Finding Life's "Silver Linings" or "the medicine" for the soul

From Portugal to Seville, Spain….

What’s not to love?  You get a little bit of everything….the ocean breeze & breathtaking sites, city life, great food, historic architecture & art, and Culture, Culture, Culture.  But I believe the best part (even though it will be hard to believe once you see the pictures…) is the People.  The Portuguese seem to be a melting pot of people from Brazil and Spain who are nothing if not gracious.

Upon landing after an overnight flight from the US.  Yes it does take a good 8 hours to get to Lisboa, Portugal (which you don’t want to miss!) but well worth it & not bad considering it takes 11-12 hours to get to Italy, Greece, etc……Portugal is a great idea!!  It has EVERYTHING!

But, anyway, upon landing, at 8am Portugal time we have been given an address from our Airbnb to drop our luggage & (NOTE we are all of these!  jet-lagged, tired, grouchy, circles under the eyes, looking like a homeless person!) the place is CLOSED!!!  So, we have to think fast….I see a hotel & walk in to ask about luggage storage & give our story….

We could have NOT entered a more beautiful place!  The doorman, who knew we had a place to stay proceeded to give us a tour of this LOVELY Boutique hotel complete w/ a Roman bath, shots of GinGinJa (Portuguese cherry liquor—a Must Try!), live violin music at breakfast & BONUS they graciously took our bags so we could go get breakfast & come back when we were ready to get them.  Note that he knew we had an Airbnb & there was not a chance we would stay there.  THESE ARE THE PEOPLE OF PORTUGAL. 

If I go to Portugal again…I will MUST stay here…we stumbled across it & I was blown away! + it’s a very unique, boutique hotel.

Palacio das Especiarias 

https://www.palaciodasespeciarias.com/pt/casinhasdelisboa/palacio-das-especiarias#home

Our 10 trip + 2 Days for Travel included the following:

Lisbon (2 Nights), Faro (2 Nights—Algarve Coast), Seville (2 Nights–you can travel from Portugal right into Spain w/ no border control), Monsaraz “Village in the Sky” (a UNESCO certification as a “Starlight Tourism Destination” –just a stop on the way to Evora), Evora (2 Nights), Lisbon (1 night—to travel back to the States)

We rented a car (make sure to ask for the Via Verde Transponder as many tolls are electronic only & w/ this you don’t even have to stop!)—which is cheap & BONUS, you don’t even have to drive on the other side of the road!  There are train systems to get around but we like to go at our pace & make our own stops.  I feel like we had the perfect amount of time at each place to really explore…you could move at a faster pace but I like to feel like I’m on vacation when I’m on vacation.

So, let’s break it down!

Lisbon (Lisboa):  capital city & largest city in Portugal, one of the oldest cities in the world known for its’ unique historical center, stunning architecture, colorful azuljelos (ceramic tiles), & fantastic food

What to do:

1.  Stroll the Streets—3 main neighborhoods—Bairro Alto, Baixa & Alfama
2. Sao Jorge Castle—in Alfama neighborhood—walk the streets are gorgeous w/ something to discover everywhere—peacocks even live, sleep, mate & roam free at the castle!  There are currently around 40 living at the castle & monitored by a team of scientists throughout the year.
3. Santa Justa Elevator—very cool just to see, there is a long queue to go up…Ask a local how to get up to top the top w/o waiting in line at the queue.  It is LOVELY & you will pass Largo do Carmo
4. Parca do Comercio—large harbor facing plaza

You also have to spend a day at Belam Tower & the Jeronimos Monastery (closed on Mondays) with a special stop at Pasteis de Belem for the pastel de nata (no trip is complete w/o tasting this sweet Portuguese treat).  We tried a few & Pasteis de Belem’s are the best.

Take a Day Trip or Spend the night & take 2 days to explore Sintra (we regret we only spent the day!  It is special!!).  Take the train (it doesn’t make sense to drive) & then go to Pena Palace, Castle of the Moors, Monserrate, Quinta da Regaleira & Cabo da Roca (most western point on the European mainland).  We did not make it to Monserrate or Cabo da Roca which is why I wished we were staying in this magical town. 

Eat:  Magnolia (get a reservation, it is small—dinner or brunch), Caffe di Marzana (breakfast), Time Out Market (food hall w/ lots of great choices), & for the BEST Chocolate Cake in the World….Landeau Chocolate (be warned:  they do NOT sell anything BUT Chocolate Cake & drinks…they do ONE thing but they do it the BEST), eat at one of Jose Avillez restauants (he has several Michelin stars but has some more casual restaurants as well)

Next Stop Faro:  Algrave region of southern Portugal.  Most southernmost city of Portugal prefect stop if you want to venture into Spain or even into Tangier, Africa & go down to Morrocco (this was a first plan & I want to go back to do this!)  It took about 5 hours from Lisbon to get to Faro but we stopped along the way (Note:  If you want to stay in Lagos, the trip takes 4 hours).

There are many breathtaking hikes along the coastline to stop to break up your trip….I think the best is…Seven Hanging Valleys Trail…it is beyond breathtaking & if you do the whole hike you will see the Benagil Caves (the trail is 3.7 miles or 7.4 roundtrip).  You can also take a boat ride (weather permitting) to the Benagil Caves (tours are about 41 minutes from Faro).

What to see in Faro (fairly small so could get away w/ 1 day here if you are not doing a boat ride tour or Benagil Caves):

1. Bone Chapel at the beautiful Igreja do Carmo
2. Find the entrances to the Old Town which really feels like you have stepped back into the 10^th century (it was founded by the Moors in the 10^th century)
3. Climb to the top of the cathedral in Old Town for the views from the top

Views from Seven Hanging Valleys trail

Seville:  Oh, Seville, I love you!!  So much to do…so much to see!!  (definitely spend at least 1 night) 2 hours & 15 minutes from Faro to Seville

1.  Real Alcazar—the gardens & Roman baths are in Game of Thrones—its beauty is unsurpassed.
2. Cathedral de Seville-climb to the top
3. Parque de Maria Luisa—stroll thru this stunning park
4. Go to a Flamenco Show—your trip to Seville is NOT complete w/o doing this!
5. Eat tapas—we went to El Rinconcillo which was packed & is very popular!!  Unfortunately it was not my favorite…when I made the reservation I had to share my email & I got TONS, TONS of spam so….didn’t leave the best impression.  I am still unsubscribing….We also ate Italian at La Gallina Bianca & loved the eggplant (I still dream about it to this day!)
6. Eat churros—we tried Dona Carmen (make sure you get the chocolate sauce)

On to Monsaraz …..stop our way to Evora looping back into Portugal & eventually back to Lisbon for our fight home.

Monsaraz:  “Village in the Sky”  This is one of my FAV days & as we talked to locals about where we went we were told not a lot of tourists go here.  I DEFINITELY recommend!!  You really feel like you step back into time here in the most wonderful of ways…..This is a SPECIAL place.  It is really small & easy just to walk & explore around to break up your trip.  Perfect joyous way to stretch your legs.

What to do?:

1.  Find all four historic entrances to the village. 
2. Go in the little shops
3. Take in the views from the top of the hill/the village
4. Eat at Taverna Os Templarios—back patio w/ excellent views, great food & wine

Evora:  UNESCO World Heritage Site—countryside planted with cork trees, hearty foods & wine production

1.  Capela dos Ossos—small church lined w/ human bones & skulls
2. Roman Temple of Evora
3. Cathedral of Evora
4. Praca do Giraldo

Then we traveled back to Lisboa for our flight back home the next day…which allowed to see anything we missed.  Our hearts are happy as we have explored from Lisbon to the southern-most coast of Portugal into Seville back through inland Portugal. 

Where do you want to travel next?

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