Loving Lisbon Day 6: Awesome Aquarium

I haven't been to the aquarium since my own children were small, and since my big kid was excited to see the largest indoor aquarium in Europe, we set off to see the Lisbon Aquarium. Since it was a beautiful sunny day, we enjoyed strolling the grounds and the river walk that Expo 98 once occupied.



The Lisbon aquarium is the largest indoor aquarium in Europe, housed in two buildings, one a temporary exhibit, created by different artists from other countries, and a large permanent exhibit, which is the most beautiful that I have ever seen. Every imaginable fish is represented, with the tropical fish in an 180,000 cubic foot tank with windows on two floors, allowing for easy visibility from every angle. My favourite was the sunfish, as I have never seen one of these before! It is very odd looking, one of the largest fish in the tank, looks almost square, and doesn't appear to have a tail at all!



There were also some interesting species in smaller tanks around the outside wall of the aquarium, such as seahorses, anemones and jellyfish.

After leaving the aquarium, we rode the overhead gondola to the opposite end of the park and caught our bus home for a rest before heading out for the evening.

Our evening walk included many, many stairs, as we wanted to climb to where the church ruins were and catch some great photos in the setting sun. As the church was closed for the day, we would have to return tomorrow in order to enjoy the treasures held inside.

Loving Lisbon Day 5: The Tower of Belem

At first the idea of taking a walk through the history of Lisbon in the Story Center seemed too juvenile for such wordly folk as Old Brycey and Arly, but since the Tourist Office is located there, and we had returned several times, we finally decided it might be worth a try. We were so glad we did, as this turned out to be one of our favourite activities so far! The Story Center walked us through several different scenes with an audio guide, telling us the story of how Lisbon was originally settled, showing a full screen movie of the earthquake that made us feel like we were actually there, and experiencing the rebuilding of the city. We always come away from a trip with a much better understanding of the history of where we have been, but nowhere has this been more true than in Lisbon!

We thought it was a castle, but it's a prison!

Since we had run out of time when we were out in Belem, we hopped back on the "Hop on Hop off bus" for another trip out to the most visited part of Lisbon. Along the way, we passed the aqueduct that was built in the 1700s. This incredible structure stretches 11 miles, and miraculously survived the earthquake!

Amazing Aqueduct

Once we finally reached Belem, we had to stop for lunch at one of the sidewalk cafes. To live is to eat here in Portugal! Mmmmmm, delightfully delicious! And, of course, a side trip to the Pasteis de Belem for the most tantalizing  custard tarts anywhere in the world! Sigh, I'll start the diet when I get home!

By the time we got to the tower, Bryce decided that he had to go admire some plumbing possibilities, but of course, that was a very long walk to the other end of the park, so I decided that I would stand in line while I waited for him. After what seemed like half an hour, I was at the front of the line, but still no Bryce! I gave up my place in line and just then, I finally saw him, but it was 5:00, and the guard had put the barrier across to prevent anyone new from joining the line. Oh no, this was the second time that we had come to see the tower, and we would have to miss it again!





"Please, kind sir, I've been standing here for half an hour and my poor husband had to go use the washroom, please let him in!" Thankfully, he took pity on us and allowed Bryce to enter. (There were a lot of people who weren't so lucky, though!)

The tower was built in the early 1500s as a first line of defense for the city, and it was well worth the trouble we went through to see it. Bryce opted to stay below while I climbed to the top to enjoy a 360 degree view of the river and the city.

Loving Lisbon Day 4: Awesome Alfama

The Alfama is one of the few areas in Lisbon that was not destroyed by the earthquake of 1755. How we loved exploring the narrow alleyways and walkways of this medieval village. We started at the train station where we bought our tickets to Porto for the 23rd. Luckily we are not at the height of the tourist season, as these tickets can sell out up to a month in advance! It was fun standing in line and noticing the backpackers buying tickets for points all over Europe, many of them pensioners like us but  in hiking boots and backpacks!

Bryce is like a kid in a candy shop in a train station, taking in all the sights and sounds, reliving his youth travelling across Canada working as a 2nd cook on the trains. Oh the stories he has to tell!

Hanging the wash out is common just adds to the charm!

We let ourselves be led along the street, not really sure where we were heading, when we came across a sign pointing uphill that said "Mercado" (market). "Didn't you say that there was a market here on Saturdays?" I said to Bryce as we began the long trek uphill. After about a mile walk all uphill, passing churches and enchanting houses, we finally came to the market that filled the square and many side streets.

Bryce was thrilled because he found a leather jacket for only 8 euros. Since it has been miserably cold, he eagerly grabbed it, and I had to listen to him carry on all day about how grateful he was for it!

From the market, we carried on downhill, taking our time to enjoy meandering along the charming back alleys and stairways that lead through the town. Since I didn't have a coat and was feeling the chill, we ate inside, skipping the many tempting sidewalk cafes. We decided this was our favourite meal so far, but we say that at every restaurant here, as the food is wonderfully delicious. Bryce enjoyed the seafood gumbo, while I had cod.

Tiled buildings are one of the many interesting aspects of Lisbon

We ended our afternoon in the Fado museum, where we learned all about this traditional Portugese musical art dating back to the 1820s with ancient roots thought to originate with the songs of the Moors. It reminded me of the beatniks, as the music was often anti-establishment, sung in bars and coffee houses, and looked on with suspicion by the government.. In fact, many of the singers were  jailed by the dictatorship ruling the country in the early 1900s, who censored the music and eventually placed strict regulations on its form.

After all that hill walking, we went home for a quick nap so that we could return fresh in the evening in order to enjoy the Fado in this delightful area. As we meandered along the narrow walkways, we were delighted to hear this expressive yet mournful music expressing loss and a hard life on the sea drifting  from almost every restaurant. It was easy to see why UNESCO has designated Fado as one of the Intangible Heritage forms.

View of the city from the top of the hill

Loving Lisbon Day 3: Beautiful Belem

Belem is the apex of Lisbon history. Set on the river, it is yet another beautiful area with shops, historical buildings and most importantly, the Casa Pasteis de Belem.

The entrance to the museum

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 This is  where sailors began their voyages of discovery around the world. We started our day of discovery at the Maritime Museum, which is filled with models of every imaginable ship built to scale and a complete history of this seafaring nation. In discovering new lands in India and the Americas, Portugal built itself into the richest country in Europe.



The original monastery has been transformed into the Naval Museum

 

This museum is housed in the Monastary of St. Jeronimos, which is attached to the church. This amazing building was built by King Manuel in the early 1500s as a tribute to the sailors who would come to the original humble chapel to pray before setting off on their dangerous oversea adventures.

The church at the end of the monastery (museum) is awe inspiring, with motifs from the sea throughout. Inside we even found the tomb of Vasco de Gama, the courageous explorer who first rounded the Cape of Good Hope, discovering the first sea passage to India in 1497.

Although the monastery and church were spectacular, I couldn't get my mind off the most important part of Belem, the famous Casa Pasteis de Belem, where the famous custard tart pastel de nata originated. Although they sell this pastry throughout Portugal, the recipe here has been highly guarded, and people line up around the block to buy these tasty treats.

Across the highway along the river is the Monument to the Discoveries, built as a tribute to all the explorers who set off from this port. It beautifully captures the team effort that it took, as each explorer built on the discoveries of those who had gone before, and were dependent on the kings who financed their voyages and the soldiers who often took the new lands by force.



Loving Lisbon Day Two



We absolutely love our little apartment, first because it is nice and quiet and we get terrific sleeps, and second because of the location in the coolest part of Lisbon. We discovered today that we are right on the path leading up the hill to the Castelo St. Jorge. This was about a half mile walk up a narrow cobble road lined with funky shops and restaurants. We took many pictures of fascinating doors and windows along the way.

 

   

 The best part of the castle were the views, as we were able to see almost a 360 degree view of the city from the grounds and castle walls. The beginning of the castle was built in 600 B.C. during the Iron Age, now that is old! The main castle was built in the middle of the 11th century by the Moors, and was mainly a military post during that era. When Dom Alfonso Henriques conquered Lisbon in 1147, becoming the first king of Portugal, the castle was remodeled to become the home of the royal family.  When the Spanish conquered Portugal in 1580, the castle once again became a military stronghold.
















Leaving the castle, we enjoyed a leisurely stroll through the charming village surrounding the castle, stopping to enjoy the narrow cobble streets lined with picturesque homes. After only two days we are fully in love with this city and look forward to exploring it further!

Loving our Lives in Lisbon

Trolley cars run throughout the city

We decided to try something different for this vacation instead of running all over the country like crazy fools. Upon the advice of our friends Pam and Jim from Washington DC who are seasoned travellers, we decided to skip staying in expensive hotels and try renting directly from the owners of small condos through VRBO (Vacation Rentals By Owners) for two weeks in Lisbon and two weeks in Porto in Portugal. We will see less of the country, but this will give us a much more relaxed vacation at half the price.

We finally arrived at our rented condo in Lisbon 24 hours after being dropped off at the airport in Vancouver. We were very grateful that everything had gone so smoothly, as by the time that we had waited in London for our connecting flight, caught the subway to Rossio, and after stumbling around the square in dazed circles, we finally asked someone in a restaurant if they could help us find our condo. To our surprise, rather than telling us where to go, one of the servers kindly walked us right to our door, even dragging one of our suitcases along for us.

When we finally found the condo, we were astounded to see the stairs that awaited us.  Gathering our last ounce of energy, we managed  to stagger up to our new home for the next two weeks. We were delighted to find a small but clean and cozy condo with everything we need, including a washer and dryer combo!

Yikes!

Our hostess Sofia even walked with me to the closest restaurant, took care of ordering, and waited with me for 20 minutes as they prepared our dinner. By now, it was 11:00 at night, and we were exhausted but so thankful for the kindness of our new Portugese friends.

A view of our new home from the rooftop restaurant next door. We're in the bottom door on the right.

Our first day in Portugal started off slowly, as we allowed our jet lagged bodies to get caught up on our sleep. After shopping at the grocery store at the bottom of the stairs, Bryce cooked me a delicious cheese omelette, and we set off to explore the city.

Oh boy, more stairs!

Lisbon is known as the city of hills, and they are everywhere. Many streets are pedestrians only, which means that they can link one to the other with, yes you guessed it, stairs!

Lisbon is situated at the mouth of the Tagus River, the longest river on the Iberian Peninsula, which includes Portugal and Spain. This creates a beautiful backdrop for the Praco do Comercio (the Square of Commerce), a lovely shopping area with lovely sidewalk cafes  that stretch from the river to the square in the centre of Rossio, the beautiful area of the city that we are staying in.

The entry into the river plaza is through the Arco da Rua Augusta, which was rebuilt in 1873 after the earthquake of 1755 destroyed most of the town. The arch was designed to celebrate the bronze statue of  King Jose 1, built in 1775.

Bronze statue of King Jose 1

Brycey framed by the Arco da Rua Augusta
 

After enjoying lunch in one of the lovely sidewalk cafes, we wandered and shopped along the mall for a few hours and a leisurely one mile stroll until we reached the Rossio square.

A selfie in front of the fountain in Rossio square
 

This has been one of the main squares in Lisbon since the middle ages, and is still a popular meeting place.

Ah, an exhausting but happy first day, we were grateful to settle into bed, as we were still feeling the effects of jet lag.

Our National Lampoon American Thanksgiving Vacation

Doing "time" in Hermosillo Mexico

How we love our life of adventure! We have seen some amazing places and done many wonderful things. My sweetie and I are like a couple of kids off exploring the world hand in hand, usually with big grins on our faces. In fact we often congratulate ourselves as we go about these adventures. Never do we choose the easier softer way, preferring the sense of freedom that comes from planning and taking the trip on our own,  problem solving the little bumps in the road that inevitably come along. Not only that, we pride ourselves on being thrifty travellers in our quest to make our travelling dollars outlast our wanderlust.

Every once in a while however, the joke is on us! Our trip from our winter home in Bucerias Mexico to Phoenix for Thanksgiving was just one of those times. To start with, we are Canadians going to enjoy American Thanksgiving with a bunch of  our Canadian snowbird friends who winter in Mesa Arizona. After being their snowbird neighbours for several years, it's become a tradition that we didn't want to miss even though we no longer live there. We always tell ourselves, isn't it great to have two Thanksgivings? Little did we know that we would soon be in our own version of John Candy's "Trains and Boats and Planes" as we tried to get "home" for the American holiday where no one was American!

It all started with us driving as we usually do, like obsessive crazy people from our winter home in Bucerias, just north of Puerto Vallarta Mexico. We get some sort of strange buzz from getting up at 3:30 am in our effort to beat the traffic and then driving  past supper time, pulling into our motel with just enough time to eat and pass out for the night. This usually works well, as we switch off on the driving, which allows us to take cat naps during our off shift. What we hadn't planned on during this trip was the early winter nightfall. Everyone knows that it is a mistake to drive in the dark in Mexico, as there are no streetlights, and if you have car trouble there are no shoulders to pull off on. Many times we have come upon a broken down car on the highway, with a kid standing down the road waving his shirt warning the other drivers to slow down. The last thing I ever want is to be that kid!


If only we had stopped just as dusk approached, we could have saved ourselves a pile of time and money and I wouldn't be writing this blog! But we convinced ourselves that our years of experience of driving in Mexico over-rode that wise advice. "Big mistake", I thought as I hit the big chunk of truck tire lying right in the middle of my lane. In the dark I didn't see it until the last second, and even if I had, there was no way to avoid it as there was no shoulder on one side and a big semi on the other. "Oh, bleepity bleep," we both said. "Well, let's hope we didn't do any damage." (Mistake number two). We were only a half hour from our hotel in Hermosillo so we kept on driving. When my sweetie lifted the hood, it was so hot that he just slammed it shut and said,  "Let's go eat supper, we'll deal with it in the morning when it's cool."

After a good night's sleep, we checked the oil, all was well, the water not so lucky. Totally and completely bone dry. We must have cracked the radiator. We filled it with fresh water and hoped for the best, but as soon as we started the car it was obvious that we were in big trouble. Fortunately there was a taller (garage) right across the street and our car coughed and sputtered its way over as we prayed that we wouldn't stall. The mechanic just shook his head and said, "This is very bad, this is very very bad" as he looked at the steam coming out of the tailpipe. (As this was not a steam engine!)

The guard dog at the auto mechanic's. Be careful, Bryce, she'll rip your arm off!

After three days of waiting, he was finally able to tell us that the damage was indeed serious, possibly the head was warped and the block was cracked. (I really don't understand what that means, but I knew it was bad.) He would need to order parts and it would take at least a week. At that point, we were relieved just to have some answers, as we were getting awfully tired of our hotel room, watching stupid movies, reading stupid books and telling stupid jokes. My sweetie started to refer to doing time, and our efforts to make the best of the situation started to wear thin.

Fixing the sign at our hotel

We had thought that we could just take a bus to the border and then rent a car, but dogs aren't allowed on the bus. Last minute airline tickets cost more than a trip to Europe, and we couldn't drive a Mexican rental car across the border because of insurance complications. We called around to the car rental agencies until I found one that quoted me a reasonable price to leave the car at the border. Once the driver arrived at our hotel he started on the fast pitch and suddenly the price was double what we were originally quoted, as we would need a driver to bring the car back to Hermosillo. We reluctantly loaded our luggage into the trunk, but at the last minute said "forget it," and told him we would find another way.

We went to talk to our new best friend the mechanic, hoping that he might know someone who would do it for less. He called around, but after waiting for three hours, the best he could do was to line us up with another car rental and driver for the same price, but at least this guy was up front about the price, and was even willing to drive us all the way to Tucson to pick up our Anerican rental car.

We tried to rent an American car just north of the border, but out of the two rental agencies in town, one was out of cars and the other was out of compact cars. The best they could do was $60 a day for a Rav4. We decided to try a rental agency in Tucson and figure out how to get there from the border later. We managed to find a car for $20 a day, which is a big difference when we were possibly looking at renting for 10 days.

We finally made it to Mesa just in time for Thanksgiving dinner. The car took more than two weeks to fix, but we finally got if fixed, and drove very carefully, very sensibly back to our beautiful Casa in Bucerias. This was an expensive lesson, as there were many more repairs needed to get our car fully restored, but we were grateful that, as we both survived with our humour, lives and marriage intact.

Yeah, back home safe and sound in Bucerias!