Go Back  Fodor's Travel Talk Forums > Destinations > Europe
Reload this Page >

Iwan2go went...to Lisbon and Sintra

Iwan2go went...to Lisbon and Sintra

Thread Tools
 
Old May 2nd, 2022 | 08:17 PM
  #21  
5 Anniversary
 
Joined: Mar 2016
Posts: 327
Likes: 0
Green bean tempura = peixinhos da horta! A very traditional dish in Portugal! Usually we eat these with "arroz de tomate malandrinho", wich is cream tomato rice, like a risotto.
HelenaFatima is offline  
Old May 3rd, 2022 | 01:22 AM
  #22  
 
Joined: Jan 2015
Posts: 4,298
Likes: 19
Great photos!
Adelaidean is offline  
Old May 3rd, 2022 | 07:40 AM
  #23  
 
Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 25,597
Likes: 0
Who says there is no good food in Lisbon..wrong! Great photos.
mlgb is offline  
Old May 3rd, 2022 | 08:11 AM
  #24  
Community Builder
20 Anniversary
 
Joined: Mar 2003
Posts: 6,222
Likes: 0
We had delicious food in Lisbon! No complaints here. Great photos of the food!
KarenWoo is offline  
Old May 3rd, 2022 | 08:25 AM
  #25  
20 Anniversary
 
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 8,662
Likes: 0
Helena,
We too had "arroz de tomate" and a delicious, creamy beet rice ("arroz de beterraba"???) as well, at the cute little A Cozinha Sr Lisboa in Lisbon.
https://lisboacool.com/en/eat/sr-lisboa.

Those beans look sooooo good!
Maribel is online now  
Old May 3rd, 2022 | 11:14 AM
  #26  
Original Poster
20 Anniversary
 
Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 1,333
Likes: 0
On Monday morning we took a cab up to the Gulbenkian museum. Calouste Gulbenkian was an Armenian of Turkish origin who lived in London, Paris, and settled in Lisbon at the outset of the Second World War. His interests were broad, including Eastern Islamic art (rugs, tiles, wall hangings), sculpture, and paintings by Turner, Reubens, Cassatt, Degas, Manet, Renoir, and a room of Lalique jewelry. Well worth the visit, we spent at least two - three hours there.



I had never heard of this artist, but the painting stopped me in my tracks. The blurring of the men’s faces, the focus on the women! “Les Bretonnes au Pardon” by Dagnan-Bouveret, circa 1887

You can just see the concentration on their faces as they listen to the reading.

There was a section of the museum with more modern art, and a wonderful, playful yet pointed photography exhibit. I’ll let the introduction tell the story.



Each woman wore this moss and plant stole.






Here is one of the women - the photos are out of order and I’m not sure how to correct. Her caption (above) says, “Her life has had many twists and turns, just like yarn”.
Iwan2go is offline  
Old May 3rd, 2022 | 11:43 AM
  #27  
Original Poster
20 Anniversary
 
Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 1,333
Likes: 0
From the Gulbenkian, we decided to just walk back to the hotel, so headed off down to the Parque Eduardo VII, where we stopped for a coffee and relaxed at the Linha d”Agua cafe, overlooking the little lake. From there we walked along the tree-lined esplanade, passing a monument to the Great War, to what was becoming our go-to dining area.







This gives you a better idea of the layout of the city, sweeping down to the river.


Such a poignant monument, holding the wreath above the head of the soldier.


I guess we took the Gloria Funicular again up the hill (I don’t think we climbed it...). By now it was 3:30, and we were the only guests for lunch at Oficina do Duque, near the Igreja de Sao Roque. We had a wonderful meal there, but I can’t find the receipt to list it. I know we had a delicious soup, and our son got a sort of couscous with mint sorbet that he raved about.


Ask the server what this is, and get it. Apparently it was outstanding.

Then we had the most wonderful, serendipitous experience of the trip! While meandering, we came upon this delightful woman leaning out of her window with her cat. We noticed that she had a hat on the cat’s head, and I asked permission to take a picture. She kept giggling and changing the hats. The cat just went along with it all!



Isn’t that a hoot?


She said this one was Carmen Miranda. Cat seems stoic....Hahaha.

...and Santa Claus. She got the BIGGEST kick out of this, couldn’t stop giggling. Isn’t she wonderful?!!!


​​​​​​​
Iwan2go is offline  
Old May 3rd, 2022 | 12:03 PM
  #28  
 
Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 25,597
Likes: 0
Love it!!
mlgb is offline  
Old May 3rd, 2022 | 12:19 PM
  #29  
Original Poster
20 Anniversary
 
Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 1,333
Likes: 0
Did a little more walking around and got dessert at Alcoa, on rue Garrett. The blue tile building is the oldest bookstore in Lisbon, Livraria Bertrand, on the same street. Down the side street is a great store for mementos, A Vida Portuguesa (others including Mirabel have mentioned it), where I found a little porcelain swallow, the symbol of Portugal, which now sits on my entry table as a reminder of the trip!


Typical tiled building, this one the oldest bookstore in the city.



Iwan2go is offline  
Old May 3rd, 2022 | 12:48 PM
  #30  
20 Anniversary
 
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 8,662
Likes: 0
That swallow that you purchased at my favorite shop, A Vida Portuguesa, next to the Restaurante Alma on Rua Achieta, is by Bordallo Pinheiro, the same ceramics maker as the green cabbage motif serving pieces displayed in the Sintra handicrafts shop across from the National Palace.
https://us.bordallopinheiro.com/home-decor-swallows-cat.

You found some great places to dine in Lisbon. I'm putting Oficina do Duque on my "to do" list!
https://lisboacool.com/en/restaurants/oficina-duque-0.

Last edited by Maribel; May 3rd, 2022 at 01:42 PM.
Maribel is online now  
Old May 3rd, 2022 | 01:10 PM
  #31  
20 Anniversary
 
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 7,398
Likes: 0
Wow, you are definitely whetting my appetite for the trip! We leave tomorrow!

And I now have a reservation at Oficina do Duque!😉
progol is offline  
Old May 3rd, 2022 | 01:44 PM
  #32  
20 Anniversary
 
Joined: Mar 2003
Posts: 10,645
Likes: 21
"We booked a morning tour with Luisa at Lisbon Tour Guides ."

Great report ... we don't leave until September, but this certainly whets my appetite. How much is the tour of the National Palace and Quinta da Regaleira (there would be four of us)? Thanks.
maitaitom is online now  
Old May 3rd, 2022 | 01:54 PM
  #33  
20 Anniversary
 
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 8,662
Likes: 0
maitaitom,
I can highly recommend the lovely ladies of Lisbon Tour Guides. I've used them several times. And the advantage is that they do have a tour departing from Sintra, not Lisbon, for those staying in Sintra that covers this:
https://lisbontourguides.pt/sintraregaleirahalfday.
Maribel is online now  
Old May 3rd, 2022 | 02:41 PM
  #34  
Community Builder
20 Anniversary
 
Joined: Mar 2003
Posts: 6,222
Likes: 0
I love your photos and I am really enjoying your report. Brings back memories of our wonderful trip to Lisbon and Sintra.

We loved the Gulbenkian!!! We spent about 3 hours there including lunch at the cafe. Did you visit the Modern Collection? It's in a separate building from the Founders Collection. I am not a fan of Modern Art, but I really enjoyed the Modern Collection. They had an eerie exhibit called the Abolition of the Hood. Consists of negative images of prisoners covered in white hoods. This was a common practice until 1913 to give prisoners a lack of identity and a feeling of suffocation.




Abolishment of the Hood - Gulbenkian Museum


KarenWoo is offline  
Old May 3rd, 2022 | 03:25 PM
  #35  
15 Anniversary
 
Joined: Jun 2009
Posts: 4,842
Likes: 12
Those traveling to Lisbon may be interested in this article: https://apple.news/A628_d-c7TWWZyCgUGMUonw
joannyc is offline  
Old May 3rd, 2022 | 03:38 PM
  #36  
20 Anniversary
 
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 8,662
Likes: 0
And another--"things to know before you go"
https://roadsandkingdoms.com/travel-...-go-to-lisbon/
Maribel is online now  
Old May 3rd, 2022 | 05:17 PM
  #37  
 
Joined: Jun 2007
Posts: 228
Likes: 0
Originally Posted by KarenWoo
I love your photos and I am really enjoying your report. Brings back memories of our wonderful trip to Lisbon and Sintra.

We loved the Gulbenkian!!! We spent about 3 hours there including lunch at the cafe.
Do you mean the outside cafe? I've wandered the gardens, but have never been inside the museum. These little guys were wandering around our table last week. Unfortunately the outside ponds/fountains that are adjacent to the main museum building are blocked off by construction. Beautiful landscaping, all the trails and bamboo in the middle of the city.

Iwan2go- Great write up, I love that walk down from the Gulbenkian, through the parks and then the Avenida de Liberdade. To celebrate our negative test results Sunday we had the 2L Sangria from the Banana Cafe near the war monument you posted. Combined with a pizza, (which the attendants laughed at), very tasty to us.

Visitors to the Cafe.
bdokeefe is offline  
Old May 3rd, 2022 | 05:39 PM
  #38  
20 Anniversary
 
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 7,398
Likes: 0
Oh, Iwan2go, I do love the photos of the lady with her cat! They are priceless - and the Carmen Miranda headwear gets my vote.😉
progol is offline  
Old May 3rd, 2022 | 06:25 PM
  #39  
Community Builder
20 Anniversary
 
Joined: Mar 2003
Posts: 6,222
Likes: 0
bdokeefe, yes, I mean the outdoor cafe. And we loved wandering through the gardens, too. It was a lovely walk from the Modern Collection building to the Founders Collection building. We stayed near the Edward VII park, and several times we walked from our hotel, down Avenue de Liberdade, to the city center. We really enjoyed that walk.

KarenWoo is offline  
Old May 3rd, 2022 | 08:12 PM
  #40  
20 Anniversary
 
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 8,662
Likes: 0
I'm another one who really enjoys the beautiful (downhill!) walk from the Eduardo VII park all the way down the Avenida da Liberdade with its many red benches now dedicated to and immortalizing the Lisbon female fado luminaries (like the legendary Amแlia Rodrigues), and the quiosques (kiosks) for stopping for refreshments along the way, like bdokeefe's Banana Caf้.

The walk from the Gulbenkian down the leafy Liberdade makes for a very pleasant downhill stroll with plentiful rest stops.
Maribel is online now  


Contact Us - Archive - Advertising - Cookie Policy - Privacy Statement -