My Low Budget Trip to Portugal
Oct 26th, 2009, 06:07 PM
#41
Yes, Castelo De Vide has some steep streets. The one we drove down seemed far too steep to navigate safely, but we made it to the bottom without hitting anything. Across the street we were amused to see the Kamikaze Cafe.
Nov 21st, 2009, 01:43 PM
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I am enjoying your trip report. There is very little information about anything budget here so this is really of interest to me.
Thank you for posting . . . and I awaiting more.
Sandy (in Denton)
Thank you for posting . . . and I awaiting more.
Sandy (in Denton)
Nov 21st, 2009, 01:55 PM
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I'm so glad folks are reading and enjoying my report. I will start posting again very soon. I was on a marathon 17 day non-stop work project that was canceled on day 18 and I'm still recovering from 10 hour conference calls starting at 7:00 am.
Jan 19th, 2010, 04:26 PM
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Day 7 – Tuesday - Tomar
It’s time to travel westward again, leaving the lush Spanish border behind. It was again dry and cool this morning, about 16 degrees C. at 8:00 (61 F.) but warmed up a couple of hours later to about 70 degrees F. but humidity set in as I headed toward Tomar and it looked like it might rain.
The drive from Marvao to Tomar took about 2.5 hours with a short coffee and stretch break at a rest stop. Once I got to Tomar it took about another hour (or so it seemed) to find the hotel, located in the pedestrian area. I drove around and around the town, found the TI but couldn’t find a place to park to ask about the hotel. I decided to drive slowly and keep asking people. I stopped pedestrians, showed my paper with the hotel name and street and followed their directions. Two people mentioned the same word – “camera” - which brought to mind the Radcliff Camera but I quickly decided it was too lofty an edifice for this small town. What could camera mean in Portuguese I kept asking myself. Whatever it was, I never found it. I traveled all the streets and suddenly discovered the one I wanted – the only street in Tomar you couldn’t drive on. There was no place to park so I pulled into the beginning of the pedestrian zone, parked, and walked to the hotel.
Reception is on the first floor (second floor American). Sandra, with her impeccable English, was there to greet me. She showed me the back entrance and told me to drive down the parallel street and pull over by the (unmarked) hotel door. By the time I got the car, looped around twice to get to the street (I missed the turn the first time) and drove down the street, I had no sense of what door I was supposed to be at but finally figured it out. After unloading the bags in the lovely courtyard (Sandra brought them to my room) I went in search of the parking lots she recommended.
I saw a parking deck near the end of the street and decided to pull into it, even though it was paid parking – how much could it cost? Fortunately I wasn’t too feeble brained to stop and check the rates before I pulled in. Yikes! 84 Euros for 24 hours! This parking deck was a no go for me. I found free parking on one of the shopping streets, not far from the hotel and walked back (spotted a fabulous pair of purple suede shoes in shop window), took a quick shower, and changed.
My first stop was the church in the pedestrian area – Ingreja de Sao Joao Baptista and then to the Synagogue a couple of streets away. I didn’t have much time at the Synagogue as they close between 1:00 and 2:00 but it was fascinating. The walls are covered with gifts, letters, and pictures sent from all countries. Definitely worth a visit for anyone going to Tomar.
The TI (near the pedestrian zone) also closes at lunchtime so I stopped in a café for a chicken tartlet and water (1.70 Euro).
The Convento de Cristo (Convent of Christ), a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is atop a high hill and would be a tough walk on a winding road with no sidewalks. I got the car to drive up and while I was looking for the road to the monastery I saw the small sign for the Matchbox Museum (Museu dos Fosforos) – I couldn’t resist stopping. This free museum is near a large dirt car park next to the St. Francis convent. It’s seven rooms of matchboxes from all over the world – more than 40,000 of them. Near the entrance is a machine that affixes the paper covers to the matchboxes. The museum was so interesting and I would have spent more time there but it was unbearably hot inside – no fans or air conditioning. Photos are allowed without flash but the rooms are dimly lit so I only took a few in the more lighted areas. This museum was a great diversion and I can add it to my list of off-beat small museums.
I bypassed the entrance to the Convento de Cristo to see what was on the other side and I’m glad I did. It’s one of the things I try to remember when traveling – look up and look behind – there’s always more than one view of everything and the back view is great with the monastery silhouetted against the sky. There are two parking lots – the one in front (by the entrance) has a vendor selling fruit and drinks. You exit the monastery on the side at the top so the dirt parking along the right side is handy for leaving. Either parking area has plenty of space as the monastery was not crowded.
The monastery is quite large with several beautiful cloisters, chapel with wonderful frescoes, monks’ cells (all with windows and heat piped under or into the cells) refectory, etc. The chapter house was closed during my visit.
I parked overnight in the large, free, dirt lot near the Matchbox Museum. It was an ideal location both for my hotel and for the TI and there were plenty of parking spaces.
For dinner I headed to the Bella Vista restaurant, alongside the river by the Dom Manual I bridge, recommended by an English couple I chatted with in Marvao. I finally found the TI open and got a map of Tomar and the woman there pointed out the location of the Bella Vista. She described the Dom Manual bridge as the “old one.” All the bridges looked pretty old to me and the map was slightly skewed. As I left the hotel it was drizzling and I hadn’t packed an umbrella (it’s not supposed to rain in Portugal in October). But as it was only a drizzle, I walked to the main street and turned left as the map indicated. It started raining harder. I turned on what I thought was the Dom Manual bridge but couldn’t see the restaurant. By now the wind had kicked up and the rain was coming down, not too hard but I stood under a tree to stay dry while I decided what to do. I was by the river in a little park area, near a bridge.
An adolescent came over the bridge so I stopped him, pointed to the bridge, and asked if it was King Manuel bridge. His mouth opened and sounds came out but I had no idea what he said. I’m sure it wasn’t Portuguese he was speaking – LOL. I then realized I should have asked him if it was DOM Manual bridge, not King Manual bridge so I pointed to the bridge (just a few feet away) and said “Dom Manuel?” Again, more incoherency from him. I decided he probably had no idea who Dom Manuel was so I said my usual “obrigada” and walked away. I braved the rain and wind to try the next bridge – only a minute away – crossed it to see the Bella Vista with its vine-covered entrance. It was dark and closed but with no sign on the door. There were tables and chairs on the terrace so I pulled out a chair and sat for a few minutes while the rain let up.
Time to re-group. I was so sure I would be dining at the Bella Vista I didn’t check out any other restaurants. I walked back toward my hotel, hoping there would be something in the pedestrian area. It was so quiet with all the shops closed and no one walking about. I passed the hotel and spotted a restaurant with some tables outside – O Tabuleiro, Rua Serpa Pinto. There was a couple at one of the outside tables so I looked at the menu in the window. The offerings were varied and the prices were reasonable. I tried to see what this couple were eating but since there was no other diversion for them they were looking at me! I smiled and asked them what was good to eat. The woman jumped up and started looking at the French menu, pointing out their choices – pork cubes in shrimp sauce. So I said: “vous parlez Francais?” (you speak French) and the woman told me she IS French. They were quite affable and asked me to sit next to them so I sat, ordered some red wine, and the same dish they ordered but a half portion. We started talking – me with my oh so fractured French and them with an English word or two.
They had ordered bacalau to follow the pork (hearty appetites) and when it arrived I asked what it was, thinking it was dessert as it was in a sauce. The fellow explained it was fish, dried, and salty so I immediately chimed in with – Oh! Baccalau! He said I must speak Portuguese but I explained it was the same word in America. They insisted I try some and I tried to decline but I was given a heaping spoonful. I tried it and thought it was delicious. As was the pork dish I had ordered although it was too large a serving. A half portion could easily feed two people. The pork was accompanied by – you guessed it – rice and fries – lot of them. It also had a shrimp on top – head and all. I hate it when my food looks at me! I turned the shrimp over so I only saw the back rather than those beady little black eyes. It was a lovely meal. When you travel solo it’s great to find people to talk with and I got to practice my French. The conversation was limited by my command of the language and their limited English but I tried hard and we spent most of the meal talking together. We talked about how expensive France is, even for the French, and how cheap it is to travel and eat in Portugal. They have an RV and the camping site was only 7 Euro per night. The gentleman was ecstatic about the food prices and we compared the bill to what it would cost in France for the same type of meal. With dessert, the waiter brought us samples of ginja – ginger wine – an interesting flavor. Price for dinner – main course and a half bottle of wine was 11.80 Euros.
It’s time to travel westward again, leaving the lush Spanish border behind. It was again dry and cool this morning, about 16 degrees C. at 8:00 (61 F.) but warmed up a couple of hours later to about 70 degrees F. but humidity set in as I headed toward Tomar and it looked like it might rain.
The drive from Marvao to Tomar took about 2.5 hours with a short coffee and stretch break at a rest stop. Once I got to Tomar it took about another hour (or so it seemed) to find the hotel, located in the pedestrian area. I drove around and around the town, found the TI but couldn’t find a place to park to ask about the hotel. I decided to drive slowly and keep asking people. I stopped pedestrians, showed my paper with the hotel name and street and followed their directions. Two people mentioned the same word – “camera” - which brought to mind the Radcliff Camera but I quickly decided it was too lofty an edifice for this small town. What could camera mean in Portuguese I kept asking myself. Whatever it was, I never found it. I traveled all the streets and suddenly discovered the one I wanted – the only street in Tomar you couldn’t drive on. There was no place to park so I pulled into the beginning of the pedestrian zone, parked, and walked to the hotel.
Reception is on the first floor (second floor American). Sandra, with her impeccable English, was there to greet me. She showed me the back entrance and told me to drive down the parallel street and pull over by the (unmarked) hotel door. By the time I got the car, looped around twice to get to the street (I missed the turn the first time) and drove down the street, I had no sense of what door I was supposed to be at but finally figured it out. After unloading the bags in the lovely courtyard (Sandra brought them to my room) I went in search of the parking lots she recommended.
I saw a parking deck near the end of the street and decided to pull into it, even though it was paid parking – how much could it cost? Fortunately I wasn’t too feeble brained to stop and check the rates before I pulled in. Yikes! 84 Euros for 24 hours! This parking deck was a no go for me. I found free parking on one of the shopping streets, not far from the hotel and walked back (spotted a fabulous pair of purple suede shoes in shop window), took a quick shower, and changed.
My first stop was the church in the pedestrian area – Ingreja de Sao Joao Baptista and then to the Synagogue a couple of streets away. I didn’t have much time at the Synagogue as they close between 1:00 and 2:00 but it was fascinating. The walls are covered with gifts, letters, and pictures sent from all countries. Definitely worth a visit for anyone going to Tomar.
The TI (near the pedestrian zone) also closes at lunchtime so I stopped in a café for a chicken tartlet and water (1.70 Euro).
The Convento de Cristo (Convent of Christ), a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is atop a high hill and would be a tough walk on a winding road with no sidewalks. I got the car to drive up and while I was looking for the road to the monastery I saw the small sign for the Matchbox Museum (Museu dos Fosforos) – I couldn’t resist stopping. This free museum is near a large dirt car park next to the St. Francis convent. It’s seven rooms of matchboxes from all over the world – more than 40,000 of them. Near the entrance is a machine that affixes the paper covers to the matchboxes. The museum was so interesting and I would have spent more time there but it was unbearably hot inside – no fans or air conditioning. Photos are allowed without flash but the rooms are dimly lit so I only took a few in the more lighted areas. This museum was a great diversion and I can add it to my list of off-beat small museums.
I bypassed the entrance to the Convento de Cristo to see what was on the other side and I’m glad I did. It’s one of the things I try to remember when traveling – look up and look behind – there’s always more than one view of everything and the back view is great with the monastery silhouetted against the sky. There are two parking lots – the one in front (by the entrance) has a vendor selling fruit and drinks. You exit the monastery on the side at the top so the dirt parking along the right side is handy for leaving. Either parking area has plenty of space as the monastery was not crowded.
The monastery is quite large with several beautiful cloisters, chapel with wonderful frescoes, monks’ cells (all with windows and heat piped under or into the cells) refectory, etc. The chapter house was closed during my visit.
I parked overnight in the large, free, dirt lot near the Matchbox Museum. It was an ideal location both for my hotel and for the TI and there were plenty of parking spaces.
For dinner I headed to the Bella Vista restaurant, alongside the river by the Dom Manual I bridge, recommended by an English couple I chatted with in Marvao. I finally found the TI open and got a map of Tomar and the woman there pointed out the location of the Bella Vista. She described the Dom Manual bridge as the “old one.” All the bridges looked pretty old to me and the map was slightly skewed. As I left the hotel it was drizzling and I hadn’t packed an umbrella (it’s not supposed to rain in Portugal in October). But as it was only a drizzle, I walked to the main street and turned left as the map indicated. It started raining harder. I turned on what I thought was the Dom Manual bridge but couldn’t see the restaurant. By now the wind had kicked up and the rain was coming down, not too hard but I stood under a tree to stay dry while I decided what to do. I was by the river in a little park area, near a bridge.
An adolescent came over the bridge so I stopped him, pointed to the bridge, and asked if it was King Manuel bridge. His mouth opened and sounds came out but I had no idea what he said. I’m sure it wasn’t Portuguese he was speaking – LOL. I then realized I should have asked him if it was DOM Manual bridge, not King Manual bridge so I pointed to the bridge (just a few feet away) and said “Dom Manuel?” Again, more incoherency from him. I decided he probably had no idea who Dom Manuel was so I said my usual “obrigada” and walked away. I braved the rain and wind to try the next bridge – only a minute away – crossed it to see the Bella Vista with its vine-covered entrance. It was dark and closed but with no sign on the door. There were tables and chairs on the terrace so I pulled out a chair and sat for a few minutes while the rain let up.
Time to re-group. I was so sure I would be dining at the Bella Vista I didn’t check out any other restaurants. I walked back toward my hotel, hoping there would be something in the pedestrian area. It was so quiet with all the shops closed and no one walking about. I passed the hotel and spotted a restaurant with some tables outside – O Tabuleiro, Rua Serpa Pinto. There was a couple at one of the outside tables so I looked at the menu in the window. The offerings were varied and the prices were reasonable. I tried to see what this couple were eating but since there was no other diversion for them they were looking at me! I smiled and asked them what was good to eat. The woman jumped up and started looking at the French menu, pointing out their choices – pork cubes in shrimp sauce. So I said: “vous parlez Francais?” (you speak French) and the woman told me she IS French. They were quite affable and asked me to sit next to them so I sat, ordered some red wine, and the same dish they ordered but a half portion. We started talking – me with my oh so fractured French and them with an English word or two.
They had ordered bacalau to follow the pork (hearty appetites) and when it arrived I asked what it was, thinking it was dessert as it was in a sauce. The fellow explained it was fish, dried, and salty so I immediately chimed in with – Oh! Baccalau! He said I must speak Portuguese but I explained it was the same word in America. They insisted I try some and I tried to decline but I was given a heaping spoonful. I tried it and thought it was delicious. As was the pork dish I had ordered although it was too large a serving. A half portion could easily feed two people. The pork was accompanied by – you guessed it – rice and fries – lot of them. It also had a shrimp on top – head and all. I hate it when my food looks at me! I turned the shrimp over so I only saw the back rather than those beady little black eyes. It was a lovely meal. When you travel solo it’s great to find people to talk with and I got to practice my French. The conversation was limited by my command of the language and their limited English but I tried hard and we spent most of the meal talking together. We talked about how expensive France is, even for the French, and how cheap it is to travel and eat in Portugal. They have an RV and the camping site was only 7 Euro per night. The gentleman was ecstatic about the food prices and we compared the bill to what it would cost in France for the same type of meal. With dessert, the waiter brought us samples of ginja – ginger wine – an interesting flavor. Price for dinner – main course and a half bottle of wine was 11.80 Euros.
Jan 19th, 2010, 06:35 PM
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yay! Adrienne is back. I love your insights, thanks for writing this report. i've been to Tomar three or four times and have never heard anything about a Matchbox Museum. Keep it coming, girl! Laurie
Jan 19th, 2010, 06:39 PM
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An excellent and detailed trip report! I also am a budget traveller and I really wish I lived near Portugal (I am in Australia) as I would most certainly visit based on your most interesting story!
Jan 19th, 2010, 06:53 PM
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Laurie. I cannot believe it. Something to put on YOUR list! Amazing.
adrienne. Laurie also helped me book reservations when I needed someone to speak Portuguese when I tried to make reservations hotels and no one spoke English.
And I also appreciate budget options.
adrienne. Laurie also helped me book reservations when I needed someone to speak Portuguese when I tried to make reservations hotels and no one spoke English.
And I also appreciate budget options.
Jan 20th, 2010, 04:36 PM
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Day 8 – Wednesday - Batalha & Fatima
The short rain the night before had brought forth a sunny and dry day. The humidity had abated but this meant more heat.
Using Tomar as a base, I day-tripped to the Batalha monastery and Fatima. Approaching Batalha from Tomar, you round a bend and are faced with a monstrosity of blackened pinnacles. You’ve arrived at the Batalha monastery. The building is of ochre limestone but it would take years of cleaning to once again see the ochre color. UNESCO – get busy with your power washing equipment!
Drive around the monastery to the right and make the first left into a large free parking lot with public toilets. One good thing about the heat is that I was always dehydrated and usually didn’t needed to find facilities during the day so I don’t know how clean these bathrooms were but there was a bit of an odor about them. There were a few picnic tables and benches at the edge of the parking lot where I ate my picnic lunch.
Unlike the monastery in Tomar, set outside of town on top of a hill, this monastery is in the center of town. It’s much smaller than the Tomar monastery but is also a UNESCO World Heritage site. The TI is next to the monastery.
The monastery was built to commemorate the 1385 Battle of Aljubarrota (4km south of Batalha) when 6,500 Portuguese, commanded by Dom Nuno Alvares Pereira, held off Juan 1 of Castile’s army of 30,000 who fought to claim the throne of Joao d’Avis. Joao called on the Blessed Virgin for help and vowed to build a superb abbey in return for victory. Three years later he began work on this Dominican abbey. It’s a combination of Flamboyant Gothic with Manueline architecture added in the 15th and 16th centuries. I did fall in love with Manueline architecture during my time in Portugal. It combines Christian and maritime imagery and the well-executed examples are so interesting to look at.
The tomb of the unknown soldiers (one killed in Flanders during WWI and one killed in Africa) with its honor guard was touching. One guide book said the Unfinished Chapels were the highlight of this monastery and they were. The entrance to these chapels is from the outside to the right of the main entrance. The small faces at the base of the columns were intriguing and I took lots of photos of these.
An hour was enough time to view the monastery and take photos.
Next stop Fatima. Unless you’re very religious and in the general area, I would not make Fatima a priority. It’s between Batalha and Tomar so I wanted to stop and see it. There was plenty of street parking next to the sanctuary but I found the TI first and parked along that street in the shade and walked to the sanctuary. The TI is open 10:00 – 1:00 & 3:00 – 7:00. I arrived at 1:00 and it was shut. It’s about a 5 minute walk from the TI to the sanctuary and I hugged the sides of the buildings to keep in the shade. Another blistering afternoon.
I was impressed by the size of the plaza at the Fatima sanctuary and you get a feel for how enormous it is as you cross it in the blazing sun. There were certainly no pilgrims on their knees today. I stopped at the site of the apparition for a few minutes and then continued to the Basilica which is lovely. The frescoed stations of the cross under the colonnade and the stained glass in each chapel inside are note worthy. As I left the Basilica I wondered why there weren’t more people around until I discovered they were behind the apparition chapel, under the trees, cooling off. The rest room facilities are to the left of the Basilica and are very clean.
An hour is plenty of time to view the chapel and basilica at Fatima. On the way back to the car I stopped at the post office to get stamps for my few post cards and for a friend who collects them. The people in the post office were very helpful. Another stop at an Intermarche outside Fatima to stock up on snacks (sultanas and peanuts from the bins) and liters of water.
I returned to O Tabuleiro for another lovely dinner. I choose pork loin (half portion) with a pineapple slice (I had never thought of putting pineapple with pork – I usually combine prunes with my pork – but it was delicious). Accompanied by the rice and fries and a small salad. There was a sauce with this dish that the rice soaked up making it very moist so I could eat it. The sauce was delicious. Again, a large portion accompanied by the usual half bottle of red. I hadn’t been ordering dessert as I was always so full from the meal but tonight caramel mousse was on the menu so I ordered it – very good. As I write this I’m making myself hungry for the delicious Portuguese food. I loved the spices, giving the meat lots of flavor without being too spicy. The price for dinner was E11.25.
I had written about the student hazing in Evora. Tomar is another university town and the students were out and about tonight. The night before had been very quiet but for some reason they were celebrating on a Wednesday night. If they had stayed in the pedestrian plaza I would have had a quiet night as my room was at the back but they sang and chanted and whooped it up throughout the area and spent some time in the side street beneath my window. They finally moved on about midnight and I was able to sleep then.
The short rain the night before had brought forth a sunny and dry day. The humidity had abated but this meant more heat.
Using Tomar as a base, I day-tripped to the Batalha monastery and Fatima. Approaching Batalha from Tomar, you round a bend and are faced with a monstrosity of blackened pinnacles. You’ve arrived at the Batalha monastery. The building is of ochre limestone but it would take years of cleaning to once again see the ochre color. UNESCO – get busy with your power washing equipment!
Drive around the monastery to the right and make the first left into a large free parking lot with public toilets. One good thing about the heat is that I was always dehydrated and usually didn’t needed to find facilities during the day so I don’t know how clean these bathrooms were but there was a bit of an odor about them. There were a few picnic tables and benches at the edge of the parking lot where I ate my picnic lunch.
Unlike the monastery in Tomar, set outside of town on top of a hill, this monastery is in the center of town. It’s much smaller than the Tomar monastery but is also a UNESCO World Heritage site. The TI is next to the monastery.
The monastery was built to commemorate the 1385 Battle of Aljubarrota (4km south of Batalha) when 6,500 Portuguese, commanded by Dom Nuno Alvares Pereira, held off Juan 1 of Castile’s army of 30,000 who fought to claim the throne of Joao d’Avis. Joao called on the Blessed Virgin for help and vowed to build a superb abbey in return for victory. Three years later he began work on this Dominican abbey. It’s a combination of Flamboyant Gothic with Manueline architecture added in the 15th and 16th centuries. I did fall in love with Manueline architecture during my time in Portugal. It combines Christian and maritime imagery and the well-executed examples are so interesting to look at.
The tomb of the unknown soldiers (one killed in Flanders during WWI and one killed in Africa) with its honor guard was touching. One guide book said the Unfinished Chapels were the highlight of this monastery and they were. The entrance to these chapels is from the outside to the right of the main entrance. The small faces at the base of the columns were intriguing and I took lots of photos of these.
An hour was enough time to view the monastery and take photos.
Next stop Fatima. Unless you’re very religious and in the general area, I would not make Fatima a priority. It’s between Batalha and Tomar so I wanted to stop and see it. There was plenty of street parking next to the sanctuary but I found the TI first and parked along that street in the shade and walked to the sanctuary. The TI is open 10:00 – 1:00 & 3:00 – 7:00. I arrived at 1:00 and it was shut. It’s about a 5 minute walk from the TI to the sanctuary and I hugged the sides of the buildings to keep in the shade. Another blistering afternoon.
I was impressed by the size of the plaza at the Fatima sanctuary and you get a feel for how enormous it is as you cross it in the blazing sun. There were certainly no pilgrims on their knees today. I stopped at the site of the apparition for a few minutes and then continued to the Basilica which is lovely. The frescoed stations of the cross under the colonnade and the stained glass in each chapel inside are note worthy. As I left the Basilica I wondered why there weren’t more people around until I discovered they were behind the apparition chapel, under the trees, cooling off. The rest room facilities are to the left of the Basilica and are very clean.
An hour is plenty of time to view the chapel and basilica at Fatima. On the way back to the car I stopped at the post office to get stamps for my few post cards and for a friend who collects them. The people in the post office were very helpful. Another stop at an Intermarche outside Fatima to stock up on snacks (sultanas and peanuts from the bins) and liters of water.
I returned to O Tabuleiro for another lovely dinner. I choose pork loin (half portion) with a pineapple slice (I had never thought of putting pineapple with pork – I usually combine prunes with my pork – but it was delicious). Accompanied by the rice and fries and a small salad. There was a sauce with this dish that the rice soaked up making it very moist so I could eat it. The sauce was delicious. Again, a large portion accompanied by the usual half bottle of red. I hadn’t been ordering dessert as I was always so full from the meal but tonight caramel mousse was on the menu so I ordered it – very good. As I write this I’m making myself hungry for the delicious Portuguese food. I loved the spices, giving the meat lots of flavor without being too spicy. The price for dinner was E11.25.
I had written about the student hazing in Evora. Tomar is another university town and the students were out and about tonight. The night before had been very quiet but for some reason they were celebrating on a Wednesday night. If they had stayed in the pedestrian plaza I would have had a quiet night as my room was at the back but they sang and chanted and whooped it up throughout the area and spent some time in the side street beneath my window. They finally moved on about midnight and I was able to sleep then.
Jan 21st, 2010, 04:14 PM
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Day 9 – Thursday - Obidos (pronounced oo-bee-doosh)
I had planned to stop in Alcobaca (the second “c” has a cedilla, pronounced as an “s”) enroute to Obidos but 3 monasteries in 3 days seemed like overkill so I headed directly to Obidos. I did want to add another UNESCO site to my ever-growing list but was not up to another monastery. I wanted to get to Obidos as you always see pictures of this charming town in travel mags and brochures and wanted as much time here as possible.
One aspect of traveling to new places is you never really know how interesting the towns will be or how much time is enough until you visit them. Obidos is charming but needs a face lift as much of the façade paint is chipping off. Two hours is ample time to see the sights and shops. I had the entire day.
I left Tomar early for the 2.5 hour drive to Obidos. It was foggy during the first hour but the fog burned off and it was another sunny, hot day. I drove into the town via the castle and stopped at a gift shop by the top of town to ask directions to my hotel. Luckily the hotel is owned by the woman’s father and she gave me excellent directions to go down and then up and park by the church. She must have phoned her father as he was sitting on the step waiting for me. This was more of a house, converted into rooms, rather than a hotel. Or a B&B without the breakfast. He showed me the room and large bathroom (down the hall) and wanted to be paid for the room immediately so I obliged.
I walked around Obidos for a couple of hours, taking photos. I went into the museum to see Josefa de Obidos’s painting and then into the church. One of the reasons for choosing Obidos was to see Josefa’s painting. I had recently taken an art history seminar covering six woman painters from 1400 to 1900. Josefa was not among the artists covered but I did want to see any of her works I could find in Portugal. What was interesting about woman artists of this time, and why there are so few of them, is that you could only learn about art from a family member (father, brother, uncle). If a woman went outside the family for her education her reputation would be tainted. Josefa was the daughter of a minor Portuguese painter but she also studied at the Santa Ana convent in Obidos, thus allying herself with the church and representing her works as part of the church.
I looked in a few shops, had a cool drink and ate half a pastry in a cafe and then retrieved my bags from the car. I really only wanted to take a few things out of the bag and didn’t want to haul my luggage up to the room but I would not have slept well knowing my bags were unguarded in the car. I dragged everything up the narrow steep stairs and took a nap. After a refreshing shower I walked around again and choose a restaurant with outside seating under a purple covered vine on the main street. They didn’t open until 7:30 for dinner so I thought I would have a pre-dinner drink at a café near the lower gate. When I arrived there was a note on the door that the café was closed but I sat there any way and wrote in my journal. I watched people climb up the stairs to the wall and generally looked around between jottings.
I love meeting different people while traveling and sometimes people truly amaze me. A couple (the woman marching, arms pumping, in front of a man (husband? father?) with a cane) started up Rua Direita, the main street, armed with a guide book. She saw me and called out to ask if I was from the town. I said I was not from Obidos but I was staying here and could I help her. She brandished her copy of Lonely Planet and asked about Alcaida restaurant. I asked her the address and told her she was on Rua Direita and that the restaurant should be on the right side about one third to half way up the street. Wow! How easily I’m acclimating to Obidos – giving directions to tourists after 2 hours in town – LOL.
It was approaching 7:30 so I thought I would check out the Alcaida resto menu, put away my journal, and walked up Rua Direita. A part of the way up I again met this woman marching back down Rua Direita (arms pumping again in time with her legs) with the man and his cane following behind. I stopped and asked her if she had found the resto and without breaking her marching stride she proceeded to tell me that the resto was upstairs. I sensed a story here but if I wanted to talk with her I had to follow along as she was not going to stop for anyone or anything so I turned around and walked with her. I wasn’t sure if the resto upstairs meant the gentleman couldn’t navigate the stairs. If that was true how was he surviving in Portugal with the hills and stairs??? I asked her about the prices and she said they didn’t go up to the resto so she didn’t know the prices. I said the resto would have a menu posted near the door but she didn’t look.
She gave me a lecture about how expensive everything is on the Iberian peninsula and how she paid E1 for a coke. I told her that was pretty cheap and I couldn’t buy a coke or water back home in a restaurant for $1.50. But she stated she’s from Texas and wasn’t about to pay E1 for a coke. I asked where they would have dinner if not at Alcaida and she said they’re getting back in the car and would get McDonalds on the road. As she marched away, arms pumping, I felt very sad for her husband/father (who knows – he looked quite a bit older than she) trailing after her, denied the wonderful food and wine of Portugal.
I went to my vine-covered restaurant where the prices were a bit steep and sat at an outside table. This was one of my pricier meals. I ordered a E7 half bottle of wine and a salad for E6 which was also expensive and a pasta course to follow the salad. I declined the bread, as usual. The salad arrived and I realized why it was so expensive. It was enormous. It took me half an hour to leisurely finish the salad and when it was done I was too full for the pasta and I had really wanted pasta. I canceled the pasta order and decided on 2 scoops of gelato to finish off the meal. While I was dining, the wife and small boy (about 5 years old) came into the restaurant for a visit as they had very few tables. Obidos goes into hibernation when the sun sets.
I left the resto at the same time as the little boy and his mother. I stood up and descended the one step from the terrace and felt my head spin. Too much wine and too little dinner. I should have asked for bread. I walked up Rua Direita slowly, just ahead of the woman and the boy who dawdled and said hello to everyone he met in the street.
When I reached 93 Rua Direita I inserted my key in the outside door and tried to turn it but the key wouldn’t turn. I struggled with it but couldn’t get it to work. I knew I had mastered the Portuguese outer locks, pushing in the key then pulling it out slightly while turning to the right. I must have had too much wine.
The woman (waiter’s wife) stopped to help me and she couldn’t get the key to work either. A man several doors away said something to her and then she said something to me in Portuguese but I didn’t understand. She made a sleeping motion of putting her hands together under her cheek and said “dormir?” I said si, si, dormir and she pointed down the street. The man called over – it’s here. I looked at the number above the door and said – no, it’s here – number 93. He insisted I was staying down the street so I thought I would appease these Portuguese people who thought they knew more than I about my lodging and took a look at the other building. What do you know!!! I was trying to break into someone’s house!! I should have eaten the bread! A woman put her head out the first-floor front hotel window and laughed and laughed and said this is the hotel – it’s here. By that time I was laughing too. I took one look at the dark and narrow stairs and agreed – this is where I’m staying - 83 Rua Direita. Good thing there weren’t too many people in the street to witness my humiliation. As I climbed the stairs the laughing woman came out of her room, still laughing. I made a drinking motion and said too much vino and she laughed again! These are the small adventures that create the memories.
There was one more adventure in Obidos before I left town. I awoke at 6:00 the next morning, having slept extremely well, and walked to the bathroom. The door was shut over but not locked so I opened it, almost bumping into a very slim, short-haired blond woman in a flowing flowered caftan. I said excuse me and in what I thought was a British accent she told me she was done. I stumbled back to my room and laid down for a few minutes and in my sleepy stupor I thought I had encountered Helen Mirren in the bathroom. I suddenly remembered I was in a dumpy hotel in Obidos and why would Helen Mirren stay here?
I quietly left just before 7:00 as soon as it was light, thankful I had paid in advance so I was free to leave on my schedule. I walked to the church and loaded my bags into the car. I knew I had to drive down Rua Direita which led to the main portal and considered driving up the ramp from the church right on to Rua Direita but the ramp looked too steep. I thought the better option was to leave the same way I arrived so I drove around the church and headed down hill, completely forgetting that I started at the top of the hill by the castle and should have gone up before I went down.
I made a right turn around a sharp corner and continued a few feet before realizing there were steps in front of me. For a few seconds I did consider driving down the steps but common sense prevailed. The only other road was very very steep and mostly overgrown and who knew where it led. I had to reverse around the sharp, angled corner and take the road to the left. I’m backing up and the road is dipping to the left and the vertigo kicks in again. Oh no! I try my best to angle around the buildings but I scrape both sides of the car so now there were white scratches from front to back. I’m thinking about the paperwork I’ll have to do when I get home.
I finally make the turn, proceed, and come to an archway and turn right. A car is parked just outside the archway and I can’t make the right turn in the narrow space. I keep reversing and going forward to try to get the correct angle for the turn when a man comes along and gets into the car and moves it forward about 2 feet and then gets out and watches me. He had lots of space in front and could have given me more room but he didn’t. I was able to make the turn and get out of Obidos. Hooray! On to Sintra!
I had planned to stop in Alcobaca (the second “c” has a cedilla, pronounced as an “s”) enroute to Obidos but 3 monasteries in 3 days seemed like overkill so I headed directly to Obidos. I did want to add another UNESCO site to my ever-growing list but was not up to another monastery. I wanted to get to Obidos as you always see pictures of this charming town in travel mags and brochures and wanted as much time here as possible.
One aspect of traveling to new places is you never really know how interesting the towns will be or how much time is enough until you visit them. Obidos is charming but needs a face lift as much of the façade paint is chipping off. Two hours is ample time to see the sights and shops. I had the entire day.
I left Tomar early for the 2.5 hour drive to Obidos. It was foggy during the first hour but the fog burned off and it was another sunny, hot day. I drove into the town via the castle and stopped at a gift shop by the top of town to ask directions to my hotel. Luckily the hotel is owned by the woman’s father and she gave me excellent directions to go down and then up and park by the church. She must have phoned her father as he was sitting on the step waiting for me. This was more of a house, converted into rooms, rather than a hotel. Or a B&B without the breakfast. He showed me the room and large bathroom (down the hall) and wanted to be paid for the room immediately so I obliged.
I walked around Obidos for a couple of hours, taking photos. I went into the museum to see Josefa de Obidos’s painting and then into the church. One of the reasons for choosing Obidos was to see Josefa’s painting. I had recently taken an art history seminar covering six woman painters from 1400 to 1900. Josefa was not among the artists covered but I did want to see any of her works I could find in Portugal. What was interesting about woman artists of this time, and why there are so few of them, is that you could only learn about art from a family member (father, brother, uncle). If a woman went outside the family for her education her reputation would be tainted. Josefa was the daughter of a minor Portuguese painter but she also studied at the Santa Ana convent in Obidos, thus allying herself with the church and representing her works as part of the church.
I looked in a few shops, had a cool drink and ate half a pastry in a cafe and then retrieved my bags from the car. I really only wanted to take a few things out of the bag and didn’t want to haul my luggage up to the room but I would not have slept well knowing my bags were unguarded in the car. I dragged everything up the narrow steep stairs and took a nap. After a refreshing shower I walked around again and choose a restaurant with outside seating under a purple covered vine on the main street. They didn’t open until 7:30 for dinner so I thought I would have a pre-dinner drink at a café near the lower gate. When I arrived there was a note on the door that the café was closed but I sat there any way and wrote in my journal. I watched people climb up the stairs to the wall and generally looked around between jottings.
I love meeting different people while traveling and sometimes people truly amaze me. A couple (the woman marching, arms pumping, in front of a man (husband? father?) with a cane) started up Rua Direita, the main street, armed with a guide book. She saw me and called out to ask if I was from the town. I said I was not from Obidos but I was staying here and could I help her. She brandished her copy of Lonely Planet and asked about Alcaida restaurant. I asked her the address and told her she was on Rua Direita and that the restaurant should be on the right side about one third to half way up the street. Wow! How easily I’m acclimating to Obidos – giving directions to tourists after 2 hours in town – LOL.
It was approaching 7:30 so I thought I would check out the Alcaida resto menu, put away my journal, and walked up Rua Direita. A part of the way up I again met this woman marching back down Rua Direita (arms pumping again in time with her legs) with the man and his cane following behind. I stopped and asked her if she had found the resto and without breaking her marching stride she proceeded to tell me that the resto was upstairs. I sensed a story here but if I wanted to talk with her I had to follow along as she was not going to stop for anyone or anything so I turned around and walked with her. I wasn’t sure if the resto upstairs meant the gentleman couldn’t navigate the stairs. If that was true how was he surviving in Portugal with the hills and stairs??? I asked her about the prices and she said they didn’t go up to the resto so she didn’t know the prices. I said the resto would have a menu posted near the door but she didn’t look.
She gave me a lecture about how expensive everything is on the Iberian peninsula and how she paid E1 for a coke. I told her that was pretty cheap and I couldn’t buy a coke or water back home in a restaurant for $1.50. But she stated she’s from Texas and wasn’t about to pay E1 for a coke. I asked where they would have dinner if not at Alcaida and she said they’re getting back in the car and would get McDonalds on the road. As she marched away, arms pumping, I felt very sad for her husband/father (who knows – he looked quite a bit older than she) trailing after her, denied the wonderful food and wine of Portugal.
I went to my vine-covered restaurant where the prices were a bit steep and sat at an outside table. This was one of my pricier meals. I ordered a E7 half bottle of wine and a salad for E6 which was also expensive and a pasta course to follow the salad. I declined the bread, as usual. The salad arrived and I realized why it was so expensive. It was enormous. It took me half an hour to leisurely finish the salad and when it was done I was too full for the pasta and I had really wanted pasta. I canceled the pasta order and decided on 2 scoops of gelato to finish off the meal. While I was dining, the wife and small boy (about 5 years old) came into the restaurant for a visit as they had very few tables. Obidos goes into hibernation when the sun sets.
I left the resto at the same time as the little boy and his mother. I stood up and descended the one step from the terrace and felt my head spin. Too much wine and too little dinner. I should have asked for bread. I walked up Rua Direita slowly, just ahead of the woman and the boy who dawdled and said hello to everyone he met in the street.
When I reached 93 Rua Direita I inserted my key in the outside door and tried to turn it but the key wouldn’t turn. I struggled with it but couldn’t get it to work. I knew I had mastered the Portuguese outer locks, pushing in the key then pulling it out slightly while turning to the right. I must have had too much wine.
The woman (waiter’s wife) stopped to help me and she couldn’t get the key to work either. A man several doors away said something to her and then she said something to me in Portuguese but I didn’t understand. She made a sleeping motion of putting her hands together under her cheek and said “dormir?” I said si, si, dormir and she pointed down the street. The man called over – it’s here. I looked at the number above the door and said – no, it’s here – number 93. He insisted I was staying down the street so I thought I would appease these Portuguese people who thought they knew more than I about my lodging and took a look at the other building. What do you know!!! I was trying to break into someone’s house!! I should have eaten the bread! A woman put her head out the first-floor front hotel window and laughed and laughed and said this is the hotel – it’s here. By that time I was laughing too. I took one look at the dark and narrow stairs and agreed – this is where I’m staying - 83 Rua Direita. Good thing there weren’t too many people in the street to witness my humiliation. As I climbed the stairs the laughing woman came out of her room, still laughing. I made a drinking motion and said too much vino and she laughed again! These are the small adventures that create the memories.
There was one more adventure in Obidos before I left town. I awoke at 6:00 the next morning, having slept extremely well, and walked to the bathroom. The door was shut over but not locked so I opened it, almost bumping into a very slim, short-haired blond woman in a flowing flowered caftan. I said excuse me and in what I thought was a British accent she told me she was done. I stumbled back to my room and laid down for a few minutes and in my sleepy stupor I thought I had encountered Helen Mirren in the bathroom. I suddenly remembered I was in a dumpy hotel in Obidos and why would Helen Mirren stay here?
I quietly left just before 7:00 as soon as it was light, thankful I had paid in advance so I was free to leave on my schedule. I walked to the church and loaded my bags into the car. I knew I had to drive down Rua Direita which led to the main portal and considered driving up the ramp from the church right on to Rua Direita but the ramp looked too steep. I thought the better option was to leave the same way I arrived so I drove around the church and headed down hill, completely forgetting that I started at the top of the hill by the castle and should have gone up before I went down.
I made a right turn around a sharp corner and continued a few feet before realizing there were steps in front of me. For a few seconds I did consider driving down the steps but common sense prevailed. The only other road was very very steep and mostly overgrown and who knew where it led. I had to reverse around the sharp, angled corner and take the road to the left. I’m backing up and the road is dipping to the left and the vertigo kicks in again. Oh no! I try my best to angle around the buildings but I scrape both sides of the car so now there were white scratches from front to back. I’m thinking about the paperwork I’ll have to do when I get home.
I finally make the turn, proceed, and come to an archway and turn right. A car is parked just outside the archway and I can’t make the right turn in the narrow space. I keep reversing and going forward to try to get the correct angle for the turn when a man comes along and gets into the car and moves it forward about 2 feet and then gets out and watches me. He had lots of space in front and could have given me more room but he didn’t. I was able to make the turn and get out of Obidos. Hooray! On to Sintra!
Jan 22nd, 2010, 06:43 AM
#55
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Hi, Adrienne,
See how you turned a little town that merits a two hour visit into an adventure-packed thriller?
I remember some of those impossible corners through an archway, one of my "sweaty palms" driving experiences. Looking forward to Sintra!
See how you turned a little town that merits a two hour visit into an adventure-packed thriller?
I remember some of those impossible corners through an archway, one of my "sweaty palms" driving experiences. Looking forward to Sintra!
Jan 22nd, 2010, 09:39 AM
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Hi Adrienne,
Such fun reading. You were wondering what the word "camera" means in Portuguese when you were trying to get directions.
The word means the local government... maybe similar to "county" in the US. The persons trying to give you directions were probably using the camera office as a landmark as most towns have a camera office.
Such fun reading. You were wondering what the word "camera" means in Portuguese when you were trying to get directions.
The word means the local government... maybe similar to "county" in the US. The persons trying to give you directions were probably using the camera office as a landmark as most towns have a camera office.
Jan 24th, 2010, 01:48 PM
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Hi lowcountrycarol - thanks for the translation of "camera." I never did see the town office but then I wouldn't have been looking for something like that. I just followed the direction they pointed. It's good to know what it is. I'll file it away in my brain with my other Portuguese words!
Jan 24th, 2010, 01:56 PM
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Day 10 – Friday - Sintra
I loved, loved, loved Sintra!
I had a leisurely drive to Sintra, partially along the coast, avoiding lots of highway. I found the TI easily, parked illegally and got a map and directions to my hotel. I didn’t realize the road to the TI was two-way (it looked too narrow and all the cars were headed toward the TI and not away from it) so I misunderstood the directions and continued up the hill thinking that the road would eventually loop around and go back down the hill. After several miles I realized my mistake and turned around. The toughest part was always finding the hotels. I timed myself this time and it was 45 minutes from entering Sintra to locating the hotel! It would be much easier with a navigator.
I saw a fellow leaving the hotel from the garden so I went in that way (was told later that this was a private entrance and I should have rung the front door bell). I called hello several times before a maid came into the foyer. There’s no real reception. I gave her my email confirmation and I’m so glad I had that with me. A man came to the front door a few minutes later and said he had phoned that morning and booked a room. After quite a long conversation between the maid from the second floor terrace and the senora, lounging in the back garden, I was told that there were no single rooms but I could have a double room for an additional E5 a night and I agreed to the higher price. Sintra looked to be full of tourists and I wasn’t going to spend any time looking for other accommodation. The gentleman who came in behind me was turned away, even though he had booked. Looks like I got there at the right time with paperwork in hand.
My very large room was at the front of the building and was quite nice. The bathroom was close but not private. There was another bathroom on the ground floor but I kept forgetting about that one and would wait my turn for the bathroom on my floor. I brought in my bags, parked across the street, and was leaving when I saw the Helen Mirren character from Obidos that morning. We looked at each other and she asked if it was me in Obidos last night. I said yes – this morning at 6:00 in the bathroom. Wide awake now, she no longer looked like Helen Mirren nor sounded like her. Her name was June from Sydney and she had just completed the French route of the Camino de Santiago that she had started the year before. Immediate envy set in that she had accomplished something I only dream about. We chatted for a few minutes and made plans to meet up later in the day for dinner.
The hotel was well located so I didn’t need to move the car. I walked up to the National Palace. I had read in some guidebook about a combination ticket with the Pena Palace but was told that there were no combination tickets. The National Palace ticket was E5.
I really enjoyed the National Palace and loved the painted ceilings. Took lots of photos inside which was permitted without flash.
In the last room, Sala dos Brasoes (Coat of Arms Room) I was looking at the gorgeous tiles wishing there were docents or some information about the Palace and tiles. In walked a young man wearing a badge so I stopped him and ask if he could answer some questions. I asked about the blue and white tiles and learned that they were 18th century Baroque and were used to keep the palace cool. The colors were copied from Ming era China and the tiles in this room show courtly themes. Gold leaf over blue and white tiles or “gold on blue” is the Portuguese symbol for perfection. After learning this I was on the lookout for any gold (or yellow) over blue and white. I did buy a tile from a Sintra workshop that has a yellow background with blue and white vase and flowers to remind me of this idea. The Moors used geometric shapes and the Portuguese used figurative designs based on European motifs. You find both types of tiles in the National Palace.
I thought the docent would walk away after that but he began to tell me about the room and I had a 15 minute private tour of the Sala dos Brascoes – how wonderful. He was thrilled that people were interested enough to ask questions. This room is the western-most room in the western-most palace in Portugal and was significant as Dom Manuel I could see the ships approaching the Lisbon harbor. When Manuel saw the ships they (the ships) had a 3 day sail to reach Lisbon and it was a 3 day ride to Lisbon so Manuel could set out and meet the ships as they docked, ensuring his coveted treasures did not go missing.
The docent further explained the significance of the ceiling – a 16th century Portuguese heraldic representation showing the royal hierarchy with the king on top. In the middle of the ceiling is Dom Manuel I. The next row shows his 8 children from his second marriage. The third and forth rows are deer with the coats of arms and family names of the royal families serving the king on banners. The placement of the deer panels is significant as the more valued families are placed close to the king and the lesser nobles are in the corners of the room. The deer is used to represent service to the king as the word for deer in Portuguese sounds similar to the word for “serve.”
Outside the National Palace I stopped to buy a couple of post cards. It was afternoon but the only word of greeting I had learned was “bom dia,” good morning. The vendor laughed at me and said it was afternoon so I should learn to say “boa tarde” for good afternoon. I didn’t quite get the pronunciation and I had heard “boa tarde” pronounced differently in different areas of Portugal; some people seemed to pronounce the “d” and some people seemed to slur it so I confused. But then I was pretty much confused the entire trip – LOL.
I walked up to the Quinta da Regaleira, a villa and chapel set in a huge park. The villa was built in the neo-Manueline style in the early 20th century. It was designed for the Monteiro family by the Italian opera set designer, Luigi Manini who spent 14 years on it. I loved the chapel and the ground floor of the villa with the frescoes and mosaic floors but was disappointed with the rest of the villa. The second floor was devoted to the architect, Manini, and the third floor (very dark) had exhibits in Portuguese about the house.
June, who is quite a walker, found an inexpensive restaurant near the train station. She want to the library near the train station to check her email (I’m guessing it was free at the library). We took the car as she said it was a 15 minute walk which probably meant 25 minutes for me and we would have to return over dark and narrow roads. Prices in Sintra were more than in the other towns I had visited probably since it is close to Lisbon and very much a tourist area. We shared a main course of baccalau in a tomato sauce (the fish was a bit fishy tasting) and a lettuce and tomato salad instead of fries. Including a bottle of wine the meal was E12 each.
I loved, loved, loved Sintra!
I had a leisurely drive to Sintra, partially along the coast, avoiding lots of highway. I found the TI easily, parked illegally and got a map and directions to my hotel. I didn’t realize the road to the TI was two-way (it looked too narrow and all the cars were headed toward the TI and not away from it) so I misunderstood the directions and continued up the hill thinking that the road would eventually loop around and go back down the hill. After several miles I realized my mistake and turned around. The toughest part was always finding the hotels. I timed myself this time and it was 45 minutes from entering Sintra to locating the hotel! It would be much easier with a navigator.
I saw a fellow leaving the hotel from the garden so I went in that way (was told later that this was a private entrance and I should have rung the front door bell). I called hello several times before a maid came into the foyer. There’s no real reception. I gave her my email confirmation and I’m so glad I had that with me. A man came to the front door a few minutes later and said he had phoned that morning and booked a room. After quite a long conversation between the maid from the second floor terrace and the senora, lounging in the back garden, I was told that there were no single rooms but I could have a double room for an additional E5 a night and I agreed to the higher price. Sintra looked to be full of tourists and I wasn’t going to spend any time looking for other accommodation. The gentleman who came in behind me was turned away, even though he had booked. Looks like I got there at the right time with paperwork in hand.
My very large room was at the front of the building and was quite nice. The bathroom was close but not private. There was another bathroom on the ground floor but I kept forgetting about that one and would wait my turn for the bathroom on my floor. I brought in my bags, parked across the street, and was leaving when I saw the Helen Mirren character from Obidos that morning. We looked at each other and she asked if it was me in Obidos last night. I said yes – this morning at 6:00 in the bathroom. Wide awake now, she no longer looked like Helen Mirren nor sounded like her. Her name was June from Sydney and she had just completed the French route of the Camino de Santiago that she had started the year before. Immediate envy set in that she had accomplished something I only dream about. We chatted for a few minutes and made plans to meet up later in the day for dinner.
The hotel was well located so I didn’t need to move the car. I walked up to the National Palace. I had read in some guidebook about a combination ticket with the Pena Palace but was told that there were no combination tickets. The National Palace ticket was E5.
I really enjoyed the National Palace and loved the painted ceilings. Took lots of photos inside which was permitted without flash.
In the last room, Sala dos Brasoes (Coat of Arms Room) I was looking at the gorgeous tiles wishing there were docents or some information about the Palace and tiles. In walked a young man wearing a badge so I stopped him and ask if he could answer some questions. I asked about the blue and white tiles and learned that they were 18th century Baroque and were used to keep the palace cool. The colors were copied from Ming era China and the tiles in this room show courtly themes. Gold leaf over blue and white tiles or “gold on blue” is the Portuguese symbol for perfection. After learning this I was on the lookout for any gold (or yellow) over blue and white. I did buy a tile from a Sintra workshop that has a yellow background with blue and white vase and flowers to remind me of this idea. The Moors used geometric shapes and the Portuguese used figurative designs based on European motifs. You find both types of tiles in the National Palace.
I thought the docent would walk away after that but he began to tell me about the room and I had a 15 minute private tour of the Sala dos Brascoes – how wonderful. He was thrilled that people were interested enough to ask questions. This room is the western-most room in the western-most palace in Portugal and was significant as Dom Manuel I could see the ships approaching the Lisbon harbor. When Manuel saw the ships they (the ships) had a 3 day sail to reach Lisbon and it was a 3 day ride to Lisbon so Manuel could set out and meet the ships as they docked, ensuring his coveted treasures did not go missing.
The docent further explained the significance of the ceiling – a 16th century Portuguese heraldic representation showing the royal hierarchy with the king on top. In the middle of the ceiling is Dom Manuel I. The next row shows his 8 children from his second marriage. The third and forth rows are deer with the coats of arms and family names of the royal families serving the king on banners. The placement of the deer panels is significant as the more valued families are placed close to the king and the lesser nobles are in the corners of the room. The deer is used to represent service to the king as the word for deer in Portuguese sounds similar to the word for “serve.”
Outside the National Palace I stopped to buy a couple of post cards. It was afternoon but the only word of greeting I had learned was “bom dia,” good morning. The vendor laughed at me and said it was afternoon so I should learn to say “boa tarde” for good afternoon. I didn’t quite get the pronunciation and I had heard “boa tarde” pronounced differently in different areas of Portugal; some people seemed to pronounce the “d” and some people seemed to slur it so I confused. But then I was pretty much confused the entire trip – LOL.
I walked up to the Quinta da Regaleira, a villa and chapel set in a huge park. The villa was built in the neo-Manueline style in the early 20th century. It was designed for the Monteiro family by the Italian opera set designer, Luigi Manini who spent 14 years on it. I loved the chapel and the ground floor of the villa with the frescoes and mosaic floors but was disappointed with the rest of the villa. The second floor was devoted to the architect, Manini, and the third floor (very dark) had exhibits in Portuguese about the house.
June, who is quite a walker, found an inexpensive restaurant near the train station. She want to the library near the train station to check her email (I’m guessing it was free at the library). We took the car as she said it was a 15 minute walk which probably meant 25 minutes for me and we would have to return over dark and narrow roads. Prices in Sintra were more than in the other towns I had visited probably since it is close to Lisbon and very much a tourist area. We shared a main course of baccalau in a tomato sauce (the fish was a bit fishy tasting) and a lettuce and tomato salad instead of fries. Including a bottle of wine the meal was E12 each.
Jan 25th, 2010, 04:02 PM
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Day 11 – Saturday - Sintra
The hotel did not include breakfast so June and I walked to a café for coffee and pastry then we split up for sightseeing and would meet again at 7:00 for dinner.
I walked to the TI and asked a few questions and then waited for the bus to the Pena Palace - #434 from in front of the TI. There was a large tour group waiting as well and some of the tour people were very pushy and rude. One woman shoved her way onto the bus and with both hands pushed aside a man so she could get on the bus ahead of him. There was standing room only and I had thought of waiting for the next bus but wasn’t sure that it would be any better. As it turned out the next bus was practically empty. It was quite a wild ride to the Pena Palace and I held on tight. I think the Sintra bus drivers learned their craft from the Malta bus drivers as they took the winding roads in much the same kamikaze fashion. After buying a ticket to the palace I spent the extra E2 for the jitney up to the palace and was glad it did since it was quite an uphill climb and I arrived fresh for the palace.
The outside of the palace was fabulous and I took lots of photos. No photos are allowed inside the palace. The interior was wonderful and I was bowled over by the architectural and decorative diversity from the Naturalist style railings that look like tree limbs to the molded walls, painted to look like stucco, the trompe l’oeil, and the Bohemian glass Art Nouveau chandelier with its leaves and flowers. What a great place – over the top extravagant and I loved it! I looked for a book on the Pena Palace in the gift shop and was disappointed because there wasn’t one. This seemed to be true of many sights in Portugal – there were either no gift shops or very limited shops with no books you could buy as a remembrance. I really wanted a picture book of the inside of the Pena Palace.
After the Pena Palace I took the bus back to town, looked in some shops (I still had not bought any pottery) and then had a huge cheese omelet with fries and salad and a bottle of water at an outdoor café. This lunch was pretty pricey at E10 but not out of line for this area of Sintra.
I decided to try to find the tile workshops and poked around in some small side streets and found one. There was a man painting tiles in a side room and I watched him for a few minutes making many copies of the same tile. There many lovely tiles for sale and I choose a double tile mounted on a board of an old-time Portuguese sailing ship to remind me of Portugal’s navigation fame and a single tile of blue & white flowers in a vase with a deep, warm yellow background. This was the only souvenir I bought myself (other than a very small painted coffee cup in Marvao). The tiles were priced at E22 and E15 and would pack easily.
I lounged in the hotel's back garden in the shade with my book and then freshened up for dinner with June. We tried a different resto near the train station tonight which was better than the first. We had 2 half portions of the main course (1 chicken, 1 pork) both with fries and salad, soup starter, and a liter of wine for E23. The food was delicious. I didn’t get the name of this place but it was filled with locals and one English couple who were staying in an apartment close by. It’s near a very small pedestrian zone by the station on a main road. The dining room was fairly large and no special décor – just your local good eatery. A great ending to my two days in Sintra.
The hotel did not include breakfast so June and I walked to a café for coffee and pastry then we split up for sightseeing and would meet again at 7:00 for dinner.
I walked to the TI and asked a few questions and then waited for the bus to the Pena Palace - #434 from in front of the TI. There was a large tour group waiting as well and some of the tour people were very pushy and rude. One woman shoved her way onto the bus and with both hands pushed aside a man so she could get on the bus ahead of him. There was standing room only and I had thought of waiting for the next bus but wasn’t sure that it would be any better. As it turned out the next bus was practically empty. It was quite a wild ride to the Pena Palace and I held on tight. I think the Sintra bus drivers learned their craft from the Malta bus drivers as they took the winding roads in much the same kamikaze fashion. After buying a ticket to the palace I spent the extra E2 for the jitney up to the palace and was glad it did since it was quite an uphill climb and I arrived fresh for the palace.
The outside of the palace was fabulous and I took lots of photos. No photos are allowed inside the palace. The interior was wonderful and I was bowled over by the architectural and decorative diversity from the Naturalist style railings that look like tree limbs to the molded walls, painted to look like stucco, the trompe l’oeil, and the Bohemian glass Art Nouveau chandelier with its leaves and flowers. What a great place – over the top extravagant and I loved it! I looked for a book on the Pena Palace in the gift shop and was disappointed because there wasn’t one. This seemed to be true of many sights in Portugal – there were either no gift shops or very limited shops with no books you could buy as a remembrance. I really wanted a picture book of the inside of the Pena Palace.
After the Pena Palace I took the bus back to town, looked in some shops (I still had not bought any pottery) and then had a huge cheese omelet with fries and salad and a bottle of water at an outdoor café. This lunch was pretty pricey at E10 but not out of line for this area of Sintra.
I decided to try to find the tile workshops and poked around in some small side streets and found one. There was a man painting tiles in a side room and I watched him for a few minutes making many copies of the same tile. There many lovely tiles for sale and I choose a double tile mounted on a board of an old-time Portuguese sailing ship to remind me of Portugal’s navigation fame and a single tile of blue & white flowers in a vase with a deep, warm yellow background. This was the only souvenir I bought myself (other than a very small painted coffee cup in Marvao). The tiles were priced at E22 and E15 and would pack easily.
I lounged in the hotel's back garden in the shade with my book and then freshened up for dinner with June. We tried a different resto near the train station tonight which was better than the first. We had 2 half portions of the main course (1 chicken, 1 pork) both with fries and salad, soup starter, and a liter of wine for E23. The food was delicious. I didn’t get the name of this place but it was filled with locals and one English couple who were staying in an apartment close by. It’s near a very small pedestrian zone by the station on a main road. The dining room was fairly large and no special décor – just your local good eatery. A great ending to my two days in Sintra.
