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Untold stories, Lisbon and Sintra, Portugal wrap-up

By Lauren Girardin

Mon, September 29, 2008

Kung-fu fighting at Castelo de São Jorge, Lisbon

Kung-fu filming at Castelo de São Jorge, Lisbon | Photo by Lauren Girardin

There are times when the little details fall into place. Those times will never involve technology.

If not for a recent, prolonged fight with security holes in software made by a company whose name rhymes with “Schmadobe” on our Eee PC laptop, I would have had many hours of time to write about the funky street graffiti that covers Lisbon like wallpaper; or about how our couchsurfing host Manuela loves to channel her inner Italian-mama by hosting weeknight pasta meals for eight; or how the romance of the sun setting over the Lisbon skyline was rattled by the filming of a kung-fu movie; or when Todd and I were left wondering why Portuguese dishes made with bacalhau - salt-cod, the unofficial national ingredient of Portugal - were not as good as those we had in Spain.

(Faithful email and RSS readers, please visit www.ephemerratic.com to read the rest of the dispatch. Full feeds appear impossible.)

Instead, I got to edit registry entries, run virus scans, and install new programs. Woo hoo.

In the gardens of Quinta de Regaleira, Sintra, Portugal | Photo by Lauren Girardin

So, here's a quick wrap-up of our four days in Portugal, including beautiful photos of hilltop castles, stencil tags, and kung-fu fighting. The next dispatches about Spain's Madrid and San Sebastian, will be filled with surprises.

Portugal Travel Tips

Where we ate:

None of these are recommended with much enthusiasm. In most Portuguese restaurants, soon after you sit down, a waiter will come by and offer you plates of things like cheese, bread and butter, and olives – refuse them all. They not free and can be very expensive

Café at top of Elevador de Santa Justa, Lisbon – They ruined a gorgeous view with dirty, cracked plexiglas on the fence surrounding the cafe. Tourists also have to walk through the tiny outdoor cafe to get anywhere. Only if you're really thirsty: NAH
Fish restaurants on R. dos Bacalhoeiros, Lisbon – The fish was fresh and nicely grilled but was missing that something special: MEH
Lord Byron, Sintra – More affordable than the nearby pricey tourist traps, though they oddly put a pretzel snack mix in the salad like it was croutons. If you're a budget traveler: YEH
Village Cafe, Sintra – With a bizarre international menu that includes chili burritos. They were trying hard, and were budget-friendly: YEH
Restaurante Dom Pipas, Sintra – A friendly, local-packed place away from the main tourist area. Solid food, though very country-fied: YEH

Where we stayed:

Couchsurfing in Lisbon – We crashed in a stranger's house thanks to Couchsurfing.com.
Casa de Hóspedes Dona Maria da Parreirinha, Sintra – A nice, clean basic place right near the train station so you don't have to carry your backpack very far: YEH

What we saw:

Rio da Prada, Praia Naturalista – A gorgeous naturalist beach surrounded by cliffs just outside of Lisbon: YEH!!
Elevador de Santa Justa, Lisbon – It's just an (expensive) elevator. The tram is more fun. Skip it with a resounding: NAH
Igreja de São Roque, Lisbon – As soon as we walked into this church, Lauren sat down and took an uninterrupted 10 minute power nap. Strange but interesting Christian reliquaries. Only if you're in the 'hood: YEH
Castelo de São Jorge, Lisbon – Your panoramic sunset views of Lisbon may be interrupted by a kung-fu movie. If your budget is tight, it's missable unless you're a history dork: MEH
Quinta de Regaleira, Sintra – Bring a flashlight, go to every spot on the map, and look for doorways, stairways, and other ways: YEH!!
Castelo dos Muoros, Sintra – Stunning views of the surrounding countryside: YEH!

Photos from Lisbon and Sintra, Portugal

If you can't see the photo slide show above, view the photo set on Flickr.

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Michael

Oct 2, 2008 |

L&T,

Thank you so much for the postcard. I received it amidst my three weeks of post-employment travel: http://michaelstravels.shutterfly.com. (I know, I know, it pales in comparison to your 1 year itinerary, but give some love for the newbees). The drawing was delightful and the text delicious. I'm honored to have received it during your Portuguese wanderings. You can now appreciate the kitsch along with me and other 1st-, 2nd-, and 3rd-generation Portuguese-Americans. The Madonna just makes us nostalgic. :)

The pictures are fab. Todd, the 'fro looks remarkably tame. Lauren, the long hair looks remarkably un-greasy. I looked worse after 3 days in Yosemite.

Keep the good posts coming!

xoxo,
Michael