We have been in Lisbon the past few days and today we're visiting Sintra. We are flying back tomorrow evening, but due to bad train connections we won't be home before Friday afternoon.
The journey is coming to the end and all along it was an amazing experience. It is going to be somehow strange going back to work on Monday.
It is quite difficult finding a decent (and budget) internet connection in Lisbon so we might not post at all until we arrive home.
See you on Friday!
p.s.: we have about 1700 photos and 2,5 hours of film so far :)
Wednesday, September 26, 2007
Saturday, September 22, 2007
Porto
A typical meal called Francesinha / The south side of the river Douro is called Morocco by locals
The Ribeira in Porto / Boats that used to carry port wine
Mitja on the Dom Luis I bridge / One of the remaining trams
Igreja (church) de São Francisco / Interesting architecture at the riverside
More architecture / Dom Luis I bridge
Old buildings / São Bento train station
Interesting azulejos / Entrance to the church
Catacombs inside the church / Session room beside the church
Our clothes are being washed at this moment :)
Friday, September 21, 2007
Coimbra
Yesterday and the day before we were visiting Coimbra, a city full of students with one of the oldest Universities, founded in 1290. The students follow a special dress code, they wear black suits, white shirts, black ties and long capes (unfortunately we can only transfer pictures from Kristina's camera and she didn't photograph them). One of the highlights of Coimbra for us was listening to fado while drinking Port wine in an atmospheric 14th century church that has been transformed into a candlelit cocktail lounge.
Narrow escalating streets / The Sé Velha cloister
Botanical Garden / Parque de Santa Cruz
Streets again / Fountain
Manga park and its curious fountain with tons of pigeons / Detail of a shop
Narrow escalating streets / The Sé Velha cloister
Botanical Garden / Parque de Santa Cruz
Streets again / Fountain
Manga park and its curious fountain with tons of pigeons / Detail of a shop
Monday, September 17, 2007
Our Portugal so far
Since we have free internet access now in Óbidos, I'll take the chance and write some words about our trip around Portugal so far.
When leaving Lagos, we took a train to Evora. We had to change twice, with a 2 hour stop in Beja, but unfortunately, there was no place available to store our heavy backpacks, so we just hung around the station, drinking coffee and playing cards.
Arriving in Evora, we feared about getting an accomodation, since budget options are scarce. Eventually we did find a pensao (Pensao O Giraldo, recommended by Lonely Planet that says a double costs 40,00 €... we had to pay 50,00 € for a room with a funny bathroom... well we did notice Lonely Planet was incorrect or outdated on many subjects) and settled for one night. Personally I didn't enjoy Évora that much, it reminded me too much of Gorizia.
We were planning to take a bike trip to see the Almendres Cromlech megalithic complex, but it was Sunday and almost everything, bike rentals included was closed. So we decided to stay only 1 night in the expensive town and just continue with our trip. Originally we were planning Sintra as our next stop, but then we decided for Óbidos (and including Sintra as a day trip from our Lisbon stay).
So we sat on the train again (ticket Évora - Óbidos through Lisbon with a Euro <26 discount costs as little as 13,00 €). We had a 2 hour stop in Lisbon, so we headed out of the train station (and this time, there were lockers available) and stopped at the Jardim Zoologico (the Zoo) for a quick look and a bite.
Then we sat on the train again and drove to the village of Óbidos... and that was quite an experience. We arrived at the train station at dusk, the station laid abbandoned in the middle of farmland, with fog coming up from the nearby streams. No soul around, no village, just the ruins of a castle on top of a hill. I began to worry we would ever find an accomodation, and most of all... where the hell were we. Mitja persuaded me to climb on top of the hill (with a backpack on my back and a day pack in front of me) to the castle ruins. Only when we walked through the castle we noticed the village and - yes - civilization!
Getting a room was not too difficult then. Actually, we took the first one we visited, and even bargained it down from 45,00 € to 35,00 € per night.
Today we have been exploring Óbidos and we are staying one more night. Tomorrow we might take a biking ride through the countryside or maybe a trip to Peniche, if the weather stays nice.
After that we travel on to Coimbra.
When leaving Lagos, we took a train to Evora. We had to change twice, with a 2 hour stop in Beja, but unfortunately, there was no place available to store our heavy backpacks, so we just hung around the station, drinking coffee and playing cards.
Arriving in Evora, we feared about getting an accomodation, since budget options are scarce. Eventually we did find a pensao (Pensao O Giraldo, recommended by Lonely Planet that says a double costs 40,00 €... we had to pay 50,00 € for a room with a funny bathroom... well we did notice Lonely Planet was incorrect or outdated on many subjects) and settled for one night. Personally I didn't enjoy Évora that much, it reminded me too much of Gorizia.
We were planning to take a bike trip to see the Almendres Cromlech megalithic complex, but it was Sunday and almost everything, bike rentals included was closed. So we decided to stay only 1 night in the expensive town and just continue with our trip. Originally we were planning Sintra as our next stop, but then we decided for Óbidos (and including Sintra as a day trip from our Lisbon stay).
So we sat on the train again (ticket Évora - Óbidos through Lisbon with a Euro <26 discount costs as little as 13,00 €). We had a 2 hour stop in Lisbon, so we headed out of the train station (and this time, there were lockers available) and stopped at the Jardim Zoologico (the Zoo) for a quick look and a bite.
Then we sat on the train again and drove to the village of Óbidos... and that was quite an experience. We arrived at the train station at dusk, the station laid abbandoned in the middle of farmland, with fog coming up from the nearby streams. No soul around, no village, just the ruins of a castle on top of a hill. I began to worry we would ever find an accomodation, and most of all... where the hell were we. Mitja persuaded me to climb on top of the hill (with a backpack on my back and a day pack in front of me) to the castle ruins. Only when we walked through the castle we noticed the village and - yes - civilization!
Getting a room was not too difficult then. Actually, we took the first one we visited, and even bargained it down from 45,00 € to 35,00 € per night.
Today we have been exploring Óbidos and we are staying one more night. Tomorrow we might take a biking ride through the countryside or maybe a trip to Peniche, if the weather stays nice.
After that we travel on to Coimbra.
Photos of Óbidos
The castelo of Óbidos / The dead man is a warning for other people
The village of Óbidos / A 3 km long 16-century aqueduct
One of the many churches in Óbidos / Narrow lanes in the charming village
The views of the village / The 13-century castel - a night in the castel's pousada (guesthouse) costs some 220,00 €.
Nice streets don't seem to end
Kristina at the entrance to our pousada, where a nice room costs 35€ per night
Photos of Evora
Early hour on the train Lagos - Evora / The landscape is filled with cork oak trees
Praça do Giraldo in Evora / The church on the square
Templo Romano (Temple of Diana) / The sé (cathedral)
Steep stairs leading on the roof / View on the inner garden of the cloister
Capela dos Ossos with bones of 5000 people / The famous portugese azulejos
Houses built under Roman aqueduct / Strange bathroom in our room
Photos of Cabo de São Vicente
Going to São Vicente / Mitja at the end of the world
The most south-west point of Europe.
Closer view of the lighthouse / Seagull posing
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