Ola! Bom dia...
This shall be quite a detailed post so you could read on or just skip to the pictures and video =)
As previously mentioned I'll be doing a blog post on my travels to Lisboa (Lisbon) Portugal during the start of my summer break with a couple of friends from home.
This was a highly anticipated trip for me because not only was I deprived from the sun, I needed a break from the cold wet British weather. I was really looking forward to spending some time by the beach and getting some tan before heading back home to Malaysia.
Thus begin the journey to Lisbon via easyJet. Waking up at 4am to meet up with a couple of friends before making our way to London Luton's airport where we caught a 2 hour 40 minutes morning flight to Lisbon.
As we arrive in Lisbon our first challenge began where we had to communicate with the owner of the apartment we were to stay at. After much attempt and to the point of almost giving up we managed to make a phone call through the payphone and settled our accommodation. We then made our way via train to Rua Augusta where the apartment was located at. While walking through the streets filled with tourist we encountered a rather unpleasant situation where some people attempted to pickpocket our bags. Thanks to the kind restaurant waiters who warned us of this we managed to prevent ourselves from being a victim of their nasty intentions. After this incident we were much more aware of our belongings and surroundings.
We checked into our beautiful little apartment in Rua Augusta with its creamed coloured walls and white Victorian window looking out into the cobbled streets and Cafés. The apartment had two rooms with single beds, two bathrooms, a kitchen and a
living room. It had a washing machine and dryer as well as cooking utensils and a
mini refrigerator.
living room. It had a washing machine and dryer as well as cooking utensils and a
mini refrigerator.
We spent our first afternoon exploring the streets and trying out some local pastries. There was
slight drizzle but couldn't deter us from doing some sight seeing. We came upon our first
historical monument which is the Rua Augusta Arch built to commemorate the city's reconstruction after the 1755 earthquake located at Praca do Comercio (Commerce square).
slight drizzle but couldn't deter us from doing some sight seeing. We came upon our first
historical monument which is the Rua Augusta Arch built to commemorate the city's reconstruction after the 1755 earthquake located at Praca do Comercio (Commerce square).
Some say the best way to explore a new city is to get lost and that's when you'll see things that
most tourist don't.
most tourist don't.
As we looked out into the distant hills we spotted a castle stooped on a hill and thus decided to
head towards the castle.
head towards the castle.
Roaming through little alleys and cobbled streets; walking up countless steps and inclined
pathways we finally arrived at
pathways we finally arrived at
the castle which we later found out to be Saint George's Castle (click for more info). After paying the entrance fee 5Euro for students only valid with a student ID we explored the castle, climbing up medieval stone stairs, walking through ramparts and lookout points we were able to take in the panoramic view of the city Lisbon. We also found
The Patriarchal Cathedral of St. Mary Major also known as Lisbon Cathedral a Roman Catholic Cathedral. There was a choir performing just outside the cathedral singing hymns commemorating the birth of St John.
The Patriarchal Cathedral of St. Mary Major also known as Lisbon Cathedral a Roman Catholic Cathedral. There was a choir performing just outside the cathedral singing hymns commemorating the birth of St John.
After walking tirelessly around the city we sat ourselves down for some lovely Portuguese seafood dinner and proceeded to the commerce square where a live broadcast of the world cup 2014 Portugal vs USA was shown. After a short while we headed back to out apartment to plan for the remaining days.
The next day it was pouring down with rain and apparently it was an unusual site for even the locals. However, the rain cleared a little and some local friends took us to the little neighbourhood called Belém.
Belém is a very monumental and historical place, it is home to many famous architecture/ monuments and also the Pastéis de Belém (Portuguese Egg Tarts). I've eaten lots of egg tarts in my life but the way
of eating egg tarts in portugal was to sprinkle some cinnamon and icing sugar on the top and
let me tell you, it was mouthgasmic. The sweetness and flaky skin of the egg tart was heaven
to my palate. There were many other attractions to see in Belém however due to the short
amount of time and the rain we only managed to see the Belem Tower, Padrão dos Descobrimentos and the outside of the Jeronimos Monastery a world heritage monument. The day ended with a walk through Bairro alto streets, quiet during the day, but is transformed at night into vibrant night-life quarter from restaurants to bars filled with locals and tourists.
of eating egg tarts in portugal was to sprinkle some cinnamon and icing sugar on the top and
let me tell you, it was mouthgasmic. The sweetness and flaky skin of the egg tart was heaven
to my palate. There were many other attractions to see in Belém however due to the short
amount of time and the rain we only managed to see the Belem Tower, Padrão dos Descobrimentos and the outside of the Jeronimos Monastery a world heritage monument. The day ended with a walk through Bairro alto streets, quiet during the day, but is transformed at night into vibrant night-life quarter from restaurants to bars filled with locals and tourists.
On our third day we made our way to the Thieves market aka Feira da ladra that has been around since the 12th century by the famous 28 tram. There were many local arts being displayed, jewelries, clothings, cloths etc. From there we visited the Santa Engracia Church, or the National Pantheon containing tombs of several Portuguese presidents. An entrance fee with student discount had to be paid before entering the church with its magnificent dome ceiling above our heads while a pensive adagio was being played across the church. We explored the church and came upon a splendid view on top of the church where we had a breathtaking sight of Lisbon, the 25th de Abril bridge and the Tagus river. We stopped by at a small local restaurant where the enthusiastic jovial owner spoke no English. Being a foreigner and not understanding Portuguese we decided to just point and order counting on our luck that the food would turn out nice. We were not disappointed as the food arrived and it was delicious. We had pork belly, pork chops and the famous grilled sardines coated in salt and sprinkled with some lemon juice.
Next we took a taxi (cheap and affordable means of transport when shared among friends) to our next location ie. Christo Rei 90 ft built in thanks to God for sparing Portugal during WWII, this monument to Christ was inspired by the famous statue in Rio de Janeiro. Before arriving at the monument we passed through the 25th de Abril bridge. It is a spectacular sight with the longest central span in Europe (1013m/3323ft), longer than San Francisco's Golden Gate Bridge, which it resembles. We had to pay 4 Euro for the entrance and ascend up towards the panoramic platform view of Lisbon and the 25th de Abril bridge. We then took a taxi to Costa da Caparica beach off the coast of the north Atlantic ocean where we planned on getting some sun and a little game of Frisbee. Though the day was sunny the wind was immensely strong thus cut short our little beach excursion. Feeling a tad bit hungry we decided to leave for some seafood and hence we ended up in a bustling seafood restaurant called Cervejaria Ramiro. The staff were amusing and friendly most probably because the group of us were too enthusiastic about having seafood coming from a country where we pride ourselves with having the freshest most delicious seafood (Sabah). We were given a showcase of the huge mud crabs, lobsters, prawns etc before they went on to cook it for us. One by one our food arrived and the looks plastered on our faces were utter disbelieve and delight waiting to dig in; of course before every meal comes the expected photography frenzy. We ended the day with a fully satisfied tummy and a nice stroll back to our apartment.
On our forth day we went for a private tour (Celina tours) to Sintra and Cascais. A minibus came to our door steps and we made our way to the first sight which was the Queluz National Palace, French designed interiors and its beautiful courtyard gardens. There was a separated entrance fee we had to pay for that includes an entrance fee to another castle later on in the day. The palace itself was home to the falconry and equestrian shows during fixed time of the day. Next we went to the historical centre of Sintra however we weren't able to enter the National Palace as a Ministerial meeting was being held at the time. We left the little city and made our way to the Pena palace a mixture of Moorish and Manueline architecture. After that we were driven along the coast to a beautiful coastal village by the Azenhas sea shortly after we went for a wonderful lunch in a local restaurant and had the best swordfish and mash, veal, fresh grilled octopus and baked cod. Next we went to Cabo da roca a cliff side overlooking the Atlantic ocean also the westernmost point of Europe with its spectacular view. After some time spent taking photographs of the place we made our way to Boca do Inferno (mouth of hell) I recommend you to Google this location and YouTube the phenomenon too understand why it is called Mouth of hell. We ended our tour in Cascais a famous coastal town home to the rich and famous where many celebrities like Ronaldo the footballer build their holiday homes. We arrived back in Lisbon in the evening and rested before having our dinner and went out to experience the Portuguese way of partying till the wee hours of the morning.
We had a late start to our final full day in Lisbon, thus after some food we left for Fonte de Telha beach a small fisherman's village surrounded by dunes, pine trees and a cliffs via taxi. We spent our time soaking up the sun, walking the shores and relaxing. The Atlantic sea water was really cold but due to the strong wind many sports enthusiast could be seen in the water surfing, kite surfing and wind surfing. The day ended with a beautiful sunset across the horizon, chasing flocks of sea gulls and an attempt to walk along the coast towards Costa da caparica about 9km away which we ended up aborting the mission at the last phase for some food instead.
The last day we all said our goodbyes, packed up and heavy heartedly returned back to London.
In conclusion, Portugal is like any other city in Europe filled with it's own history, culture, beautiful people and buildings. It's a city where religion still plays a huge part in the lives of many, a mixture of modern and its own unique identity. Definitely a must to go back to Portugal. Obrigada portugal! Till next time!
List of places visited: (click on link for more info)
Queluz Palace, Sintra Vila, Pena Palace, Azenhas Mar, Cabo da Roca, Mouth of Hell, Cascais
Apartment information: Downtown historical flat for more pictures and booking
Tour information: Celina tours http://www.celina-tours.com/eng-tours-sintra-cascais.php
Photographs of my trip:
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| Rua Augusta Arch |
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Statue of King José I |
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| Outside of St Georges castle |
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| The city view and bridge from the Castle court yard |
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| Padrão dos Descobrimentos |
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| Jeronimos Monastery |
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| Bairro Alto |
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| Group photo in Belem |
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Tram 28 starting point |
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National Pantheon aka Santa Engracia Church |
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| Christ the King |
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| Falconry show Queluz |
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| Queluz palace |
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| Sintra city |
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| Pena palace view |
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| Azenhas sea coastal village |
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| Cabo da Roca |
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| Cabo da Roca |
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| At the Mouth of hell |
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| Mouth of hell |
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| Fonte de telha |
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| A perfect end to a perfect holiday |
Shout out to the peeps that made this trip all the more enjoyable!
And to those who read and made it this far into the post! LOL
XXXX
My video log:
Watch in HD!
