The last week in June, Jon and I embarked on a journey amidst a ramshackle capital, a landscape of endless cork trees, and desolate beaches that meet the "sea of darkness" while exploring the beautiful southern part of Portugal (dubbed 'ExpLortugal' during our trip). The adventure began in the bustling metropolis of Lisbon, that felt more like several villages jammed together than one large city, due to the many distinct neighborhoods. Lisbon is the San Francisco of Portugal, with a long red suspension bridge over the Tejo River, a hilly landscape with trolleys and furniculars, and the unfortunate susceptibility to earthquakes. The most famous earthquake in Lisbon history occurred in 1755 and leveled two-thirds of the city. You would never know this tragic history today with the superb renovation and gorgeous architecture that abounds throughout the city.
Our first day, we visited the Belem District where we explored sites from Portugal's Golden Age as a naval superpower. Belem was the send-off point for voyages in the Age of Discovery and the grand buildings of this district survived the 1755 earthquake, allowing one to experience the grandeur of pre-earthquake Lisbon.
 |
| Strolling through the Praca do Imperia of Belem |
The commanding Monastery of Jeronimos was built in the early 1500s by King Manuel I as a "thank you" for the discoveries made by early Portuguese explorers. The Manueline architecture, unique to Portugal, reflects the wealth of the times. Inside the church is Vasco de Gama's tomb, the famous explorer who found a direct sea route to Asia. The highlight of the Monastery are the beautifully restored cloisters - a mix of Manueline, Renaissance and Rococo styles.
 |
| Monastery of Jeronimos |
 |
| Monastery of Jeronimos Cloisters |
Next we learned about various ships and navigational tools used during the Age of Discovery at the Maritime Museum. It was incredible to see how scientific these tools were in the 1400s and learning about their techniques for navigation allowed us to appreciate the accomplishments of these explorers even more. We paid homage to these explorers at the Monument to the Discoveries on the Tejo River. The monument honors the team effort that existed for these voyages to take place. Henry the Navigator is leading the charge, with other explorers of the era behind him, with those who financed the expeditions behind them, and finally, those who glorified them in songs and poems. A huge map inlaid in the concrete shows the various places Portugal explored and colonized during that era. It is incredible to see the impact this small country had around the world, to include Africa, Asia and South America.
 |
| Monument to the Discoveries overlooking the Tejo River |
 |
| Monument to the Discoveries |
On the top of the Monument to the Discoveries, we had a great viewpoint of the Monastery behind us, and the Belem Tower to the right of us where the Tejo River and harbor meet. Built in 1515, this tower protected Lisbon's harbor, and today symbolizes the voyages that made Lisbon powerful.
 |
| Belem Tower |
 |
| View atop the Monument to the Discoveries overlooking the Monastery of Jeronimos |
After our morning in Belem, we headed back to Central Lisbon to explore the Alfama neighborhood. This is the oldest neighborhood in Lisbon and was a bustling district during Moorish times and later became the home of Lisbon's fishermen and mariners. We began our tour of the Alfama at the Sao Jorge Castle, first built by the Moors in the 11th century. Although there are only craggy ruins to see today, the terrace outlook provides the best views of Lisbon.
 |
| View from Sao Jorge Castle overlooking Lisbon's Praca do Comercio |
 |
| Sao Jorge Castle |
 |
| View of ramshackle Lisbon from Sao Jorge Castle |
 |
| Sao Jorge Castle |
 |
| Sao Jorge Castle |
 |
| Sao Jorge Castle |
 |
| View of Sao Jorge Castle from the Chiado district |
While strolling around the Alfama neighborhood and experiencing its Old World charm, we stumbled upon a fun, eclectic restaurant with gorgeous sunset views of the Tejo River. Connected to a circus school, we were able to dine with entertainment as the trapeze students were rehearsing on the patio stage. Not your typical dinner, but a wonderful glimpse of the trendy, international crowd of Lisbon.
 |
| Alfama neighborhood |
 |
| Dinner at Resto do Chapito |
 |
| Dinner at Resto do Chapito |
Our second full day in Lisbon, we took the 30-minute train ride to medieval Sintra - the summer escape of Portugal's kings. Only 15 miles northwest of Lisbon, Sintra is a fairytale village amidst a lush hilly landscape. We first visited the National Palace, located right in town, and is the oldest surviving royal palace in Portugal. Although it was full of history and had some breath-takaking rooms with intricate tile work, this palace did not compare with the fantastical Pena Palace. King Ferdinand of Portugal wanted to build a 'magical hilltop palace' in the 1800s, and it's no wonder that he is related to Mad King Ludwig in Bavaria. Craziness runs in the family, perhaps? Like Nueschwanstein castle in Bavaria, Pena Palace, which mixes German and Portuguese style, is fanciful beyond belief. But also like Nueschwanstein, it's a must-see for those who can appreciate the need for a little bit of fantasy in the modern world.
 |
| Outside National Palace entrance in Sintra |
 |
| Pena Palace |
 |
| Pena Palace |
 |
| Pena Palace entrance |
 |
| Pena Palace |
 |
| Pena Palace |
 |
| Pena Palace |
After touring the palace, we explored the beautifully lush and sprawling palace grounds. We had no idea this park would be so huge and were bummed we didn't have our trail shoes to incorporate a run. We made the most of our time and visited the romantic surprises scattered throughout the park to include chapels, a temple, lakes and exotic plants. We even ventured to the High Cross, which is the highest point around, and provides gorgeous views of the Pena Palace.
 |
| View of Pena Palace from the High Cross |
 |
| View of Pena Palace from palace grounds |
 |
| Pena Palace Park |
 |
| Pena Palace Park |
 |
| Pena Palace Park |
Our last night in Lisbon, we managed to fit in a Fado concert taking place in a church, as part of the Festas de Lisbao (Lisbon Festival). I did not want to miss an opportunity to experience Portugal's native folk music with themes of sadness and hope. Although we only caught the very end of the concert, I was able to lose myself just for a moment in the harmonious strum of the guitars played in a melancholy minor key echoing through the church. Afterward, we enjoyed a night filled with a delicious dinner on the steps of the Chaido district, a stroll through the Baixa neighborhood down to the Tejo River, and a night of dancing at the hipster bars of the Barrio Alto. I was not ready for our time in Lisbon to come to an end, but if Portugal had surprised us this pleasantly so far, I was excited to see what else was in store further south.
 |
| Dinner on the Chiado steps |
 |
| The Arch of Triumph in the Baxia district |
 |
| Praca do Comercio |
Next on our 'EXpLortugal' itinerary was the interior town of Evora. Located in the southern region of Alentejo, historic Evora has been a cultural oasis for 2,000 years. Before arriving in Evora, we stopped 20 minutes away at the site of the Cromeleque dos Almendres, or Portuguese Stone Henge. Dating about 2,000 B.C., these 92 granite stones are erected in the shape of an oval where sun-worshippers would gather at this pagan sanctuary. Although it was amazing to see something this old, it was after all, just a bunch of rocks, and I was much more impressed by the beautiful arid landscape filled with cork trees. The Alentejo region is known for producing cork and Portugal actually produces more than half the world's supply of cork. However, cork isn't only used for bottle stoppers, but while touring Evora, we saw cork hats, purses, vests and a plethora of other quirky cork items.
 |
| Cromeleque dos Almendres |
 |
| Cromeleque dos Almendres |
Evora does have a couple must-see sights, such as the Roman temple and bone chapel, but mostly it's a beautiful, traditional town that allows the opportunity to explore everyday Portuguese life. The charming colors throughout the town are typical of the Alentejo region with white buildings and yellow trim, thought to repel evil spirits. We enjoyed meandering around the cobbled lanes of the town, people watching at a cafe in the main square, and the most delicious dinner we've had yet in Portugal. Although it was titled tomato soup the description sounded incredible, and when it came out, it looked like the Mexican brunch dish 'juevos rancheros' in soup version. Accompanied with salty pork, olives and wine straight from the barrel, it was an unforgettable dinner.
 |
| Evora main square |
 |
| Evora by night |
 |
| Dinner in Evora |
 |
| Evora by night |
 |
| Evora by night |
 |
| Roman Temple in Evora |
After a post-dinner stroll through romantically lit Evora, we headed back to our gorgeous pousada (or historic hotel), which was formerly a 15th century monastery. Complete with numerous lounges, courtyards and a swimming pool, this hotel served as an oasis to escape the mid-afternoon heat, and recuperate from our non-stop action in Lisbon. I simply wish we had longer to enjoy this beautiful hideaway, but it was once again time to hit the road, so we could hit the beach.
 |
| Pousada dos Loios |
 |
| Pousada dos Loios |
From the hot, arid plains of Evora, we drove to the windy southwestern most part of Portugal, Cape Sagres. As the spot closest to the edge of the Earth, it was the perfect place for Prince Henry the Navigator to found his navigators' school in 1420. Although little remains today, it was fascinating to walk within the fort and view the massive wind-compass on the ground. During our stay in the southern Algarve region, we stayed in the sleepy, fishing village of Salema. Once again, we seemed to find the favorite place of the Brits on holiday and managed to be the only Americans around. As soon as we arrived in Salema and checked into our apartment, we walked down the street to the Salema beach. With the historic sights of our trip behind us, now the relaxation portion could begin. For the next two days, the only decisions we had to make were, which beaches did we want to explore and what restaurant do we want to try next.
 |
| Cape Sagres |
After our first afternoon at the local beach, the next day we decided to venture to the secluded beach, Praia do Castelejo. It was described as a Fiji-like beach, and never have gone to Fiji, I wasn't sure what to expect, but once we got there..... WOW! Secluded didn't seem to quite cover it, concealed seemed the more appropriate description as there was no one else there. We truly had our own private hideaway on this endless beach with waves crashing against the sporadic jagged rock outcrops and rugged cliffs cascading into the sand. Another added bonus was an amazing restaurant on one end of the beach. This place was neither secluded nor concealed, and we soon found out why. The...food....was....sublime! We ordered the famous 'cataplana,' or octopus stew cooked with vegetables in a copper pot. Not being a huge sea-food fan, I couldn't get enough of this Portuguese twist to serving sea food. And the fresh catch around these parts? Lots of octopus!
 |
| Praia do Castelejo |
 |
| Praia do Castelejo |
 |
| Praia do Castelejo |
 |
| Jon doing his pose atop a rock on Praia do Castelejo |
 |
| Praia do Castelejo |
 |
| Lunch at Praia do Castelejo |
Our second beach day, we explored Ingrina and Zavial. We enjoyed another fantastically delicious Portuguese style seafood lunch of spicy garlic prawns at the small Ingrina beach first. Afterward, we headed to the vast Zavial beach, which was my favorite of all the beaches we visited. Its long beach, craggy cliffs, and beautiful water in a protected cove all combined to make this the perfect beach. Once again, it wasn't overly crowded and we managed to get our own area of umbrella and chairs right next to the nude section of the beach. Lucky us! Or, not so lucky I should day. Although I didn't want to look, it's like watching a train wreck, you can't look away! I have to wonder, why is it always the people who you wouldn't want to see naked that frequent these beaches with such self-confidence. Our position definitely provided some afternoon entertainment.
 |
| Lunch at Ingrina Beach |
 |
| Zavial Beach |
 |
| Zavial Beach |
 |
| Salema Night |
Our final night in Salema, our nightlife consisted of grabbing a bench on the promenade at sunset, gazing across the sea of darkness while seated on the edge of the world. In our one week in Portugal, we managed to visit the sights of the famous explorers from the Age of Discovery in Lisbon, ponder the life of Portuguese royalty in Sintra, travel to the Alentejo region of cork trees and traditional villages, and bask in the sun along the Algarve coast. EXpLortugal!
No comments:
Post a Comment