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.

On the down low and a Fado concert

Saturday, March 12, 2016

Well, after yesterday’s whirlwind of a tour. I was very tired and couldn’t bring myself to drag my butt farther than the patio for a short sit in the sun. I did have to cook something though since I wasn’t even up to going to the restaurant.  It was just as easy to cook some couscous and cut up a few vegetables. Piri piri chicken would have to wait until tomorrow even though I wanted to go today. As I was preparing my modest meal, I decided to find some music to listen to. I looked for some Fado music. I hadn’t yet heard a great deal of it. I found a concert on Youtube performed by a woman named Mariza.

Find the concert here...    Mariza -Fado concert

 I listened and she had an incredible voice. It is very haunting music. It made me quite emotional. It was a complete concert. So, I was serenaded as I cooked. I rather enjoyed it even though it made me melancholy and maybe even a little lonely.Mariza Fado concert

West Algarve- Lagos and Sagres

Friday, March 11, 2016

Please forgive my lag in posting this wonderful day out, but it took a day or so to recuperate from it. I had a great day. I think there was a bit of overload on the senses.

Let me start from the beginning. Once again my tour started at 10 am. Miguel loaded us up and we were off.  We headed out towards Lagos. He often takes people through Portimȃo, but since I had already seen that part we could spend more time on the farthest points of the tour.  We dove into our conversation talking about many different things related to everyday life in Portugal. I asked a few questions about the things we saw on Wednesday’s tour that I had forgotten to ask.  The countryside outside of Albufeira is beautiful. I suppose Albufeira has its own charm, but the sense of touristic endeavours clouds that in my eyes. It feels more the “pure” Portuguese lifestyle in other small communities in the south.  I like that Miguel gives me his insight on the way of life. Although as an ambassador I am sure he is still being diplomatic in many senses.

Miguel drove to a place he knew where the rocks protected the lagoons from the breakers and gave a perfect place to farm shellfish. Beyond that it was a beautiful beach. On one side you could see the city of Lagos and the other nothing, but rocks, beauty and the sea. In between it all is the constant of beaches. The only thing I am missing out on this trip is the sense of roaming along the coastline, through sand and up and around the cliffs.

We continued on our way after taking some photos and appreciating the view. I liked Lagos instantly as we approached it. I don’t know why exactly, but it was just one of those senses. The road we were on took us past the marina. I saw a nice pedestrian only shopping area with cafes and the lot. We drove a little further and parked so we could take a walk down to the old castle wall and slave market. The slave market may not be a nice thing to remember, but it was part of the history of this place and what made it what it is today.  It wouldn’t be a long stay, but I could at least get a look at the old part of Lagos. It was a sunny day and many people were at the local cafes having a coffee or a beer.  I could see myself there at another time, lounging and people watching unaware of the time or any pressing appointments.

There was no time for that now, however, we still had lunch, Sagres castle and the lighthouse to see before the end of the day. Before we made it to Sagres, Miguel wanted to show me a place where most tours don’t go and one of his favorite places. It was a viewpoint looking out to the sea. This is the money shot. What a place. As I sat and looked out I could hear the roar of the ocean as though I was on the beach below. The sheer strength and power of this fluid entity just astounds me. The hardy nature of the fisherman and the people that live by the sea is so apparent to me. I am always amazed how they survive.

We made it to the town of Sagres and found the restaurant. It wasn’t the usual one that Miguel goes to as they were doing some construction. This one was known for fresh fish as well. When we arrived, Miguel dropped me off as close to the front as he could, I got out and meandered to the stairs. One of the waiters was ready to wrangle me up those stairs to the restaurant. I do like to make an entrance. The patrons were all agog when he scooped me up and carried me, like over a threshold, to the top of the stairs.  And that’s the way you do it.  Miguel looked at what fresh fish was being offered, and being a fisherman, knew which was freshest of the offerings. I took his assessment and ordered as he prescribed. We had the Sea Breen. It was delicious and they were nice enough to hold the salt on my half of the fish. I didn’t want to be too much of a tourist, but I wish I would have filmed the server deboning the fish for me. It was like a dance. She definitely knew what she was doing.  I did manage to take one photo. I wanted to take more of the salad, potatoes, and the Couvert (cheese, olives and bread in this case), but I didn’t.  

After a relaxing lunch, the same waiter carried me down the stairs again and we were off to find a bathroom for me to use. We found one at the local supermarket. It was the typical European one with the bars coming form the back of the toilet. I saw this and luckily there was a female staff member just at the door. I am not sure what her role was in the store for all I knew she was the manager, but I asked if she could help me. In my broken Portuguese and some sign language we communicated and she helped me get up off the toilet. Thank goodness for the supermarket.

We arrived at the Sagres castle and went in to check it out. It was quite windy, but nothing as bad as I had expected. When the moniker is “the end of the earth” you expect the worst. It was breezy, but not too cold. I was still glad I had the down coat though. The castle was under a lot of construction. It looks as though they are trying to recreate more of the history of the place and represent the importance of it. It is a UNESCO site so, upgrades are expected. I am still uncertain about what I thought of it. I still have to process the day, but one lasting impression I had was how loneliness and solitude must have been a constant companion for the people that were posted here. The unceasing wind would drive most people mad.

The lighthouse was more interesting as a point of reference rather than an actual site. The landscape around it was more interesting to me and I understand why people may have thought there was nothing after this point.

It was a big day and many impressions thoughts and experiences. It was well worth the recovery time.

Monchique and Silves

Wednesday, March 9, 2016

I rose early again this morning. I had a little trouble with my alarm clock, so my sleep was disrupted. I wasn’t feeling the most refreshed and it looked overcast and the usual windy weather. I pulled myself together and got ready. I knew that by the time we were on the road it would be well worth it.

I was right of course. Our first stop was Silves. The castle is the feature of this lovely town. It is visible from the road coming in. They were smart enough to create a pull out, so that people like me could take a panoramic view of the castle.

  

We were able to find a parking spot easily and it wasn’t too far on the cobblestones to get to the castle. All in all it is a small place, but very interesting that this has so much history attached to it. They are doing a lot of archaeological digging. Whatever they find they put it on for display. There was an instillation of sculptures using the stone from the area. It was an interesting dichotomy from old and new. Most of the pieces were modernistic.  After we looked around a little, the ramparts were not accessible from what we could see, so we moved on.to our next stop.

Just a cool fig tree starting to bud...

The trip to Monchique was lovely and the roads were twisty and narrow. It was more interesting than some of the tourist areas. We climbed up and up. Unfortunately, the clouds were rolling in. Miguel said we may not be able to see the view clearly. I would take what we could get. After all, Mother Nature does what she wants. It was of course very windy on top and the view was a bit hazy. I couldn’t believe we could see practically the whole southern region of Portugal from the Spanish border to Sagres (the end of the world). Absolutely amazing. Miguel pointed out the towns we had already been through and where Albufeira was. It gave great perspective. The photo does not do it justice. In the foreground, many people created little rock statues much like Inukshuks, as an offering.