We weren’t sure we’d be able to include Portugal on this trip but we are so glad we did.  We loved our fortnight in The Algarve and have really enjoyed the contrast of looking around the big city of Lisbon and staying out here ‘in the sticks’ watching ordinary life.

The Portuguese people we have encountered have been really welcoming, smiley and helpful – everyone from the ticket man at the station, to people serving in cafes and shops or working in museums and attractions.  The lovely lady at the post office offered us a choice of 3 beautiful stamps, carefully stuck on an airmail sticker with her glue stick and checked with us that it looked ok – all for a 70c transaction.

They are always happy to explain things in English – kids learn it at school and we were told that tv shows from the UK and US are always shown with subtitles and not dubbed so they get used to hearing English all the time.  It makes for a very happy experience for the visitor.

Portuguese itself is a really impenetrable language – not like French or Spanish where you can usually get the gist.  We were used to hearing Portuguese in Bermuda where there were lots of incomers from The Azores but it didn’t help at all.  We will miss the train announcements which always sounded so seductive – she made ‘Lisboa Santa Apolonia’ sound like you’d arrived in heaven.

The food – ah, now here they don’t do so well with the notable exception of the coffee and pastel de nata for elevenses which was always perfect.  The main problem is bacalhau – the dried, salted codfish which is their national dish.  Again we’d come across this in Bermuda with disastrous results – it’s bony and without texture, taste or charm.  It makes a horrible stink in the supermarkets too.  We’ve tried it a few times since we’ve been here and it ranges from just about ok to awful.  Other fish tends to be sold and eaten whole – more bones – and the alternative is bony chicken with tasteless rice.  Finally, chorizo which we use a lot and love at home.  We’ve tried several here (of the hundreds of varieties they sell) and they have been unspeakably bad – in the bin bad – fatty, gristly, coarse and crude.

To end on a positive note, the Portuguese are really good at sweet stuff.  There are pastelarias everywhere selling all sorts of cakes, pastries, florentines and chocolates – the ones using almonds or peanuts are really yummy.

Tomorrow we’re catching up with ourselves after two full on days in the city and then on Friday we must pack our bags, put the roof box on the Volvo, get the bikes onto the rack and be ready for an early departure on Saturday morning.  We’ve got a four hour drive to Seville.

The pocket Rough Guide to Lisbon has been brilliant at helping us around the city so, having done all the main sites, we decide to have one final day and choose chapter 5 – basically the posh bits.

Today’s area has big houses, the parliament building, embassies and Lisbon’s main art gallery as well as a Basilica with a park nearby and the English cemetery.

We start off with coffee in the lovely Jardim da Estrela park and then stroll over to the cemetery – a weird choice but the author Henry Fielding (I first did him for A level) is buried there.

We also got interested at the maritime museum yesterday in Portugal’s role in the war and the cemetery had some commonwealth tended war graves.

We had lunch at the art gallery’s cafe – food not great but fabulous location sitting outside amongst statues overlooking the docks.  Then we strolled back towards the city centre, stopping off to have tea and buy groceries before our final train journey home to Azambuja.

The day starts with the usual ‘up and at ‘em’ and we set off for Azambuja station.  We have the transport set up all sorted now so we re-charge our Via Viagem cards and wait for the train – the 9.06 to Santa Apolonia.

A short walk along the river and we pick up tram 15 to Belem. This is the main tourist route so the tram is packed and we have to stand all the way being buffeted about as the tram twists and turns. Finally we arrive at the cultural centre in Belem and make for the cafe. The fun can’t begin until we’ve had coffee and pastel de nata.

We decide to stroll about to begin with rather than head inside with all the other tourist ‘sheep’. The great monument to the discoverers that overlooks the Tejo and the Belem Tower that once guarded the entrance to the river are main attractions and with some justification. They are both impressive and very popular. We take our first ‘selfie’ with Henry the Navigator in the background.

Into the Museum of Modern Art – the Berardo Collection – and a wander through huge galleries filled with an array of weird and wonderful stuff from the 20th century. Some of it is just bizarre!

Lunch in the cultural centre and then a visit to the Maritime Museum which charts Portugal’s long history of discovery and exploration. The modern navy is small but I was surprised to learn of the affection for submarines!

The number one attraction in Lisbon is the Jeronimos monastery built in 1502. It’s huge, impressive and very busy. Vasco da Gama is buried here. We have a quick wander through and head off – it’s impressive but looking round a huge church is not for us.

The tram journey home is eventful. Not full but in the narrow streets we get stuck on a corner where a taxi has badly parked and the tram is jammed against it. We get off and walk the last bit.

Our usual tea and cake at the station and we are back home for 6.00. Another long day pounding the streets. We are gluttons for punishment and plan a final visit tomorrow (Wednesday) before we have to start the process of packing up and moving off on Thursday.

Today (Sunday) we caught the train from Azambuja to the architect designed Oriente station on the former site of Expo 98 on the riverfront where the Rio Tejo estuary is really wide – spanned in fact by Europe’s longest bridge, named after Vasco de Gama.  The area has been developed for leisure and there were loads of families walking, cycling, sitting in cafés and shopping.  There’s also a big O2 type concert venue, a cable car, a casino, riverside walks, cycle paths and a park.

We decided to start with the big attraction – Oceanario – a lovely aquarium/sea life centre which we really enjoyed.  It had all the usual superstars – sharks, rays, penguins and two irresistible otters.  The information boards were excellent and we saw lots of fish, coral, urchins etc that we hadn’t seen since our Bermuda days.
You can watch the otters here.

We saw the Jardins da Agua with fountains and stepping stones and strolled up and down the waterfront looking at sculptures and generally people-watching.  We hit the giant shopping centre’s food court for lunch and then just walked about a bit more before a cup of tea and then the train home.  Another really good day’s sightseeing in Lisbon.

17K Vasco da Gama Bridge

The weekend improves further when both Spurs and Tigers get wins so Derek will be cracking open a bottle of red to celebrate (like he needs an excuse!)

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A sunny morning and we’re off into Lisbon again on the train which arrives on time at Santa Apolonia station.  Derek has mastered the ticketing now for Lisbon’s train and metro lines and we’ve got our rechargeable Viva Viagem passes for both systems.  This morning we get the blue line to San Sebastiao and head for the Museu Calouste Gulbenkian and the Centro de Arte Moderna – two art galleries.  They are set in a park full of sculptures where lots of families are feeding the ducks and people are doing art classes and painting in the open air – a lovely atmosphere.  A lot of the modern art is a bit baffling but it is set out in a quiet, spacious building so we wander round quite cheerfully.  The Gulbenkian collection is a bit like the Burrell Collection in Glasgow – one rich man’s bequest to the city.  There are some textiles and clothing which I really like and a fabulous collection of Lalique glass and jewellery as well as all the usual Old Master and impressionist paintings and oriental ceramics.  We really enjoy looking around and then have some lunch outside on the terrace.

We have found everyone we speak to really friendly and helpful – they are very keen  to speak English and take time to explain and chat.  That, combined with lovely weather, is making Lisbon a really nice city to stroll around.  It also helps that there are cafes everywhere, the cakes are delicious and they make a good cup of tea!

After lunch we spent an hour or so in El Corte Ingles, a lovely department store like John Lewis – down in the basement food hall we bought bread by the kilo and some chocolate cake for later.  We then walked through the park and down the wide Avenida da Liberdade before heading back towards the metro for the homeward journey.

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We like a good day out and the guide book recommended the hilltop town of Sintra – former summer residence of Portuguese royalty and a UNESCO World Heritage Site.  About an hour’s drive away, it has palaces, a Moorish castle and some lovely gardens.  We checked out the tourist bus whilst sitting with the now daily treat of coffee and pastel de nata but decided to venture up to the castle on foot, having taken advice from the nice lady in Tourist Info. It was a lovely stroll into the town and past the Palacio National and then the climb began – about 40 minutes up a steep, cobbled path towards Castelo dos Mouros.  We met two Spurs supporters on the way up, having a look round Lisbon before the game against Benfica in the evening!

The views were fantastic of course though our photos aren’t great as the sky was a bit grey.  We made it to the top and then ate our sarnies at the outdoor cafe where they made a lovely cup of tea.  We chatted to four ladies from Ohio on a walking holiday who asked us about our trip and gave it a perfect name – we are on sabbatical – I will use this word from now on to describe our travels.

Back at the car, we decided we had enough energy for another attraction and chose the palace and gardens at Monserrate.  We drove up some perilously narrow, winding roads to get to it but it was worth it.  Two wealthy Englishmen had helped develop the place in the 18th & 19th centuries, importing gardeners from Kew, flocks of sheep, ferns, palms and conifers and the first lawn in Iberia.  The palace itself was modelled on The Brighton Pavilion and The Duomo in Florence.  Out of season, it was really quiet there and we had a lovely stroll around before heading home in time to light the salamander stove and have chicken casserole for supper.

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Friday is a ‘rest’ day at home – cooking, laundry, websites etc and then we’re off for more Lisbon sightseeing at the weekend.

We set off early on Tuesday morning armed with our Pocket Rough Guide to Lisbon.  The weather again was warm and sunny so no need for coats, just shorts and a sweat shirt and a rucksack. We parked the car, bought “doz bilhete da Lisboa Apolonia” and caught the 9.06.

More coffee and pastel de nata

The train was fine – plenty of seats, clean and arrived on time. Leaving the station, we immediately had to climb one of Lisbon’s many hills and found ourselves in the middle of a huge flea market. Wandering through that and around the castle, we could see the old part of the city and then found an elevator to take us back down to the lower level. No joke – Lisbon has a couple of elevators that take you up and down and also a funicular railway to help cope with hills. It has trams, buses and a metro system.

Praca do Comercio

Preferring to walk, we headed for Baixa and Chiado districts – the main shopping and tourist areas with pedestrianised streets, huge squares and massive monuments. We really enjoyed the fashion and design museum (Musea Design Moda) which is housed in a former very grand bank – the ceramics were displayed in the vaults!  We also stopped for coffee and pastel de nata just to keep our strength up!

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Check the dogs on the balcony

We walked a lot, found the tourist office, bought Via Vagem cards to use on the transport system (Lisbon’s answer to the Oyster Card) and had lunch in ‘Food & Flowers’ a nice little cafe overseen by two cute, well behaved dogs and a couple of very caring owners. The chocolate cake for dessert was ‘from around the world’.

Mateus Rose

After lunch we wandered about some more, found the via of fish restaurants and Rossio Station with its horseshoe shaped entrances. Finally, we discovered Mercado da Figeuira – a little specialist shop selling fresh produce, cakes and a great range of port.  We also spotted half bottles of a very famous 70s wine which we couldn’t resist. Barb plans to put a candle in the bottle once we’ve drunk it.

Back to Apolonia by metro – very modern – we just miss a train so are forced to have tea and cake in the waiting room.

The return journey is quick and uneventful and we are back at the villa by 6.00 and start to plan our next visit. There are about 4 areas we want to explore so several more trips are likely. It seems easy to get in and out – cheap too, about 4 euros each return – and getting about once in the city is not a problem.

Tomorrow will be a catch up day – a bit of work, some cycling and a bit more research.

Sunday night supper

We spent Monday catching up with work and put in a good shift until 2.00. After lunch we set off for a bit of an explore in the Volvo to try and get to know the area.  We wanted to checkout the train station, find the river and track down the other supermarkets in Cartaxo.

The station was easy – free parking, regular trains into Lisbon and a helpful ticket office who explained the ticketing system despite having no English.  We saw our first stork, nesting high on a chimney stack (later saw one on top of a palm tree!).

The river at Valverde was stunning – much wider than we had anticipated and all set up for visitors. Again, lots of parking, a cafe, a river beach, boats and an elevated walking route.

The supermarkets at Cartaxo were more elusive – in short – we couldn’t find them so gave up and came home for tea and cake.  We’ll try again!!

Monday evening was spent making final plans for our assault on Lisbon. The first time we will be in a big city for ages.

It was an easy half day journey north from The Algarve up towards Lisbon yesterday – empty motorway all the way (€40 in tolls though!).  The Portuguese toll system is fairly chaotic and too complicated to describe here but we were actually relieved that we managed to pay as they don’t make it easy for you.

This villa is just outside a town called Azambuja which is about 30 mins north of Lisbon.  There’s a bit of noise from the road and the inevitable endlessly barking dogs from the few houses around but otherwise it seems a peaceful spot.  Derek has gone out on a cycling recce to get to know the area a bit.  There’s a train station at Azambuja with trains into Lisbon so I think we’ll head in tomorrow for a bit of city life.

This villa is owned by a Portuguese lady Ana, whose brother Tony let us in yesterday.  There are the inevitable teething problems – no hot water, no key for garage, garden furniture locked in garage, wifi a bit unpredictable etc. so we’ll try to get those sorted today.  Ana has decorated the villa quite stylishly and has the most amazing dining chairs I have ever seen!  Outside, the garden is a bit scruffy but full of little patches of flowers – daffodils, narcissi, freesias, lilies, orchids, camellias and magnolia as well as orange and loquat trees.

Anyway, we’ve arrived safely, been to Intermarche for groceries and last night we had the ever reliable first-night chilli for supper on our laps watching the movie Captain Phillips on AppleTV.  The weather is lovely so fingers crossed for a good fortnight.  I’m off to unpack my clothes and listen to Desert Island Discs on Radio 4.

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Yesterday’s stroll along the boardwalks at Gale was lovely so we decided to drive just the other side of Portimao to the Alvor estuary where the views from the boardwalks were said to be stunning.  It did not disappoint and will probably be one of the most memorable highlights of this trip.  The weather is perfect which helps of course.  We took the bikes and started off with coffee and pastel de nata in a beachside cafe and then cycled along the flat boardwalks with the river estuary and harbour on one side of us and the Atlantic Ocean on the other.  The views were very reminiscent of Bermuda with beautiful colours and lovely beaches.  Our photos don’t do it justice at all as it’s impossible to convey the 360 degree loveliness of it all.  We spent hours cycling around, locked the bikes up a few times and walked and paddled and just sat.  Fantastic.

On the way home we stopped to buy a bag of oranges from a roadside seller – a huge bagful but Derek eats a couple every day so he’ll soon demolish them!  Back at the villa, we had a cup of tea by the pool – wow, this is the life!!  What a shame we’ve only got two more days here in The Algarve.

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