customers and other times not. She was nice to us, but we got a "no chit chat...just order" feel from her and we were ready when she came to the table. I ordered veal and Guy ordered salmon. Guy had a view of the restaurant (mine was of outside) and he pointed out that some of the meat was coming out on big skewers and she was hanging it on a hooks at their tables. When I looked around, everyone had lanterns and hooks. We had no idea how ours was going to come out, but lucky for me...mine was on a skewer! It was hilarious. It just dangled over my plate and I just pulled it off as I needed more. It came with potatoes, rice and a salad. The meat I had was above and beyond our expectations. It was grilled, but had some kind of seasoning on it that was great but not too much. It was perfect. What a special treat to a very long and exhausting day! After our main course, I ordered a piece of cheesecake and it was lemon flavored, but just a hint...nothing tangy about it, just creamy and delicious. Guy got one bite, but he wasn't fast enough to get two bites. LOL. There are also lots of pictures from the restaurant as well. It was fun.
We were tired tonight and decided to catch a cab back to the hotel instead of walking around. It was nearly dark, but the night shots would have been pretty spectacular. We'll catch them another night. So good night from Lisbon - I'm sure it is going to be quite the adventure. I already have a good feel about the city. :) Tomorrow, the "must see" town of Sintra! Stay tuned!
Saturday, May 24, 2014
Day 13 Albufeira, Portugal
I always copy and paste my blog into a document because they take so long to type and I fear them disappearing. Today I did not save it and guess what? My blog didn't save. I should have known when Picasa shut down while I was trying to load photos that something was wrong, but blogger.com is constantly autosaving and I've never had an issue... but lesson learned and so an hour of time is out the door and I'll begin again.....
We woke up to the most spectacular weather we've had so far. Not a cloud in the sky and the air finally feels warm. Again, breakfast is quite the spread and I basically had a repeat of delicious food items as yesterday. We sat out in the sun and it was just lovely. Before leaving, I snagged a few little packages of butter for our lunch, and the conversation turned to Grandma Gladys. We started telling our favorite stories about her and it wasn't long before we were both drying some misty eyes. Good memories...
We went back to the room before heading down to the little town around the corner from the hotel. It is walking distance and I think it is still the town of Olhos D' Agua, in the region of Albufeira, in the region of Algarve. Confused? Yeah, me too...but that's okay. As we walked down we stopped at a shop that made leather from cork. The items were lovely, but very expensive. We continued on around the corner and entered the little pedestrian area that dead ends at the ocean. It is lovely and most of the houses are white washed and it reminded us a little of the town of Oia in Greece. We walked along and visited some of the shops, picking up some post cards and a few gifts. Guy was already at the area where the little boats were and had watched a fisherman come in and unload his catch. As we walked around there were these adorable fishing huts all lined up together and I'm sure some pretty big fish tales have been told here. One man was repairing a net and the scene gave us a deja vu moment from past Italy trips. As we ventured along, we saw some people walking up some paths to the top of the small sea side cliffs and decided to check it out ourselves. Yes, we were careful, but it did warn you going up that the cliffs are unstable. We are really amazed at the terrain, but can't believe it isn't stone or rock, but appears to just be soil. How the cliffs don't erode, we aren't sure. Our hotel sits right near the edge of a pretty big cliff! Anyway, we walked all around and had some good photo ops.
We walked back to the hotel and put our swimsuits on. We only found two unoccupied chairs and we hopped in. It is the perfect day for sunbathing. Warm sunshine, but the cool breeze kept you from getting too hot. In the shade you cooled down in a hurry. Perfect. At about 1:30 my time, I text Emily to wish her a wonderful graduation day. I'm really sorry I'm missing it, but wanted her to know how proud I was of her. For the second time today, some tears were shed. Not 10 minutes later, Amanda text me that Mom and Dad were in her kitchen and they were all having coffee. I ran up to the room where the wifi was better and I could talk louder and we Facetimed for about 20 minutes. It was good to see them all in "real time" and they got to see the views from my balcony and a look at the room. I'm not homesick, but it was really nice to video chat. The lag time wasn't bad at all, which made it really nice. Back at the pool we hung out most of the afternoon and listened to our ipods. We ate a snack and decided to take a final walk on the beach. Down all 135 steps, we walked the beach for nearly an hour. We walked on the rocks and followed them around several bends. After quite a while, we ended up in the little town we were in this morning! We had asked the gal at the desk yesterday if you could get to the little town via a path, but she said no. We suppose that if it were high tide you actually wouldn't be able to go where we went. We decided to go back the way we came instead of walking through the town like this morning, because the sand and ocean path is much more fun.
I went to the front desk to ask them to make us a reservation tonight at the Castelo do Mar. Third time will no doubt be a charm, but we wanted to make sure we had a seat. The grump at the desk helped me out. Guy said yesterday he ran into his first grumpy person in Portugal. As I walked up I knew it was him before we even spoke. :) I showed him the restaurant's website I had pulled up on my phone and he called for the reservation. He was first speaking to them in Portuguese, then he started speaking in English. He gave them our name and we were set! After hanging up he asked me where the restaurant was. I told him by the Marina. He said it was odd because they didn't speak Portuguese and every local did. I asked what did they speak and he said "English". So the mystery continues....but that did make me go back to Trip Advisor and read the review again. All were outstanding and I felt confident it would be worth all this drama!
Back to the room, I blogged while Guy showered (yes, that blog is gone), but we were ready a bit early for dinner and headed out, giving ourselves time to find parking at the restaurant. When Guy walked in the restaurant, the owner (that he had begged last night for a seat) looked at him and said "Please tell me you have a reservation" because they were booked. Obviously we did and our table was waiting for us. It was already full and the views were beautiful. We didn't want to order an appetizer because we had heard about how good the desserts were, so we ordered entrees only. The owner came by and said "After all this you only ordered entrees?" We laughed and said that if we had to choose, we always opt for dessert. We told him about our hotel being surprised they didn't speak Portuguese. He was from South Africa and the other owner was a Brit I believe. We aren't sure what brought them to Portugal, but the locals are not too happy that "foreigners" run a business there and do not speak the language. Maybe that is why the other night at the hotel we stopped at for directions said they had never heard of them. They do not get much support from the community apparently. However it is 2014 and you don't need community support if you have an online following, which these guys do! Obviously, if they are rated as the #3 restaurant in the entire area on Trip Advisor and are booked most nights, they are going to do fine. The Internet has definitely changed how people do lots of things...but this is just an interesting example of the new era. He said they get many European snowbirds (Brits, Dutch) that come there for the winter and stay 3 to 6 months, so to only speak English hasn't been a problem for them. They have only been in business for two years, but this location has been a restaurant for years. At one time it had been the home of a local fisherman.
So as the dramatic soap opera of the Castelo do Mar unfolds ... let's talk food. I ordered Salmon over red pepper and chorizo risotto with salt and pepper squid. Guy ordered a steak with pickled onions and potatoes. By far, mine was the winner. Not only for the night, but this was the most delicious food I've had on the trip. I described it to Guy as "beautiful". I'm not the biggest salmon fan, but it got rave reviews on the Internet and I had ordered it because of what was UNDER the salmon. Guy enjoyed his steak, but again, I wished he had ordered what I had ordered. If I had not been in public, I would have licked the plate with my tongue...it was that good. The salmon was cooked perfectly and was not fishy tasting at all (a problem I often find with salmon). The risotto was creamy and delicious, with a wonderful balance between the red peppers and the chorizo. The squids were obviously hand breaded and cooked to perfection. There was only one problem...there wasn't enough of it! I told Guy he should just order the salmon, too, and we'd just take the steak to go! This meal was so amazing I almost shed my third tear of the day! If tonight wasn't our last night, I guarantee you we'd go back again tomorrow. Words just can't quite describe it. We both ordered dessert but wished we had ordered a starter to have tried some of the other eclectic foods they offered. I got the brownie with "clotted cream" and Guy ordered a strawberry and cream dessert. Both really delicious, but not even coming close to my entree. However, it was the perfect ending to the perfect meal.
So now that the mystery of this restaurant has unfolded and I have basically typed this blog twice, I bid Albufeira good night and tomorrow we head for the city of Lisbon. For those who follow soccer, every TV in Portugal is showing the big soccer match in Lisbon tonight between the two Madrid teams. I don't follow soccer, but trust me, I can hear yelling from the first floor all the way up to the room I'm blogging in. There is quite a buzz in the air. Let's just hope when we drive into the city tomorrow the traffic and crowds are gone!
We woke up to the most spectacular weather we've had so far. Not a cloud in the sky and the air finally feels warm. Again, breakfast is quite the spread and I basically had a repeat of delicious food items as yesterday. We sat out in the sun and it was just lovely. Before leaving, I snagged a few little packages of butter for our lunch, and the conversation turned to Grandma Gladys. We started telling our favorite stories about her and it wasn't long before we were both drying some misty eyes. Good memories...
We went back to the room before heading down to the little town around the corner from the hotel. It is walking distance and I think it is still the town of Olhos D' Agua, in the region of Albufeira, in the region of Algarve. Confused? Yeah, me too...but that's okay. As we walked down we stopped at a shop that made leather from cork. The items were lovely, but very expensive. We continued on around the corner and entered the little pedestrian area that dead ends at the ocean. It is lovely and most of the houses are white washed and it reminded us a little of the town of Oia in Greece. We walked along and visited some of the shops, picking up some post cards and a few gifts. Guy was already at the area where the little boats were and had watched a fisherman come in and unload his catch. As we walked around there were these adorable fishing huts all lined up together and I'm sure some pretty big fish tales have been told here. One man was repairing a net and the scene gave us a deja vu moment from past Italy trips. As we ventured along, we saw some people walking up some paths to the top of the small sea side cliffs and decided to check it out ourselves. Yes, we were careful, but it did warn you going up that the cliffs are unstable. We are really amazed at the terrain, but can't believe it isn't stone or rock, but appears to just be soil. How the cliffs don't erode, we aren't sure. Our hotel sits right near the edge of a pretty big cliff! Anyway, we walked all around and had some good photo ops.
We walked back to the hotel and put our swimsuits on. We only found two unoccupied chairs and we hopped in. It is the perfect day for sunbathing. Warm sunshine, but the cool breeze kept you from getting too hot. In the shade you cooled down in a hurry. Perfect. At about 1:30 my time, I text Emily to wish her a wonderful graduation day. I'm really sorry I'm missing it, but wanted her to know how proud I was of her. For the second time today, some tears were shed. Not 10 minutes later, Amanda text me that Mom and Dad were in her kitchen and they were all having coffee. I ran up to the room where the wifi was better and I could talk louder and we Facetimed for about 20 minutes. It was good to see them all in "real time" and they got to see the views from my balcony and a look at the room. I'm not homesick, but it was really nice to video chat. The lag time wasn't bad at all, which made it really nice. Back at the pool we hung out most of the afternoon and listened to our ipods. We ate a snack and decided to take a final walk on the beach. Down all 135 steps, we walked the beach for nearly an hour. We walked on the rocks and followed them around several bends. After quite a while, we ended up in the little town we were in this morning! We had asked the gal at the desk yesterday if you could get to the little town via a path, but she said no. We suppose that if it were high tide you actually wouldn't be able to go where we went. We decided to go back the way we came instead of walking through the town like this morning, because the sand and ocean path is much more fun.
I went to the front desk to ask them to make us a reservation tonight at the Castelo do Mar. Third time will no doubt be a charm, but we wanted to make sure we had a seat. The grump at the desk helped me out. Guy said yesterday he ran into his first grumpy person in Portugal. As I walked up I knew it was him before we even spoke. :) I showed him the restaurant's website I had pulled up on my phone and he called for the reservation. He was first speaking to them in Portuguese, then he started speaking in English. He gave them our name and we were set! After hanging up he asked me where the restaurant was. I told him by the Marina. He said it was odd because they didn't speak Portuguese and every local did. I asked what did they speak and he said "English". So the mystery continues....but that did make me go back to Trip Advisor and read the review again. All were outstanding and I felt confident it would be worth all this drama!
Back to the room, I blogged while Guy showered (yes, that blog is gone), but we were ready a bit early for dinner and headed out, giving ourselves time to find parking at the restaurant. When Guy walked in the restaurant, the owner (that he had begged last night for a seat) looked at him and said "Please tell me you have a reservation" because they were booked. Obviously we did and our table was waiting for us. It was already full and the views were beautiful. We didn't want to order an appetizer because we had heard about how good the desserts were, so we ordered entrees only. The owner came by and said "After all this you only ordered entrees?" We laughed and said that if we had to choose, we always opt for dessert. We told him about our hotel being surprised they didn't speak Portuguese. He was from South Africa and the other owner was a Brit I believe. We aren't sure what brought them to Portugal, but the locals are not too happy that "foreigners" run a business there and do not speak the language. Maybe that is why the other night at the hotel we stopped at for directions said they had never heard of them. They do not get much support from the community apparently. However it is 2014 and you don't need community support if you have an online following, which these guys do! Obviously, if they are rated as the #3 restaurant in the entire area on Trip Advisor and are booked most nights, they are going to do fine. The Internet has definitely changed how people do lots of things...but this is just an interesting example of the new era. He said they get many European snowbirds (Brits, Dutch) that come there for the winter and stay 3 to 6 months, so to only speak English hasn't been a problem for them. They have only been in business for two years, but this location has been a restaurant for years. At one time it had been the home of a local fisherman.
So as the dramatic soap opera of the Castelo do Mar unfolds ... let's talk food. I ordered Salmon over red pepper and chorizo risotto with salt and pepper squid. Guy ordered a steak with pickled onions and potatoes. By far, mine was the winner. Not only for the night, but this was the most delicious food I've had on the trip. I described it to Guy as "beautiful". I'm not the biggest salmon fan, but it got rave reviews on the Internet and I had ordered it because of what was UNDER the salmon. Guy enjoyed his steak, but again, I wished he had ordered what I had ordered. If I had not been in public, I would have licked the plate with my tongue...it was that good. The salmon was cooked perfectly and was not fishy tasting at all (a problem I often find with salmon). The risotto was creamy and delicious, with a wonderful balance between the red peppers and the chorizo. The squids were obviously hand breaded and cooked to perfection. There was only one problem...there wasn't enough of it! I told Guy he should just order the salmon, too, and we'd just take the steak to go! This meal was so amazing I almost shed my third tear of the day! If tonight wasn't our last night, I guarantee you we'd go back again tomorrow. Words just can't quite describe it. We both ordered dessert but wished we had ordered a starter to have tried some of the other eclectic foods they offered. I got the brownie with "clotted cream" and Guy ordered a strawberry and cream dessert. Both really delicious, but not even coming close to my entree. However, it was the perfect ending to the perfect meal.
So now that the mystery of this restaurant has unfolded and I have basically typed this blog twice, I bid Albufeira good night and tomorrow we head for the city of Lisbon. For those who follow soccer, every TV in Portugal is showing the big soccer match in Lisbon tonight between the two Madrid teams. I don't follow soccer, but trust me, I can hear yelling from the first floor all the way up to the room I'm blogging in. There is quite a buzz in the air. Let's just hope when we drive into the city tomorrow the traffic and crowds are gone!
Friday, May 23, 2014
Day 12 Albufeira, Portugal
This is the first hotel we've stayed at where breakfast IS included. We were down by 9:30 and it is a huge buffet. Now Guy and I are not big buffet-ers, but this was quite the spread. There was a section of fruit, one of just cheeses and jellies, one of just breads/rolls/pastries, then one of yogurts and cereals, and finally one of all hot stuff like eggs cooked several different ways, sautéed veggies, sausages, fried potatoes, bacon (limpy bacon is a no go for us) French toast, and crepes. So we loaded up and it was all delicious!
When we woke up this morning, there were just a few puffy clouds in the sky and the air finally felt a bit warm. By the time we finished breakfast it looked like it was going to rain! So we sat out on our balcony for a bit and looked at the weather channel. Supposedly no rain today, but the sky sure doesn't look that way. So we hopped in the car and went to the grocery store. We were there probably an hour just going up and down all the isles looking at all the foods. We got some bread for our lunch today in their bakery and come cokes, waters, and cookies. As we headed back we started looking for a restaurant for supper tonight that was supposed to be close. We drove around for a bit and couldn't find it. Seriously...what's the deal?
So back to the room we got the map out and googled some of the places we will see along our drive up to Lisbon to make sure we weren't missing anything major. There is one point called Sagres that is the most southern tip of Portugal that has huge cliffs going down to the ocean. The pictures look cool, but I think we have a mini version of it here. The thought is we'd skip side trips on the drive up to Lisbon to get there earlier in the day because from what we read there is quite a bit to see and one of our days will be taken up with a side trip to Sintra - which I'm super excited about. So food for thought.
We went down to sit in some chairs and the clouds are just socked in, so Guy went to go peek over and see if there were any available two person "love seats" down by the cliff's edge. Only one has a PRIMO spot in the sun and is alone in a corner. It gets swiped up pretty early in the day, but if the clouds were out, we may as well set in one of the other shaded cushiony chairs just to have the fabulous view. When he came back the primo chair was open! I guess the folks in it earlier in the day gave up on the sun. So we took our stuff down and enjoyed the view. Not too much time had passed and the sun started to pop in and out and then it was just OUT! We were finally getting some sun - and in the good chair! I came up after awhile to get some drinks and our food we bought for lunch. I brought it down to our fabulous spot and we had a picnic. I brought my cameras down, too, because it was a good day for some infrared shots. After we had plenty of sun, the clouds started to move back in, so we moved back in as well. I'm tellin' ya, when the sun isn't out, it is down right cold! The high today was only in the 60s. We packed for 80s and 90s. All in all, it was a great day.
So now for dinner...the agonizing decision on where to eat. Not being ones to give in, we decided to try again for the Castelo do Mar. We didn't have the hotel call again for a reservation just in case we couldn't find it again. We figured that even if we had to wait an hour, we would. So I downloaded the Google Earth app on my iPad and we located that sucker. Yep, last night we drove right by it. Now that we know what the building looks like from the Google Earth map, as we approached, we saw it right away. As we pulled up it was on a curve and there was no obvious place to park, so Guy ran inside to see what we do with the car. He was in there for some time and when he came out I could see this look on his face that I know well...for what ever reason, we wouldn't be eating there tonight. He got in and said even though he almost begged, a private party had booked the entire restaurant and he wouldn't let us even sit at the bar. Once again...DRAMA due to the Castelo do Mar. So the soap opera continues...because YES, we shall try again tomorrow night. We'll just have the hotel call for a reservation this time.
As we drove back to our town, we decided to try the seafood restaurant our hotel had suggested yesterday. Trip Advisor rated it pretty good, so we thought we'd give it a go. As we walked up, a guy with a guitar was singing really loud! The owner saw us and opened the door with a friendly greeting, which was nice. We are not sure how to describe this place. It smelt strongly of charcoal as you could see the fish being cooked on the open grill in the kitchen. It was dated and looked like it would have been in style about 20 or so years ago. We were greeted in English by our waiter and the menu was in several languages. We opted for a calamari starter and Guy ordered the grilled sea bass and I was going to try the grilled golden bream (local white fish). Before the food arrived, the guy singing had a partner and they were going around the restaurant singing to the tables and making them participate with tambourines and other instruments. I was asked to do the tambourine, but I politely declined. Yes, people, it was because I had already washed my hands and I didn't want to have to get up again! So there...the first step to facing your disorders is to admit to them.
When dinner arrived, our fish still had the heads on, but the insides were gone. The grilled smell was really nice and they had a salty charred flavor to them. Both fish tasted similar, but the sea bass was probably the best. Our side was a salad with boiled potatoes, carrots and green beans. The veggies were just barely warm and had no seasoning. So with a little salt and pepper, we ate everything but the salad. For dessert (which I forgot to get a picture of except for the last two bites) was the most interesting part of the meal. I told the waiter I wanted to try something local that I couldn't get anywhere else. He immediately pointed to the chocolate cake with ice cream. However it wasn't made with chocolate, but with carob. It grows on the trees locally and the pods look like big green beans. They dry up and turn black then they cook with them. He said that years ago people only fed them to the pigs and cows because there was so much of it around and it was edible. Then they discovered that when ground, it could be used as a chocolate substitute and is now shipped world-wide. It did have an interesting flavor that I think would satisfy my chocolate needs, but he suggested we take a bite of it with the ice cream to mix the flavors. It was very interesting. He brought the black pods over and showed us what it looked like. I took a picture.
We came back to the hotel and we are going to stay up for another 30 minutes because supposedly at 10:30 they are going to have flamenco dancers. We are laughing about the age of guests here at the hotel. Lots of aged Brits and Russians. They are pretty cute, but we are definitely youngsters here. At the hotel, it is a weird combination of a resort with stunning views, inside you have a simple yet lovely hotel, with a Vegas style buffet for breakfast and supper, and cheezy entertainment each evening in the bar - local singers, DJs, etc. that the older guests obviously love. The area we are in is a very popular tourist spot and has an aged Daytona feel, but again, don't forget about the stunning views. The local people are quite polite and seem more welcoming to tourists than I think I felt from the locals in Spain (except our hotels- they were very nice).
So not many pics today, and there were no flamenco dancers to be found...so it is movie night on the iPad and hoping for a sunny day tomrrow!
When we woke up this morning, there were just a few puffy clouds in the sky and the air finally felt a bit warm. By the time we finished breakfast it looked like it was going to rain! So we sat out on our balcony for a bit and looked at the weather channel. Supposedly no rain today, but the sky sure doesn't look that way. So we hopped in the car and went to the grocery store. We were there probably an hour just going up and down all the isles looking at all the foods. We got some bread for our lunch today in their bakery and come cokes, waters, and cookies. As we headed back we started looking for a restaurant for supper tonight that was supposed to be close. We drove around for a bit and couldn't find it. Seriously...what's the deal?
So back to the room we got the map out and googled some of the places we will see along our drive up to Lisbon to make sure we weren't missing anything major. There is one point called Sagres that is the most southern tip of Portugal that has huge cliffs going down to the ocean. The pictures look cool, but I think we have a mini version of it here. The thought is we'd skip side trips on the drive up to Lisbon to get there earlier in the day because from what we read there is quite a bit to see and one of our days will be taken up with a side trip to Sintra - which I'm super excited about. So food for thought.
We went down to sit in some chairs and the clouds are just socked in, so Guy went to go peek over and see if there were any available two person "love seats" down by the cliff's edge. Only one has a PRIMO spot in the sun and is alone in a corner. It gets swiped up pretty early in the day, but if the clouds were out, we may as well set in one of the other shaded cushiony chairs just to have the fabulous view. When he came back the primo chair was open! I guess the folks in it earlier in the day gave up on the sun. So we took our stuff down and enjoyed the view. Not too much time had passed and the sun started to pop in and out and then it was just OUT! We were finally getting some sun - and in the good chair! I came up after awhile to get some drinks and our food we bought for lunch. I brought it down to our fabulous spot and we had a picnic. I brought my cameras down, too, because it was a good day for some infrared shots. After we had plenty of sun, the clouds started to move back in, so we moved back in as well. I'm tellin' ya, when the sun isn't out, it is down right cold! The high today was only in the 60s. We packed for 80s and 90s. All in all, it was a great day.
So now for dinner...the agonizing decision on where to eat. Not being ones to give in, we decided to try again for the Castelo do Mar. We didn't have the hotel call again for a reservation just in case we couldn't find it again. We figured that even if we had to wait an hour, we would. So I downloaded the Google Earth app on my iPad and we located that sucker. Yep, last night we drove right by it. Now that we know what the building looks like from the Google Earth map, as we approached, we saw it right away. As we pulled up it was on a curve and there was no obvious place to park, so Guy ran inside to see what we do with the car. He was in there for some time and when he came out I could see this look on his face that I know well...for what ever reason, we wouldn't be eating there tonight. He got in and said even though he almost begged, a private party had booked the entire restaurant and he wouldn't let us even sit at the bar. Once again...DRAMA due to the Castelo do Mar. So the soap opera continues...because YES, we shall try again tomorrow night. We'll just have the hotel call for a reservation this time.
As we drove back to our town, we decided to try the seafood restaurant our hotel had suggested yesterday. Trip Advisor rated it pretty good, so we thought we'd give it a go. As we walked up, a guy with a guitar was singing really loud! The owner saw us and opened the door with a friendly greeting, which was nice. We are not sure how to describe this place. It smelt strongly of charcoal as you could see the fish being cooked on the open grill in the kitchen. It was dated and looked like it would have been in style about 20 or so years ago. We were greeted in English by our waiter and the menu was in several languages. We opted for a calamari starter and Guy ordered the grilled sea bass and I was going to try the grilled golden bream (local white fish). Before the food arrived, the guy singing had a partner and they were going around the restaurant singing to the tables and making them participate with tambourines and other instruments. I was asked to do the tambourine, but I politely declined. Yes, people, it was because I had already washed my hands and I didn't want to have to get up again! So there...the first step to facing your disorders is to admit to them.
When dinner arrived, our fish still had the heads on, but the insides were gone. The grilled smell was really nice and they had a salty charred flavor to them. Both fish tasted similar, but the sea bass was probably the best. Our side was a salad with boiled potatoes, carrots and green beans. The veggies were just barely warm and had no seasoning. So with a little salt and pepper, we ate everything but the salad. For dessert (which I forgot to get a picture of except for the last two bites) was the most interesting part of the meal. I told the waiter I wanted to try something local that I couldn't get anywhere else. He immediately pointed to the chocolate cake with ice cream. However it wasn't made with chocolate, but with carob. It grows on the trees locally and the pods look like big green beans. They dry up and turn black then they cook with them. He said that years ago people only fed them to the pigs and cows because there was so much of it around and it was edible. Then they discovered that when ground, it could be used as a chocolate substitute and is now shipped world-wide. It did have an interesting flavor that I think would satisfy my chocolate needs, but he suggested we take a bite of it with the ice cream to mix the flavors. It was very interesting. He brought the black pods over and showed us what it looked like. I took a picture.
We came back to the hotel and we are going to stay up for another 30 minutes because supposedly at 10:30 they are going to have flamenco dancers. We are laughing about the age of guests here at the hotel. Lots of aged Brits and Russians. They are pretty cute, but we are definitely youngsters here. At the hotel, it is a weird combination of a resort with stunning views, inside you have a simple yet lovely hotel, with a Vegas style buffet for breakfast and supper, and cheezy entertainment each evening in the bar - local singers, DJs, etc. that the older guests obviously love. The area we are in is a very popular tourist spot and has an aged Daytona feel, but again, don't forget about the stunning views. The local people are quite polite and seem more welcoming to tourists than I think I felt from the locals in Spain (except our hotels- they were very nice).
So not many pics today, and there were no flamenco dancers to be found...so it is movie night on the iPad and hoping for a sunny day tomrrow!
Thursday, May 22, 2014
Day 11 - Albufeira, Portugal
Yikes, we actually had to get up by an alarm clock today! We hated to say good bye to the nice folks at the Casa 1800, but sadly, yet excitedly we were out the door by 8:30 to get a cab to the bus station. When we arrived we went straight to our platform and waited for the bus. It was pretty full and some of the people had seat assignments on their tickets and others (like us) did not. The bus driver said the seat numbers don't really mean anything. Some people moved seats, but for the most part, nobody really cared where they sat. Several Americans and Canadians were on the bus with us. The trip from Seville to Faro, Portugal was about 2.5 hours. The scenery was a little different, but not exciting enough to help us keep our eyes open. The bus made a few stops and then arrived at Faro. From there we could have taken another bus to the airport to pick up our rental car, or we could have caught a cab. The cab sounded much easier, so Guy asked the cabbie how much and he said less than 10 Euros. Sounded good to us, so off we went! The ride couldn't have been more than 10 minutes and he dropped us off at the car rental area. For an old gentleman, his English was very good.
The car rental was the same ole same ole routine as usual, and the young man who showed us the car was great and spoke perfect English. The key fob fits into the middle dash board area and you press on the brake while pushing the on button. It took a little bit to figure out how everything worked, but FINALLY I get to drive an automatic in Europe, so I'm happy. Our Garmin wasn't playing along very well, so Guy did have the directions from the airport to the hotel printed out from Map Quest. The streets are not too confusing and we made it to the hotel quite easily. We later found out that the hotel won't be found on the Garmin because it is private property. Had we known that we would have typed in the Sheraton that is a few doors down!
Upon arrival our room wasn't ready, so we sat out by the pool and ate a sandwich from the poolside cafe. Even tho it was just basic pool food, it tasted good because we were starving! After lunch we walked around the property and I took a few photos. Our resort is on top of a cliff that overlooks the ocean. It is quite spectacular. Our room was ready, so we went on up and unloaded our things. The room is simple, but very clean and has a balcony that over looks the pool and ocean. Lovely! So we hooked up to wifi and I chatted via Viber with Amanda and it seems to be working well. After settling in, we walked down (135 steps - not that we were counting) to the road that led to the beach to check things out. It is really windy and pretty darn cold. We walked along the beach and picked up a few rocks, but we quickly found a spot on the sand that had a bit of a wind block and we enjoyed the ocean sounds and tried to avoid the goose bumps. Even the life guards were wearing long pants and sweatshirts with the hoods up! After about an hour, we headed back up to the hotel where we scoped out a place to sit and take in some sun. The pool area was packed and the yard area had two open chairs. Guy grabbed them while I ran up to put some shorts on and get some towels. At this hotel the sunbathers are...well, pretty much a lot of old folks. The lawn area had lots of chairs and umbrellas and I told Guy I expected to see them all in long dresses, holding parasols and playing croquet.. :)
We are going to have to Trip Advisor choose a place to eat tonight for supper since we have a car and can go anywhere. Guy searched for over an hour and talked to the front desk twice before making the final decision of the Castelo do Mar. It is rated #3 in all the area. So we got ready for dinner and had the front desk call for reservations and give us a map. The gal at the desk Map Quested it, but it was in Portuguese, so she just highlighted the map in yellow. We followed the map all the way down to the marina (took about 15 minutes) and then we drove around the tiny twisty little streets of this town for one hour. I'm not joking - one hour. We even asked some locals AND a cab driver who so kindly offered to let us follow him. We did and when he pulled over, we did as well. He said up the street, go left at the roundabout, then straight make a right and left. We offered to pay him but he refused and smiled a big friendly smile, gave the car a tap and a wave goodbye. That didn't help either. We KNOW we were in the right area, and how we were missing it we have no idea. We got on a street that was so narrow we weren't sure cars were supposed to go down it. So when it started getting dark, we decided to throw in the towel. Well, that was all good, but we now couldn't find our way out of the little town back to the main road. So Guy popped into a hotel and got directions out of the town. We just needed a bit of help because we'd been up and down every street, but seemed to be turned around. We quickly saw the way out once we made a few of the turns that she told him. I asked him if he happened to ask her where the restaurant was. He said "why yes I did...she has never heard of it". Sigh... a sign to head back to the hotel. Guy still wins the award for being great with directions and in the family is known as Christopher Columbus. Tonight was just too weird for words - for both of us.
Back at the hotel, it is now just before 10pm and it is dark. I lost my adventurousness about 45 minutes ago, so we asked about food in the hotel. There just happened to be an Italian restaurant that she promised was very good. It was called il Basilico. We ordered some bread and a cheese pizza with two cokes (neither one of us really had the energy to read the menu or make any kind of decisions). The food came out quickly and we weren't even really hungry. After finishing the pizza we treated ourselves to a brownie sundae and it was awesome. The staff in the hotel and the restaurant are very very friendly. Earlier today they gave us a map to walk to the grocery store, but we just don't have it in us tonight.
So tomorrow there won't be much to blog about. If the sun is out, we'll be at the pool all day. We'd go to the beach - you can even get a massage down there in a tent that has "massage" spray painted on it - #sketchy, but if it is as chilly and windy tomorrow, we'll need to use the trees from the hotel as windbreakers. Night for now and enjoy the photos of scenic Portugal.
The car rental was the same ole same ole routine as usual, and the young man who showed us the car was great and spoke perfect English. The key fob fits into the middle dash board area and you press on the brake while pushing the on button. It took a little bit to figure out how everything worked, but FINALLY I get to drive an automatic in Europe, so I'm happy. Our Garmin wasn't playing along very well, so Guy did have the directions from the airport to the hotel printed out from Map Quest. The streets are not too confusing and we made it to the hotel quite easily. We later found out that the hotel won't be found on the Garmin because it is private property. Had we known that we would have typed in the Sheraton that is a few doors down!
Upon arrival our room wasn't ready, so we sat out by the pool and ate a sandwich from the poolside cafe. Even tho it was just basic pool food, it tasted good because we were starving! After lunch we walked around the property and I took a few photos. Our resort is on top of a cliff that overlooks the ocean. It is quite spectacular. Our room was ready, so we went on up and unloaded our things. The room is simple, but very clean and has a balcony that over looks the pool and ocean. Lovely! So we hooked up to wifi and I chatted via Viber with Amanda and it seems to be working well. After settling in, we walked down (135 steps - not that we were counting) to the road that led to the beach to check things out. It is really windy and pretty darn cold. We walked along the beach and picked up a few rocks, but we quickly found a spot on the sand that had a bit of a wind block and we enjoyed the ocean sounds and tried to avoid the goose bumps. Even the life guards were wearing long pants and sweatshirts with the hoods up! After about an hour, we headed back up to the hotel where we scoped out a place to sit and take in some sun. The pool area was packed and the yard area had two open chairs. Guy grabbed them while I ran up to put some shorts on and get some towels. At this hotel the sunbathers are...well, pretty much a lot of old folks. The lawn area had lots of chairs and umbrellas and I told Guy I expected to see them all in long dresses, holding parasols and playing croquet.. :)
We are going to have to Trip Advisor choose a place to eat tonight for supper since we have a car and can go anywhere. Guy searched for over an hour and talked to the front desk twice before making the final decision of the Castelo do Mar. It is rated #3 in all the area. So we got ready for dinner and had the front desk call for reservations and give us a map. The gal at the desk Map Quested it, but it was in Portuguese, so she just highlighted the map in yellow. We followed the map all the way down to the marina (took about 15 minutes) and then we drove around the tiny twisty little streets of this town for one hour. I'm not joking - one hour. We even asked some locals AND a cab driver who so kindly offered to let us follow him. We did and when he pulled over, we did as well. He said up the street, go left at the roundabout, then straight make a right and left. We offered to pay him but he refused and smiled a big friendly smile, gave the car a tap and a wave goodbye. That didn't help either. We KNOW we were in the right area, and how we were missing it we have no idea. We got on a street that was so narrow we weren't sure cars were supposed to go down it. So when it started getting dark, we decided to throw in the towel. Well, that was all good, but we now couldn't find our way out of the little town back to the main road. So Guy popped into a hotel and got directions out of the town. We just needed a bit of help because we'd been up and down every street, but seemed to be turned around. We quickly saw the way out once we made a few of the turns that she told him. I asked him if he happened to ask her where the restaurant was. He said "why yes I did...she has never heard of it". Sigh... a sign to head back to the hotel. Guy still wins the award for being great with directions and in the family is known as Christopher Columbus. Tonight was just too weird for words - for both of us.
Back at the hotel, it is now just before 10pm and it is dark. I lost my adventurousness about 45 minutes ago, so we asked about food in the hotel. There just happened to be an Italian restaurant that she promised was very good. It was called il Basilico. We ordered some bread and a cheese pizza with two cokes (neither one of us really had the energy to read the menu or make any kind of decisions). The food came out quickly and we weren't even really hungry. After finishing the pizza we treated ourselves to a brownie sundae and it was awesome. The staff in the hotel and the restaurant are very very friendly. Earlier today they gave us a map to walk to the grocery store, but we just don't have it in us tonight.
So tomorrow there won't be much to blog about. If the sun is out, we'll be at the pool all day. We'd go to the beach - you can even get a massage down there in a tent that has "massage" spray painted on it - #sketchy, but if it is as chilly and windy tomorrow, we'll need to use the trees from the hotel as windbreakers. Night for now and enjoy the photos of scenic Portugal.
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