Portugal Buraca

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  • Day 42

    Fun things like laundry

    May 12 in Portugal ⋅ ⛅ 13 °C

    I was offered some breakfast by a group of 4 Korean guys. They told me that they started in Korea and rode on their bikes to Paris, then Bayonne, then St. Jean and did the Camino to Santiago and then did the Camino down Portugal to Lisbon!!!!! Absolutely incredible.

    Did my laundry and sent home more things.....I won't say how much it cost but probably the same as the airline charge honestly.

    My flight leaves for London at 6 :25 am tomorrow so I will take the Metro to the airport later tonight.

    Goodbye Lisbon😘
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  • Day 40

    Back in Lisbon

    May 10 in Portugal ⋅ 🌙 15 °C

    Rest day.
    No agenda just to take it easy.

    I did end up walking and saw some sights including a huge flea market.

    I went down to the river after dinner to watch the sail boats and other watercraft.

    It was packed with people.....Saturday night the city never sleeps!!!
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  • Day 35–37

    Lissabon

    May 9 in Portugal ⋅ ⛅ 19 °C

    Lissabon ist eine der schönsten Städte, die ich je gesehen habe!
    Das Wohnmobil haben wir auf dem riesengrossen, fast leeren, kostenfreien Stellplatz in Seixal direkt neben der Fähre geparkt.
    2x fuhren wir mit der Fähre nach Lissabon. Heute kauften wir eine Tageskarte für Tram, Metro, Standseilbahn und fuhren beliebig umher. Die Fahrten mit den alten Trams begeisterten uns. In Lissabon geht es hoch und runter - die Strassen sind zum Teil sehr eng - erstaunlich wie die Trams hier durchkommen.
    Eine Tramfahrt war besonders erlebnisreich: zuerst stand plötzlich ein Car im Weg, welcher zuerst mühsam wenden musste damit die Trams kreuzen konnten. Dann stürzte ein ein kräftiger, grosser Mann plötzlich um weil ein alter Haltegriff aus Leder riss... Zuletzt musste das Tram anhalten weil ein vor ihm fahrender ElektroTuktuk keinen Strom mehr hatte. Trampassagiere halfen mit, den Tuktuk wegzuschieben damit das Tram weiterfahren konnte. Alles wurde sehr gelassen gehandelt.
    Uns gefiel es hier sehr!
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  • Day 4

    Mirador da Graça & Mouraria

    May 8 in Portugal ⋅ ⛅ 66 °F

    Continuing to hike farther up the mountain from the jardim, I eventually reached the convent at the top of the mountain. Having Percy, I couldn’t go inside but the views were lovely! Ben retraced the route with him later in the day, and met Lithuanians Tija and her parents at the mirador (viewpoint).
    For dinner we ventured farther into Mouraria, taking the escalator there and steps back. O Corso (The Crow) had live music and good food, so 👍🏼👍🏼
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  • Day 4

    5/7-5/8 Cascais- visiting Emily's Family

    May 8 in Portugal ⋅ ☁️ 13 °C

    With the genes
    we share,
    What is more important than
    Warm family hugs?

    Because I am walking Portugal this year, how could I not visit my niece who is living here on the coast?
    When we speak about how the Camino provides, it's more about a state of mind. Allowing the universe to play a part in your life, rather than being fixed on how you think life is supposed to happen. But when we loosen our sails and allow the shifting winds to move through and around us, there is an organic order that is allowed to happen.
    I usually have a bit of anxiety about getting from place to place in foreign cities. But I had the train connection figured out before even boarding the plane. But then there's a train strike. Change of plans, and I had to do more figuring.
    Here's the part about the universe.
    A dear friend, at home, has a friend who also lives in the same town as my niece. She asked if I would deliver a quilt (she made) to her friend in Cascais. That transaction worked well. For the friend had to be in Lisboa to drop her child at an appointment, which then they were able to pick me up for the gift passing and deliver me to my lodging in Cascais. Perfectly choreographed!
    My lodging at Moro's Friend's House was clean and comfortable. I think I had the whole house to myself! I highly recommend staying their if visiting Cascais.
    I dined with Emily and met her beautiful family! I know we don't always have the time we wish to indulge in hours and days with people we love, or want get to love, but I've learned to savor the small, delicious quality of a moment, and be content with that. Watching my children and my siblings' children become successful in doing what they love, or become responsible, loving parents, is the most satisfying reward in life.
    Last picture: Emily packed me a snack bag for the bus ride💖. She's taken to motherhood like a duck to water! 🦆🐥🐣💕
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  • Day 2

    5/6 Lisboa ,first night in Portugal

    May 6 in Portugal ⋅ 🌙 14 °C

    Moist cobblestone streets,
    Bells ringing from trolley cars,
    Slow Lisbon sunsets.

    My flight arrived in Lisbon at 6 pm. I had to do a lot of waiting for flight connections! It was a long time getting here. It's the waiting that is exhausting. I took a cab to my reserved hotel (Hotel Convento do Savador) and was delighted to find my room so neat and clean. Fatima is a helpful and kind hotel manager. She has patiently marked on a map the good places to eat and sights to see.
    I commented on the striking tile work on the lobby wall of the hotel. Now, mind you, it looked like an interesting design. But Fatima says, "You must take a picture of it, then tell me what you see."
    The image that ONLY comes out in a photo, not with the naked eye, is an image of Catarina do Portugal, Dutchess of Braganza. The artist has other pieces around Lisbon ( Pedrita.com, also on facebook Padrita Studio)
    Impressive work!
    Once I got showered and changed (even in my weariest state, the miracle work of a shower always renews me), I took a walk around the neighborhood. The young people are out drinking and howling with their friends. The trolley cars are winding up the steep, narrow streets clanking their bells. Night is folding down on us, and there's a vibrancy in this town.
    I'm told there is a train strike taking place tomorrow, and may last many days. That changes my plans for taking a train to Coimbra from Lisbon on the 9th to begin my walk on the 10th. I suppose I'll be riding
    the bus, along with the crowds and price hike, I'm sure.
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  • Day 4

    Camino Day One

    April 27 in Portugal ⋅ ☀️ 63 °F

    Parque das Nações to Alverca do Ribatejo ~19 km/12 miles

    The walk out of Lisbon is now mostly on a boardwalk beside the Tejo River.

    It was a pleasant warm day, and I put my umbrella to good use against the sun.

    My room for the night was in a nice pensión type place, and there was a bar/restaurant in the same building where I had both lunch and dinner. I didn't have an ensuite bathroom, but the bathroom down the hall was modern and spacious with a GREAT shower, which I really appreciated after the tiny shower at the hotel in Lisbon.
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  • Day 3

    Head start on Camino day one

    April 26 in Portugal ⋅ ☀️ 59 °F

    I decided to walk the 8 km from Lisbon and return by metro to my hotel before I "officially" start my Camino tomorrow.

    On the way I visited the National Tile Museum.

    After the Tile Museum I was mostly walking through a kind of warehouse district, but discovered an area converted to house some small galleries and eateries.

    I ended my walk at the Parque das Nações before heading back to the hotel.

    For dinner I discovered a great restaurant right across the street from my hotel, which is located somewhat away from the central tourist areas of Lisbon. When I entered at about 6:15 all the tables had "reserved" signs on them, but I was early enough that they could seat me before those with reservations arrived. It was a Mexican restaurant with a Portuguese flair. Unfortunately, I forgot to take pictures of all the food, but I started with a shrimp tostsdita with avocado, then had yummy tortilla soup, a beef taco, and chocolate mousse with bits of crunchy meringue for dessert.
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  • Day 7

    Lisbon

    April 25 in Portugal ⋅ 🌬 68 °F

    Today we make the one hour and fifteen minute drive back to Lisbon. Drop the rental car at the airport and then head into the city to begin enjoying everything Lisbon has to offer! Pousada de Lisboa - Praça do Comércio, a place with a matchless historical personality and charm, from where the city expanded. After the 1755 earthquake, the Marquis of Pombal designed and rebuilt the entire square, including the building of the Pousada de Lisboa house of kings and a forum for the Ministry of Internal Administration.Read more

  • Day 2

    Sintra

    April 25 in Portugal ⋅ 🌬 59 °F

    I'd heard so much about Sintra that I booked four nights in Lisbon so that I'd have plenty of time to enjoy it. However, I decided not to book a ticket for the Pena Palace (the most popular place to see in Sintra) before I left home because I wasn't sure how early I'd want to wake up. It turns out that my body wanted to sleep until ten. 😊

    So I actually waited until I was on the train to Sintra to buy my ticket for a 5:00 slot. I bought a ticket for the Quinta da Regaleira for 2pm. Both timings worked out perfectly, as I had plenty of time to walk to both places, though the walk from Quinta da Regaleira to the Pena Palace was more of a hike, with about 850 ft of elevation gain over 1.7 miles. But it was a beautiful hike on wooded paths.

    The main attraction of the Quinta da Regaleira is called the Initiation Well, but it turns out that it's not a well at all. There seem to be a number of stories about its purpose, one of which is that it was part of initiation rites for the Knights Templar. More information here: https://www.quintadaregaleiratickets.com/initia…
    Whatever its original purpose, it was fascinating to descend down its steps.

    The Pena Palace was actually less interesting, but because of where it sits there are wonderful views.
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