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Post by Owen on Sept 7, 2014 5:47:34 GMT
1 ~ Best of Portugal - May 6 to May 18, 2014 ~ Tiffany ~ 1927 Views on TT + 349
This travel tale was written by Tiffany and relates to a Trafalgar Tour. It was originally posted on the Trafalgar forum.
This was one of the best tours I’ve been on. I loved everything about this tour, including the food, sights and people. We were a full coach with 52 people, mostly from Canada and the US, but we did have a few people from Australia, New Zealand and South Africa. There were six people travelling solo, three men and three women. It had been a while since I’ve been on a tour this full, and I noticed the difference. It took a lot longer to get on and off the coach (especially since people weren’t following the rule about what door to use to get on and off the coach), and trying to get a picture of something with so many people walking around was difficult. It was a great group of people though, and everyone was always on time. In fact, I’m normally one of the first people on the coach in the morning, which was not the case on this tour.
We were really lucky with the weather during this trip. I had checked the long term forecast before leaving, in order to know what type of clothes to pack, but it ended up being nicer than the forecast predicted. It was hot and sunny almost every day (in the 20’s to 30’s every day), and we only had rain one morning while we were in Fatima. I was worried that it might be too hot for traveling, however, it was a dry heat so it was comfortable.
Our tour director, Miguel, was great. He was very knowledgeable and very passionate about his country, and as he was a local guide, he was able to do a lot of the local sightseeing. Miguel told us that tourism in Portugal has been really picking up in the last couple of years, which is great for the country, and he’s been doing a lot more tours lately. He asked us all to go home and tell our friends wonderful things about Portugal, so that tourism will continue to pick up, and as this was such a great tour, I don’t have a problem promoting Portugal.
The coach had wifi, which really came in handy, however, it wasn’t always working. It worked for the most part of the trip though, which was nice.
The food on this tour was really good, and I really enjoyed the white wine and beer. I’m not a big fan of Port, but I did try it a few times for the sake of trying it. I can’t eat fish or seafood, and I always got a substitute meal when fish or seafood was offered, although this caused a little bit of confusion at times. Some Portuguese people just couldn’t understand how someone could not eat fish or seafood.
I went on all of the optionals offered on this tour, and I thought they were all worthwhile. If I were going to suggest skipping any of them, it would be the regional dinner in the Algarve, although I did go on this optional and enjoyed it. All of the other optionals are must dos as far as I’m concerned, and really added to the trip.
I added an extra day in Lisbon, as I knew that I wanted to join the optional tour offered after our included sightseeing in Lisbon, which wouldn’t leave a lot of time to see much of the sights. I’m glad I did this, and I would recommend adding a day or two to this tour to anyone going on it.
A day-by-day account of my tour is below, along with some pictures of the sights. It might take me a while to finish writing this tour tale, but I’ll eventually get it done.
Day 1 - Overnight Flight to Lisbon- May 6, 2014
I booked an inexpensive direct flight with Sata Air, but was not sure what to expect as I had never heard of this airline before. I was unable to pick my seat when booking the flight, and had to wait until I checked in in order to do so. I checked in 48 hours in advance of my flight, and noticed that the seats were 2-4-2 and that I had been assigned an aisle seat in row of 4 with 3 other people, even though the flight was still empty. I moved to a seat a few rows behind, and checked in again the next day, only to find that the row I had moved to was now full as well. This time I picked a seat at the back of the flight, where there were a few rows with only 3 seats. Someone had been assigned the one aisle seat, so I picked the other one hoping the middle seat would stay empty, and it did.
I arrived at the airport 3 hours early, as usual, and went to the counter for Sata Air. Even though I had checked in online, I was unable to get my boarding pass, so I still needed to check in at the counter. There was hardly anyone in line, and I only had to wait a few minutes before checking in my luggage and getting my boarding pass. I then proceeded through security, and made my way to a restaurant for some dinner. Even though a meal was served on the flight, I wasn't sure what to expect or when it would be served, so I wanted to eat something beforehand. After eating, I walked around the airport, and checked out a Jewelry shop. I had been wanting to buy a new watch for a few months now, and I finally found what I was looking for at the airport of all places. I was thinking that the trip hadn't even started yet, and I was already doing some shopping, but it's a nice watch, and every time I look at it, I think of my trip to Portugal.
We boarded the flight a few minutes late, but it was a small flight and boarding didn't take long. The seats were small, and we didn't have a tv on the back of the chair in front of us in order to watch movies, but other than that, there was nothing wrong with the flight. The meal eventually came, and it wasn't bad, even though we didn't have any choices. I asked the flight attendant if it was fish or seafood, and found it odd that she didn't know, but fortunately for me it was pasta with beef. After the meal service, I put the seat back and went to sleep. It was probably the best sleep I have ever had on a flight.
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Post by Owen on Sept 7, 2014 5:48:04 GMT
2 ~ The Best of Portugal - May 6 to May 18, 2014
Day 2 - Arrive in Lisbon - May 7, 2014
We were woken up about an hour and half before landing, and given coffee, juice and a snack (cookies). We landed on time, at 8:45 a.m., but I was still worried I wouldn't make the 9:30 a.m. transfer. I decided that if I missed the transfer, I would just take a taxi to the hotel as I wanted to have time to go to St. George's Castle that afternoon before meeting the group at 6:00 p.m. (I received an email from our travel director before the tour started, and I had emailed him back to find out what time we were meeting for the welcome reception). I didn't have to worry though, as we got off the flight fairly quickly, and going through customs didn't take very long. Sata Air is also really quick at getting the luggage unloaded, and by the time I got through customs, my luggage was already on the conveyer belt. I grabbed it and went through the exit, and found our travel director, Miguel, standing there holding a Trafalgar sign. I gave him my name, and he told me to have a seat as we were waiting for 3 more people who were on the same flight as me. We didn't wait long for them to arrive, and then we walked over to another group of people who were on our tour and made our way to the coach.
While on the coach, Miguel told us that our rooms probably wouldn't be ready, however, he advised that we could leave our luggage at the hotel if we wanted to go off and see the sights. I was hoping to get my room before heading to the Castle, as it was warm in Lisbon and I wanted to shower and change into something lighter before heading out, but it looked like that wasn't going to happen. Miguel had suggested the Castle as one of the places we might want to visit that afternoon, and told us that our hotel was not very far from the main city center. He told us we could walk to the Castle in about an hour, or take the bus, but if four of us wanted to share a taxi it would probably cost the same as public transportation. When we got to the hotel, I mentioned to a couple in our group that I was going to go to the Castle, and they asked if they could join me. I told them no problem, and then invited another women traveling solo to join us as well. We freshened up in the public washroom, and then hailed a taxi to the Castle. It was less than a 10 minute ride and only cost a little over 6 Euros.
It was around noon when we arrived at the Castle, and as I was hungry, we stopped for a bite to eat at a restaurant in the Santa Cruz area. We then got in line to get our tickets, and then made our way into the Castle grounds. The views of Lisbon from the Observation Terrace were amazing, and we spent some time walking around and taking pictures. We then made our way to the Castle, climbed the towers and walked along the ramparts of the Castle walls. The views from here were also excellent, and we took a few more pictures before making our way down. The stairs are fairly steep, and I wouldn't recommend climbing them if you have bad knees or are not in good shape. From here we wanted to make our way to the ruins of the old Moorish quarter, but it was not easy to find, even with the map. Finally, after asking a few people, we found the archaeological ruins, and were somewhat disappointed about what we saw. We walked around anyway, and then headed out of the Castle to the Santa Cruz area just outside of the walls. We walked around the area, and then we found a nice patio where we could sit down and get a cold drink and a bite to eat. It was a hot day, and we were all ready for a break after all of the walking we had done that day. After sitting down for about 45 mins, we went into a few of the shops and then got a taxi back to the hotel. We arrived at the hotel around 4:15 p.m., checked in, and went to our rooms to shower and get ready for dinner.
At 5:45 p.m. I made my way to the lobby to meet the group. Miguel asked us to make our way onto the coach just before 6:00 p.m., and told us to sit anywhere we wanted that evening. He advised that two people were not joining us for the welcome dinner, and that the seat rotation would not start until the next day. Miguel explained that dinner would consist of petiscos, the Portuguese version of Tapas, and that we would be going to a restaurant in the Alfama district. On the drive there, he pointed out some of the sights, and told us we would be seeing these sights again the next morning during our morning orientation drive. It was not a long drive to the restaurant, and we arrived around 6:30 p.m. It was a small restaurant, but we had the whole place to ourselves, and the decor was really nice. Miguel said a few words to the group, and asked us all to take turns standing up and introducing ourselves to the group. By the time we got through the whole group, dinner was ready to be served. The food and wine were excellent. They kept bring out dish after dish of veggies, olives, bread, chicken, Jewish croquettes (made with chicken instead of pork), cod cakes, and an excellent baked cheese with raspberry jam. As I can't eat fish, I skipped the cod cakes, but there was so much food, I didn't starve that evening. We ended the meal with a piece of apple pie, and left the restaurant around 9:00 p.m. to head back to the hotel. We took a different rout back and Miguel pointed out some of the sights, and then told us what time we were leaving the next day. We got back to the hotel around 9:30 p.m., and I made may want to my room to get ready for bed. Even though I did get some sleep in the flight, it wasn't a lot, and I was ready for bed.
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Post by Owen on Sept 7, 2014 5:48:48 GMT
3 ~ Best of Portugal - May 6 to May 18, 2014
Day 3 - Lisbon Sightseeing and Free Time - May 8, 2014
I was up at 6:45 a.m. this morning and went down to breakfast at 7:30 a.m. I got off the elevator only to find a crowd of people standing there. It turned out that there were so many tour groups at this hotel, there wasn’t enough room for everyone in the restaurant, so we had to line-up to get a table. Another tour member arrived at the restaurant at the same time as I did, so we stood together hoping to get seated together. After waiting for about 10 minutes, I was starting to get worried that I wouldn’t have time to eat breakfast. We didn’t need to be on the coach until 8:30 a.m., but I wanted time to go back to my room to freshen up and get my bag for the day after eating. Finally, after a 15 min wait, we were seated. We got our breakfast and attempted to eat quickly, however the couple they seated beside us snuck in a 3rd person, and she stood directly behind my travel companion, and stared at us, making it obvious that she wanted us to leave so she could sit down. I found this to be very rude, and if I weren’t in such a rush myself, I think I would have gotten up for seconds, but as time was short, I ate and ran.
I went to my room to quickly freshen up and get my bag, and then made my way to the coach. The single women I had met the day before was already on the coach and saving a seat for me. As it was a full coach, we had arranged to sit together the previous day, and it worked out really well as she preferred the window seat and I preferred the aisle. We were all on the coach and ready to go by 8:30 a.m., and Miguel told us that he would be using the seats we were seated in that morning to make his seating chart, and that we would be moving clock-wise skipping two rows starting the next morning. I found this odd as we usually only skip one row, however, he did this in order to make sure that everyone would make it around the coach. The only down-side to skipping two rows is that depending on where you are sitting on day one, you may not get to sit in the front row. He also advised that one couple was not joining us for the included sightseeing that morning, so the two singles who were sitting on their own would have to sit together the next morning. After he settled the seating arrangement, he introduced our local guide, and handed the microphone to her. We began our orientation drive through the city, driving down the Aveinda da Liberdalde (Lisbon’s version of the Champes-Elysees) past Restauradores and Rossio squares, and through the Bairro Alto and Chiado areas. We then made our way to the Alfama district and drove past the Praca do Comercio. We did not get off at any of these places, but I didn’t attempt to take pictures from the coach as I knew I would see all of these places during my extra day in Lisbon at the end of the tour. From here we drove to Belem, which is considered Portugal’s former maritime glory, and got off the coach at the Belem Tower. This tower was built as a fortress in the middle of the Tagus in 1515-21, and was used as a starting point for the navigators who set out to discover the trade routes. The Tower was much further from the shore back then than it is now, as the land on the north bank was reclaimed in the 19th century. After our local guide walked us to the Tower, we were given around 20 mins to walk around, take pictures, and use the facilities if necessary.
We got back on the coach around 10:00 a.m. and drove to the Monument to the Discoveries, built in 1960 to mark the 500th anniversary of the death of Henry the Navigator. We got off the coach and walked around the mariner’s compass and central map, cut into the stone, which was a gift from South Africa in 1960 and shows the routes of the discoverers in the 15th and 16th centuries. After walking around the map, we walked around the Monument and were given about 5 mins to take pictures. We then got back on the coach and made our way to the Jeronimos Monastery.
The Jeronimos Monastery was commissioned by Manuel I around 1501 and took about 16 years to build. It was cared for by the order of St. Jerome until 1834, which is why it’s called the Jeronimos Monastery. Upon arrival, we gathered outside the South Portal while our local guide described the architecture of the building done in the Manueline style, which is typified by maritime motifs inspired by Portugal’s Age of Discovery, and then we made our way into the Monastery. We slowly walked to the Nave, stopping to take pictures, and then made our way to the Tomb of Vasco da Gama. After having a few minutes to take pictures, we met Miguel by the fountain outside the Monastery, where he surprised us with our first treat of the tour, traditional Portuguese custard tarts, still hot from the oven. They were amazing, and one of my favourite Portuguese pastries.
We finished our included sightseeing in Lisbon around 11:30 a.m. and went back to the hotel. Those of us going to Cascais and Sintra were given 20 mins to freshen up, and we left the hotel around 12:20 p.m. and drove along the coast to Cascais, stopping to take pictures at the most western point in Europe, arriving around 12:50 p.m. We were given an hour and a half in Cascais and as the weather was so beautiful, I had lunch on a patio with three other people from the tour. It was a simple lunch of roasted chicken with fries, but it was good. There was some piri piri sauce on the table, and I tried a little bit with my chicken. It was tasty but hot, and a little goes a long way. After lunch, I walked around with a fellow travel companion and did a little shopping. The zipper on my purse broke soon after arrival, so I bought another purse that I could use during the trip. We then made our way to the waterfront to take some pictures, and then went back to the coach for the short drive to Sintra.
As soon as we arrived in Sintra, we went on our guided tour of the castle. Our local guide warned us ahead of time that there would be a lot of stairs in the castle, and two people opted out of the guided tour. I had been to Sintra before, during my first tour of Spain and Portugal in 2008, but we did not go into the castle at that time, so I was looking forward to our guided tour. The castle was beautiful and did not disappoint. We started by walking through the Sala dos Cisnes where the ceiling is painted with 27 swans. Apparently King John I missed his only surviving daughter, Isabella, so much after she married the Duke of Burgundy, he had the ceiling painted with 27 swans on her 27th birthday as a way to remember her. We then made our way into the Sala das Pegas room, where the same King John had the ceiling painted with chattering magpies as a rebuke to the court women for indulging in idle gossip after seeing him kiss a women who was not his wife. We continued through the castle, viewing the conical chimneys above the kitchen, the chapel, and then the beautiful Sala dos Brasoes. The domed ceiling of this room is decorated with stags holding the coats of arms of 72 noble Portuguese families, and the lower walls are lined with tiled panels. This room was my favourite room of the whole palace. From here we made our way to the kitchens, where the tour ended. The tour of the castle took about 45 mins, and we were then given 45 mins to shop, walk around and see the sights. I walked around with another single women from the tour, and saw a purse I liked in one of the shop windows. We went into the shop so I could buy the purse, and then we made our way to a cafe to try one of Sintra’s specialty pastries. We had decided to share a pastry, as they were quite large, but, unfortunately, we were given the wrong pastry. It was still good though, so it wasn’t a big deal.
We got back to the hotel around 5:00 p.m., which gave those of us doing the optional Fado dinner 2 hours to get ready before leaving at 7:00 p.m. I went to my room to freshen up, and as I was ready before 7:00 p.m., I went to the hotel bar to have a drink before dinner. I met a few other travel companions there, and sat with them until it was time to leave. I had been to a Fado dinner and show the first time I was in Portugal, but this was a different venue. The food was good and I really enjoyed the show and thought that this optional was worth taking.
We arrived back at the hotel around 10:30 p.m., and I went straight to bed as we had an early start the next day.
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Post by Owen on Sept 7, 2014 5:49:32 GMT
4 ~ The Best of Portugal - May 6 to May 18, 2014
Day 4 - Lisbon -Vilamoura- May 9, 2014
I was up at 6:00 a.m. this morning, and put my luggage out and went to breakfast just before 7:00 a.m. I wanted to get to breakfast early this morning in case I had to wait in line again. When I got off the elevator, there was a large group of people from my tour waiting there, as the restaurant was not yet open. It turns out it didn’t open until 7:00 a.m. At least we were the first ones there, and we all got in once the doors opened.
After breakfast, I went to my room to freshen up and get my carry-on, and then made my way to the coach. We left at 8:00 a.m. this morning, (which is the earliest we will depart during the whole tour) and Miguel told us more about the tour and optionals during our morning drive. Our first stop of the day was our first hidden treasure in the city of Setubal. They have a lively covered market, and Miguel walked us over to it and brought us to where they sell the fresh fish, and then gave us about half an hour to walk around, get a coffee and use the facilities. I bought another pastry, which I shared with my seatmate, and then we made our way to the town square to get some pictures before getting back on the coach.
Our next stop of the day was a picture stop at Serra da Arrabida. This is a natural park that covers a small range of limestone mountains between the coasts of Sesimbra and Setubal, and it was established to protect the landscape, birds and wildlife of the area. We also saw the Convento da Arrabida, which is hidden among the tress of the Serra, and was once a 16th century Franciscan monastery.
From here we made our way to our Be My Guest Lunch at a traditional Stud Ranch. We got off the coach and were welcomed by a small friendly dog that liked to jump on people (his way of saying hello). There was a another beautiful big dog lying in the shade, and I had to go over and pet him. He was very friendly, and as soon as I stared petting him, he lifted his legs because he wanted a belly rub. We then went into the old barn where lunch was served, and this lunch was excellent. Red wine was on the table, but as I don’t drink red, I asked for white, which was brought to me and my seatmate, and we were told that it was kept off to the side and to help ourselves when we wanted more. I don’t think anyone else asked for it, because we were the only ones who kept getting up for more. The lunch started with vegetable soup, and then trays of chicken, rice and salad were put on each table, and for dessert we had ice-cream. After lunch, everyone made a mad-dash to the washroom, and as there was only one public toilet, Miguel brought the women to the house to use that washroom. The owner of the house welcomed us all, and invited us to look around her home and take pictures.
After the washroom break, I went to see the horses, and then we were invited to the top landing of the arena for some coffee, tea and biscotti. After that was served, everyone moved to the landing (where I just happened to be seated), in order to see the arena below us as the show was about to start. Three different horses were brought into the ring separately to perform for us. Two of the horses were on their own, but the third horse had a rider, who happened to be the son of the owner of the ranch. The show was really interesting, and the horses were beautiful. After the show, Miguel told us a little bit about the owner of the ranch and her family, and we were given some time to ask questions about the horses and life on the ranch. Overall, this was a very interesting and informative experience, and I’m glad it’s offered as part of the itinerary, as it’s not something I would think to do on my own.
After about 2.5 hours at the ranch, we got back on the coach and made our way to our hotel in Vilamoura. This hotel had a big outdoor pool and nice patio area, and the rooms were villa style. It actually reminded me of an all-inclusive resort in the Caribbean. The rooms were nice, but we were quite far from the hotel, and it took me almost 5 minutes just to walk to my room. I was happy to see that they provided an iron and ironing board in our rooms though (although I had to call for mine because they were missing), as my clothes were quite wrinkly, and our hotel in Lisbon didn’t provide irons as they had a laundry service. After freshening up and ironing some clothes, I went to meet a few people in the lobby for a drink before dinner. Tonight was the optional Cataplana dinner, and even though I can’t eat fish or seafood, I still signed up for it, as I was able to get a substitute meal. A few people opted not to go on this dinner, and had dinner at the hotel or took a cab to the waterfront for dinner, however, as I knew we had a free dinner the following night, I wanted to do the optional dinner tonight.
We left the hotel for dinner around 7:00 p.m., and it was a short ride to the restaurant. There was nothing spectacular looking about the restaurant, but the service and food were excellent. The appetizers on the table were fish and seafood, so Miguel had the waiter bring a huge salad to the table for me and the women sitting beside me to share, as she couldn’t eat seafood either. I then got my main course, which was a steak with rice, fries and more salad. I was worried that the steak wouldn’t be very good, as this restaurant specialized in fish and seafood, but it was excellent. In fact, it was one of the best meals I had during the whole tour. The people who did get the Cataplana really enjoyed it as well. For dessert, they brought over platters of pastries and cakes for everyone to sample. By this time I was full, but I did try a little piece of one of the cakes, and it was good.
After dinner Miguel brought us to the harbourfront in Vilamoura, which was all lit up and packed with people, where we strolled along the waterfront. We then got back on the coach and went back to the hotel around 10:30 p.m., ending another great day in Portugal.
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Post by Owen on Sept 7, 2014 5:50:33 GMT
5 ~ The Best of Portugal - May 6 to May 18, 2014
Day 5 - Algarve Excursion - May 10, 2014
I was up at 6:30 a.m. and went to breakfast just before 7:30 a.m. It was a pleasant surprise to see that there was no line-up, a lot of food, and crispy bacon! The little things in life make me happy!
We left the hotel at 8:30 a.m. and drove to Cape St. Vincent for views of the sea from the south-western most point of Portugal, once believed to be the end of the world. Since the 15th century, this has been an important reference point for shipping, and its present lighthouse has a 95-km range and is said to be the most powerful in Europe. We spent about 30 mins here talking pictures and walking around before getting back on the coach and heading to the Sagres Peninsula. We stopped at two viewing points in the Sagres Peninsula to take pictures, the second stop having the better views. This was at Ponta da Piedade, and the views from here were spectacular. This promontory shelters the bay of Lagos to the south and has a series of wonderful rock formations, caves and blue transparent water. We spent about 20 mins here taking pictures, but I could have spent more time here just admiring the view.
Our next stop was at Lagos for lunch. Lagos was an important naval centre in the 15th century thanks to Henry the Navigator, and is one of the largest bays in the Algarve. We were given an hour and half here to have lunch, see the sights and shop. One thing I really liked about this tour was that we were almost always given an hour and half for lunch, which meant that I had time to sit down and have a proper lunch, and still see some of the sights. I’m not a big fan of sandwiches, and I don’t like to eat while on the go. I had lunch on a patio with the two other single women on the tour, and we shared a liter of white sangria (which became a common reoccurrence throughout the rest of the tour), although we were a bit annoyed when a bug flew into one of the drinks as the waiter was pouring it, and he took the glass away to get her a new one, but didn’t replace the drink. She would have just taken the bug out if she had known that we were going to lose out on a glass from our liter.
After lunch, we did a little bit of shopping, and then went to the market. This market was nothing like the market we saw in Setubal the day before, but Miguel had told us that there was a nice view of the waterfront from the roof, so we decided to check it out and get some pictures before boarding the coach. This ended the included sightseeing for the day, and we made our way back to the hotel around 2:30 p.m.
Those of us going on the optional tour were given about 30 mins at the hotel to freshen up before leaving for Almancil at 3:00 p.m. It was not a long drive to the Chapel of St. Lawrence, and Miguel told us a little bit about the chapel before we went in, and allowed us to take some pictures. He advised that we weren’t allow to take pictures inside, which was a shame as the inside was beautiful, and I would have loved a few pictures. The interior is covered in blue and white azulejo panels which depicts the life of St. Laurence. We spent a little bit of time here, admiring the chapel and waiting for people to buy postcards, and then left for Faro for our guided walking tour of the old walled town. As Miguel is a local guide, he was able to be our guide for this optional. He took us through the Arco da Vila (the entrance to the old city) which was built on the site of a medieval castle gate in the 19th century for a bishop who had decided to redesign the city. We then walked to the Largo da Se (the old city square), which is lined with orange trees, and viewed the cathedral and the Bishop’s Palace which is still in use today and closed to the public. We continued our walk through Faro, which took about an hour, and then were given some free time for some shopping or further sightseeing. I went into a few stores, and then made my way back to the park where we were meeting the coach to check out a local craft/bake fair that was there that day. I noticed some teenagers were selling homemade sweets and pastries, and decided to try a citrus gelatin type of pastry. I shared this with my seatmate, and we both liked it so much, she went to get a second one for us to share. I wish I could remember the name of this pastry so I could look for it in Toronto. We got back on the coach around 6:00 p.m., and Miguel surprised us with some marzipan. I tried it but it was too sweet for me, so I gave the rest of mine to my seatmate who really liked it.
We got back to the hotel around 6:30 p.m. and were given 15 mins to freshen up before the coach left to take us to the harbourfront for dinner. Miguel had advised us ahead of time that our driver needed to have the coach parked by 9:00 p.m., which meant that we’d have to be done dinner and back on the coach by 8:30 p.m. Anyone who was not on the coach at that time would have to make their own way back to the hotel. Some people decided to stay at the hotel for dinner, but my seatmate and I decided to go to the harbourfront as it was a nice location and there were a lot of restaurant choices. We ended up joining a few more people from our group, and went to a restaurant that two of them had gone to the day before that overlooked the water. We sat down at a table on the patio, and advised our waitress that we needed to be done by 8:15 p.m., and they were very quick to take our order and get us our food, and they even brought us all a complimentary glass of port at the end of the meal. Overall, it was a very good meal.
We made it back to the coach by 8:30 p.m., and found out that a lot of people went to the same restaurant (not the same as ours), and even though they advised the staff that they were short on time, they got slow service and didn’t get their food until 8:00 p.m. They all had to rush to eat their dinner in order to make the ride back to the hotel. I guess our restaurant choice was a good one!
We were back at the hotel by 9:00 p.m., and I sat in the lobby for a little while to check my email, as the wifi in my room was not working very well, and then went back to my room and went to bed. I was tired after a long day, and we had an early start the next day.
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Post by Owen on Sept 7, 2014 5:53:06 GMT
6 ~ Best of Portugal - May 6 to May 18, 2014
Day 6 - Vilamoura-Evora - May 11, 2014
We left at 8:00 a.m. this morning, as we needed to be in Evora by 11:00 a.m. in order to meet our local guide. We stopped in the town of Portel for 30 minutes to use the facilities, get a coffee, and take some pictures of the castle on top of the hill, and then we made our way to Evora. Our local guide was waiting for us, and Miguel left us in her hands while he went to the hotel to check us in and unload our luggage. I was hoping this would mean that our rooms would be ready for us upon arrival, but no such luck. In fact, my room, along with another tour member’s room, was still being cleaned when we arrived at the hotel, and we had to sit in the lobby for about 20 mins waiting for it to be ready.
Evora, which is now a UNESCO Heritage Site, is a wonderful city, and I really enjoyed our tour of the old town. It was recaptured by Gerald the Fearless in 1204 as a way for him to get back in the good graces of King Afonso Henriques. The story is that he disguised himself as a troubadour, and walked around the city outlining a strategy. He then courted the Moorish King’s daughter, and convinced her to open the city gates after dark so that they could be together. She did so, and was surprised to find Gerald and his army waiting to get into the city. Gerald then cut off her head and the head of her father, and attacked the sleeping town, re-conquering the city for the Christians. The King was so happy when he heard the news, he gave Gerald the keys to the city, naming him Perpetual Mayor of Évora. To this day, the city bears in the emblem of the cloister of the Cathedral the heroic figure of Gerald and two severed heads of the Moors, and the main square of Evora, Praça do Geraldo, has been dedicated to his memory.
We started our tour of Evora by the Roman Temple, which is believed to have been dedicated to the goddess Diana, and was erected in the 2nd or 3rd century AD. It was used as an armoury, theater and slaughterhouse until 1870. Our local guide told us that a lot of girls in Evora are named Diana after the goddess because of this Temple. Across from the Temple is the Convento dos Loios, which is a 15th century monastery that is now used as a pousada, where guests sleep in cells and dine in the cloisters. We then made our way to the Cathedral, which took over 50 years to complete and has the look of a fortress about it, and spent some time walking inside and taking pictures. From here we walked over to Sao Francisco, but we could not go inside as it was Sunday and there was a mass going on. Instead, we went directly to the Capela dos Osos (the Chapel of Bones). This Chapel was created in the 17th century from the remains of 5,000 monks, as well as bones dug up in the area believed to have been from people who died from the plague. The whole Chapel is covered in bones, and there are two leathery corpses, one of a child, that dangle from a chain from the ceiling. The sign above the door of the Chapel says “We bones that are here await yours”. Our local guide told us that people bring their children to this Chapel at a young age to show them that after death, our bodies become decayed and turn to bones, but that the spirit lives on. It’s a way to encourage them to focus more on their spiritual well being than on obtaining material items and luxuries.
After our walking tour of the city, we went to the main square for some lunch and free time for shopping. I had lunch on a patio with the two other single women on the tour, and then we went to a cork shop we had walked by on the way to the square. Unfortunately, by the time we got there, it had closed for lunch. We did find a few other shops that were opened, but because it was Sunday, a lot of them were closed. My seatmate found some cork costars, which is what she was looking for, but I didn’t see anything that caught my eye. I know that Portugal is known for its cork, but none of the cork items appealed to me. The one thing I did want, but didn’t find, was a Christmas ornament representing Portugal. I’ve never had a hard time finding one before, expect for in Morocco and Turkey, but for some reason, I couldn’t find one anywhere in Portugal. Porto did have a store selling some, but they were not representative of Portugal, so I didn’t buy one.
After lunch we went to our hotel and were given some time to freshen up and get organized before leaving for our optional tour to Monsaraz. This hotel was very close to the city, and we were right beside the old city walls. I was able to get a great picture of the old town from my hotel window. We left for Monsaraz around 3:00 p.m. and it only took about 30 mins to get there. Monsaraz is a tiny medieval walled town above the River Guadiana on the frontier with Spain. Settled long before the Moors arrived in the 8th century, Monsaraz was recaptured by the Christians under Gerald the Fearless in 1167, and then given to the Knights Templar as thanks for their help. Even though this town has been attacked on numerous occasions by the Spanish, and once by the English, it still retains its charming atmosphere.
We started our tour with a drink on a patio overlooking the countryside, along with some bread and cheese. The white wine was really nice, and I was given a second glass, but, unfortunately, I didn’t have time to finish it. I told Miguel that on his next tour, he should offer the refreshments after the walking tour, as no one wanted to leave the patio with the beautiful view. From here we walked to the local church, but we were unable to go inside as there was a mass going on at the time. We then made our way to the castle, which was built in the 13th century but reinforced in the 17th century as part of the border defenses, and viewed the courtyard where today bull fights are preformed once a year. In Portugal, they usually do not kill the bulls, however, in Monsaraz they do. We were then given time to climb the walls of the castle and get some pictures of the white cemetery and beautiful countryside. The views were amazing, but if you have bad knees or a hard time climbing stairs, I would not recommend climbing to the top of the battlements. After taking pictures, I decided to check out a few of the local shops that were open, and ended up buying a summer dress from one of the shops. After paying for my purchase, I had to speed walk back to the entrance where we were meeting Miguel to walk back to the coach. Overall this was a great optional tour, and one that I would highly recommend.
We got back to the hotel around 6:30 p.m. and had an hour and a half before our first included hotel dinner. I went to my room to freshen up, and then met a group of people on the patio for drinks before dinner. We went into dinner at 8:00 p.m., and it was a very good meal, and unlimited wine, beer and pop were included. After dinner, I joined a few people on the patio so I could finish my glass of wine, and then I went up to bed.
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Post by Owen on Sept 7, 2014 5:53:53 GMT
7 ~ Best of Portugal - May 6 to May 18, 2014
Day 7 - Evora-Castelo de Vide-Belmonts-Viseu - May 12, 2014
We left at 8:00 a.m. this morning, and stopped shortly after leaving our hotel at our second hidden treasure. Miguel took us to a quarry is Erstremoz, and told us that we would say “wow” when we saw the quarry, and he was right. I felt like I was in the Lord of the Rings movie, looking down into the mines of Moria. It just went on forever. After viewing the quarry, some of us went to see the local stone carver at work, and view some of his creations. A few people bought items, and I considered buying something, but thought it would weight down my luggage too much, so I didn't.
We got back on the coach, and were only on the road for a short while before arriving at Castelo de Vide, located on a green slope of the Serra de Sao Mamede. Miguel walked us to the church of Santa Maria, showed us where the public washrooms were, and gave us an hour to wander around on our own. My seatmate and I wandered into the church to take a look around, and then made our way to the Jewish quarter. We then began the long hike uphill to the Jewish museum and the castle. We finally made it, and to be honest, the castle and museum really weren’t worth seeing, however, the views of the city through the narrow alleys are nice, and made the hike to the top worthwhile. The general area itself is very picturesque, and I’m glad I walked to the top for that reason alone. Once we got to the top, we realized there was another alley that was less steep that we could have taken, and we took this alley down.
When we got back to the main square, I went to use the public washroom, and then took some pictures of the church and square. I then went to get a pastry at the shop I thought Miguel had recommended, but I found out after buying my pastry that I went into the wrong shop. I shared my pastry with my seatmate, and it wasn’t very good. It was a doughy pastry with cinnamon and sugar on top, but it was dry. Oh well. I guess they can’t all be good.
From here we drove to a mall where we stopped for lunch. This was the only lunch stop during the whole tour where we didn’t have a few good restaurant options, although the mall did have a patio, so you could sit outside if you wanted to. I got a piece of pizza and a beer from the Pizza Hut (yes, you could have beer/wine in the food court), and then my seatmate and I did a little shopping. I got another sundress, and she got a few nice tops.
After lunch we made our way to the Roman tower just outside of Belmonte, known as both Centum Cellas or Torre de Colmeal. The role of this tower is uncertain, and theories have suggested a range of functions from hostel to military base to mansion to temple. Miguel gave us some time to walk around the temple and take some pictures, and then surprised us with another treat. The day before he had told us about “minis”, which is a beer in a mini bottle made by Super Bock, which is one of Portugal’s most popular brands of beer. Apparently other company’s now make minis as well, but Super Bock seems to be the most popular in Portugal. Minis are usually served with a snack called Tremocos otherwise known as White Lupins. They are soaked overnight in water and salt, and I really liked them.
After we finished our minis, we got back on the coach and made our way to Viseu. We arrived in Viseu around 4:00 p.m. and as we were driving through the city, I briefly thought about not going on the optional that evening, as it was a picturesque city and I would have liked to have seen some of the sights. I didn’t want to cancel at the last minute though, so I didn’t say anything to Miguel, which worked out well as I loved the optional dinner that evening. Fortunately, our hotel was in a good location, and after checking in and getting ready for dinner, I went across the street to get a picture of the beautiful church on the corner, and to walk around the area. I ran into my seatmate doing the same thing, and after taking a few pictures, we went back to the hotel to have a pre-dinner drink with a few people in the hotel bar.
We left for our optional dinner around 6:30 p.m, and drove to Casa da Ínsua in the heart of the Dao wine region. Casa da Ínsua is an 18th century manor house and estate, containing beautiful formal gardens and large grounds. Upon arrival, Miguel took us for a walk through the gardens making our way to the back of the manor. We then entered the manor, and went on a tour of the beautiful rooms before making our way to a patio overlooking the gardens and extensive grounds. Here we had our first wine tasting, a nice rosé, and were given time to just sit back and enjoy the views. After we finished our wine, Miguel took us to the formal dining room, which is not original to the manor and was built in recent years for large functions like weddings. Once we were seated, the waiters served us our first glass of wine, a nice white, and brought out our first course. This is where I had some problems with not eating fish. Our first course was a nice rice dish with code cake on top of it. I told the waiter no fish, and asked him to take it away, but he didn’t understand why I couldn’t eat fish. He kept telling me to try it and that I might like it. I kept saying “allergic” but he didn’t seem to understand. I finally went and found Miguel, who told me that he had arranged for a separate meal for me and another guy who couldn’t eat fish, and he wasn’t sure why they had brought me the cod (the other guy had the same problem as I did). Miguel went to the kitchen to speak to the staff, and they eventually brought me the rice without the cod, which was very good. Miguel then told me that the next dish was octopus, but not to worry because he had arranged for a special meal for me. Well, my special meal turned out to be cod fish! I had to call Miguel over again, because the waiter didn’t want to take my plate away, and he went back into the kitchen to get me another dish. I finally got a plate with pork and potatoes, which was very good. In the meantime, the white wine kept coming, and by this time we had tried two different kinds. The next dish was mini goat with potatoes, but for some reason I got veal with more potatoes. I asked Miguel about this, and he said that I had mentioned that I didn’t like lamb or duck, so he had arranged for a separate meal for me. I’m actually not a big fan of veal either, but it wasn’t bad, and the potatoes served with it were very good. At this point, our waiter started serving us red wine, but as I don’t like red he gave me more white. After all of these courses, I thought the meal would be over, but there was another course. This time they brought out a pork dish with rice, but since I had already had the pork earlier as a substitute for the octopus, I didn’t eat much of it. I was pretty full by now anyway. After this, they served us apple pie with ice-cream, which was really good, but, unfortunately I was so full I could only have a couple of bites. After all of the wine served this evening, people were starting to feel a little bit more relaxed, and one of our tour members decided to entertain us with a song and an Elvis impersonation. He was actually not bad, and we all had a good laugh listening to him “perform”. Someone then suggested that I get up and sing a song, but I passed. I advised her that I was tone deaf and that no one wanted to hear me sing!
As you can imagine after so many courses, it was after 10:00 p.m. when we finished dinner and got on the coach. I don’t know how we got on the subject, but people started asking Miguel to sing, which he did after some persuasion. He sang a Portuguese song, so we didn’t understand the words, but he was actually pretty good. We didn’t get back to the hotel until after 10:30 p.m. but it was a good night and I really enjoyed this optional dinner, despite the problems with my substitute meals.
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Post by Owen on Sept 7, 2014 5:55:12 GMT
8 ~ Best of Portugal - May 6 to May 18, 2014
Day 8 - Viseu-Mateus-Guimaraes-Oporto - May 13, 2014
We left at 8:00 a.m. again this morning, and weren't on the road for long before arriving at Casa de Mateus, the manor house depicted on the labels of Mateus Rose. Miguel walked us to the front of the manor, explaining to us how the rectangular pool in front of the house was put there to reflect it in the water. He then walked us through a passageway beneath the entrance staircase, through the stables to an inner courtyard leading to the formal gardens. We walked through the courtyard to a vast cedar tunnel, which was quite impressive. Miguel then gave us some free time to walk around the gardens, get a coffee, or go for a wine tasting. I thought about the wine tasting, and it was not very expensive, but I decided against it.
We spent about an hour and a half at Mateus, and then left for Guimaraes, arriving in time for lunch. Guimaraes is a UNESCO World Heritage site, and is thought to be the birthplace of the nation. When Afonso Henriques proclaimed himself as the first King of Portugal, he chose Guimares as his capital. I was one of the first off the coach today, so I went to the sidewalk in the middle of the street to get a picture of the beautiful church while waiting for everyone else to get off the coach. Miguel then walked us to the main square, the Largo da Oliveira, and pointed out the Nossa Senhora da Oliveira, a former monastery, and then gave us free time for lunch. I had lunch on a patio with the two other single women on the tour, and then we walked back to the entrance of the city to get a picture of the wording on the city walls that says something like “This is where Portugal was Born”. We then went to get a pastry at a cafe that Miguel recommend, and we ran into Miguel there getting treats for the group. He left us to go and get the rest of the group at the meeting point, and told us to just stay there, as they'd be walking by us to go back to the coach. We got on the coach for the 5 min ride to castle, and then got off again stopping to get a picture of a statue of King Afonso Henriques. We then walked to the castle, which is said to be where Afonso Henriques was born, stopping at the tiny Romanesque chapel of Sao Miguel, which contains the font where Afonso Henriques was baptized. Miguel gave us a few mins to walk though the chapel and take pictures before walking us to the castle, which is in ruins. We spent about 15 mins walking around the inside of the castle, and then made out way back to the coach, stopping to get a picture of the castle from a good view point.
We got back on the coach and headed to Porto. In the meantime, Miguel handed out another treat, which was a thin pastry covered in icing sugar. It was good, but I can't remember the name of it. During the drive to Porto, Miguel advised us that he would be accepting payment for the optional tours at the hotel that afternoon. We got to the hotel around 4:00 p.m., and after getting my room key I went to my room to freshen up, but I couldn't do much without my suitcase, so I decided to go back to the lobby to pay for my optional tours, and get directions to a place where I could buy some toothpaste. I picked a good time to go down, as there was only one person in front of me, and I didn't have to wait long. I then made my way to a pharmacy recommended by Miguel to buy toothpaste, and was shocked at how expensive it was. I paid 6.50 Euros for a small tube! I then walked around the area a little bit, but there wasn't much to see, so I went back to my room to get ready for dinner. Once ready, I met a few people in the lobby for a pre-dinner drink, and then boarded the coach for our regional dinner at 7:00 p.m.
We took a scenic drive to the restaurant, which was located on the waterfront just outside the city. Miguel advised that we would be trying the famous green wine tonight, but he failed to point out that the white wine offered was the green wine, so the people drinking red didn't try it. We all just assumed that we would be getting a glass of the green wine at some point during the dinner, which was not the case. We arrived at the restaurant around 7:30 p.m., got our seats, and started eating the bread on the table. It came with a spread that looked like humus, but turned out to be crab, so I couldn't try it. The waiter then brought over three different types of tapa style appetizers for the table to share. I asked him if any of them contained fish or seafood, but he didn't understand me, so I had to go and find Miguel. Miguel advised that two of them were fish/seafood, and the other was a Jewish croquette. He asked me if I wanted a salad, but I said no because I was sure there would be a lot of food, and I was able to eat the croquette. We were then served our main course, which was veal with potatoes and spinach, and when we were finished, the waiters came around to see if we wanted more. After dinner we were served dessert with coffee but I don't remember what the dessert was. I'm actually not a big dessert fan, despite all of the pastries I had eaten this tour, and I usually don't eat dessert. After dinner, we drove back to the hotel, and I went straight to bed as I was tired after another long day.
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Post by Owen on Sept 7, 2014 5:56:12 GMT
9 ~ Best of Portugal - May 6 to May 18, 2014
Day 9 - Oporto Sightseeing and Free Time - May 14, 2014
I was up at 6:30 a.m. this morning, and went to breakfast at 7:30 a.m. I arrived at the restaurant only to find the same craziness that I found my first day in Lisbon (I'll note that this hotel is part of the same hotel chain as our first hotel in Lisbon). There was no one at the door though, so I walked right in, and got lucky by finding a single seat at a round table with 7 others from my group. Some of them told me they waited 10 mins to be seated, and when I was leaving the restaurant, I noticed some people from our group eating breakfast in the lobby. Miguel advised us later that he spoke to the hotel manager, who advised that there would be extra tables set up in the lobby the next day, and more staff added to refill the food and clean the tables.
We left the hotel at 8:30 a.m., and our local guide was already on the coach waiting for us. We drove to the Stock Exchange Palace, driving by the main shopping and financial district. Our local good pointed out a book store where J.K. Rowlings got her inspiration for the library in her Harry Potter Books. Apparently her first husband was Portuguese, and she lived in Portugal before writing the books that made her famous. We arrived at the Stock Exchange a little before 9:00 a.m., and had to wait a few minutes to enter, as it wasn't opened yet. The Stock Exchange was built where the Monastery of St. Francis once stood by the city's merchants in 1842. Once allowed in, our local guide took us on a tour of the beautiful rooms, finishing in the beautiful Arabian Room, which was inspired by Granada's Alhambra. Unfortunately, we were not allowed to take pictures inside, which was unfortunate, as I would have loved to have taken pictures here.
From here, our local guide walked us to the Ribeira quarter, allowing us to get great pictures of the waterfront. We then walked to a filigree shop, and had time to look at the jewelry. I found a beautiful silver necklace that I loved, but it was too expensive, so I settled on a silver bracelet and a pair of gold plated earrings. I was surprised that we were not offered a discount here or told about getting the VAT tax back, which I've experienced on past tours.
After shopping, the rest of the group left for their wine tasting at a port cellar, however, as I had visited the port cellar the first time I was in Portugal, I opted not to go. I had mentioned this to another couple a few days before, and told them what I wanted to see during my free time, and they asked if they could join me as they didn't want to go to the port cellar either. After the tour group left us, we made our way to St. Francis' Church, which is right beside the Stock Exchange, stopping to look inside the Church of St. Nicola, which is right across the street. We then went to buy our tickets for St. Francis, which was 3.00 Euros and included entrance into the church, catacombs and small museum which contains treasures from the church's monastery.
St. Francis is a Gothic church that was begun in 1300s, but the interior is 18th century baroque and covered in gold. The highlight of this church though is the Tree of Jesse, which is in gilded and painted wood, and was carved between 1718-1721. The Tree of Jesse is Jesus' family tree, starting with Jesse at the root of the tree, with King David on his right and Solomon on has left. At the top of the tree is Jesus, with Mary and Joseph on each side of him. We spent quite a bit of time here, however, we finally had to leave to see the catacombs, as we wanted to go to the Cathedral and had to get there before it closed for lunch at 12:30 p.m. There really wasn't much to see in the catacombs, so we didn't spend that much time there. We then left for the cathedral, stopping at the Stock Exchange again to get a post card of the Arabian Room, however, none of them did the room justice, so we didn't buy anything. We then walked back to the Ribeira quarter, and towards the Filigree store. Miguel had told us that there was an elevator to the Cathedral from there, which would be quicker to use than then the tram. We found the elevator and took it to the top, but when we got off, we found a lot of stairs that we still had to climb to get to the Cathedral. We finally made it, but it was quite the hike.
We arrived at the open terrace, but decided to go into the Cathedral before taking pictures of the scenery, as it closed at 12:30 p.m. The Cathedral was built as a fortress church in the 12th and 13th centuries, but has been modified several times over the years. We went into the church, walked around and took pictures, and then paid to go into the cloisters, which contain beautiful azulejo panels, the Capela de Sao Vincent and the Capela S. Joao Evangelista. We spent about 45 mins here before being told we had to leave by security, as the place was about to close. We then went back to the observation Terrace to take some pictures of the Cathedral and surrounding scenery, and then decided it was time for lunch. We wanted to go back to the river front for lunch, but didn't want to walk back down, however, we didn't see any nice restaurants around the Cathedral area, so we made the hike back down the stairs and elevator. We found a restaurant fairly quickly, and sat outside overlooking the river. I shared some white Sangria and the local specialty recommended by Miguel, the francesinha sandwich, with one of my travel companions. The francesinha is an open faced steak sandwich with cheese and chorizo sausage and topped with a fried egg. It was really good, but really big, and I'm glad I had someone to share it with. The weather was so nice, we spent quite a bit of time just sitting on the patio and enjoying the weather, but we eventually paid the bill and went into some of the shops along the Ribeira before making our way to Sao Bento Station. The central railway station is on the site of an earlier monastery, and was completed in 1916. The inside contains azulejos depicting early modes of transport, rural festivities and historic scenes. After taking pictures both inside and outside of the train station, we walked to Santa Clara, which was somewhat hard to find, but we eventually found it. It was closed when we first got there, but we got lucky as it opened at 3:00 p.m., so we only had a few mins to wait. Santa Clara is a mannerist church, and the interior is covered in gilded wood work. It was beautiful inside, and, fortunately, we were allowed to take pictures.
After leaving Santa Clara, we started walking toward the central shopping and financial district, stopping to take pictures of the Iglesia de los Congredados (the tiles on the outside depict scenes from the life of St. Antony) and the Igreja do Carmo and the Igreja dos Carmelitas (two churches in one building) and the Torre dos Clerigos. We then went into the book store that our local guide had told us about in the morning, which was really cute inside. Unfortunately, we could not take pictures. By this time, we were all tired, so we stopped to have a drink at the cafe beside the book store, and then took a cab back to the hotel to get ready for dinner.
We left for the optional cruise and dinner at 6:00 p.m., and went back to the Ribeira area. On the way to the boat, Miguel stopped to show us the house where Henry the Navigator was supposedly born. When then walked to the waterfront to catch our boat, only to find a huge line-up, but we were able to bypass the line-up and get first choice of seats. The cruise was nice and relaxing, and gave a different perspective of everything we saw that day, and after it was over, we walked to our restaurant on the waterfront. When we sat down we found bread and chorizo sausage on the table, and some people stared eating the sausage until Miguel told us to stop. Apparently it was supposed to be lit on fire first, and then eaten. We were then brought a huge salad to share, and after that, we were brought a platter with pork and potatoes and a platter of fish and potatoes. I had the pork, obviously, but I didn't like it very much. I found it to be too fatty for my taste, but the potatoes were really good, as was the salad and chorizo sausage, so overall, I enjoyed the dinner. We happened to have a couple of birthdays that day, so Miguel arranged for two birthday cakes, and that's what we had for dessert. Both cakes were good, but I only had a few bites of each as I was so full from dinner. After dinner, we walked along the Ribeira district to the coach, and then made our way back to the hotel. Overall, this was my favourite day of the tour, and I really loved Porto.
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Post by Owen on Sept 9, 2014 8:34:35 GMT
10 ~ Best of Portugal - May 6 to May 18, 2014
Day 10 - Oporto-Coimbra-Conimbriga-Tomar-Fatima - May 15, 2014
I went down to breakfast at 7:00 a.m. this morning, and noticed that the hotel did, in fact, add a few extra tables in the lobby in front of the restaurant. There was someone at the door this morning, and I gave her my room number and went in. Fortunately, things were much more organized this morning.
We left at 8:00 a.m. this morning, as it was going to be another busy day with a lot to see. We arrived in Coimbra around 10:30 a.m., and Miguel told us that we were going on a guided tour of the university, and then for lunch in the main square. He advised that we could walk down the hill after our tour, or take the coach, and I was planning on walking, however, when Miguel got back with the tickets, he advised that we couldn’t go into the Biblioteca Joanina until noon, which meant that we all had to take the coach. Miguel actually looked a little stressed about receiving this time, as I think it messed up his schedule for the day.
Coimbra University was once used as a palace, however, in 1573 the university was moved here from Lisbon. Study was originally limited to theology, medicine and law, however, in 1770 Prime Minister Pombal broadened the curriculum. We started the tour by walking though the Porta Ferrea, built in 1634 and flanked by figures representing the original faculties, through the courtyard to the Via Latina, a walkway added to the original palace in the 18th century. We started going through some of the rooms, and Miguel advised that we could not take pictures inside the university. We then made our way down a narrow hallway, and were given a minute to look through a window into the Sala Grande dos Actos. Unfortunately we could not go into the room as there were oral exams taking place in there. One women from our tour took too long looking through the window, holding the group up and causing a staff member to start yelling at us to move along, so I was unable to get a clear view of the room. We were walking so fast, I just got a sneak peak. Miguel then took us to a narrow balcony, and let us go out, 15 people at a time, to take pictures of Coimbra, before bringing us into another beautifully decorated room. From here we went back outside, and were given some free time to get a coffee, use the facilities, and take pictures of the courtyard before going into the Biblioteca Joanina. We were finally allowed in at noon, and the room was stunning. The library, which was built in the early 18th century, is named after its benefactor, Joáo V, and its rooms are covered in gild and exotic wood and is lined with 300,000 books. I really wished we could take pictures here, but we couldn’t, so I bought a few post-cards. I normally don’t buy post-cards, as I don’t create a physical album and usually have nowhere to put them, but this room as so beautiful, I bought three.
After our guided tour, we drove to the main square for lunch, and then we got back on the coach for the short ride to Conimbriga. Conimbriga is the largest and most extensively excavated Roman site in Portugal, and was habited by the Romans in the 2nd century BC. We started the tour at the ruins of the largest Roman home, the Casa das Fontes, which is outside of the city walls. We spent some time viewing the well preserved mosaic floors and fountains, while Miguel told us about the house. Miguel then walked us through the city walls, and pointed out where the old forum, amphitheatre, baths and aqueduct were located, and then gave us some free time to walk around and take some pictures. I got quite a few good pictures, and would have liked to have walked further through the ruins to take some more, but I looked backed and noticed that I was the only one left inside the walls. I thought I was running late, but it turns out that most people just left early because of the heat.
From Conimbriga we made our way to Tomar, which was founded in 1157 by the first grand master of the Order of the Templars. We walked to the 12th century castle, spent a few mins touring the grounds, and then went inside to view the Convent of Christ, originally built as a Templar stronghold in the 12th century. The Charola was particularly beautiful, and I was glad that we were able to take pictures here. We then went for a walk through the great cloisters, which reflects Joao III’s passion for Italian art, and ended the tour with a view of the Manueline Window.
Our next stop was Fatima, and Miguel advised us on the coach that we would be taking our group photo in front of the cathedral upon arrival. A few people were upset about not being given more notice, as it was a hot day, and they wanted to freshen up before the photo, however, the photo was taken so far back, you can’t really see a close up of anyone. When we arrived at our hotel, Miguel advised us to leave our carry-on luggage on the coach, and we walked to the square for our photo. We then went to get our carry-on luggage and to check into our hotel. This was my least favourite hotel of the whole tour. It was clean and in a good location, but the decor was very 1970’s. Dinner was not until 8:00 p.m., however, after waiting almost an hour for my luggage, I decided to go downstairs and get it myself. I then quickly freshened up and met a few people in the lobby for a pre-dinner drink. Tonight was our second included hotel dinner, and it was very good. In fact, all of the dinners on this tour were pretty good.
After dinner most of us made our way to the main square for the 9:00 p.m. candlelight vigil. It was a nice evening, and it was pretty seeing the square all light up with lights. I found it interesting that people were making their way to the little chapel on their knees though, and was wondering why they felt the need to do this, but whatever makes them happy I guess. I went with the two other single women on the tour, and we only stayed for about 40 mins before making out way back to the hotel, ending another wonderful day in Portugal.
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Post by Owen on Sept 9, 2014 8:35:18 GMT
11 ~ Best of Portugal - May 6 to May 18, 2014
Day 11 - Fatima-Batalha-Nazare-Obidos-Lisbon - May 16, 2014
I was up at 6:30 a.m. this morning, and noticed that it looked pretty cloudy outside. They had been calling for rain, but I was hoping the weather forecast would change by the time I woke up. I still dressed for a hot summer day, as I had looked at the weather for where we were going that day, and knew it would be sunny and hot by noon.
We went on our included sightseeing of Fatima after breakfast. It was raining by this time, and some people decided to change their clothes before leaving, and others decided to skip the sightseeing altogether. It actually cleared up shortly after we started, and it wasn’t that cold, so I’m not sure why they decided to stay at the hotel. We walked to the old Basilica first, where the three shepherd children who claimed to have saw the Virgin Mary in 1917 are buried. Lucia is the only one of the three who heard the “Secret of Fatima”, and she eventually became a nun and entered the Carmelite convent of St. Teresa in Conimbra, where she resided until her death in 2005. Her young cousins, however, died at a young age. Lucia was originally buried in Coimbra, but her tomb is now in Fatima with her young cousins. After viewing the old cathedral, which is partly under construction, we walked to the new church, the Church of the Holy Trinity. This church is huge, and able to seat 9000 people. I personally did not like this church, as I found it reminded me more of auditorium than a church, however, the shrine is decorated with beautiful gold mosaics. Miguel then gave us some free time to take pictures, and told us to be on the coach by 9:45 a.m.
We left Fatima, and were only on the road for a short time before arriving at my favourite abbey, Batalha. Batalha is a UNESCO World Heritage site, and is famous for its Manueline elements. It was started in 1385 by Joao I, as a celebration of his victory over Castile at Aljubarrota. We stared our tour outside of the Abbey, and then made our way into the Abbey through the Portal, which was decorated with religious motifs and statues of the apostles. We then walked through the Abbey to the Nave, before entering the Founder's Chapel, my favourite room, where the tombs of Joao I and his English wife, Philippa of Lancaster, are lying hand in hand. Their son, Henry the Navigator, is also buried here. From here we walked to the Chapter House, where guards keep watch by the Tomb of the Unknown Soldiers, and then we walked through the Royal Cloisters to the Unfinished Chapels. The Unfinished Chapels were begun under King Durate, but were abandoned by Manuel in in favour of the Jeronimos Monastery in Belem.
Our next stop was for lunch in the fishing village of Nazare. We got off the coach and walked to the main square where we found a lot of restaurant selections. We picked a covered patio, as it had started raining again, but by the time lunch was over, the sun was out and it was hot. A few of us walked to the beach to get some pictures of the water and steep cliffs, and put our feet in the water. It was then back to the coach to make our way to our last sightseeing stop of the tour, Obidos.
We arrived in Obidos around 2:00 p.m., and Miguel walked us to a Ginja shop for our last treat of the tour, Ginja in a chocolate cup. Ginja is a cherry flavoured liquor that is served all over Portugal, but Obidos is known for serving it in a chocolate cup that can be eaten. After our liquor, Miguel gave us about 30 mins to walk around Obido, climb the walls or do some shopping. I had been to Ogbdos before, and had walked the walls the first time I was there, so this time, I just climbed the walls to get a few pictures, and then walked through the small town. I went into the town library, which has a beautiful mural on the back wall, and then checked out some of the shops. We really didn't have a lot of time in Obidos, and everyone said they would have liked more time here when we got back on the coach.
We arrived at our hotel in Lisbon around 4:00 p.m., which was further from the city center than our first hotel, but was close to the airport and very modern. Miguel told us to meet in the lobby at 7:00 p.m. to leave for our farewell dinner, and we were all wondering why we had to leave Obidos so early when we had 3 hours at the hotel to get ready.
After freshening up, I met a few people in the lobby for drinks before leaving for dinner, which was at a restaurant on the Avenida da Liberdade. We were given choices for this meal, which we had selected the day before, and I had chosen the beef carpaccio to start, the pasta, and the apple pie for dessert. All were very good, but the other courses looked really good a well.
After dinner, Miguel helped me check into my flight, as the wifi wasn't working for me, and then I met a few people in the lobby for a drink before bed.
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Post by Owen on Sept 9, 2014 8:36:48 GMT
12 ~ Best of Portugal - May 6 to May 18, 2014
Day 12 - Extra Day in Lisbon - May 17, 2014
Today was my extra day in Lisbon, and I had booked a 10:00 a.m. walking tour through Viator, which meant that I was able to have a bit of a sleep in today. Unfortunately, I woke up with a “tingle” in my chest, and I was worried that I was getting sick. I loaded up on Vitamin C and hoped it wouldn’t turn into a cold until after I got home.
I went down to breakfast at 8:30 a.m., and was surprised to see a lot of people from my group there. A lot of people left on the 7:00 a.m. transfer, but it looked like a lot of people had also booked an extra day in Lisbon. I had breakfast with my seatmate, who was flying out later that day, and then went back to my room to get my stuff and took a taxi to Rossio square. I got there a little bit early, so I walked around and took pictures of Rossio Station, the National Theater of Dona Maria II and the square in general, and then found my tour guide. I was the first to arrive, but we were joined shortly after by four other people from the U.K.
We started the tour by walking to the train station and taking an escalator to the upper level, which brought us to a landing with good views of the Castelo de Sao Jorge. We stopped here to take some pictures, and then walked to the Largo Do Carmo to see the ruins of the Igreja do Carmo, which is an old Carmelite church that was once the largest in Lisbon, and stands as a reminder of the 1755 earthquake. It overlooks the Baixa and is now used as an archaeological museum. While in the Largo Do Carmo, our tour guide explained to us that this was the place where the carnation revolution ended, and there are pictures from this time all over the square. Salazar’s nephew was in control at the time, and he was hiding out in the building next to the church where he finally surrendered.
From here we crossed the bridge to the top of the Elevador de Santa Justa, which links the Baixa with Largo do Carmo, and took a few more pictures of the Castel and surrounding area. We then walked through the Baixa and Chiado area to a bakery on Rua Augusa, which is a lively pedestrianized street, for our first treat, a custard tart. We then walked back through Rossio square, stopping at the oldest Ginja shop in Lisbon. In Lisbon, Ginja is not served in a chocolate cup like it is in Obidos, and I decided it was too early in the morning to have one. We then passed the Church of Sao Domingos towards the Praca da Figueira to catch our tram to the Alfama district. Unfortunately, none of the trams were stopping so we had to wait a while.
We finally got a tram and as it was packed, we stood at the back. It was a slow ride uphill to the Alfama district, and we actually got off a few stops earlier than we were supposed to, as it was faster to walk. Our guide walked us to the Largo das Portas do Sol, which has good views of the Alfama district, and showed us the statue of St. Vincent, the official saint of Portugal. Most people think it’s St. Antonio, who is the more popular Saint, but it’s not. We then made our way through the narrow alleyways of the Alfama district, and we were lucky to see that some of the colourful decorations for Santo Antonio's day where already up. When then walked to the Cathedral, and were given some time to go inside and take pictures. The Cathedral was built in 1150 by Afonso Henriques for the first bishop of Lisbon, the English crusader Gilbert of Hastings, on the site of the old mosque. The original Cathedral was mostly destroyed in the earthquake of 1755, and has been renovated many times over the centuries.
From here we walked to the bottom of the hill, and went into a restaurant that was once a palace for a glass of wine and some chorizo sausage and bread. I was not expecting this and it was a nice treat. Once we were done eating, we walked to the Praco do Comercio, which is a huge open space on the river that was the site of the royal palace for 400 years. Unfortunately the first palace was destroyed in the earthquake of 1755, however a new palace was built shortly after. After the revolution the palace was converted into government buildings and painted republican pink, however the buildings have since been repainted royal yellow. The impressive triumphal arch on the north side of the square leads into Rua Augusta and is the gateway to the Baixa area. This is where our tour ended at 1:30 p.m., and I said goodbye to everyone and went to take some pictures of the square. I then went back to the Beer Museum where our tour ended, and sat on the patio for lunch. I had the steak sandwich, as most of the other selections on the menu were fish, but I really didn’t like it. The beer was really good though, and it was a beautiful day, so it was nice to just sit, relax and enjoy the weather.
After lunch I started walking up the Rua Augusta, stopping to do some shopping in the various stores along the street, until I reach Rossio Square. I went back to the Ginja shop to buy a shot of Ginja, and then walked past Restauradores Square, stopping to get some pictures. I then walked all the way up the Avendia da Liberdade until I reached the statue of the Marques de Pompal, the Prime Minister who rebuilt the city of Lisbon after it was destroyed in the earthquake of 1775, and took a taxi back to the hotel, as I had agreed to meet a fellow tour member for dinner at 6:00 p.m.
I got back to the hotel at 4:15 p.m. and found a few tour members in the lobby, who advised me that the women I was supposed to have dinner with that night was not feeling well and had spent the day in her room. I went to my room to freshen up, and then met another women in the lobby at 5:30 p.m. to take the subway with her back to Restauradores Square. She was going on a Tapas and Fado dinner that night, and that was where she was meeting her tour. I had actually tried to book this same dinner tour the night before, but they were already sold out. We got there early, so we walked around before I left her in the square and did some more sightseeing myself. I walked back to the Praco do Comercio via a different route, and thought about having dinner there, but I was not yet hungry, so I walk back to Rossio square where I finally found a restaurant overlooking the square for dinner. After dinner, I walked back to the statue of the Marques de Pompal where I caught a taxi back to the hotel. While walking along the Avendia da Liberdade, I noticed that it was a lot more lively in the evening than it has been in the afternoon, and I thought about having a drink on one of the open patios where live music was playing and people were dancing, but it was already after 9:00 p.m., and as I wasn’t feeling well I decided to back to the hotel.
I got back to the hotel around 9:30 p.m. and went to my room to organize my luggage and relax before going to bed. I finally decide to turn on the tv, for the first time during the whole tour, and found a few programs in English.
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Post by Owen on Sept 9, 2014 8:36:59 GMT
13 ~ Best of Portugal - May 6 to May 18, 2014
Day 13 - Last Morning in Lisbon and Flight Back to Canada- May 18, 2014
I was able to sleep in again today, and slept really well thanks to the cold medication I took the night before, but still felt congested in my chest. I got up, showered and finished my last minute packing, and then went to look for a place for breakfast. When I booked my extra night, I didn’t pay for breakfast because it was very expensive, and I knew I could find someplace cheaper to go for breakfast. What I didn’t realize, was that my last day was a Sunday, and that almost everything would be closed. I did find a small cafe close by, but they only served coffee and pastries, and I wanted more than that. Finally, after walking 5 blocks, I found a small cafe that was open, where I could get some freshly squeezed orange juice and a grilled ham and cheese sandwich for 2.50 Euros.
After breakfast, I went back to the hotel and ran into a women from our tour in the lobby, and spent about half an hour chatting with her. I then went to my room to get my luggage, checked out of the hotel, and got a taxi to the airport. Miguel had advised that I only needed to be at the airport two hours before my flight, as I was already checked in, however, I think an hour and a half would have been sufficient. It took me 5 minutes to drop off my luggage and another 5 minutes to get through security. At least the airport had a lot of nice shops that I could check out before catching my flight to Porto. If I had flown home on the Saturday, I would have had a direct flight from Lisbon to Toronto, but because I was flying home on the Sunday, I had to fly to Porto first. It was not a long flight though, and I didn’t have a long layover at Porto, so it wasn’t that bad.
The flight home was comfortable (I had three seats to myself) and went by fairly quickly, and before I knew it, I was back home after another wonderful trip.
This travel tale was written by Tiffany and relates to a Trafalgar Tour. It was originally posted on the Trafalgar forum.
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Post by tiffany on Oct 2, 2014 12:03:08 GMT
I’m glad to see my Best of Portugal tour tale made it to this forum. This was a great tour, and one I would recommend to anyone thinking of going to Portugal.
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Post by Owen on Apr 18, 2016 20:57:46 GMT
Refresh
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Post by tiffany on Apr 24, 2016 12:56:48 GMT
Thanks for refreshing Owen. I re-read this tale the other day, and it brought back good memories.
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Post by californian on Oct 5, 2016 14:55:39 GMT
Tiffany, I just re-read your tale, and I feel a little cheated, you were right,Miguel is an excellent TD, I can tell now why we had a hard time some days, Trent changed the order of the optional tours and really nearly killed us, while you went to Evora early and had time to rest before going to Monsaraz, we went in the way to Monsaraz, and after many complaints, those that had not signed or signed under pressure protested and were provided with a taxi direct to Evora; ended up that we had lunch and walk up and down Monsaraz a noon , with 90 degree heat that nearly killed me and others my age, by the time we got to Evora we were not in the mood for the tour there. We didn't go to the quarry either, just saw it from the road. Little things perhaps, but a more savvy u organized TD as Miguel certainly made it better. I had read about the cork goods before and that Evora was a great place to buy it, of course we didn't have much time and being a Sunday, there were fewer places open, but we managed, and I love the things I bought and the many souvenirs that I brought for friends and family. Cork is becoming a new rage, and because is eco-friendly I predict it will take off here in America as well. I mentioned before, my brother got gravely ill when I was in Portugal, so most of the time I was trying to catch with messages and emails, so it was hard to summon interest sometimes. I would love to go back someday, it would be nice to rent a car and drive everywhere. Your tale helped me a lot, since I didn't take notes and I half forgotten already all the places we visited. Thanks again Tiffany, I look forward to your future trip to Eastern Europe for the same reason! Here is a link to Cork products (ridiculous prices) in the States. I only paid between 20 and 30 US$ for purses, 10 for eye glasses cases, bewteen 10-and 20 for gorgeous necklaces (not shown in this site, but believe me, there are gorgeous) www.consciouslifestylemag.com/cork-bags-wallets-eco-goods/
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joyb
Junior Member
Posts: 59
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Post by joyb on Oct 5, 2016 15:36:47 GMT
I went on this tour also in June 2014 and was the best tour I've taken so far. Had Pedro Pinto as our tour director and he was excellent. Portugal is a beautiful country and found the people so friendly and welcoming to tourists. I think the tour director added so much to my enjoyment. We also had a full bus with 52.
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Post by bet on Oct 5, 2016 21:57:42 GMT
Lisbon in 2 days is all I saw of Portugal and I was impressed eventhough Portugal wasnt a place that I rated high on my list of places to see. I know it's one of those places that is less travelled but always seems to exceed expectations. I would like to go back one day and explore more, but it won't be anytime soon. I was also impressed by all the cork products eventhough they weren't my cup of tea. All I bought was a cork postcard. I had Javier as my TD he was excellent, he was from Spain so I don't think he does the Best of Portugal tour. I had Tome as the driver he was Portuguese he was lovely and handsome so he was a hit with the ladies, the young and the old.
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Post by bet on Oct 6, 2016 0:56:04 GMT
Tiffany, do you maintain your journals while on tour or do you make dot points and write a complete tale when you get back? Your tales have always been very detailed. I'm hopeless at maintaining journals but my last 2 trips I've made points on my iPad while on tour, and being slack I'm still putting my Christmas Market tour together, fortunately my memory is still good.
I'm a bit old fashioned and prefer to keep a journal over something electronically and I bought a nice journal to take for my India trip, but unsure if I will be disciplined enough to write in it daily. I'm wondering if I should just take a cheap notebook instead to write down the main points and keep my good journal to write in when I get back and make a nice job of it.
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Post by tiffany on Oct 6, 2016 12:10:11 GMT
Tiffany, do you maintain your journals while on tour or do you make dot points and write a complete tale when you get back? Your tales have always been very detailed. I'm hopeless at maintaining journals but my last 2 trips I've made points on my iPad while on tour, and being slack I'm still putting my Christmas Market tour together, fortunately my memory is still good. I'm a bit old fashioned and prefer to keep a journal over something electronically and I bought a nice journal to take for my India trip, but unsure if I will be disciplined enough to write in it daily. I'm wondering if I should just take a cheap notebook instead to write down the main points and keep my good journal to write in when I get back and make a nice job of it. I write in a journal while on tour. I try to do most of my writing while on the coach in the morning, before we leave for the day, or at rest stops. I find it hard to write while driving, as I get motion sick. I don’t take notes while sightseeing though, as I find that I end up missing out on what I’m seeing because I’m too busy writing. I have a good memory though, and am usually able to remember the main points, and I try to write them down as soon as I get back on the coach. Once I get home, I start drafting my tale, based on the notes I have taken, and I fill in any missing links by looking up info online. Looking at my pictures also help me keep track of what I saw when, etc. I try to write my tale as soon as possible after I get back from my trip, otherwise, I start to forget things. I also like to re-read my travel book when I get back from a trip, as it helps to refresh my memory. Writing a good tour tale takes time though, and it usually takes me about two weeks to draft one, even with my notes.
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Post by tiffany on Oct 6, 2016 12:12:12 GMT
I went on this tour also in June 2014 and was the best tour I've taken so far. Had Pedro Pinto as our tour director and he was excellent. Portugal is a beautiful country and found the people so friendly and welcoming to tourists. I think the tour director added so much to my enjoyment. We also had a full bus with 52. I was on this tour a month before you were Joy. It was one of my favourite tours, and Miguel, our tour director, was great. I had heard good things about Predo as well though! We had a full bus as well, with only the back middle seat empty. I think this is becoming a very popular tour!
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Post by tiffany on Oct 6, 2016 12:18:46 GMT
Tiffany, I just re-read your tale, and I feel a little cheated, you were right,Miguel is an excellent TD, I can tell now why we had a hard time some days, Trent changed the order of the optional tours and really nearly killed us, while you went to Evora early and had time to rest before going to Monsaraz, we went in the way to Evora, and after many complaints, those that had not signed or signed under pressure protested and were provided with a taxi direct to Evora; ended up that we had lunch and walk up and down Monsaraz a noon , with 90 degree heat that nearly killed me and others my age, by the time we got to Evora we were not in the mood for the tour there. We didn't go to the quarry either, just saw it from the road. Little things perhaps, but a more savvy u organized TD as Miguel certainly made it better. I had read about the cork goods before and that Evora was a great place to buy it, of course we didn't have much time and being a Sunday, there were fewer places open, but we managed, and I love the things I bought and the many souvenirs that I brought for friends and family. Cork is becoming a new rage, and because is eco-friendly I predict it will take off here in America as well. I mentioned before, my brother got gravely ill when I was in Portugal, so most of the time I was trying to catch with messages and emails, so it was hard to summon interest sometimes. I would love to go back someday, it would be nice to rent a car and drive everywhere. Your tale helped me a lot, since I didn't take notes and I half forgotten already all the places we visited. Thanks again Tiffany, I look forward to your future trip to Eastern Europe for the same reason! Here is a link to Cork products (ridiculous prices) in the States. I only paid between 20 and 30 US$ for purses, 10 for eye glasses cases, bewteen 10-and 20 for gorgeous necklaces (not shown in this site, but believe me, there are gorgeous) www.consciouslifestylemag.com/cork-bags-wallets-eco-goods/I’m sorry you feel cheated, and I hope you get to go back to Portugal someday soon! This was one of my favourite tours, and I feel like it wasn’t that great for you given the tour director’s lack of experience. Hopefully Trent gets better as he does more tours of Portugal. When I was in Portugal, I remember the cork being more expensive than what you paid. I remember looking at purses that were closer to the 50 Euro price range. Maybe they have come down in price since I was there. I hope to get to Eastern Europe someday, and when I do, I’m sure I’ll write a detailed tour tale!
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Post by californian on Oct 6, 2016 15:18:23 GMT
Well, some TDs have it, and some don't! Trent was very pleasant and nice to talk and hear him, and many things happened out his control, we were only 47,experienced TT travelers but for some reason we could never leave on time! Also in Villamoura, as you remember the cottages were spread all over the place, the hotel personnel had taken off and we didn't get the suit cases until about 2 hrs later!, little things kept throwing poor Trent off! I think cork prices varied from place to place, Evora was a good place to buy.
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