Lisbon calling!

Linda-a-Velha, Portugal

Our campsite on the outskirts of Lisbon has been underwhelming – it was recommended by a couple we met at Comillas, and as there are only two campsites in the Lisbon area we dread to think what the other is like. To be fair it hasn’t really bothered us as we are self-sufficient – we have all amenities plumbed/wired in here so we don’t even need the shower block. The thing is that we’re not being fussy, all of us campers seem to be of the same opinion about the site! It’s a big site and there is an interesting mix of accommodation here, some much bigger motor homes than we’ve seen to date and some really old converted vans. Anyway rather than staying in we’ve been going into Lisbon, a beautiful vibrant city with a very different feel to Porto. On our first trip we took a walking tour with the very charismatic and witty Cuco, a young Portuguese man with an amazing command of English and a great sense of humour.

 

Our 3 hour tour passed so quickly as he introduced us to non-touristy Lisbon, the narrow streets of the Bairro Alto where there are over 200 bars each the size of a tiny sitting room, where you buy a drink and then stand outside to socialise while you drink, the best viewpoints, and the church of Sao Roque which looks so plain from the outside but which is the home of the most expensive chapel in the world. The value today of the gold, jade, amethyst and lapis lazuli chapel is 16bn euros!

Cuco also gave us a potted history of Portugal ending in the main square (Praca do Comercio) where the faschist regime of Salazar was overthrown in 1974.

We We enjoyed the tour so much we booked another, an evening tapas (petiscos in Portuguese) and wine tasting tour for the next day. We went back into Lisbon in the afternoon and walked up to the castle Sao Jorge in the old Alfama district – lovely views but very touristy so we didn’t stay long. The Alfama is almost the only district of Lisbon which survived the earthquake and resulting tsunami in 1755. As we walked back down one of Lisbon’s seven hills, we came across a museum ‘Museu do Aljube’, which used to be a prison for the political opponents of the fascist regime – it was a fascinating museum and shocking to realise that all this happened so recently.

We had a great time on the food and wine tour, this time led by Jose, a Spaniard who fell in love with Lisbon and moved here. He was great fun, introducing us to fantastic local wine, cod fritters, bifana (a hot pork sandwich) and beef croquettes, as well as the usual breads and olives.

 

We decided on a change of scenery on Thursday with a trip to Sintra where there are 7 palaces. Perhaps not my best choice of a day out as the navigation proved to be quite tricky, both in the car and on foot. Having reached Sintra it was so busy we couldn’t find a parking space, and ended up on a very narrow two way road, also used by tour buses, van drivers and mad Portuguese motorists – Grant was not happy at all! We eventually found our way out and stopped for lunch and coffee in the next small town, then decided we couldn’t drive all the way to Lisbon without trying to see the Sintra sights so braved the journey back. This time we parked on the edge of the town and walked in – we were stopped by the enthusiastic Bernardo who drives a Tuktuk, and he gave us a very hairy 10 minute ride up the mountain whilst giving us lots of tips on which palaces to visit, where to see the best sunset, which shortcuts to take, all while turning round to face us! He took us to the Palacio de Pena which is like a Disney castle as you’ll see in the photos.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It’s an amazing building and the views from there are stunning, you can see right down to the sea at Cabo da Roca, the most westerly point of mainland Europe. It had become quite chilly so we walked back down the mountain, forgetting all Bernardo’s advice and getting lost – again. Luckily we eventually found Tourist Information who directed us back to our car!

Today we’ve been back into Lisbon, getting off the bus at Belem, to see Jeronimos Monastery and the Tower of Belem, both stunning.

We walked alongside the River Tagus and under the 25 Abril bridge (named after the date of the revolution in 1974) back into the city to visit the Time Out food hall for lunch, a vibrant place with a choice of around 20 food stalls and seating in the centre.

There was a great atmosphere, so much choice of food and drink – it reminded us a little of the Hout Bay weekend market for those who know it, but classier. Then back to the campsite just in time before a torrential thunderstorm! Off to Lagos on the Algarve tomorrow, we’re feeling the need for a few days relaxation.