Lisbon

We arrived at the Lisbon airport, collected BOTH our bags and headed for the taxi stand. We knew that the taxi ride to Chiado should cost us about 15 Euros. Taxi drivers worldwide are renowned for taking advantage of people arriving at airports. Our Lisbon taxi driver appeared to turn off the meter prior to arriving at our destination, then insisted that there was a minimum 25 Euro charge. We felt scammed until we were sitting at breakfast the next morning and a British couple admitted to paying 67 Euros for the same journey. 

On our first full day in Lisbon we got our feet wet walking across the city centre and up to the Castelo de Sao Jorge. This fortification has been used by the 5th century Visigoths, the 9th century Moors, the 12th century Christians and the 15th century Royals. From this vantage point we were able to see the city and locate our B and B across town. 

The city keeps you busy so on day two we were up and at em, taking one of the tram rides Lisbon is famous for, to the district of Belem. There are several sites there which celebrate the Age of Discovery, when Portugal was at its strongest. We were particularly impressed with the 52 m high limestone monument called "Padrao dos Descobrimentos." It celebrates Portugese discoverers including Henry the Navigator, Vasco de Gama and 31 others. We enjoyed our day walking along the Rio de Tejo boardwalk. 

Everyone must make the journey to Sintra. We wish we had listened to our friend, Warren, who suggested an overnight stay in the town. Pressed for time, we just went for the day. We walked the short distance from our b and b to the Rossio train station and hopped onto the train for the 40 minute ride to Sintra. The best part....it only cost us 2 Euros each way. After disembarking at the last stop, we walked a short distance to the old town and the location of the bus that would take us to the Palace and Parque de Pena. There are other places to view, but it would take more than one day to experience them fully. We elected to concentrate on the Pena sites.

You must walk through the Parque de Pena to get to the Palace. The Palace is a very popular tourist site. It is such a unique castle that it is hard to be annoyed by the hoardes of people. When we first saw it, we thought it resembled a Bavarian castle. We later discovered that the architect and the owners had been Prussian. The outside was primarily pink and yellow in colour with onion domes and turrets. We were impressed by the fact that it was very lavish and fully furnished. The walls in the queen's bedroom were covered with intricate designs made out of plaster. Another room in the king's wing was being painstakingly restored to its original state. You were given the freedom to walk all the castle walls and the grounds. The views of the countryside and the nearby Moorish castle were spectacular. The Parque itself is lush and green, and you have many options. You could spend hours exploring the pathways alone. We went to the High Alter, the residence of the Countess of Adla, and the lakes, where you can see a castle shaped duck house. It was quiet and easy enough to get away from others. Most people seem to visit the castle and move on to the other sites. 

After hours of walking, we returned to the town and found a little bistro called "O Torque."  We enjoyed a delicious salad and lasagne for lunch, even though it was 5:30 pm. The North American in us decided it would be our dinner. We had a delightful conversation with the young owners, Mauricio and Nury, who gave us the names of some towns to visit and wines to try while we were in the Alentejo. 

The Zuzabed bed and breakfast was very well situated in the centre of it all. Craig was able to take millions of pictures of the architecture, the many characters on the street and Lisbon's trams. The best part of Zuzabed is Luis and his team. They go above and beyond to ensure that their guests are happy.
 The rooms were clean, the breakfast was outstanding (How would you like your eggs prepared?) and the team was always available via the mobile phone they provided to us. One night, Luis even called
us up and invited us to join him for a drink. We are looking forward to reconnecting with them in mid-August. 

The next morning we left town and headed out to the airport (on the metro this time) to pick up our rental car. We have it for three weeks and we will try to use it to explore some of the areas off the beaten track.

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