Europe 2023 August 31st Day 28 - Lisbon to Porto on another Train

Well that was a crap sleep, that will teach me to break the rule and have a coffee after 5pm, and an espresso at that. After doing some more of the blog and trying intermittently to go to sleep, the last thing I needed for 40 minutes at 2am were the rubbish guys having trouble replacing the large kurbside bins that recess into the ground ( size of about half a shipping container). They have a crane arm on the back of the truck for lifting and replacing, but just couldn't get the new one back in so the method changes to just lift it higher and drop, over and over again until they finally achieved success.

Woke at 7am and after packing everything back into our two bags popped downstairs for breakfast (usual spot).
As usual one member of our entourage wanted to make sure we were at the railway station on time so we were down at reception checking out at 9.45am. Ordered a taxi which was there in a couple of minutes and as explained to us, the ride was only 10 minutes max to Santa Apolana railway station,so therefore we were there on the dot of 10am for our 11.30am train 🤬. Checked to make sure of the correct platform and the we walked across the road with our bags for another coffee and tea. Jane hasn't had a coffee for over a week now just to hopefully help the stomach.

We finally ambled across to the station and awaited our train which of course was on time. Into the very last carriage (went Business class for the extra $20) and settled for the 3 hour trip. It was a good trip stopping at a few interesting old towns and with some lovely views on the way. Went through Aveiro, apparently the Venice of Portugal with its canals and a seaside resort about an hour south of Porto. Looked nice and if we have time we might make an effort to get there for a look.

Pulled into the Porto Campanha station, quickly off into cab and within 15 minutes arrived at the Moov Centro Porto hotel, slap bang in the middle of the old city opposite a gorgeous tiled church.

Cab driver said we couldn't have picked a more central location so we'll see if he's right. Both a little tired so had a short nap before heading out to investigate our new city. First impressions were very good as we wandered up and down the hilly streets looking at all the old buildings, including the magnificent central railway station with its tiled walls ( Isabel actually stayed in a hostel in the station not long before)

It appeared cleaner than Lisbon and a little more compact (which it should be) and the view of the river Duoro and the bridges spanning it were brilliant. We found a spot for the famed Porto sunset (another mountain goat track to get there 😂) and it was beautiful.

Headed back to the hotel randomly and stopped at the Impar restaurant where Jane had cod fish potato and egg, while I had  pork loin (interesting , deep fried strips of pork belly, very fatty and not what I expected) with beer and rose, finished with the MOST magnificent Lime mousse. It was my birthday so we found a little half bottle of 2013  LBV port and went back to the room for a small tipple to celebrate the occasion.

Europe 2023 August 30th Day 27 - Coaches, Fado and National Museum of Contemporary Art Lisbon style

Had a lazy start to today after what seemed a whirlwind adventure yesterday. Down to breakfast at 9am and sat once again in our usual place next to the disused water fountains. Once again manners of some people leave a lot to be desired. Older male, yes even older than me, picked up at least a dozen pastries and put on his plate before being admonished by his wife. So he then manhandled a few back onto the serving plates with his hands, brilliant hygiene 🤬. Back to the room and got online to  purchase our trains tickets to Porto for tomorrow before heading out for the day.

We had decided to return to the National Coach museum and have a look so this entailed grabbing a multi ticket for the Metro, bus and trams. Down to the Metro (Lisbon's underground) and instead of an all day ticket, a single trip was purchased. 2 stops and then off and onto Tram No.15e which took us directly there. What another amazing transport museum. This is a massive collection of all the royal coaches of Portugal and a great number of others. It includes one dating from late 16th century used in 1619 for King Philip11 of Portugal (King Philip 111 of Spain) to travel from Spain to Portugal . This unique and largest in the world collection was created by Queen Amelia in 1905 and is now housed in a modern building, it was just awe-inspiring to view. Baroque style, German, English and Portuguese style , plus children's coaches and sedan chairs that took a good hour and half to view. There was also an exhibition of an artists paintings of all the king's and queens of Portugal to view . After this we went down to the cafe for very enjoyable light lunch of empanadas and cod fish cake with fresh traditional lemonade and a raspberry lemonade.

It had heated up by now and we decided to have a look at the air conditioned National Museum of Contemporary Art at Belem and it's Berardo collection. A well thought out and extremely detailed collection commencing from the beginning of the 20th century until present with examples from all the great and supporting casts . We then started to look at collections on the other levels but legs were tired and visual overload was happening, so time to leave. 

We had a coffee and cake before finding the tram back to the city, and as we hadn't bought the all day ticket we needed to try and buy another journey on the tram. Only had a €20 note and of course the ticket machine only took max of €10 note or coins. Finally rustled up the required €6 in coins and it wouldn't accept them, so just sat down and hoped 🤞Got to our stop, left quickly and walked the extra distance back to the hotel. Once back it was already after 5pm so time for a little nap before heading out for dinner.

We wanted to go to a Fado restaurant and experience this Portuguese musical style. First couple we tried were not open or full, so we searched out another smaller one and we got a table. Lovely meal and the performance from both the male and female singers was excellent. Even bought a CD 😂😂. The two guitarists, one using the traditional 12 string Portuguese guitar were just brilliant and let's just say youth had left them a very long time ago. Whilst eating dinner I checked tomorrow's train tickets and of course I had stuffed up and booked next Thursday not tomorrow, couple emails later and that was sorted by the excellent RailNinja and the worrying could cease. Not the last issue for the evening though. Got the bill and went to pay and was advised their machine had broken down earlier so could we pay in cash , hahaha. Would have been ok but all we had was about €22 in cash. So the waiter escorted me to an ATM down the street where I withdrew some ( which I was intending to do tomorrow anyway) , returned to the restaurant, paid and left.

Not far back to the hotel and that was it for our last day in Lisbon. New train tickets had arrived so hopefully on a train to Porto in the morning.

Europe 2023 August 29th Day 26 - Sintra and beyond

Alarm off at 6am this morning as going on one of the few organised tours we are doing on this trip that Jane organised through Viator online. A small group, max of 8 tour to Sintra and a couple other places outside of Lisbon. Ready and waiting for breakfast to open downstairs at 7am and then round the corner to Praca da Figueroa to meet the tour bus at 7.45.

Our guide David was on time in the Mercedes van and we sat in the back with another couple, a bit older from Beunos Aires,  Argentina that did not speak English. 2 more stops for pickups and the 8 were in. As Jane was still not feeling well from the stomach ailment, we moved to the front seat and we were off to the first stop , Sintra, about 30 minutes away supposedly. Barely 10 minutes down the highway and traffic jam. All 3 lanes down to a crawl and eventually passed the cause a car overturned on its roof. It appeared no-one was injured and we were quickly back up to speed. This however meant by the time we got to the town of Sintra we were 40 minutes behind schedule. We only had an hour to walk around this town and have a look at the old palace from the outside, but I think this was adequate. David was very informative but not over the top, good start. Sintra is famous as it in the cooler hills behind Lisbon and the National Palace was the royal holiday palace for many monarchs and a place for many famous people of the time to holiday, including Lord Byron which means there is obviously a cafe named after him and a plaque on a wall. There is also the Quinoa de Regaleria with its unique architecture and amazing gardens.

10.20 back in the bus and up we went along a windy, narrow cobblestoned road until we were near the Palácio Nacional da Pena. All out the bus and up the hill we walked. This was not a small effort as the gradient was extremely steep and very uneven cobblestones. Stopped a couple of times for the elder couple but honestly the rest of us were glad we had to, it was extreme. We finally got to the top and what a magnificent sight. The castle is brightly coloured with unique Romanesque architecture and battlements that started with the Moors and totally restored/ renovated by King Ferdinand 11 in 1838 into what it is today. It was the royal residence for some time until the fled in 1910 due to the revolution. The only issue was that this is the most visited attraction in Portugal and up to 8,000 visitors a day can go through the Pena Palace and it looked like this was one of those days. There are set times and ours was 11am but we didn't get inside until 11.30 as there are no skip the queue here. You have your allotted group time and you wait in line. David did the waiting for us while we all wandered around the exterior and onto the battlements for some fantastic views, Alberton an extremely windy day. Finally inside to a well structured tour around the interior which was all furnished supposedly as it was when the royals fled.

I must say and I think all the group agreed that the exterior is the best part of the Palace, but maybe we've seen too many others.

A careful walk back down to the bus and it was the off to Caba de Roca, the most western point of the European mainland. Went past a few places where the recent wildfires had been and it was understandable with the vegetation, temperatures and high winds. Got out to have a look and take a couple of photos but not out for long at all as so windy it almost blew you off your feet. A very spectacular view however. 

From here we then followed the pretty coastal road through Guincho (most expensive real estate in Portugal apparently) to the summer beach resort town of Cascais. 

It was now after 2pm and David dropped us off in the centre of town with a few recommendations for lunch, with instructions of where to meet him (McDonald's of course, not one of the recommended restaurants) at 4pm to head back to Lisbon. 

We all went to the same recommended place , a seafood restaurant, Pesacdor which I must say was excellent and not overpriced . Love viewing social interactions, the Argentinian couple sat together away from us, the gay guy couple from the UK ( one of whoms mother lives in Perth) chose a table alone and Jane and I sat with the gay travel agent from Miami ( his husband was home looking after the house and no I am not making this up) and the lone younger female from Sweden, living off and on in London for the last 20 years of African American descent. All four of us had the grilled sea bass with new potatoes which was brilliant except for the bloody bones 🤬 and all chose a different traditional Portuguese dessert, mine grilled pineapple in syrup, yum.

By the time we finished lunch it was 3.30 and we hadn't even looked around the town. Quick walk to the promenade to see the beach and the red lobster bodies sunbaking and then back to the meeting place under the golden arches to David. Sorry we didn't look a little more around Cascais but it's supposed to be a holiday and the lunch was perfect and company delightful and engaging, which is what holidays should be.

The trip back was without incident and we were back in the hotel almost on the dot of 5pm; now for a little late afternoon nap and then attend to the laundry.

I found a laundrette just up the street from the hotel, so we set off there with bags in hand , only to discover that the bloody money machine wouldn't take notes (broken) and we diihave enough in coins. So down the street to a shop to buy one bottle of €1 water with £5 euro note which gave me enough change for the washing machine. Jane went back to the room while I waited, speaking to a lovely young Italian female who couldn't work the machine, so needed my assistance. Then into the only dryer available, €2 and only 12 minutes. Obviously didn't choose the right setting and no where near dry, so back on again but #@$#&# me, not enough money again. So back to the shop and this time with a beer in hand back with the €2 for the dryer. Some items still not properly dry, but can't be bothered any further, so everything stuffed in the bags and back to the room to set up the Chinese laundry drying.

Time for a beer and wine before hitting the sack around 9pm after what was a most enjoyable and what seemed a long day.

Europe 2023 August 28th Day 25 - Trams, Funicular and a Castle

Jane a felt bit better this morning after sleeping for nearly 12 hours . Popped down for breakfast and while I had the full Monty she went very light. First stop after was a pharmacy for some hydralyte to try and assist and off to do the famous No. 28 tram. 

We got there about 20 minutes before the first one and already a long line. There was a red tram but this was a private one. So we waited, putting up with all the people trying to push into line and quickly being told to get to the back. First tram came and went absolutely jam packed and as the second tram arrived which we were obviously no going to get on, the conductor from the red tram came across and asked if anyone had Yellow bus tickets for the tram. Of course we did, so on we jumped along with another couple and on our was, only four on a tram. Stupid Slavic women who I had told earlier to get to the back of the line when she and her friends tried to push in came rushing up to tell me to get in line as we tried get on the red bus, shoved the tickets in her face and told her to go away, typical Russian.😆

So we had an empty tram for the whole journey which travels almost the same route as no. 28 but first stop. Very pleasant and enjoyable indeed. While trip was about 1.5 hours and kept on passing packed no.28 trams and even one with the rude women standing packed like a sardine, justice. We then walked up to the viewpoint for a lovely panorama of the city before stopping for a coffee and a pastry. Jane starting to feel a bit better but not pushing it.

We then slowly walked up the hill to the castle/ fort we could see from our hotel, the Castelo d S Jorge. Excellent castle ruins with superb 360 ' views of Lisbon and once again long line for tickets ; however went online with phone and got two tickets and walked in, brilliant. Spent quite some time here just walking around this site that dates back to 8th century BC and the fort before 1127. Staying in the shade when we could as quite a warm day and heaps stairs and steps to navigate.

We finished and left via a gelato first (lemon with strawberry and peach for me ) before heading down the hill and finding the No. 28 tram which hopped on to get to the funicular. These trains are really unique and such fun to ride. Short trips up and down very steep slopes, so much fun. 

From the botttom we then walked a little before returning to the funicular but a long line so we just walked up to the hill to the top, stopping a few times, popped our heads into a church before jumping back on No.28 to head home. The tram was as usual packed and about 15 minutes in a young lady fainted. She was assisted and got to her feet, but do you think the two young Slavic people offered her their seat, not a hope, comment from one of them, she's just fainted 🤬

Got back to the square and then into the hotel for a wee nap after a long warm day. Had about a 45 minute kip and as Jane said she was feeling a bit better I returned to the restaurant I went to last night. Once again same lovely staff and Jane even had a vegetable (Portuguese Green soup) soup. I had a steak with 'special' sauce and half bottle of local white wine; very nice.

Back to our room after a small stroll and a glass of red and a well deserved sleep. Went a lot further than expected today so looking forward to tomorrow.

Europe 2023 August 27th Day 24 - Lisbon - Sights, Cars and Tiles.

Jane was feeling a bit off again this morning and first thing after breakfast we were off finding the tickets for the Yellow bus, which were of course located in the plaza round the corner. Thought this would be best as a lot of walking really not going to work for Jane today.

Took the blue route to Belem and when passing the national Coaches museum we noticed a number of what appeared to be classic cars on the concourse so after stopping to look at the 

Blemen tower we crossed the road, across a massive modern pedestrian bridge to get to the National Coche museum.

A very warm day so stopped for a drink before having a look at the 

Car show. Held every second Sunday on the concourse in front of the museum is the Portal dos Classicos which today included a  nice selection of cars including Fiat, Citroen, BMW with even a Simca and some Renault's of course.

The Yellow buses were not keeping to their 30 minute schedule and after waiting longer we headed to the Museu Nacional do Azulejo (tile museum) on a recommendation from Isabel. In a converted monastery with the church still attached (beautiful in its own right) this was a brilliant collection on the history of tiles in Portugal. Amazing display and historical overview of their manufacture and use both practical and artistic. Well worth the visit and a must do if in Lisbon.

We then waited for 55 minutes before the next bus ( email following to Yellow bus) and completed the circle ending back at our square and into the hotel.

Jane not well and went straight to bed, and as only just after 6pm,  I had a little nap and then headed out for some dinner. The desk recommended a little place ,Taberna Da Baixa, two blocks away which I went to and gained a table for one upstairs ( out the back up the narrowest of steps, overlooking the restaurant below). The place was packed and the lovely young waitress who spoke almost perfect English the veal in traditional style which I duly had with a half bottle of wine and olives. Bit of a chat with the Canadian couple that ended upstairs and then finished with a perfect creme brulee and waddled back to the room and a wife in deep slumber. Hopefully she feel better tomorrow. Did a little blogging before hitting the pillow myself.