The final stop of the European tour, exploring a few of Portugal highlights - Lisbon, Sintra and Porto
Day 1 - Lisbon
I finally arrived in Portugal for the last leg of my European tour and it has been quite the journey. I have travelled mainly westwards, a little north and then south in the Mediterranean before ending in the Iberian Peninsula after 10 weeks. The distance between Athens (where I started) and Lisbon is nearly 3800km!
I’ve not travelled much by air and thus avoided the airport chaos in Europe, but I when I arrived at Lisbon International Airport I did get my first proper taste of post-pandemic travel. It wasn’t as chaotic as UK airports, but the queues at passport control were very long, it took nearly 2 hours to get through. Having now spoken to fellow travellers I got lucky as some people are forced to wait for 4-5 hours…
I decided to use the metro to get to the hostel and conveniently the hostel was a short walk from Rosso the nearest metro station. I really like the hostel I am staying at, it is by far the most sociable one I’ve visited and also modern and clean to boot.
After checking in, I headed straight out. I walked south towards the river passing the impressive Praca do Comercio and Cais das Colunas before finally ending up in the busy Cais Do Sodre district.
The weather here is very pleasant and much cooler than Morocco (25C compared to 35C). As I was in Cais de Sodre, for lunch, I thought I would try the Timeout Market Lisboa which was nearby.
I have to say it is a very impressive venue, with a real mix of food options from traditional portuguese food to fast food such asburgers and hotdogs. I really like the shared seating approach and innovative ordering system. I went healthy (relatively speaking) and bought this gourmet salad:
And yes that is ice cream - the salad comprised of goat's cheese, almonds and honey ice cream with a cherry on top. Yum!
The market is expensive, but the food is of a high standard with the vendors and chefs hand-picked by Timeout critics so worth trying at least once. After eating, I went back to Hostel to check out the bar which opened at 6pm. It didn’t take me long to meet other travellers and discuss sightseeing plans. One recommendation which I will follow-up this week is a day trip to Sintra as it sounds amazing.
As the evening closed in, a few of us decided check out the Lisbon nightlife. We started at the infamous Pink Street, which has a row of bars and clubs open till late. It turned into a lively night and with no sign of post-COVID blues!
Day 2 - Lisbon
It is Day 2 and my aim was to cover more ground today. The day started with a walking tour which I picked up from the hostel. The area we explored was the Alfama district and I learnt a lot about Portuguese culture, including Fado music, the meaning of the word “Saudade” (there is no direct translation, but a close approximation would be "a feeling of loss or nostalgia") and how the Portuguese language evolved over the years. Our guide was very knowledgeable and touched upon Portugal’s chequered history in wars (neutral / ally / occupied), and of course the pivotal point in the country's history when the Moors (North African muslims) occupied Lisbon and most of Portugal from the 8th century onwards.
The tour guide provided some helpful information about the best bars and restaurants to visit and it ended with the incredible tale of Pedro and Ines which was acted out by the group. This was quite an entertaining way of storytelling and I tipped the guide more generously for a humorous and interesting tour of Lisbon.
Back at the hostel, I had a light lunch before I made my way to Belem to explore west Lisbon. I hopped on to the nearest available e-scooter and got on my way, it was relatively flat and I was ok until the cycle path merged onto a main road and then it got bumpy - next time I will get the tram like everyone else!
My first stop on the way to Belem was Padrao dos Descobrimentos which is a monument for the famous Portuguese explorer known as Henry the Navigator. It is a very tall monument so it was easy to spot even when I was nearly 1km away.
The stone monument faces out to the Tagus river and looks like a ship setting out to sail, which is quiet unique. When I was walking around I noticed people at the top, so it is possible to climb up but I gave this a miss. Travelling further west I then arrived at the Torre de Belem (The Belem Tower). This medieval tower is a UNESCO world heritage site and is situated on a little island just off the River Tagus harbour. Entry is a lot of fun, you have to cross a wooden gateway over the river, and once in the tower can enjoy the views of the River Tagus and Lisbon.
This tower is famous for being the embarkation port for Portuguese explorers on their return to Lisbon. On some occasions these explorers would be seen by members of the Royal Family watching in the viewing gallery. It was seen as quite an honour to arrive at this port with the pomp and ceremony that surronded the Portuguese Monarchy.
By the time I finished walking around the tower, there was no time left to visit the Monastery as well which was a real shame. It is a beautiful building. It would have been nice to see inside, but I was able to try one an invention of the monks who inhabited the Monastery. This of course is the famous Portuguese egg custard tarts - Pastel de Natas.
The famous custard tarts have been sold in Belem since 1837 by the owners of Fabrica de Pasteis de Nata who also keep the original recipe under lock and key. The bakery is very popular with tourists and whilst there are queues, it does not take long to get served because of the efficiency of the staff. I sampled more than I had planned as I was meeting with a fellow traveller who picked up 6 (without hesitation), but they were really delicious!
Day 3 - Lisbon
It is my last day in Lisbon (for now at least) and I decided to venture to Sintra which is north west. The weather was just perfect, so I spent the whole day there. The journey was fairly straightforward from central Lisbon, I boarded a commuter train and within 40 minutes or so I was there.
In Sintra there is so much to see that even with a full day, I could only visit a couple attractions. My priorities included the Castel des Moures (Castle of the Moors) and Quinta De Regailia (Royal Palace), if I had more time than great. The castle takes about 30-40 minutes to get to from the station and it is a bit of a hike upwards, but not too challenging. There were many steps on the way but once you got going it was not too bad.
The Moorish castle was built by the Moors in the 10th century during the occupation of the Iberia peninsula. They built a settlement here, which is evidenced by the relics found by archaeologists in the ruins of the Islamic Quarter which includes Islamic art, pottery and coinage. This is first part of the castle which I came across enroute to the top.
From the castle walls, there are views of the Atlantic looking out to the west and Lisbon to the east. It is definitely worth spending a reasonable amount of time walking the castle walls, on the way there are plenty of lookout points to take pictures of Sintra, the impressive palaces, nature and wildlife.
After the castle I made a quick stop for lunch, finally trying some Balhao (which is Portuguese cod fish cakes) in a local restuarant. It was delicious and so immaculately prepared. I love the serving dishes!
Then I made my way to Quinta De Regailia Palace, which is a World UNESCO heritage site. The complex features a Royal Palace and Gardens which covers over 4 hectares. Aside from the palace itself which you can go inside (not that impressive), I found that there was much to explore around the gardens both above and below ground.
The architecture of the palace, the towers and chapel are influenced by Gothic style and a Portuguese architecture called Manueline which I thought was quite interesting.
It is a fun place to explore once you discover the subterranean network of tunnels. I’m not sure how much it is nature versus design but I was impressed with how the tunnels could seamlessly connect the different parts of the grounds. My first experience of this was when visiting the Initiation Well (which is a bit of a misnomer really).
As you descend towards the exit, there is a tunnel which takes you to another part of the grounds which then leads to a waterfall, underground caves, grottos and the lake. I overheard some tourists saying the place is like a playground and that is exactly what it felt like for me.
I had a bit of time before I needed to head back, so I thought it would be good to wander around the historic Sintra town itself. It really is a beautiful place. The backdrop alone makes it quite pleasant but there are also so many amazing sights and it is quite the contrast to busy Lisbon.
Back at the hostel, it was my last night and I just enjoyed the evening playing games and socialising. This is one of the few hostels where I was happy to stay in most evenings!
Day 4 - Porto
The trip is almost over! I am on to my last european city before I return to the UK via Lisbon in a couple of days. I had originally planned to only visit Lisbon, but I realised I would be missing out if I didn't explore Porto for a few days at least.
I made my way North via train journey and it was pretty smooth - the only snag in plans is that I am feeling unwell now. I think the consecutive days of partying in Lisbon have finally caught up with me…
It was a real struggle to walk to the hostel from the metro station and the hot weather didn’t help either - it is approaching 30C. As soon as I checked in I went straight to my bed to get some sleep (and hopefully recover).
The rest helped a bit but I feel I am going to have to battle through the next few days. I found a nice place to watch the sunset which was only about 10 minutes or so from the Hostel so this was my main accomplishment today
Day 5 - Porto
It was my first full day in Porto and fortunately I am feeling a bit better - certainly well enough to leave my bed. I started the day with a walking tour recommended by the hostel. I joined the tour with one of my roommates, one of 3 brazilians who are staying in the dorm. During the tour we learnt some interesting facts about Porto and its history, such as the story of Sao Bento Station. It has the honour of being designed with two notable omissions - A Ticket Office and Public Toilets. The story goes that is was the first major project for the architect, Jose Marques da Silva and despite becoming a very famous architect afterwards, there was public outctry. The ticket office and toilets were retrospectively added, but there was not much sympathy for an architect who clearly had no experience of buying tickets or using public toilets. However one thing which cannot be disputed is the beautiful interior of the train station.
This historic station is covered by blue mosaic tiles which depict various famous scenes from the history of Portugal. The story of Portugal is told in bite-sized chunks across the concourse covering the early, middle and late ages. Whilst the iconic blue tiles seem distinctly Portuguese, they in fact originate from the Moors who occupied Portugal and Southern Spain from the 8th century. The Moors used cobalt to dye the tiles and this tradition has continued to this day. The 500 year rule of the Moors in Portugal, left a lasting legacy, another example is the Portuguese language, with many loan Arabic words or changes to existing words. For example, any city or town that starts with "AL" is an arabicised version e.g. Algarve, Aljezur, Almada, etc. The other siginificant contributions include scientific enlightnenment in Europe such as a novel device to read the position of stars (astronomy) and other advancements in Chemistry, Physics, Mathematics and Geography.
We then passed the Liveria Lello which is a famous old bookstore (over 100 years old), crossed Ponte Luis I bridge which overlooks the Ribeira and spent a little bit of time in Gaia. Finally we ended at Igreja dos Clérigos, a 75m bell tower which is arguably Porto’s most iconic landmark.
After the walk I went to the local fish market with my brazilian roommate for lunch. We both ordered fresh seafood dishes from a restuarant in the courtyard and my friend helped with the transaction. In trying to clarify how long it would take to get served we learnt how fresh the fish actuall . The response amused us both quite immensly - the owner told us in a quite direct manner that the time was based on how long as it took her "to walk across the market to collect the fish from the fishmonger " :D
After lunch I was starting to feel lethargic but wanted to go back to the Liveria Lello. This magnificent building has an incredible collection of books and they are housed in the most beautiful shelves and cases. There is speculation that J.K. Rowling was inspired by this bookstore when writing Harry Potter, she of course lived and taught English in Portugal - for me there are defintely legitimate comparisons with the moving staircase of Hogwarts. It was entirely predictable that I wouldn’t leave empty handed, another book gift was acquired with £5 taken off price due to my admission ticket. I have to say it is quite a cunning ploy to attract people into the store (not that it needed it).
After the bookstore tour, I went back to the hostel for some rest and I was feeling quite tired when my brazilian roomates arrived and suggested going for dinner.
Everyone has to eat so I couldn’t really refuse, but then dinner turned to drinks which then turned into a night out. We ended up in a club somewhere… I hadn’t learnt my lesson from Lisbon, even if I did leave early, which was 5am…!
Tomorrow is my last day in Porto and I’m hopeful I am fit enough to make a full day of it!
Day 6 - Porto
Today was pretty much a write-off. I slept till late and there is just no shaking off this illness. I suppose last night's antics probably did not help. Oops. My plans firmly out of the window, I went to the local grocery store to buy some ginger. I have become a firm believer in the power of Ginger Tea over recent years and I was hoping that several cups of this magic elixir might revive me for the big match later. It is the Champions League final between Liverpool vs Real Madrid and of course we were going go somewhere to watch it. I was regretting not packing my Liverpool jersey but this regret did not last…
We arrived at the bar and it was so full that people were craning their heads to watch through the window so we had to ditch that plan. I never realised it would be this busy with fans - it was not like a Portuguese side was playing, if Benfica or Sporting Lisbon were in the final I would understand. Anyway, we found an alternative option (a small cafe) which became our fallback option and whilst the rest of the group scouted other locations I saved some seats. Fortunately the start of the match was delayed so we didn’t miss any of the action. After about 10-15 minutes searching we finally hit the jackpot. There was an almost empty bar with a nice lounge and projector to boot. We asked nicely if we could watch the match and the owner agreed, so we chilled in the lounge, enjoying our very own private viewing :)
The match was very tense and from my perspective it was a disappointing result. Liverpool dominated the game but ended up losing. The group (and especially the Real Madrid fan) wanted to go out again tonight but I was not in the mood and after last night’s antics I had no qualms making my excuses and going back to the hostel.
Day 7 - Lisbon
I am feeling marginally better today, but it feels like groundhog day… I think the extra sleep last night helped but I still have a pretty sore throat and my voice is weak. Cue more Ginger Tea today! I got up early for breakfast and then made my way back to Lisbon. Most of the day was spent travelling but in the evening I was able to catch the F1 Monaco Grand Prix which was a rare treat for me on the road.
Fortunately I had the foresight to book a hotel in Lisbon for my last night, I'm hoping with even more rest tonight that tomorrow will be a good day!
Day 8 - Lisbon
I am still not feeling 100%, the throat is better but a tickly cough has now joined the party. I am worried this is COVID so I am going to have to take a test at some point. I had a busy day planned, but first I went to the pharmacy for some medicine and a rapid Covid test. The joys of being unwell whilst travelling!
The test came back negative, which was some comfort and allowed me to get on with my day. I made my way to the other side of Lisbon to visit the Ismaili Centre which has long been on my list if I ever found myself here. I didn’t get any of the tours (maybe I’ll do this with my family in the future), but I was to get a peek inside and walk around the centre and the gardens. I found it an interesting building and I enjoyed the gardens which are very large and well maintained. Overall it is not quite as impressive as the London and Toronto centres, but it does have its own charm.
Now that I had ticked that particular box, it was time to make my way over to downtown Lisbon. I had been keen to explore Bairro Alto (and not just because it is so instagrammable), I wanted to see the funky funiculars and explore the alleyas and streets. It certainly has its own chilled vibe and even though it was a bit of a trek uphill I quite enjoyed the walk, observing the amusing street art on the way.
Another box that needed ticking was riding the No 28 Tram. So I made my way to the nearest tram stop and it also happened to be the easiest mode of transport to get to my next stop - the de Nossa senhora do Monte viewpoint.
This is by far the best viewpoint for Lisbon, it offers incredible panoramic views of the city, it was just a shame the weather was so indifferent today!
My friend from Porto was here in Lisbon so we decided to meet up later for dinner and it was a really enjoyable evening. We sat and discussed our experiences in Portugal whilst watching local street performers. I was able to reflect that whilst I'm not well, at least I was able to do a hell of a lot. I've also achieved a new milestone for the longest time away from home - 11 week and counting. But like all good things, they must come to and end and this European tour is over. Bring on Asia!
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