 |
| 2010 Portugal - favourites |
Monday, May 31, 2010
Toronto, Canada
Portugal was a very photogenic country. Here's our favourites from the trip:
Friday, May 28, 2010
Lisbon, Portugal
The trip from Sagres to Lisbon was pretty straightforward. Took a bus to Lagos, then walked five minutes to the very modern-looking train station. There were quite a few other travellers doing the same trip back. Transferred trains at Tunes (I had pictured scurrying around in the eight minutes we had to transfer, trying to figure out the platform and going up and down stairs to get there, but it was just a three-platform station, and we just had to walk across to the other side of the platform).
Got off the train at Entrecampos (one of the four stations in Lisbon) a very clearly-marked station. We found our way to the Metro, purchased our tickets and were on the metro as fast as if we used it every day.
We checked into the Eurostar Das Letras. Heather asked for a balcony view, which was no extra charge, and so we're in a very nice room on the 7th floor with a beautiful view of Lisbon.
Armed with our 72-hour Lisboa Card (€35 for unlimited transit and free or reduced entrance fees to museums etc), spent yesterday and today touristing. For reference, we saw the following sights (listed in the order from the Lonely Planet):
Elevador de Santa Justa (an outdoor elevator to get up to Alto Barrio, looks somewhat similar to the Eiffel Tower); Rossio (just a big plaza); Convento do Carmo (an old cathedral destroyed by an earthquake, only the frame remains, you have to pay to enter the museum which is inside the cathedral, I really liked it); Museu do Chiado (we liked this museum); Castelo de São Jorge (this castle overlooking Lisbon was a highlight, and the camera obscura is really cool to see); Museu do Teatro Romano (free to enter, we both liked it); Igreja de São Vicente de Fora (we've seen too many churches to appreciate it, but there were cool views from outside); three miradouras (lookout points) Santa Luzia, Graça and Senhora do Monte (our favourite); Panteão Nacional (originally intended as a church, you can access the upper levels for really cool vantage points -- one of our favourite, and not many tourists); Sé (another cathedral); Ponte 25 de Abril (a twin of the Golden Gate bridge in San Francisco, built by the same company); Mosteiro dos Jerónimos (we were impressed by this monastery despite having seen a lot of churches -- almost missed the doorway to the upper choir, which is a great angle for pictures); Padrão dos Descobrimentos (a 52m high limestone structure dedicated to explorers such as Henry the Navigator and Vasco da Gama, there's an elevator to the top for great views of the Mosteiro); Torre de Belém (an old fortress on the river, overrun by tour bus tourists).
In between we rode tram 28, as all tourists do. The trams are great subjects in pictures. Because we have the Lisboa Card, Heather took a tram for one stop so she could hang out the window while I chased her taking pictures.
Yesterday we had dinner in Barrio Alto, where there's a lot of bars and restaurants. The restaurant (called 580) had really interesting appetizers, so we just ordered six and called them tapas. The kitchen was great and actually plated each appetizer on two plates. We weren't sure if we were getting two of each until we got the bill!
We saw a lot of planes in the sky today, which bodes well that the Lisbon airport is open. We haven't seen any recent news about the volcano affecting flights (just BA strikes are on the news, which we're not on).
The weather has been great since we arrived in Lisbon. We froze up north at the start of the trip, with rain the first couple days and highs of 12C. The middle part of the trip was too hot with highs over 30C. The last couple days have been perfect, around 23C.
Now to figure out where we're going for dinner...
Got off the train at Entrecampos (one of the four stations in Lisbon) a very clearly-marked station. We found our way to the Metro, purchased our tickets and were on the metro as fast as if we used it every day.
We checked into the Eurostar Das Letras. Heather asked for a balcony view, which was no extra charge, and so we're in a very nice room on the 7th floor with a beautiful view of Lisbon.
Armed with our 72-hour Lisboa Card (€35 for unlimited transit and free or reduced entrance fees to museums etc), spent yesterday and today touristing. For reference, we saw the following sights (listed in the order from the Lonely Planet):
Elevador de Santa Justa (an outdoor elevator to get up to Alto Barrio, looks somewhat similar to the Eiffel Tower); Rossio (just a big plaza); Convento do Carmo (an old cathedral destroyed by an earthquake, only the frame remains, you have to pay to enter the museum which is inside the cathedral, I really liked it); Museu do Chiado (we liked this museum); Castelo de São Jorge (this castle overlooking Lisbon was a highlight, and the camera obscura is really cool to see); Museu do Teatro Romano (free to enter, we both liked it); Igreja de São Vicente de Fora (we've seen too many churches to appreciate it, but there were cool views from outside); three miradouras (lookout points) Santa Luzia, Graça and Senhora do Monte (our favourite); Panteão Nacional (originally intended as a church, you can access the upper levels for really cool vantage points -- one of our favourite, and not many tourists); Sé (another cathedral); Ponte 25 de Abril (a twin of the Golden Gate bridge in San Francisco, built by the same company); Mosteiro dos Jerónimos (we were impressed by this monastery despite having seen a lot of churches -- almost missed the doorway to the upper choir, which is a great angle for pictures); Padrão dos Descobrimentos (a 52m high limestone structure dedicated to explorers such as Henry the Navigator and Vasco da Gama, there's an elevator to the top for great views of the Mosteiro); Torre de Belém (an old fortress on the river, overrun by tour bus tourists).
In between we rode tram 28, as all tourists do. The trams are great subjects in pictures. Because we have the Lisboa Card, Heather took a tram for one stop so she could hang out the window while I chased her taking pictures.
Yesterday we had dinner in Barrio Alto, where there's a lot of bars and restaurants. The restaurant (called 580) had really interesting appetizers, so we just ordered six and called them tapas. The kitchen was great and actually plated each appetizer on two plates. We weren't sure if we were getting two of each until we got the bill!
We saw a lot of planes in the sky today, which bodes well that the Lisbon airport is open. We haven't seen any recent news about the volcano affecting flights (just BA strikes are on the news, which we're not on).
The weather has been great since we arrived in Lisbon. We froze up north at the start of the trip, with rain the first couple days and highs of 12C. The middle part of the trip was too hot with highs over 30C. The last couple days have been perfect, around 23C.
Now to figure out where we're going for dinner...
Wednesday, May 26, 2010
Lisbon, Portugal
We spent most of Sunday getting from Tomar to Évora. The tracks to Évora are under a long repair job, and so there are no trains in or out of Évora right now.
From Tomar we caught the train to Oriente station in Lisbon. This itself was a bit of an adventure as the tracks were out for a couple stations near Santarém, and so everyone got off the train, onto a bus for about 40 minutes, and then back on another train.
We had a couple hours to kill in Lisbon, so checked out around Oriente station. It's the former site of Expo ??, with all the architecture you'd associate with a world fair.
The bus to Evorá went over the 17.2km Ponte Vasco da Gama, a bridge over the Rio Tejo. That was a pretty cool bonus for taking the bus.
Most restaurants are closed on Sunday so we asked our hotel in Évora for recommendations for dinner, rather than just walking around town to pick one.
The recommended restaurant had clams on the menu, which Heather had been looking forward to eating. They were great, served in a corrriander and garlic broth. Mmm good. We'd never thought to pair clams with corriander.
On Monday toured around Évora. Saw the roman ruins, the sé (cathedral), nice cobblestone streets etc etc. It's a very pretty town to wander around. Found some cool souvenirs -- cork is grown in the surrounding area, and we bought a trivet that's a cross section of a branch; and a bread basket from a knob (?) of a tree.
We had dinner at Tasquinha d'Oliveira, our restaurant splurge for the trip. The owner worked at O Fialho for 15 years, a legendary restaurant here, before opening up his own about 10 years ago.
The door was locked when we arrived (on a Monday night!). The owner only lets in people who he wants -- I guess we passed his test because he let us in. While eating, we saw him turn away a number of would-be diners, so we were lucky.
Appetizers were stuffed crab, and mushrooms with mint, garlic and a vinagrette. Very good.
For dinner, Heather ordered clams in the corriander broth (same as yesterday), and I tried the blackened pork with clams. Both were amazing. The secret I suppose is in the broths.
We had some wine remaining, and the owner brought us some extremely soft goat cheese, with a pumpkin & almond compote on the side. This was amazing, and matched the wine perfectly. I could have just eaten that all night.
We finished with a sampling of the desserts, and 20-year old tawny.
Overall it was the best meal we've had this trip, although the best course is still the duck Heather had in Guimarães.
Tuesday was another day of travel, finally getting to the Algarve for beaches and relaxing.
Took a three-hour bus south from Évora to Albufeira; another bus to Lagos, and finally a third bus to Sagres. The whole journey took about eight hours.
Our hotel (Mareta Beach) was a five minute walk to the beach of the same name. They had messed up our reservations and so we didn't get the beach view and balcony that we'd been looking forward to (had an ocean view though).
Sagres (and most of the Algarve that we passed through) turned out to be not our scene -- we found ourselves pining for cobblestone streets and medieval old towns. The beach was nice, but PEI has better.
So we packed up our stuff this morning and headed for Lisbon. We'll have four nights and three days to see it.
From Tomar we caught the train to Oriente station in Lisbon. This itself was a bit of an adventure as the tracks were out for a couple stations near Santarém, and so everyone got off the train, onto a bus for about 40 minutes, and then back on another train.
We had a couple hours to kill in Lisbon, so checked out around Oriente station. It's the former site of Expo ??, with all the architecture you'd associate with a world fair.
The bus to Evorá went over the 17.2km Ponte Vasco da Gama, a bridge over the Rio Tejo. That was a pretty cool bonus for taking the bus.
Most restaurants are closed on Sunday so we asked our hotel in Évora for recommendations for dinner, rather than just walking around town to pick one.
The recommended restaurant had clams on the menu, which Heather had been looking forward to eating. They were great, served in a corrriander and garlic broth. Mmm good. We'd never thought to pair clams with corriander.
On Monday toured around Évora. Saw the roman ruins, the sé (cathedral), nice cobblestone streets etc etc. It's a very pretty town to wander around. Found some cool souvenirs -- cork is grown in the surrounding area, and we bought a trivet that's a cross section of a branch; and a bread basket from a knob (?) of a tree.
We had dinner at Tasquinha d'Oliveira, our restaurant splurge for the trip. The owner worked at O Fialho for 15 years, a legendary restaurant here, before opening up his own about 10 years ago.
The door was locked when we arrived (on a Monday night!). The owner only lets in people who he wants -- I guess we passed his test because he let us in. While eating, we saw him turn away a number of would-be diners, so we were lucky.
Appetizers were stuffed crab, and mushrooms with mint, garlic and a vinagrette. Very good.
For dinner, Heather ordered clams in the corriander broth (same as yesterday), and I tried the blackened pork with clams. Both were amazing. The secret I suppose is in the broths.
We had some wine remaining, and the owner brought us some extremely soft goat cheese, with a pumpkin & almond compote on the side. This was amazing, and matched the wine perfectly. I could have just eaten that all night.
We finished with a sampling of the desserts, and 20-year old tawny.
Overall it was the best meal we've had this trip, although the best course is still the duck Heather had in Guimarães.
Tuesday was another day of travel, finally getting to the Algarve for beaches and relaxing.
Took a three-hour bus south from Évora to Albufeira; another bus to Lagos, and finally a third bus to Sagres. The whole journey took about eight hours.
Our hotel (Mareta Beach) was a five minute walk to the beach of the same name. They had messed up our reservations and so we didn't get the beach view and balcony that we'd been looking forward to (had an ocean view though).
Sagres (and most of the Algarve that we passed through) turned out to be not our scene -- we found ourselves pining for cobblestone streets and medieval old towns. The beach was nice, but PEI has better.
So we packed up our stuff this morning and headed for Lisbon. We'll have four nights and three days to see it.
Saturday, May 22, 2010
Tomar, Portugal
We had a little day trip to Mata Nacional do Buçaco, a national park near Coimbra, to get a break from perfect medieval towns and cobblestone streets.
At the suggestion of the lady at our hotel, we bought picnic stuff for lunch at the local supermarket, Pingo Doce. Bread, cheese, cured meats and a bottle of wine from the Dão (we splurged on the wine, most of the bottles were under €2, we spent €3).
The bus took us right into the park, dropping us off at the castle (now a luxury hotel). The trails weren't as well marked as we would have liked, but we did manage to find a nice location for lunch.
Wandered through the park, under giant ferns and wild callalillies. Waited for the bus to take us back, which was a bit late (there was only one scheduled at 6:30pm so we didn't have much choice).
Between all the hills in the park and our hotel at the top of the hill in the old part of town, our leg muscles were tired out. Back down to the lower part of town for dinner, and then back up for bed. We were exhausted.
The next morning walked back down to the train station, for the train to Tomar. Checked into Residencial Cavaleiros Crystal.
Had lunch and then had a couple hours to see the sights. First checked out the matchbook museum. We thought it would be an in-and-out-quick sort of place, but it was actually quite interesting and larger than we imagined with over 40,000 matchbooks.
That left us an hour to see Convento do Cristo, the old Knights Templar headquarters. We thought that would be enough, until we started touring it. The place is amazing, the size, the age (12th century), and the access allowed to tourists. We wandered all around, up turrets, into cloisters, everywhere. The place was also relatively tourist-free, likely because it was an hour before closing time, so all the tour groups had come and gone.
If you are going to Portugal and can see only one place, I would recommend the Convento do Cristo. It's one of the top sites I've seen in the world. After, that got me thinking about what I would rate the top sites, so I created a list. Convento do Cristo comes in at 13:
Eric D'Souza's Top Sites
1 Machu Picchu (Cuzco, Peru)
2 Angkor Wat (Siem Reap, Cambodia)
3 Tikal (Flores, Guatemala)
4 Moai (Easter Island, Chile)
5 Perito Moreno Glacier (El Calafate, Argentina)
6 Great Wall (Simatai, China)
7 Plains of the Serengeti (Tanzania)
8 Foz do Iguaçu (Brasil & Argentina)
9 Palenque (Mexico)
10 La Paz, Bolivia (from altiplano)
11 Mountain Gorillas (Ruhengeri, Rwanda)
12 Great Mosque (Djenné, Mali)
13 Convento de Cristo (Tomar, Portugal)
14 Swayambunath at dawn (Kathmandu, Nepal)
15 Angel Falls (Venezuela)
16 Prambanan Temples (Indonesia)
17 Lago Verde (Bolivia)
18 Drepung Monastery (Lhasa, China)
19 Nazca lines (Nazca, Peru)
20 Friendship Highway (Tibet to Nepal)
21 Hermitage Museum (St Petersburg, Russia)
22 Stonehenge (Amesbury, England)
23 Tanneries (Fez, Morocco)
24 Lake Louise (Jasper, Canada)
25 Borobudur (Indonesia).
26 Khongoryn Els sand dunes (Gobi Desert, Mongolia).
27 Kremlin (Moscow, Russia)
28 Great Pyramid (Giza, Egypt)
29 Galapagos Islands (Ecuador)
(Keep in mind it's only places I've been to (for example, I've never seen Rome) and it's based on my personal preferences, and as you can probably determine from the top three, I like ruins).
...
Today we had another day trip, this one to see a castle on a island (Castelo de Almoural). It was a bit difficult to get to -- we caught a short train to Entroncamento, then a taxi to Almoural, and finally a two minute boat ride to the castle. Overall, probably not worth the effort, but it was something different. Plus after Convento do Cristo anything was likely to be a let down.
We were back in Tomar by 1:30, and so spent the rest of the day reading in a park near the hotel. We had lunch at an excellent restaurant (they bake their own bread, have the best olives we've had, and the cod was perfectly done), so we're going there for dinner too.
At the suggestion of the lady at our hotel, we bought picnic stuff for lunch at the local supermarket, Pingo Doce. Bread, cheese, cured meats and a bottle of wine from the Dão (we splurged on the wine, most of the bottles were under €2, we spent €3).
The bus took us right into the park, dropping us off at the castle (now a luxury hotel). The trails weren't as well marked as we would have liked, but we did manage to find a nice location for lunch.
Wandered through the park, under giant ferns and wild callalillies. Waited for the bus to take us back, which was a bit late (there was only one scheduled at 6:30pm so we didn't have much choice).
Between all the hills in the park and our hotel at the top of the hill in the old part of town, our leg muscles were tired out. Back down to the lower part of town for dinner, and then back up for bed. We were exhausted.
The next morning walked back down to the train station, for the train to Tomar. Checked into Residencial Cavaleiros Crystal.
Had lunch and then had a couple hours to see the sights. First checked out the matchbook museum. We thought it would be an in-and-out-quick sort of place, but it was actually quite interesting and larger than we imagined with over 40,000 matchbooks.
That left us an hour to see Convento do Cristo, the old Knights Templar headquarters. We thought that would be enough, until we started touring it. The place is amazing, the size, the age (12th century), and the access allowed to tourists. We wandered all around, up turrets, into cloisters, everywhere. The place was also relatively tourist-free, likely because it was an hour before closing time, so all the tour groups had come and gone.
If you are going to Portugal and can see only one place, I would recommend the Convento do Cristo. It's one of the top sites I've seen in the world. After, that got me thinking about what I would rate the top sites, so I created a list. Convento do Cristo comes in at 13:
Eric D'Souza's Top Sites
1 Machu Picchu (Cuzco, Peru)
2 Angkor Wat (Siem Reap, Cambodia)
3 Tikal (Flores, Guatemala)
4 Moai (Easter Island, Chile)
5 Perito Moreno Glacier (El Calafate, Argentina)
6 Great Wall (Simatai, China)
7 Plains of the Serengeti (Tanzania)
8 Foz do Iguaçu (Brasil & Argentina)
9 Palenque (Mexico)
10 La Paz, Bolivia (from altiplano)
11 Mountain Gorillas (Ruhengeri, Rwanda)
12 Great Mosque (Djenné, Mali)
13 Convento de Cristo (Tomar, Portugal)
14 Swayambunath at dawn (Kathmandu, Nepal)
15 Angel Falls (Venezuela)
16 Prambanan Temples (Indonesia)
17 Lago Verde (Bolivia)
18 Drepung Monastery (Lhasa, China)
19 Nazca lines (Nazca, Peru)
20 Friendship Highway (Tibet to Nepal)
21 Hermitage Museum (St Petersburg, Russia)
22 Stonehenge (Amesbury, England)
23 Tanneries (Fez, Morocco)
24 Lake Louise (Jasper, Canada)
25 Borobudur (Indonesia).
26 Khongoryn Els sand dunes (Gobi Desert, Mongolia).
27 Kremlin (Moscow, Russia)
28 Great Pyramid (Giza, Egypt)
29 Galapagos Islands (Ecuador)
(Keep in mind it's only places I've been to (for example, I've never seen Rome) and it's based on my personal preferences, and as you can probably determine from the top three, I like ruins).
...
Today we had another day trip, this one to see a castle on a island (Castelo de Almoural). It was a bit difficult to get to -- we caught a short train to Entroncamento, then a taxi to Almoural, and finally a two minute boat ride to the castle. Overall, probably not worth the effort, but it was something different. Plus after Convento do Cristo anything was likely to be a let down.
We were back in Tomar by 1:30, and so spent the rest of the day reading in a park near the hotel. We had lunch at an excellent restaurant (they bake their own bread, have the best olives we've had, and the cod was perfectly done), so we're going there for dinner too.
Wednesday, May 19, 2010
Coimbra, Portugal
Caught the bus from Régua to Lamego. It was a very scenic drive, through tiny little streets barely able to fit the bus. At Lamego we changed buses for Viseu, which turned put to be the same bus (except we couldn't buy the ticket to Viseu in Régua).
There was an hour wait in Lamego, which gave me enough time to go into town and take a picture of the 600+ steps up to Igreja de Nossa Senhora dos Remédios.
We arrived in Viseu with just enough time to get to our hotel (Pensão Rossio Parque) and catch lunch at 2pm. We got the prime room, with a balcony overlooking the plaza.
We walked arond Viseu after lunch. It was pretty hot (30C), plus we were getting tired of nice medieval old towns and cobblestone street, so didn't spend too much time touristing.
My backpack had the stitching come undone at the straps, and we had seen a repair shop, so I unpacked all my stuff and took it over. It cost €4 and they had it ready for the next morning.
Heather was feeling a bit off so we found a simple little place for dinner. They did have a couple things I was looking to try: pig's ear appetizers (pickled, tasted okay but the texture was an acquired taste), and roasted kid (a bit of an effort to eat, sort of like rabbit, except goat taste). The house red was fr the Dão, and was excellent.
The next morning picked up my repaired backpack, and took an express bus to Coimbra. It's a pretty big city (just over 100K). We stayed at Casa Pombal Guesthouse. We were lucky to get in -- it's been fully booked this month, no doubt because it's the place of choice in both the Lonely Planet and Rough Guide. This is the first time this trip we've found a fully booked hotel. Our room is in the attic, with a beautiful view in three directions. Unfornately it's books tomorrow so we have to move to a room with two single beds. The hotel is in th old city, which meant a lot of walking up to get to it.
Walked a bit around the old city this afternoon. It was really hot again, so stayed to inside things -- the old library (Biblioteca Joanina, which was well worth the €5 admission), the old cathedral (Sé Velha), and Igreja de Santa Cruz. We've noticed a lot more bus tour people here than in other places. Cooled down with a beer in Largo da Portagem.
Tomorrow we're planning a day trip to Mata Nacional do Buçaco, a national forest. Well we're off for dinner now.
There was an hour wait in Lamego, which gave me enough time to go into town and take a picture of the 600+ steps up to Igreja de Nossa Senhora dos Remédios.
We arrived in Viseu with just enough time to get to our hotel (Pensão Rossio Parque) and catch lunch at 2pm. We got the prime room, with a balcony overlooking the plaza.
We walked arond Viseu after lunch. It was pretty hot (30C), plus we were getting tired of nice medieval old towns and cobblestone street, so didn't spend too much time touristing.
My backpack had the stitching come undone at the straps, and we had seen a repair shop, so I unpacked all my stuff and took it over. It cost €4 and they had it ready for the next morning.
Heather was feeling a bit off so we found a simple little place for dinner. They did have a couple things I was looking to try: pig's ear appetizers (pickled, tasted okay but the texture was an acquired taste), and roasted kid (a bit of an effort to eat, sort of like rabbit, except goat taste). The house red was fr the Dão, and was excellent.
The next morning picked up my repaired backpack, and took an express bus to Coimbra. It's a pretty big city (just over 100K). We stayed at Casa Pombal Guesthouse. We were lucky to get in -- it's been fully booked this month, no doubt because it's the place of choice in both the Lonely Planet and Rough Guide. This is the first time this trip we've found a fully booked hotel. Our room is in the attic, with a beautiful view in three directions. Unfornately it's books tomorrow so we have to move to a room with two single beds. The hotel is in th old city, which meant a lot of walking up to get to it.
Walked a bit around the old city this afternoon. It was really hot again, so stayed to inside things -- the old library (Biblioteca Joanina, which was well worth the €5 admission), the old cathedral (Sé Velha), and Igreja de Santa Cruz. We've noticed a lot more bus tour people here than in other places. Cooled down with a beer in Largo da Portagem.
Tomorrow we're planning a day trip to Mata Nacional do Buçaco, a national forest. Well we're off for dinner now.
Tuesday, May 18, 2010
Viseu, Portugal
We had a nice breakfast overlooking the river and bridge before catching the bus from Amarante to Régua. There were five of us trying to figure out from where the bus actually departed. The bus driver must be used to people waiting on random corners because he was looking out for passengers.
It was a beautiful drive down the valley to Régua. We had thought about renting a car for this trip, but we're glad we didn't because I wouldn't be able to enjoy the view if I was driving.
Decided to stay in Régua instead of carrying on to Pinhão as most tourists do, because our next leg was easier from Régua. Régua used to be an important port town, before losing the title to the prettier Pinhão.
We booked into the Hotel Douro Régua, a 4-star hotel frequented by the bus tours (only €77 for a river-view room).
We had lunch in a churrasqueira (grill house), which was packed with locals. It was great. We've finally figured out to always order the house wine, because it's far cheaper and is always a good match for the food.
We tried to walk around town, but it was too hot in the sun. Relaxed at the hotel, with the balcony sliding door wide open to the river view. (It was perfect weather out of the sun, about 24C). The previous towns were slightly chilly, so it was great to finally have tshirt weather.
Had dinner at a cool-looking place that served tapas. Unfortunately it was just trendy and average food. After the great meals the past few days it was a bit of a letdown.
We were up early the next morning for our day trip up the Rio Douro. Took the train round trip to Pocinho and back. The best views were between Pinhão and Pocinho. I took over 100 pics. The day trip had been recommended by a couple locals in Porto, and it was well worth it.
We arrived back in Régua around 2:40, a little late for lunch (most places close at 2pm). A tourist restaurant was open, we had the set menu (another lesson we've learned -- this is far cheaper and better than ordering àbla carte). We had soup, grilled beef with rice and salad, 75cl house wine, espressos and dessert, for €16 between the two of us.
Relaxed back at the hotel again, then headed out for dinner. Found a little local restaurant in a side street (Restaurant Jéréré) which was amazing. Had appetizers of octopus, and grilled sausage. I had suckling pig for my main which was my favourite meal so far this trip. Heather had beef medallions in a cream sauce which was also delicious.
Finished with a dessert and port. The owner wouldn't let us order our first choice for dessert (non!) because it didn't go with port.
Walked down the boardwalk after dinner to help digest. There were lots of people doing the same -- it was very safe.
It was a beautiful drive down the valley to Régua. We had thought about renting a car for this trip, but we're glad we didn't because I wouldn't be able to enjoy the view if I was driving.
Decided to stay in Régua instead of carrying on to Pinhão as most tourists do, because our next leg was easier from Régua. Régua used to be an important port town, before losing the title to the prettier Pinhão.
We booked into the Hotel Douro Régua, a 4-star hotel frequented by the bus tours (only €77 for a river-view room).
We had lunch in a churrasqueira (grill house), which was packed with locals. It was great. We've finally figured out to always order the house wine, because it's far cheaper and is always a good match for the food.
We tried to walk around town, but it was too hot in the sun. Relaxed at the hotel, with the balcony sliding door wide open to the river view. (It was perfect weather out of the sun, about 24C). The previous towns were slightly chilly, so it was great to finally have tshirt weather.
Had dinner at a cool-looking place that served tapas. Unfortunately it was just trendy and average food. After the great meals the past few days it was a bit of a letdown.
We were up early the next morning for our day trip up the Rio Douro. Took the train round trip to Pocinho and back. The best views were between Pinhão and Pocinho. I took over 100 pics. The day trip had been recommended by a couple locals in Porto, and it was well worth it.
We arrived back in Régua around 2:40, a little late for lunch (most places close at 2pm). A tourist restaurant was open, we had the set menu (another lesson we've learned -- this is far cheaper and better than ordering àbla carte). We had soup, grilled beef with rice and salad, 75cl house wine, espressos and dessert, for €16 between the two of us.
Relaxed back at the hotel again, then headed out for dinner. Found a little local restaurant in a side street (Restaurant Jéréré) which was amazing. Had appetizers of octopus, and grilled sausage. I had suckling pig for my main which was my favourite meal so far this trip. Heather had beef medallions in a cream sauce which was also delicious.
Finished with a dessert and port. The owner wouldn't let us order our first choice for dessert (non!) because it didn't go with port.
Walked down the boardwalk after dinner to help digest. There were lots of people doing the same -- it was very safe.
Monday, May 17, 2010
Peso da Régua, Portugal
From Guimarães we took a 50 minute bus ride to Amarante. I wanted to go here because the town is known for its cheeses and cured meats.
We checked into Residencial Estoril, with a view of Ponte de São Gonçalo. The hotel's restaurant actually juts over the Rio Tâmega. Had a quick lunch, and then tried to find th train station for the next day. Unfortunately the narrow gauge train no longer runs (it was supposedly pretty scenic). The replacement transport wasn't clearly marked and we trekked back and forth through the town (there's only one major road in the old centre, which goes across the river, pedestrians and cars sharing the 12' wide bridge).
Found out there was a cake festival going on, so checked it out and had the free samples. Next visited the Museo de Souza-Cardoso, which was pretty impressive for a town of 11,000.
For an afternoon snack we went to a local adega, filled with old men having cheese and smoked meats and wine. It was exactly what I was looking for. The old men were very friendly, although we couldn't understand a word. With some difffliculty, ordered a couple different kinds of prosciutto, and a cured choriço (also some cheese, olives and great bread). For wine we had vino verde, a young white (!) wine which everyone was drinking. It was amazing.
We walked around town a bit more, stopping into the cafe right on the corner of the bridge for tea and sweets.
Later went for dinner in a little restaurant (we didn't want anything too fancy cause we were pretty full from the meat and cheese place). We though we were late (it was about 9pm and there was only one table of people). Turned out we were early! The restaurant filled up as the night went on.
After dinner, walked by the cathedral because we had seen posters that there was a symphony performance that night, open to the public. It was a great way to finish the night, listening to the orchestra in a beautiful cathedral.
We checked into Residencial Estoril, with a view of Ponte de São Gonçalo. The hotel's restaurant actually juts over the Rio Tâmega. Had a quick lunch, and then tried to find th train station for the next day. Unfortunately the narrow gauge train no longer runs (it was supposedly pretty scenic). The replacement transport wasn't clearly marked and we trekked back and forth through the town (there's only one major road in the old centre, which goes across the river, pedestrians and cars sharing the 12' wide bridge).
Found out there was a cake festival going on, so checked it out and had the free samples. Next visited the Museo de Souza-Cardoso, which was pretty impressive for a town of 11,000.
For an afternoon snack we went to a local adega, filled with old men having cheese and smoked meats and wine. It was exactly what I was looking for. The old men were very friendly, although we couldn't understand a word. With some difffliculty, ordered a couple different kinds of prosciutto, and a cured choriço (also some cheese, olives and great bread). For wine we had vino verde, a young white (!) wine which everyone was drinking. It was amazing.
We walked around town a bit more, stopping into the cafe right on the corner of the bridge for tea and sweets.
Later went for dinner in a little restaurant (we didn't want anything too fancy cause we were pretty full from the meat and cheese place). We though we were late (it was about 9pm and there was only one table of people). Turned out we were early! The restaurant filled up as the night went on.
After dinner, walked by the cathedral because we had seen posters that there was a symphony performance that night, open to the public. It was a great way to finish the night, listening to the orchestra in a beautiful cathedral.
Guimarães, Portugal
I think I just had one of the best meals ever! Tonight, Eric and I checked out a restaurant called "Cheers - Wine and Tapas"...and it was excellent. I ordered the leg of duck, with chestnuts and raisins - and it was divine. If someone had said "this will be your last meal, ever," I would have happily agreed :) Amazing.
(written by Heather)
(written by Heather)
Friday, May 14, 2010
Guimarães, Portugal
In Guimarães we stayed at Residencial das Trinas, located on a very narrow cobbled-stoned street in the old town. We got a room overlooking the street.
The weather wasn't too great, rainy and a bit chilly. We'd asked the hotel owner for restaurant recommendations, he thought for a bit and then circled some places on the map. We tried out a busy narrow place full of local business folk on lunch. We both had bife no pao, (steak on a bun). The steak was done perfectly, medium rare, and went really well with the glasses of wine.
After lunch, we wandered around the medieval centre of Guimarães. The rain kept most of my pictures tourist-free. Scouted out places for dinner. The sun poked through around evening, just as we went for dinner at Cheers (as the Lonely Planet says, don't judge a restaurant by its name).
It was one our favourite meals ever. Started with an appetizer of hoira (a Portuguese sausauge) on fried onions, followed by another of phyllo-wrapped sausage on with oyster mushrooms. Heather's main was duck breast with chestnuts. The duck was done perfectly, and was a surprisingly perfect match with the chestnuts. I had the cod, served with spinach and cornbread. We finished with chocate cake and port. Mmm good.
We walked back through a lively nightlife, with a number of bars and clubs open for Friday night. We were too full (plus we're no longer 20) so just went back to our hotel.
The weather wasn't too great, rainy and a bit chilly. We'd asked the hotel owner for restaurant recommendations, he thought for a bit and then circled some places on the map. We tried out a busy narrow place full of local business folk on lunch. We both had bife no pao, (steak on a bun). The steak was done perfectly, medium rare, and went really well with the glasses of wine.
After lunch, we wandered around the medieval centre of Guimarães. The rain kept most of my pictures tourist-free. Scouted out places for dinner. The sun poked through around evening, just as we went for dinner at Cheers (as the Lonely Planet says, don't judge a restaurant by its name).
It was one our favourite meals ever. Started with an appetizer of hoira (a Portuguese sausauge) on fried onions, followed by another of phyllo-wrapped sausage on with oyster mushrooms. Heather's main was duck breast with chestnuts. The duck was done perfectly, and was a surprisingly perfect match with the chestnuts. I had the cod, served with spinach and cornbread. We finished with chocate cake and port. Mmm good.
We walked back through a lively nightlife, with a number of bars and clubs open for Friday night. We were too full (plus we're no longer 20) so just went back to our hotel.
Thursday, May 13, 2010
Braga, Portugal
We caught the one-hour train from Porto to Braga this morning, which cost €2.10 each (less than a ride on the TTC). It's on the suburban run (similar to a GO ride) from Porto. The scenery was okay, we both napped a bit. Every spare bit of land seems to have grape vines growing.
We checked into the Albergaria da Sé, a conveniently located hotel in the centro (and the Rough Guide's author's pick). Braga has a bustling old town, with pedestrian-only streets. (We both wish Toronto had the same.) Visited the Sé, (cathedral), which is also the reason I figured out how to type accented letters on the iPhone. The Sé in Braga is the oldest in Portugal (circa 1100s). The interior is impressive, most so the elaborately decorated pipe organ.
Had a beer at a café watching the street scene, but it was getting colder (the sun was hiding behind clouds, and the wind was picking up), so we went back to the hotel to relax before dinner.
We had dinner at Feliz Taberna, which is our favourite place so far. Split an appetizer of baked oyster mushrooms with garlic, sel de fleur and parsley. For mains I had the breaded sardines, an Heather had the grilled bass. Heather's had fish every day so far, and it's always been cooked perfectly. Mmm good.
Tomorrow we're heading to Guimarães.
We checked into the Albergaria da Sé, a conveniently located hotel in the centro (and the Rough Guide's author's pick). Braga has a bustling old town, with pedestrian-only streets. (We both wish Toronto had the same.) Visited the Sé, (cathedral), which is also the reason I figured out how to type accented letters on the iPhone. The Sé in Braga is the oldest in Portugal (circa 1100s). The interior is impressive, most so the elaborately decorated pipe organ.
Had a beer at a café watching the street scene, but it was getting colder (the sun was hiding behind clouds, and the wind was picking up), so we went back to the hotel to relax before dinner.
We had dinner at Feliz Taberna, which is our favourite place so far. Split an appetizer of baked oyster mushrooms with garlic, sel de fleur and parsley. For mains I had the breaded sardines, an Heather had the grilled bass. Heather's had fish every day so far, and it's always been cooked perfectly. Mmm good.
Tomorrow we're heading to Guimarães.
Wednesday, May 12, 2010
Porto, Portugal
I forgot to mention the best part of the trip so far -- a 1L carafe of house wine is about €5 in restaurants! Yesterday we had dinner in a cozy little place near the main plaza. The mains were okay (and a little small, even for the half portions we've been ordering). But we had smoked meat and cheese as appetizers which were amazing. The smoked meat was homemade, and likely the cheese as well. We made the mistake of declining bread at the start. You get charged for all appetizers such as bread, or butter, and the mains typically come with rice and potatoes so we found we didn't really need bread as well. However the waiter took it as an affront that we didn't want bread, and we think that's why we got poor service after. So it'll be yes to pao (bread) from now on.
Today we toured a little west from the centre. First we walked by the Casa da Musica, a cool looking building by Rem Koolhaus (I've added a pic to the album on Picasa). Next we dropped into the Museu de Arte Contemporanes. The exhibits were okay, but the gardens were really nice to walk through.
We took the trolley along the riverside back to the centro, had a beer overlooking the river, bridges and the port houses across the river.
Our legs are getting a good workout from the hilly streets. We saw a restaurant with an interesting menu (including liver, and tongue as mains) that we're going check out tonight. Tomorrow we'll catch the train to Braga, about an hour north of Porto by train.
Today we toured a little west from the centre. First we walked by the Casa da Musica, a cool looking building by Rem Koolhaus (I've added a pic to the album on Picasa). Next we dropped into the Museu de Arte Contemporanes. The exhibits were okay, but the gardens were really nice to walk through.
We took the trolley along the riverside back to the centro, had a beer overlooking the river, bridges and the port houses across the river.
Our legs are getting a good workout from the hilly streets. We saw a restaurant with an interesting menu (including liver, and tongue as mains) that we're going check out tonight. Tomorrow we'll catch the train to Braga, about an hour north of Porto by train.
Tuesday, May 11, 2010
Porto, Portugal
Porto is a wonderful town to spend a few days relaxing. The centre is filled with narrow cobblestone streets, picturesque old buildings and cool little cafes and restaurants. We both loved the train station -- it's my favourite out of all the ones I've seen.
Yesterday we walked around before dinner and couldn't stop taking pictures. You can't take a bad photo here. (The Pope is coming to town on Friday and it's the talk of the town.)
Today we were up at a decent hour to catch the included breakfast at the hotel. The day looked to be sunny, but clouds rolled in just as we were ready to head out for the day. We touristed around in our waterproof jackets for the first hour, and then the rain stopped. Again I couldn't believe how everything you look at is a photo waiting to be taken.
We walked through town to the riverside, stopping in at Igreja de Sao Francisco for a look at the gilded Gothic interior, and the catacombs below (€4). Then we crossed the double decker bridge, Ponte Dom Luis I, (it's in all the pictures of Porto) to Gaia, where all the port houses are located.
We stopped in at three houses: Croft; Wiese & Crown; and Taylor, Fladgate & Yeatman. All three included free tastings after the tours. As the guide book says, it's a good way to learn the difference between tawny and ruby ports (the tawny are moved to smaller barrels where they get more exposure to the oak). We spent a few euros and had a vertical tasting at Taylor's. In between had lunch at a riverside cafe, a tasty sandwich of prosciutto, cheese, tomato and fried egg (!?) which hit the spot.
It's a good workout walking about Porto with all the hills and valleys. Right now we're relaxing at the hotel bar (Heather's reading up on where we want to head next). We'll be heading out for dinner shortly.
Yesterday we walked around before dinner and couldn't stop taking pictures. You can't take a bad photo here. (The Pope is coming to town on Friday and it's the talk of the town.)
Today we were up at a decent hour to catch the included breakfast at the hotel. The day looked to be sunny, but clouds rolled in just as we were ready to head out for the day. We touristed around in our waterproof jackets for the first hour, and then the rain stopped. Again I couldn't believe how everything you look at is a photo waiting to be taken.
We walked through town to the riverside, stopping in at Igreja de Sao Francisco for a look at the gilded Gothic interior, and the catacombs below (€4). Then we crossed the double decker bridge, Ponte Dom Luis I, (it's in all the pictures of Porto) to Gaia, where all the port houses are located.
We stopped in at three houses: Croft; Wiese & Crown; and Taylor, Fladgate & Yeatman. All three included free tastings after the tours. As the guide book says, it's a good way to learn the difference between tawny and ruby ports (the tawny are moved to smaller barrels where they get more exposure to the oak). We spent a few euros and had a vertical tasting at Taylor's. In between had lunch at a riverside cafe, a tasty sandwich of prosciutto, cheese, tomato and fried egg (!?) which hit the spot.
It's a good workout walking about Porto with all the hills and valleys. Right now we're relaxing at the hotel bar (Heather's reading up on where we want to head next). We'll be heading out for dinner shortly.
 |
| From 2010 Portugal - favourites |
Monday, May 10, 2010
Porto, Portugal
We made it to Porto, with an extra hour of flight time to get around Iceland. We had paid $25 extra to get the rows with just two seats (which were wider and had more legroom) so we were pretty comfortable for Air Transat. The meal was surprisingly not too bad, and came with a complimentary wine.
I slept about four hours, using one of those inflatable neck cushions. I have to admit, although they look dorky, they do work. Heather slept a bit too, but she had to get up to stretch every hour or so (doctor's order) so it wasn't as deeply.
We arrived in Porto around 2pm. It took almost an hour for our luggage to appear. Heather I think was fearing the worst given her track record with lost luggage.
Normally I take a taxi to the hotel on the first day of a trip, but I was mostly awake and we gave the public transportation a go. Caught the 602 bus at the airport. The other passengers bemusedly watched me trying to track our progress in the Rough Guide map. We didn't do too badly, ending up with a five minute walk to our hotel, Eurostars Das Artes. (They have free wifi so I'm typing while Heather's doing more stretches).
We just had lunch and an espresso which should keep us going through the jetlag. It's been rainy and about 15C so far today.
I slept about four hours, using one of those inflatable neck cushions. I have to admit, although they look dorky, they do work. Heather slept a bit too, but she had to get up to stretch every hour or so (doctor's order) so it wasn't as deeply.
We arrived in Porto around 2pm. It took almost an hour for our luggage to appear. Heather I think was fearing the worst given her track record with lost luggage.
Normally I take a taxi to the hotel on the first day of a trip, but I was mostly awake and we gave the public transportation a go. Caught the 602 bus at the airport. The other passengers bemusedly watched me trying to track our progress in the Rough Guide map. We didn't do too badly, ending up with a five minute walk to our hotel, Eurostars Das Artes. (They have free wifi so I'm typing while Heather's doing more stretches).
We just had lunch and an espresso which should keep us going through the jetlag. It's been rainy and about 15C so far today.
Sunday, May 09, 2010
Toronto, Canada
The volcanic ash watch starts.
The Aeroportos de Portugal site is showing all flights into Porto originating from Europe as cancelled. The Lisbon airport has lots of flight statuses as chegou (arrived), which is a good sign. The only recent transatlantic flight to Porto was on SATA, and it was diverted to Lisbon this morning.
Our flight is scheduled to continue on to Faro (in the south of Portugal). Currently the Faro airport is showing flights arriving with slight delays. My guess is we'll be diverted to Faro directly.
The Aeroportos de Portugal site is showing all flights into Porto originating from Europe as cancelled. The Lisbon airport has lots of flight statuses as chegou (arrived), which is a good sign. The only recent transatlantic flight to Porto was on SATA, and it was diverted to Lisbon this morning.
Our flight is scheduled to continue on to Faro (in the south of Portugal). Currently the Faro airport is showing flights arriving with slight delays. My guess is we'll be diverted to Faro directly.
Saturday, May 08, 2010
Toronto, Canada
Heather and I spent the day running errands, getting ready for our trip to Portugal. It's much more relaxing leaving on the weekend, although the trade-off is one less day in Portugal.
On each of my previous trips, there was a major highlight to check off the list, such as a famous ruin or waterfall. There's no must-see on this trip -- it's going to be all about the food and wine and relaxing. We're flying into Porto, and have 20 days to end up in Lisbon.
Also for the first time, I'm not relying on the Lonely Planet. I got hooked on traveling when I took my three weeks vacation in '94 at P&G and went to Israel and Egypt. My friend Kirk gave me the Middle East LP as a gift (it still sits on our bookshelves). Back then, the LP "assumed you knew how to get your luggage off the carousel", as they proudly stated on the back cover. At some point they dropped that reference, and the writing and coverage has become less interesting every year. We're taking both the LP and Rough Guide to Portugal; and will likely switch to the Rough Guide for future trips.
And on the technological change front, instead of carrying paperbacks and trying to find english book stores when I'm done, I downloaded a bunch of ebooks on Stanza on my iPhone. I also installed the BlogPress app so that I can blog on the go, and upload posts when I find a wifi hotspot.
See you soon from Portugal!
On each of my previous trips, there was a major highlight to check off the list, such as a famous ruin or waterfall. There's no must-see on this trip -- it's going to be all about the food and wine and relaxing. We're flying into Porto, and have 20 days to end up in Lisbon.
Also for the first time, I'm not relying on the Lonely Planet. I got hooked on traveling when I took my three weeks vacation in '94 at P&G and went to Israel and Egypt. My friend Kirk gave me the Middle East LP as a gift (it still sits on our bookshelves). Back then, the LP "assumed you knew how to get your luggage off the carousel", as they proudly stated on the back cover. At some point they dropped that reference, and the writing and coverage has become less interesting every year. We're taking both the LP and Rough Guide to Portugal; and will likely switch to the Rough Guide for future trips.
And on the technological change front, instead of carrying paperbacks and trying to find english book stores when I'm done, I downloaded a bunch of ebooks on Stanza on my iPhone. I also installed the BlogPress app so that I can blog on the go, and upload posts when I find a wifi hotspot.
See you soon from Portugal!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)