Portugal

Caught the metro into the heart of Porto. A kind man that we met on the first train helped us get around. It became a bit awkward after a while due to the communication barrier. We offered to buy him a coffee but he declined. Not sure he understood us completely. There was a breast cancer parade in the town square. Thousands of pink T-shirts filled the streets.

Hey Tourist. We opted for the Hop on Hop off double decker roofless bus to get around Porto. A great decision in the end as we only had a day to see it. This place was magical. We stayed on the bus and did a complete tour before getting off by the river. On one side you had all the famous Port cellars and the other a string of restaurants. They were joined by a bridge built by Gustav Eiffel’s apprentice. The bridge shared the architecture of the Eiffel tower, really beautiful. The whole place was spectacular. After tasting some of Porto’s finest we crossed the river for lunch.

Lunch. We sat on the top floor of a quaint little restaurant on the river’s edge. The dining area was encased in a stone brick dome with a glass window at the end overlooking the river. Lunch was superb.

Separate paths. For the first time in our trip, we split up. Vicki went shopping and I went to the soccer. I had to travel by coach for an hour so we parted ways at the bus station.

Braga. Sporting De Braga was playing Benfica (a Lisbon based team). As I was in the home town of Braga, I quickly bought myself a Sporting de Braga scarfe to blend in. I thought of buying a Benfica scarfe just to piss Hugo off but decided against it. Didn’t want to be wandering the streets of Braga late at night waiting for my bus dressed in a Benfica scarfe. They take their soccer pretty seriously here. Good move in the end considering Benfica beat Braga 3-1.

Stadium. The stadium was something special. The two wings had tiered seating which made up the majority of the stadium and the other two walls were actually part of the rock face. You could see out into the Valley. Great views inside and out. Don’t think I’ll see too many built like that in my time. Unforgettable experience.

Shopping. I could see a twinkle of excitement in Vicki's eyes as we parted ways. This was her opportunity to hit the shops without the finance grinch assessing her every move. To Vicki's dismay (and to my advantage) the shopping trip was not a success. Most of the shops, including the largest shopping mall in Porto, were closed. I would have loved to be a fly on the wall (or taxi window) when she eventually gave up and asked to be taken back to the hotel. For a fleeting moment I felt sorry for her...

Gusto and Paolo. I sat in a café waiting for my bus when Gusto asked me over. He asked where I was from and the moment I said Australia he offered to share a joint with me. Gusto spoke broken English but Paolo didn’t speak a word. Paolo spoke French and I spoke broken French. It was probably the most challenging yet satisfying conversation I have ever had. I would speak to Gusto in English but then would try to say it in French so as not to exclude Paolo. When I struggled, Gusto translated my English into Portuguese so Paolo could understand. Likewise when Paolo struggled to get his point across, Gusto would translate the Portuguese back into English for me to understand. The small talk was ok but when we tried getting a little more detailed it got a bit tricky. I exchanged email addresses with Gusto and set off to catch my bus.

Early departure. As I arrived at the bus station a coach was pulling out. The front said Lisbon so I ignored it and made my way to the information booth to check which berth I would be leaving from. “Gone” she said. “Excuse me, you mean that bus?” “Yes.” “Well, call him, tell him to stop and I will run”. “No, midnight next bus.” “It said Lisbon and it isn’t 11pm yet!!” “Gone.” Fucken brilliant.

Luckily Gusto and Paolo were still at the café. I had some time to kill so we had a couple of beers. Thanks for the company lads.

Porto. We arrived in Porto around 8pm. Quite a pleasant 3-hour train ride. It was different to Lisbon but also very beautiful. The weather was a bit like Melbourne and it was the first time we encountered rain on our journey.

Bessa Hotel. We booked a place in Boa Vista, right next to the Soccer Stadium. Beautiful hotel, very modern and tasteful and talk about cheap. The hotel was that nice we decided just to kick back and recharge the batteries a little. A few drinks and probably the best Club Sandwich I have eaten before retiring relatively early. Just what we needed.

Last day in Lisbon. We decided to potter around in Sandra’s apartment in the morning of our final day. We used the time to pack and tweak our itinerary for the next stop, Porto.

Pig. Anthonio and Maria (Hugo and Sandra’s parents) invited us out for a special lunch, Suckling Pig! They also invited Hugo’s friend Nono and his wife Cristina to join us. Good people and great company. I was hesitant at first. Not a big fan of pork (love ham and sausage) but I find pork and bacon a bit strong. This on the other hand was nothing like anything I had eaten before. I suppose it would be right to say that it was the equivalent of eating lamb or veal. Succulent and tasty. No hesitation on the Vicki front. She still hadn’t consumed her quota of pig and what better opportunity than this? Does the term ‘hoover’ mean anything to you? I swear she must have eaten the bones and without hesitation attacked the crackling off the remaining pieces. Again we were not allowed to pay. When I snuck up to the bar, I was quite severely ‘told off’ by the waiter and bar staff. Maria said she was happy to fight me if I pushed the point. Thanks Maria and Anthonio for sharing your company and providing such a lovely lunch in your beautiful city.

Adeus Lisboa. Nono was kind enough to drop us at the train station. Thanks Nono. Sure enough Sandra was waiting there to ensure we were safely off to Porto. She had caught the train to meet us, pre-purchased our metro tickets to save time and led us every step of the way before boarding. What can I say? Not sure if words can truly convey how grateful we were for your hospitality, Sandra. Thanks again mate!

Breakfast. Anthonio came by in the morning to take us out for breakfast. We ate pastries and croquets. My mouth is drooling just writing this. The croquets here are my favourite and they have so many varieties that it is veritably impossible to get sick of them. I tried to pay the bill but they wouldn’t take my money, Anthonio pulled rank. Thanks mate. He then gave us a guided tour of the new beach development in Costa De Caparica. A couple of kilometres of shops and restaurants on the beachside. They must have pumped a heap of money into it. Looks great now but it’ll be even better when it is finished.

Belem. We caught the ferry to Belem. Another beautiful and historic part of Lisbon. We spent a good 6 hours just walking around and still didn’t get enough. There is a patisserie here that is famous for it’s Pastais de Nata (custard tarts), it’s a secret recipe that has been passed down for over a hundred years. Delectable. Small, crispy and warm. Like a crème Brule served in pastry, really really good. They also served croquets so you can guess what else was on the menu. We came back twice in six hours.
http://www.pasteisdebelem.pt/index.htm

Sights of Belem. They were plentiful. Torre De Belem, Mosteiro Dos Jeronimos and Padraodos Descobrimentos were the standouts. I know I said in a previous posting that the Blue Mosque was the most amazing man made structure I had ever seen. I still stand by that in terms of the exterior but the interior of the Mosteiro Dos Jeronimos blew all else away. Stunning.

Lisbon. From Belem we caught a tram to Praca de Commercio in the heart of Lisbon. A spot of shopping and Vicki was re-energised. It’s funny how she can be pale, grumpy and tired one minute and almost instantly revitalised the next. I’ve heard of retail therapy but that is just ridiculous. There was a festival of sorts in one of the town squares. There I had a Gingha (cherry liqueur) but this time in a dark chocolate cup. Now that was superb. Sorry Gabi, you would have loved it.

Drinks. Sandra met us in Lisbon for some pre-dinner drinks. We went to a nice little bar in the backstreets of Lisbon. Vicki and Sandra drank a local delicacy. Can’t remember the name but it essentially consisted of Vodka with crushed strawberries and lime. The girls were downing them pretty quickly.

Dinner. Portuguese dining. The food was great. Nothing but fish for me after the huge amount of meat we consumed in Turkey and luckily got to sample the famous Portuguese dish, Baccalau. Tremendous. Vicki on the other hand surprisingly opted for a pig based dish, black pig to be specific. No need to wash that plate.

Sandra refused to join us for dinner unless we allowed her to pay. It really wasn't necessary after all she had already done for us but again it was appreciated. We loved Lisbon and the experience could not have hit the highs it did without your help and hospitality. Thanks again mate. We hope to repay the favour in Melbourne sometime soon!

Breakfast. Craving for some authentic Portuguese food, we headed to Sandra’s favourite local haunt for some brekky. Croquets, meat filled pastries, sweet pastries... where to start? The food was scrumptious and we were already planning what to eat the following morning. We always knew the food in Portugal was going to be good and our first breakfast did not disappoint.

Sintra. We didn’t get a chance to see much of Lisbon due to our late arrival the night before but we were in for a treat today. Sandra had the day off and was driving us to see Sintra. We could have spent all week here. What a beautiful mountain town filled with quaint little cafes, old Manors, elaborate gardens, a Moorish Castle and The Palace of Pena at the very top of the mountain. We spent a bit of time exploring the Palace and the royal gardens until Vicki’s choice of shoes (or more so her whinging) lead us back to the car and into the main part of Sintra for Lunch.

Lunch. Portuguese steak sandwich and a beer. Koooweee.

Lisboa. We made our way directly to the heart of Lisbon from Sintra. Great city. Nicely laid out, consistent architecture and a warm atmosphere. We found the people here to be very polite and helpful and you can walk forever without feeling tired. It had a naturally inviting appeal and we quickly made ourselves at home.

Gloves. The glove man. Famous in these parts. Sandra took us to see what he was all about. He hand fits leather gloves and kind of reminds me of Geppetto. All hand made and the quality spoke for itself. Lets just say our hands will no longer freeze during the Melbourne winters.

Treats. Throughout the day we consumed numerous coffees (the lonely planet was not wrong in saying the coffee here is great), Pastais de nata (famous Portuguese custard tarts), Gingha (cherry liqueur served in small cups from corner stores – a local tradition) and ofcourse the Port (the home of Port so why wouldn’t it be brilliant).

After getting a taste of Lisbon we headed to see Sandra’s Parents, Anthonio and Maria in Costa De Caparica (they don’t live far from Sandra). Our visit was brief prior to dinner but we’d see them again soon.

Dinner. After all the snacking neither of us were particularly hungry. We again went to a local haunt for a traditional home style favourite, hot cabbage soup served with Chorizo in bread. Yum. It was about 1030 when we ate. Europeans eat a lot later than Australians and that suited our irregular body clocks just fine. Quick walk on the beach then back to the apartment.