Lisbon tour- Belem and cityscape

            Retrospective...

Tuesday March 22, 2016

We decided, instead of going farther out of town that seeing Lisbon was better use of our time today. I am glad Sergio suggested it because I still hadn’t seen any part of Lisbon. Well, except for the main Avenue. We loaded up and started south on the Avenue de Liberdade toward the water. The avenue itself is beautiful. It is not only the main thoroughfare, but also a pedestrian area with cafes on every block. It is a great place to sit and have a coffee to people watch or to meet a friend or lover. It is flanked with trees and shrubbery, so on hot summer days you can have a little shelter from the heat. I would never tire of sitting there just observing life as it unfolds.

Our first stop was Carriage museum. This was a must see. The craftsmanship and luxury really shows you the disparity between royalty, prestige and the everyday person. I think the pictures speak for themselves in this case. I was glad we had time to get this in.  Of course I could have spent more time, but as I looked at the collection I was cognisant of our restricted time frame.

The second stop was the Geronimo monastery in the Belem area. As we were driving, Sergio pointed out that the access even for able bodied people to some of the tourist sites was limited to walking or taxi. Public transportation is not the most useful in this case. The monastery was busy. People were swarming. This was off season? I would hate to be here at the peak season. I could only imagine the throngs of people. I will let the pictures speak for themselves on the beauty and unbelievable craftsmanship of the building.

The feeling of the place though has to be experienced. I had imagined that it would be a peaceful place, but it felt very stark and austere. Oddly enough the second section for the convent was not very ornate. I suppose that indicates the churches reverence of females in its midst, or lack thereof.  I had hoped to get a famous pastry from the monks near the monastery, but the line up was out and around the block. Due to our time restriction, I would have to skip it. I was a little saddened by this. I guess it is something to bring me back to Portugal.

We continued on to the tower of Belem.  It had some interesting history, but sadly I was only able to see the outside of it.  In the same area was the memorial to the navigators ( Padrᾶo dos Descobrimentos). We made a short pit stop there as well. Both of these are connected by a boulevard along the water. It seems like a nice place to hang out for the day, have an ice cream and swing your legs over into the cool water. The Portuguese seem to love there ice cream.

Our last part of the trip, Sergio was nice enough to bring me to the oldest part of town up through the old and narrow streets to the highest viewpoint. The panorama was remarkable and I caught a glimpse of St. George’s castle perched on one of the other hills. It looks quite formidable even now. This was a great way to end our tour. There were tourists there, but these are the diehard ones that walk all the way up. I can tell you, you have to be in good shape to go all the way up here.

So, I think in general I was able to see a good overview of the city. Things are very spread apart with obstacles in between, so I would say pick a spot and go on an adventure there. Then the next day pick another spot and so on. I highly recommend a tour company with an adapted van for people with reduced mobility. It will make your trip easier and more relaxing.

This is the information for my accessible Lisbon tour guide.  Sergio Melo - website http://www.adaptedtoursportugal.com/ 

Sintra and a rainy day

Monday, March 21, 2016

Part II

I have finally gotten around to finishing my adventures in Lisbon. It has been a bit of a road back to normalcy after the trip. I realize as I get older it takes me longer to process all the things I have seen and done. It could be age, but there it is. So, where were we...?

Ah yes, I was starting with my afternoon tour with Adapted & Seniors tours. Sergio is the owner and he was at my hotel exactly on time. He was equipped with a lift in the van and a smile on his face.

We were off to Sintra. I was really looking forward to this. Unfortunately, it was a rainy day. Not the nicest for touring. It was quite cold as well and since Sintra is in an area where there is a lot of cloud and fog, we may have to change what we see as we go. It is absolutely a beautiful place and another on the list to go back to. One could easily spend a whole day discovering this place. As it was, I would only be able to see Monserrate and hopefully a little of the town. I had hoped to see the Moorish castle, but that would be a bit more of a challenge and would take too much time. I would have to call in advance to put in place some assistance with seeing the castle.

We arrived in the parking lot at Monserrate. The staff was very helpful and they have a wheelchair friendly cart that could take us to the palace. If it was a nice day I would have loved to stroll around the huge garden. It was spectacular. Alas, it was rainy and wet. We even had a bout of hail just before leaving the downtown. We were just about to get out to look around the town before coming to Monserrate, but just as we were about to get out, it started. 

So, change of plans it was. This was a spectacular place. On our way back out I got a glimpse of the Moorish castle perched high on the hill. We also made a quick pit stop at a patisserie to have some of the local pastries especially made in Sintra. I didn’t take photos, but they were called queijadas and travesseiros.  Delicious! Much better than the ones I had in Albufeira. You can find pictures online by searching "traditional pastry of Sintra".

 I really enjoyed this day. Sergio is very easy to talk to and we had lively conversation as we drove. We decided the itinerary for the next two days on my way home.  I am looking forward to it. Today left me with a better sense of where I would direct my time the next time I am in Portugal. I would really like to come back. I like the people and the lifestyle, as a tourist of course.

Rewind....recount of East Algarve

April 17, 2016

East Algarve- Faro, Tavira, and Olhão

As promised, before my bout of food poisoning, here is my recollection of the east Algarve. So, let's rewind to Tuesday morning...

traditional Portuguese tile on home and orange tree

Tuesday March 15, 2016

This is my final tour in the Algarve region. We are going the opposite direction than we did last time. Miguel tells me it is noticeable how the topography changes. It is much flatter in the East than in the West. I was looking forward to seeing the difference between the Loulé market and the Olhão market. They both have fish markets as well as separate produce markets.

After seeing both, I decided I would opt out for the one in Olhão if I ever go back to Portugal for an extended period. It may have been because we went on a weekday to Loulé or it may be that this one was more for the working people and commercial buyers. The atmosphere was more relaxed and  “real” than the frenzy of the Loulé weekend tourist filled town. Had I known that the Loulé market was open the whole week I would have gone on another day. I think I misread the information and confused the fish/produce market only being open on the weekend instead of the Gypsy market.They run as separate entities. Oh well.

I am getting ahead of myself though. We started off driving into Faro to stop and take a look at the old town. I didn’t have a great amount of energy today and I warned Miguel about it as we were on our way to Faro. It was a cloudy morning. We both hoped the rain would hold out or wait until the end of our day. As we arrived in Faro the parking lot was packed. It is the usual problem in a larger center. I was not all that enamored to go wandering about just to glimpse at buildings.  I like to get more out of it than just that. There are museums and points of interest, but we did not have time to enjoy those as we had a lot of ground to cover. The market was only open until 1 pm. On our 5th turn of the parking lot trying to find a spot, Miguel suggested we go to the market first and then come back. I thought that was the best bet. I know Faro has history, but it would have to stay hidden from me for now.
On the way to the market we drove through and by the Praia de Faro which is both a reserve for marine biology and a place where clams, mussels and other shell fish are harvested. It is a huge stretch of land and it seemed we were driving beside it for most of the day. The best way I can describe it is a bog. the  tide comes in and out, so it is always mucky but sometimes flooded.

We had no problem parking in Olhão, which is a bonus. Miguel got out the scooter and we were off to the market. It was indeed very large. I was glad we decided to come here now. Some of the fishmongers were already clearing their stalls. Not to worry though, there were a lot more fish to be had at the moment. In the end, I was excited to get a big piece of fresh tuna, oysters, sardines and another little fish that I can’t remember the name of, and a commonly sold local fish starting with a" D" which I have also forgotten. I should have written it down.They are all easy to prepare, or so I was told.  We took a quick look into the produce side. They are two separate buildings.

















In the produce building, I was mainly looking for fruit. I found a local fruit that is in season. I had seen it on trees several times while driving.
 It’s called Nȇsparus. I wanted to try it. I found a small melon ( the seller assured me it was local), and oranges. I had to try the local oranges.With our stash, we headed back to the van. Miguel was kind enough to bring a cooler with him so that our fish would be nice and snug in the chilled environment.

Tavira was interesting, although again, we only had a glimpse of it. We drove through the historic centre and it was one of those places where you would just like to ramble and stop for a coffee and treats then continue to wander.

We went to Quarto Aguas which is the salt flats just outside of the town. It is quite an amazing production and the piles of white you see in the background is salt.





The next stop would be Santa Luzia and lunch. What is Santa Luzia? It is the octopus capital. I was so hungry that I forgot to take pictures of our meal, but with the magic of the Internet, nothing needs to be missed and you can find both of our plates here.

 https://www.tripadvisor.ca/Restaurant_Review-g1019185-d8064153-Reviews-Restaurante_Polvo_Companhia-Santa_Luzia_Faro_District_Algarve.html

 At the restaurante Polvo & Companhia, we had clams and octopus, and octopus and corn ( basically Portuguese polenta). I thought it was very good, but I was stuffed. Our couvert today was sardine paste and a fresh goat cheese. (I also forgot to take that photo, sorry). With lunch done, we struck out again as to not subside to wanting to nap.
 Back to Faro we went. On the way we stopped briefly at Igrega Sao Laurenco in the community of Amancil. Unfortunately, the church itself was closed, but I did get a few shots of the outside. It is most markedly known for its blue tile interior. Another place very difficult to park. I don't think I saw the real Faro, but it is impossible to see everything on one trip to a country that has such rich history.

Entrance to old town Faro

We drove homeward , but before we came to he hotel, Miguel showed me a beach that the locals tend to go and is not as frequented by tourists as the others.The access to the beach(via stairs) had been damaged by torrential rain in the previous year and not been repaired yet. 

I arrived home tired, but content. It was time for a quick nap before having a bite. Another fine day out and the rain held out for the end of our trip. 

Alive, but nonrepsonsive :0)

Monday March 21, 2016

Well, I am feeling somewhat alive today, but by no means perky. I forced myself to go out at least a couple of hours yesterday, just to see the Ave de Liberdade. It is half a block away. The scooter was delivered, so at least that is one thing that has worked out. I was awakened on Sunday morning at 8:30 by the lovely concierge saying there was a tour waiting for me. Yeah....that wasn't going to happen. I ended up sleeping until 3:30 pm. Since I hadn't really slept for the last two nights, I definitely needed it. 

I have a tour later on this afternoon. I will see how that one goes. That will decide whether I cancel one of the other tours. Everything in the hotel is a struggle, since it isn't prepared for people with disability. The staff, however, has been more than helpful and have tried to do everything they can to make it easier for me. They have gone above and beyond. 

I hope to recount my other days as soon as I can. I will have lots of time at the airport, so maybe I will be able to then. For now this is it. Wish me luck....

A short hiatus...

March 18, 2016

I am supposed to be packing and getting ready to go to Lisbon. However, yesterday I was violently ill. I won't go into the gory details, but let's say it was bad fish. I am feeling somewhat better today, but am a day behind. I wanted to go to the bank and pre-pack....so much for that. Looks like I'm just throwing everything in, hope the zipper closes, and will deal with the rest when I get to Lisbon.

Best laid plans...
I will fill in my East Algarve trip and a few other tidbits.

Stayed tuned to see how my last five days of my vacation went.

A beer and a view of the ocean

Monday March 14, 2016

I wanted to do something today, but not so much as to exhaust me for tomorrow’s last tour of the Algarve. I decided to go exploring a little farther down “The Strip”. I ran into the guy that drags people into one of the patio bars. We had had a conversation when I had a drink not long ago. He chatted me up and said, “Why don’t you go down to the beach?” I thought that was the perfect activity for today. I headed down. Well, it all was going OK until I hit some parts of the walkways that were precarious. I had a few scares. I thought I was going to topple over. Well, I made it down with the added help of some passers-by at a non-cut out in the walkway. I figured I needed a beer after that just to steady my nerves. 

I found a place (there are many along the boardwalk) and got a snack and the local superblock beer. I watched the waves break on the shore and people play on the beach. The wind was ever present, but it wasn’t too cold.

The way up the hill was not as bad, oddly enough. I decided to stay on the roadway to avoid any weird slanted spots that might cause problems. It turned out to be a good idea. The traffic was light and I had enough juice to make it up the steepest part.  Yeah!!

I headed back to the hotel for a siesta. I was going to go out for some fresh fish, but I think it will be more prudent for me to have a quiet night and get ready for my adventure tomorrow.  I have been pacing myself, but sometimes I still wish I had more energy to do more. 

Piri Piri chicken and a watercolour

Sunday, March 13, 2016

I was a little better today, but still slow moving. I was determined, however, to find the ever talked about Piri Piri chicken. I was again taking the recommendation from Miguel and going to a place just up the road from me. O Manuel do Frango.

 I was not disappointed. Wow, how do they make the chicken so juicy!  I was in heaven. I also hadn’t had chips so good since Ireland. Different cut in the potatoes, but just as good a taste. At long last I could be part of the crowd that raved about the chicken. I may just have to go back. You can only eat so much at one sitting.

I returned to my room to begin my blog and to write up the reviews for Miguel’s tours. I was in the process of typing when there was a knock on the door. I called out and it was Brigit and John, one of the couples I had befriended from Calgary. They came around to my patio so I could let them in easier. Well, of all the nice things! John is a cartoonist and created a watercolor for me about my exploits with Delfim on the side car tour! I was so taken aback. What a nice thing to do. He was impressed at how I just went out there and did things. So, lovely. I still have a smile on my face.

I hope he doesn’t mind me showing his work because I just love it.