Lisbon & Sintra, Portugal
/Arriving back in Lisbon was a bit hectic. The apartment we booked was in a very compact, old residential neighborhood and it was definitely not designed with cars in mind. Construction and police road closures complicated things even more, but eventually we found our way and got settled in. We had two full days before Luke and his girlfriend Elena would arrive, and wanted to make sure we saw as much as we could in that time, though obviously we wouldn't be able to see everything.
On our first day, we started with a walking tour of central Lisbon. We began at the water front and then meandered through the baxia, which is the low point between two hills, as well as the Bairo alto and Chiado neighborhoods. As you can see from the photos below, these neighborhoods are decorated with beautiful mosaic facades and gorgeous architecture. The city suffered a massive earthquake followed by a tsunami in the mid 1700's and was rebuilt in the following century. Because of this, these neighborhoods have a relatively modern (by European standards) feel. They are laid out very sensibly and its quite easy to get around. During our tour we stopped by a tiny little restaurant for lunch. There were only about four tables, and one of them had a "reserved" placard, which seemed odd given how small and casual the restaurant was. We soon learned it was a standing reservation for some older men in the neighborhood who must have eaten lunch there every day. They came in and within minutes they had food served, without ever speaking to the waiter. The food was incredible, fresh fried mackerel, rice and beans, and some wonderful grilled pork. It was definitely a highlight for me.
The next day we took a day trip outside the city to Sintra, about a 30 minute train ride to the west. Sintra was long the vacation destination of many of the rich and powerful, and still houses many palaces and estates. While we weren't able to see all of them, we did go to three different ones. We visited the Quinta da Regaleira, the ruins of an old Moorish castle, and the Pena Palace. Samantha and I both liked the Quinta the most, though all three were awesome. The grounds there had several grottos, waterfalls, and walks through shady forests. There are amazing old wells that you can walk in and long underground tunnels. It felt like we had jumped into a story book. We had a nice lunch in the little town square of Sintra before hiking up the hill to the other two palaces. The Moorish castle is mostly ruins, but you can walk along the walls which offer an incredible view of Sintra and the surrounding country side. The Pena palace is probably the most famous due to its bright, bold colors and ceramic facades.
That night Luke arrived and we met with him and his girlfriend for a late dinner. Luke has spent a lot of time in Lisbon and so he knew where to eat. We had dinner with them three nights, and all three meals rank in the top 10 on the trip so far. It was really nice to see him and his friends. Aside from eating, we spent some time walking through Lisbon and seeing some less touristy sides of the city. It helps having someone with first hand knowledge! On our last night in Portugal we drove out to the suburbs of Lisbon, to Caiscais. We had an awesome dinner at a local seafood place. It was the kind of place where you don't really order from the menu, they just bring out whatever is fresh. We were a group of about 18 and the fish they prepared for us was ENORMOUS. It was loads of fun, and following dinner there was a Beatles cover band and a fireworks show. It was a great way to end our European vacation. The next morning we flew south to Marrakech. Stay tuned!
