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Snowbirds Tackle Europe

grudnia 2017 - lipca 2025
  • Betty Foidart
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  • Betty Foidart
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  • Betty FoidartPodróżnikSnowbirds Tackle Europe
    The King had a private collection of stained glass
    The royal's private chapel.John photo-bombed the Queen's elegant bedroom. He matches the decor.Lots of small rooms designed around the courtyardGlass chandelier and ceiling tiles

    Inside Pena Palace - Sintra

    15 marca 2018, Portugalia ⋅ 🌧 9 °C

    Prince Ferdinand hired a German architect to design his castle and ended up with a mixture of styles....Gothic, Renaissance and Moorish. The site was once a monastery and the cloister remained intact. The palace was lived in until 1910 when the royals fled the country during a revolution. It was a very interesting and unusual palace. Czytaj więcej

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  • Betty FoidartPodróżnikSnowbirds Tackle Europe
    Very colouful Pena Palace
    One of the cute gargoyles in the courtyard, previously the cloister in the monasteryBuilt on top of the hill. Here comes the rain :(

    Sintra - Portugal's Disneyworld

    15 marca 2018, Portugalia ⋅ ⛅ 13 °C

    Today’s plan was to spend the day in Sintra, a small resort town about 30 km NW of Lisbon. It was the summer getaway of Portugal’s kings and anyone wealthy enough with a desire to live amongst royalty. Getting to Sintra meant a 2 km walk to central Lisbon; a 50 minute train ride; a tourist bus to one of the main sites, Pena Palace; and a 15 minute uphill walk to the Palace entrance. This really did feel like Disneyworld, not only because of the extravagant castle but there were so many people. It must be wild during tourist season. We first explored the whimsical exterior of the 19th century castle and then John noticed black clouds approaching so we went indoors just as heavy rainfall began. The inside has been very well maintained and English descriptions in each room were helpful. We spent about an hour admiring the displays and imagining the lifestyle of royalty in that era.

    By then the rain had let up a little so we headed back down the hill to the bus stop. Within minutes there was another downpour that drenched us. There were about 100 people waiting in line for the bus so we had to wait about 20 minutes for the 2nd bus. I had planned to see more of Sintra but we were both wet and cold and it was still raining, so we got the next train back to Lisbon. John’s knees were troubling him today, more so than usual as he actually agreed to take the Tylenol I offered him. He normally refuses because “it causes liver damage”. I find it interesting that he isn’t overly concerned about the potential liver damage from drinking beer, wine or scotch! And that was the soggy end of our day trip to Sintra.     Czytaj więcej

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  • Betty FoidartPodróżnikSnowbirds Tackle Europe
    The explorers get lots of recognition in Portugal as they brought great wealth to the country.
    It was wet but not cold enough to require a parka!Lovely weather :(Mmmmmm

    Tributes and Treats in Belem

    14 marca 2018, Portugalia ⋅ 🌧 13 °C

    When we finished touring the Monastery, we carried on with our sightseeing despite the light rainfall. We walked about 15 minutes to the riverfront where there is a 170 foot tall stone monument called “the Monument to the Discoveries”. The ships departed from here in the 15th and 16th centuries so this was to commemorate the “Age of Discovery” and the 500th anniversary of the death of Henry the Navigator. Down the river we could faintly see through the mist to the National Sanctuary of Christ the King, a monument rising 240 feet to overlook the city. It was erected in gratitude because the Portuguese people were spared any effects of World War II.

    It was time for a break. Another short walk away was the restaurant, Pasteis de Belém, which is known for originating the Portuguese egg tart pastry. Since 1837 they have been making these tarts by hand using an ancient, secret recipe from the Monastery. This tasty pastry is sold everywhere in Portugal and John has tried many variations, surely raising his cholesterol with each bite. Lunch was good as was the tart that is served warm at the end of your meal.

    I wanted to take the trolley back to central Lisbon but John wasn’t feeling adventurous and was sure we would get lost. He’s generally been getting better at trusting my knowledge of the public transit systems wherever we have gone, but on this day he wasn’t taking any chances, so we returned by the same bus that brought us here.     Czytaj więcej

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  • Betty FoidartPodróżnikSnowbirds Tackle Europe
    Survived the earthquake, except for the stained glass
    Surprised to see this in the choir loftThe cloister where heads of state are greeted and treaties signedThe monks washed up here before mealsTomb of Vasco da GamaLimestone church and monastery 300 yards long

    Monastery of Jeronimos - Belem

    14 marca 2018, Portugalia ⋅ 🌬 16 °C

    Our beautiful sunny days were replaced by Storm Giselle that was causing heavy rain and strong winds throughout Portugal, prompting the weather office to issue a severe weather advisory. By noon the rain and wind had lessened so we set out on our day trip to the suburb of Belém. The bus stop was a 5 minute walk and within 45 minutes we were in Belém.

    The 15th century King erected the Monastery as a thank you for the discoveries made by the Portuguese explorers. Prior to this, the sailors would spend their last night in prayer in a small chapel before heading out on the frightening voyages. Monks often accompanied the sailor/pirates on their trading/pillaging trips hoping they could convert these heathens to Christianity. They also often financed the expeditions.

    The Monastery was massive. We’ve seen many cathedrals on this trip and they are often similar in design but unique as well. Admission was only €5, which was the half-price rate for seniors. Portugal has not price-gouged tourists as we feel the entrance fees have been very reasonable, especially with the much appreciated senior discount.     Czytaj więcej

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  • Betty FoidartPodróżnikSnowbirds Tackle Europe
    Colourful funicular called Elevador da Gloria
    A statue of a lottery ticket salesman - rub his golden ticket for good luckNumbered, nameless tombs for lots of plague victimsA typical placa (plaza)1Garrett the Poet

    Lisboa - Bairro Alto & Chiado Stroll

    13 marca 2018, Portugalia ⋅ ⛅ 16 °C

    I was excited to see sunshine when we woke up this morning, later turning to partially cloudy. It would be a good day to explore another historic Lisbon neighbourhood. Yesterday we walked 11 km but today’s stroll would only be 8 km, although much of it was uphill. We headed downhill to the centre where we got help getting uphill to Bairro Alto, or “High Town”, by taking the funicular. It was a very steep hill and the funicular provided a noisy, rough ride to the top. There was a park-like viewpoint of the city below. We used Rick Steve’s tour book again to do an interesting self-guided tour.

    One of our stops was at Sao Roque Church, one of Portugal’s first Jesuit churches. There are numbered panels on the floor that were tombs for plague victims. In the 19th century, parishioners complained about the idea of having rotting victims under their feet and the tombs were emptied. One of the more ornate chapels, the Chapel of St. John the Baptist, was taken from the Vatican and reassembled here. We walked through the busy neighbourhood admiring the architecture while dodging cars and trolleys. We ended up on Rua Garrett in the upscale Chiado district where we enjoyed lunch at a patio restaurant. Our son, Garrett, didn’t know he was named after a Portugal poet, a Romanticist, and neither did we!

    One last gradual uphill climb, about 2 km, and we were back at our hotel. It was a great day!     Czytaj więcej

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  • Betty FoidartPodróżnikSnowbirds Tackle Europe
    World War I monument
    Another monument in a large plazaFountains tooJohn is fascinated by the optical illusion of the tilesLaundry day - open the window of your apartment and reach for the clotheslineRossio Train Station

    Lisboa - Alfama District

    12 marca 2018, Portugalia ⋅ ⛅ 15 °C

    The hotel we are staying at is a 15 minute downhill walk to the centre of historic Lisbon. Although I would have preferred staying in an apartment, they were more expensive than this 4* hotel that came with a full breakfast buffet. Metropolitan Lisbon has a population of nearly 3 million people, which is about 27% of the country’s population. The city centre is surprisingly easy to navigate and very compact. Around every corner is another treed plaza and monument. In 1755 the Great Lisbon earthquake occurred, equivalent to an 8.5-9 on today’s Richter scale. The city was almost totally destroyed by the quake and the subsequent fires and tsunami. We did a self-guided walking tour using Rick Steve’s travel book, exploring the Alfama District that suffered very little damage. Lisbon is extremely hilly but the guide book directed us to an elevator that took us partially up one very steep hill. There are park-like viewpoints at the top that overlook the city. Then we gradually weaved our way down very narrow streets and stairways back to the river front.

    After 14 consecutive days of rain we were very happy to have a beautiful, 17 degree, mostly sunny day. We ate lunch at a patio restaurant, sipped on wine, and watched all the people. It’s unfortunate that there are so many smokers in Portugal, mostly young people, that interfered with our enjoyment of the outdoor patio.     Czytaj więcej

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  • Betty FoidartPodróżnikSnowbirds Tackle Europe
    A defensive wall built in the 17th century
    Part of the Roman forum, 1st centuryBeautiful Church of St. FrancisNot so beautiful Capela Dos Ossos"We are waiting for your's" - an odd way to get your message across!

    Travel Day - Evora to Lisbon

    11 marca 2018, Portugalia ⋅ 🌬 13 °C

    We stored our luggage at the hotel and went to explore the walled town, which was a 5 minute walk. The historic centre of Evora is a Unesco World Heritage site. It was a Roman town in the 2nd to 4th centuries and there are still some well preserved Roman ruins. It only took us an hour to do a self-guided walking tour of the town. The most bizarre thing we saw was the Church of St. Francis and the Chapel of Bones. The church itself was very ornate but the adjoining Chapel was eerie. Three monks decided to unearth bodies from Evora churchyards and cemented the bones and skulls to the walls of the Chapel. Evora was a wealthy town in the 16th century so the Franciscan monks thought this would provide a place to meditate about material things in the presence of death. I wondered if this macabre place really had an effect on the townsfolk shopping habits. The other thing that was odd was the professional photographer who stood at the entrance and offered to take your photo in the Chapel. I don’t know what she was charging but everyone but us was getting a souvenir photo taken.

    The weather today was very unusual. We started out with sunshine which quickly turned to heavy rain and strong winds. Ten minutes later there would be blue skies again. The clouds were just flying by and we could almost predict when the next downpour would happen. Eventually we just had continuous showers.

    John’s mood soured and he refused to walk another step on cobble stoned streets so we had to take a taxi to the train station less than a km away from the hotel. The train to Lisbon was an older train and not one of the high speed ones we were used to in Spain. In 1 1/2 hours we arrived in Lisbon. Just as I was about to step off the train onto the platform, the train started moving. I was the last one to get off and fortunately the conductor was nearby so I yelled at him to stop the train, avoiding disaster. After a bit of confusion we walked a short distance to find the Lisbon Metro station and when we surfaced we were relieved to see our hotel, the Turim Av Liberdade, across the street. The most difficulty we had was the several flights of steps in the Metro station. I heard a lot of foul words from the sourpuss bouncing his 46 pound luggage first down, then up the steps!     Czytaj więcej

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  • Betty FoidartPodróżnikSnowbirds Tackle Europe
    A wealthy farmerA castle that I know nothing aboutWinter dormancy in the vineyards1Even a vegan would not have enjoyed this creation!

    Travel Day - Carvoeiro to Evora

    10 marca 2018, Portugalia ⋅ 🌧 14 °C

    Because of logistics, once again we had to rely on a private transfer from our Carvoeiro resort to the bus station in Albufeira, 35 km east. For €13 each we would travel 200 km on a smooth, high floor bus in front row seats. It was an enjoyable ride with interesting scenery, in contrast to the Algarve which had a lot of scrub land between towns and not much to look at. We saw lots of trees....olive, almond and cork....as well as vineyards and farmyards with sheep not cattle. Although there was partial sun at the coast, as soon as we turned north we were heading directly into black clouds and scattered showers. Three hours later we arrived in Evora. It was less than a km to our hotel so we lugged our suitcases down the cobble stoned street with difficulty. I have already lost the rubber on one of the wheels making it that much more difficult to pull. Cobble stones and wheeled luggage aren’t compatible!

    I had been making all our meals for the last two weeks in an attempt to compensate in a small way for the huge Air Portugal bill. I made a reservation at the highly rated, moderately priced restaurant in our hotel and was looking forward to a nice meal. I had forgotten that meat dominates Portuguese dining. So I ordered a vegetarian lasagna that surprisingly came with no noodles and no cheese, which made me wonder how they could call it lasagna. It was topped with curried almonds. I couldn’t eat it and was so disappointed. At least John enjoyed his regional pork dish.     Czytaj więcej

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  • Betty FoidartPodróżnikSnowbirds Tackle Europe
    A pretty spot for two old-timers taking a break
    Downtown CarvoeiraFreshly made goodiesOur coastal route back to the apartmentA nice beach in summer but dangerous nowUnique chimneys only found in the Algarve

    Rain, rain go away!

    9 marca 2018, Portugalia ⋅ 🌧 16 °C

    It was our last day in the Algarve and I was really hoping for a little sunshine but we woke up to another dreary day. The rain paused briefly in the early afternoon so we headed out to do a couple of errands. A Portuguese woman stopped to tell me that a bad storm was coming and that it was going to “rain like cats and sardines”! I hadn’t heard that version before. On the Main Street we came across a small bakery/cafe and enjoyed the most delicious pastries....tea, Americano coffee (not espresso), and two pastries cost only €4. Now we had to walk off all those calories so I found a different, longer walk back. Although I heard some grumbling, John did enjoy the new uphill challenge with beautiful coastal scenery. We did get some showers during our walk and the “cats and sardines” came later in the evening along with some lightning but no worse than usual. Czytaj więcej

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  • Betty FoidartPodróżnikSnowbirds Tackle Europe
    Henry the Navigator - remember him?
    King Sebastian - a 16th century king, but I thought this was a modern sculpture of a womanHome of 19th century nobility. Now an artisan shop.What Portuguese men like to doHomeless street musicians often own dogsLovely promenade but wrong meeting spot

    Lagos

    8 marca 2018, Portugalia ⋅ ⛅ 16 °C

    Our final stop of the tour was the seaport town of Lagos. We liked this town the best as it was lively and interesting, although we did see more homeless people here than anywhere else in Portugal. We were only allowed 1 1/4 hours so we went our separate ways, with plans to meet where John had plunked himself down with a cold beer at a sidewalk cafe. He was being entertained by a group of 5 street musicians, hippie types with dreadlocks who were not Portuguese. John said the police came shortly after and broke up the party. Meanwhile, I explored the winding streets, taking photos and stopping in two artisan shops. When I returned to our agreed upon meeting place a half hour later, John was nowhere to be found. I eventually found him sitting at the bus stop, fearful that I would be late and we’d miss the bus. Now why would he ever think that?!

    Although the morning portion of our tour was a bit boring and the weather didn’t cooperate, we did enjoy the afternoon. At lunch, we sat with 2 British couples and had interesting conversations. Overall, we were glad we went and felt that the 10 hour tour was good value.     Czytaj więcej

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