Hi All,
On Wednesday we flew to Lisbon by way of JFK, four hours to JFK and another 5 1/2 to Lisbon. I did sleep a solid four with a sleeping pill — thankfully. I still felt like you-know-what by late afternoon Thursday. Anyway, we landed, got our SUV and took off for points west, but with a stop at the beloved Pasteis de Belem in Lisbon. We had been there about ten years ago with Melissa and Karl and remembered it with love!
After feeding our faces we headed to the west coast town of Cabo do Roc and the Atlantic.
After reading sign below, I had to have a pina colada; however they lied!
On the way to Sintra I was crowded by another car on a narrow road in heavy traffic so I pulled to the right hitting something and, as a result, managed to create a slow leak in the sidewall of my front passenger tire. John noticed it that night and arranged with roadside assistance and the car rental company to have the car picked up and returned to the car rental company. However, the next morning we had to go back to the car rental company in Lisbon to get a replacement car – a major hassle.
In the afternoon we returned to Sintra and visited the Park and Palace of Monserrate.
Our first stop the next day was the National Palace of Mafra built by King Joao V. It was stunning, especially the central courtyard.
We stopped for a quick late lunch at a local Burger King which we shared with these newlyweds!
We then stopped in the town of Alcobaca. Due to its artistic, cultural and historical relevance, the Monastery of Alcobaça was included in UNESCO’s World Heritage site list in 1989. It was really beautiful inside! I especially loved the architecture of the courtyard.
We ended our day by driving to Tomar for a one night stay at the Estalagem de Santa Iria Hotel. It was located in the middle of a park surrounded by water on three sides. Despite guidance by Waze we missed the only entrance to the hotel several times because it looks like a unpaved walkway over water into a park. We finally went to the desk of a competing hotel and were told many people had come to them not realizing the walkway was, in fact, the only access to our hotel. Once there, it was quite nice.
Our first stop the next day was at the Tomar Castle, which only John could enter.
Clergy out for archery practice.
Our second stop was in Coimbra – a former capital of Portugal and the home of the oldest continuously operating university in the world- the University of Coimbra founded in 1290 (not a typo). We toured the cathedral, the museum and the library. The library was spectacular…but no pictures were allowed! Sorry! Pictures of the facade of the museum and the inside of the cathedral follow.
This was all his palace, chapel, library and square.
That’s all for now. I’m having a hard time getting this all done on this trip. Too much to do and too much driving time too! But it is all wonderful to see.
Beth
