Here is a map of Spain and Portugal...see if you can find Salamanca and our destination, Lisboa (you can click on the map to see a larger version):
Portugal shares the Iberian Peninsula with Spain and the Portuguese language is related to Spanish. Although I can generally read Portuguese and figure out what it means, since it is similar to Spanish, I have no idea what people say when they speak in Portuguese! Luckily, most people in Portugal speak either Spanish or English, so it was relatively easy to get around. Here are a few Portuguese words we learned when we were there (can you think of what Spanish words they are related to?):
Ola: Hello
Obrigado: Thank You
Adieus: Good Bye
Bem Vindo: Welcome
Com: With
O Futebol: Soccer
Although our destination was Lisboa (Lisbon in English), we made a stop at Fátima on the way for lunch. Fátima, though a small town, is a center of religious tourism, due to the fact that in 1917 three peasant children claimed to have seen the Virgin Mary appear. After that, the town became a mecca for pilgrims and a large sanctuary was built.
The Cathedral in Fátima:
We took a detour for lunch and walked up a pretty street lined with flowers:
Then we ate lunch in a local restaurant. We had to order in Spanish, since we didn't speak Portuguese and the waiter didn't speak English.
There were also a lot of colorful flowers blooming:
And Portuguese people, of course:
Belém is right on the waterfront, and we passed a harbor full of Portuguese boats:
After hanging out at the beach for a few hours, we got some food and walked around Estoril for a while. Unfortunately, there wasn't much else to see besides a Casino and a amusingly bad parking job:
We took a detour for lunch and walked up a pretty street lined with flowers:
Then we ate lunch in a local restaurant. We had to order in Spanish, since we didn't speak Portuguese and the waiter didn't speak English.
After that, we made our way to Lisboa, the capital of Portugal. Lisboa is the largest city in Portugal, with almost 3 million inhabitants. If you think of the Iberian Peninsula being a face (Spain being the hair, Portugal being the face), Lisboa is right in the nostril. Lisboa is a hilly city, and unlike many other places in Europe, it has not only a metro, but also street cars as public transportation.
A 1930's era street car near a Praça in Lisboa:
Lisboa also has interesting architecture. Art Nouveau, as in the first building, is very prevalent, as are bright colors such as those in the door of the second picture below.
Lisboa also has interesting architecture. Art Nouveau, as in the first building, is very prevalent, as are bright colors such as those in the door of the second picture below.
There were also a lot of colorful flowers blooming:
And Portuguese people, of course:
After dropping our bags off at the hotel (4* Hotel Parque Real, which was amazing, if anyone's planning on going there), we went to see the Castelo São Jorge, or St. George's Castle. The castle is built on a hill overlooking the city, and is located past the famous Alfama neighborhood, which is filled with tiny meandering streets lined by colorful tiled buildings that look as if they were built in miniature. We walked all the way up to the top, and it was definitely a workout!
Castelo São Jorge:
Me, John, and Erica in front of the spectacular view of Lisboa, at the castle:
Another view from the castle:
When we had enough of wandering around the castle, we tried to leave by going down this huge flight of steps:
But when we got to the bottom, we realized it was a dead end, and had to go all the way back up (my legs are still sore):
A peacock:
And a cat drinking water from a dripping hose:
One of the streets through the Baixa (you can see the arch of the Praça do Comercio at the end of the road):
After walking around for a bit, we tried the traditional pastry of Lisboa: Pastéis de Nata . These pastries are deliciously sweet and are reminiscent of custard and crème brûlée. Portuguese food was a much needed break from the patatas and jamón of Salamanca, and we ate *a lot* of these pastries:
And the Torre de Belém, which we went inside to explore:
The view of Lisboa from the castle. Notice the large red bridge in the background, the Ponte 25 de Abril. It looks nearly identical to the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco and is actually its sister bridge, designed by the same architect in 1966. Lisboa in general is geographically similar to San Francisco: it is on a large bay, often foggy, and the far side of the bridge (Setúbal) is almost reminiscent of Sausalito viewed from afar.
Another view from the castle:
When we had enough of wandering around the castle, we tried to leave by going down this huge flight of steps:
But when we got to the bottom, we realized it was a dead end, and had to go all the way back up (my legs are still sore):
Before leaving the castle through the *correct* exit, we ran into some animals on the grounds.
A peacock:
And a cat drinking water from a dripping hose:
On the way back down the hill, we passed a typical Lisboa taxi. They are beige, unlike the white taxis found in Spain. It also is quite common in Europe to use BMWs and Mercedes as taxis...not so in the U.S. where they are much more expensive:
In the Alfama neighborhood, and much of Portugal for that matter, are azulejos, or tiles. They are all different colors, and often put together to form pictures like the ones below:
After walking around Alfama and touring the castle, we went back to Baixa, or downtown to walk around for a while. After the 1755 earthquake that destroyed much of Lisboa (and the rest of the Iberian Peninsula, even Salamanca), much of Lisboa's downtown area was rebuilt according to the ideas of the Enlightenment. That's why the praças look fairly modern and the streets are straight and have a "planned" feeling. There are several beautiful praças in Lisbon, one of the most famous being the Praça do Comercio, near the waterfront:
One of the streets through the Baixa (you can see the arch of the Praça do Comercio at the end of the road):
After walking around for a bit, we tried the traditional pastry of Lisboa: Pastéis de Nata . These pastries are deliciously sweet and are reminiscent of custard and crème brûlée. Portuguese food was a much needed break from the patatas and jamón of Salamanca, and we ate *a lot* of these pastries:
The next morning, we went to the historic area of Belém. Belém is host to several of Lisboa's most famous monuments, including the Mosteiro dos Jerónimos:
And the Torre de Belém, which we went inside to explore:
Belém is right on the waterfront, and we passed a harbor full of Portuguese boats:
There is also a large monument commemorating Portugese explorers like Vasco da Gama and the Age of Exploration. Portugal was a very important country in the Age of Exploration and explorers such as Prince Henry the Navigator played a large role in 'discovering' regions in Africa, the far east, and parts of the Americas.
After Belém, we went to the beach at Estoril, which is slightly north of Lisboa. Although the water was too cold to do much swimming, it was nice to relax and lay out in the sun. Swim attire for Europeans is slightly different than in the United States, with many men opting for speedos and some women opting to go topless. It takes a little getting used to for someone who isn't expecting it!
After hanging out at the beach for a few hours, we got some food and walked around Estoril for a while. Unfortunately, there wasn't much else to see besides a Casino and a amusingly bad parking job:
After Estoril and another amazing dinner at our hotel, we went to the Bairro Alto to experience some Portugese nightlife. It was a cool area, full of small hole-in-the-wall restaurants and bars with a lot of personality, but there were also a lot of drug dealers trying to sell hashish and cocaina. Not good!
A street in Bairro Alto:
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