December 18 to 24, 2022 ; Lisbon to Portimão, Algarve, Portugal
Sunday ; Cloudy and mild, a few drops of rain around noon.
Today we went on an adventure researched and planned by Joanne. Thank you, my dear.
Around 11 AM we headed out, walking to Rua Pocos Negros, the nearest location where we could catch the #28 tram to the Alfama neighbourhood of Lisbon. The #28 tram is one of Lisbon’s old wooden streetcars. As planned by Joanne, we rode the tram … up and up and up … to Lisbon’s highest elevation neighbourhood, Alfama, arriving at noon. Then … we spent 3.5 hours walking 6.5 km. Downhill ! We passed thousands of other tourists … walking uphill ! HA HA HA ! Good planning, Joanne !
I bought myself a Lisbon souvenir and … a Christmas gift for me.
We had lunch at Cantinho de Sé, near the Catedral Perto de Sé de Lisboa, a catholic church built in … <blink blink> … 1147 ! Shortly after lunch we reached the point where we had planned to catch a tram the rest of the way “down”, but we still felt strong enough to keep walking, so … we walked all the way down to the Tagus River, then walked along the riverfront walkway until we could head back “home” to our guesthouse.
While sightseeing along the riverfront, there was a vendor selling … wait for it … <singing> … chestnuts roasting on an open fire. Joanne found the concept irresistible. HA HA HA ! Sixty-eight years old, and neither of us had ever experienced ... <singing> … chestnuts roasting on an open fire. I had to ask the vendor to teach us how to open them, and how to eat them. We bought a dozen chestnuts for three Euros. They were served hot from the fire, in a small pair of attached paper bags, chestnuts in one bag, and an attached empty bag to put the removed shells in. Good thinking !
Joanne quite liked them. I’m kind of indifferent. <shrug> They particularly lose appeal once they’ve cooled. By the time we arrived back home we (mostly Joanne) had eaten eight of them. I had one more, once at home. It was cooled, and … not particularly appealing, in my opinion. Chaqu’un a son gout, je suppose.
We picked up a few grocery items at the Pingo Doce supermarket underneath the Cais do Sodré bus / train / subway station. We were going to buy some breakfast pastries at Time Out Market but as we approached the building there were thousands of soccer fans lined up to get inside to eat, drink beer, and watch the World Cup final. So … muesli for breakfast again tomorrow morning. HA HA HA !
I napped briefly after we returned home. I downloaded and processed photos, and posted my blog entry. At 8 PM we made supper for ourselves in the guesthouse kitchen.
Monday ; Cloudy and mild. Which was a bonus. It was forecast to be raining all day. And early this afternoon I received weather alerts about heavy rainfall tomorrow, our last full day in Lisbon.
We went out this morning and explored for a couple of hours, just wandering around, and eventually ending up at Time Out Market where we shared a “prego”, a traditional Portuguese steak sandwich for lunch. We returned home for a rest and nap, going out again around 3 PM for more exploring. We wandered around exploring areas of our Lisbon neighbourhood we had not yet visited, eventually stumbling across Portugal’s Parliament Building.
While wandering we replenished a few items as the opportunities presented themselves ; some makeup Joanne needed, some toiletries I needed, a few grocery items, and … well … <whispering> … irresistible pastries. HA HA HA !
We returned home just in time to watch the January 6th Select Committee’s final televised report before preparing supper for ourselves in the guesthouse’s kitchen.
Tuesday ; After heavy overnight rain, today was cloudy and mild. Was forecast to be much worse !
We have learned in the week that we have been here that our room cleaning lady knocks on our door before she starts cleaning the room next door, giving us about a fifteen to twenty minute notice to vacate our room for cleaning. She knocked on our door at 11:30 this morning. We left our room at 11:45 AM and went wandering around the neighbourhood. There was only one direction left to explore, but … it was steep uphill. Joanne said “NO” ! HA HA HA !
So … we wandered around until 1 PM then went to an Arabic & Middle Eastern restaurant for lunch. Lisbon is a very multi-cultural city (what a pleasant change from Yuma, Arizona !) and it is reflected in the diversity of restaurants. Lunch was excellent ! Before returning to our guesthouse we went to A Merendeira to purchase pão com choriço and pão com legumes stuffed buns for lunch on the bus tomorrow.
We were back at our guesthouse around 2:30 PM. I napped for awhile, then we discussed what to do for the rest of the afternoon. Joanne’s vote was for … lying on the bed doing puzzles and sudokus. HA HA HA … OK ! We’re tired from our exploring, first on Terceira Island, and especially now in Lisbon. We’re looking forward to a quieter / more restful time in a full apartment in Portimão. And eager to have a clothes washing machine !
Joanne did puzzles. I did photo downloading from i-Phone to laptop, processing of photos in laptop, and uploading photos from laptop to blog. And accounting / reconciling. HMPH ! I seem to have “lost” ten Euros ! Oh, well … life goes on !
At 7 PM we packed for departure tomorrow morning. At 8 PM we went to the kitchen and prepared supper.
Wednesday ; Lisbon to Portimão, Algarve
Cloudy and mild.
This morning we checked out of our Lisbon guesthouse at 10:45 AM and waited outside for our pre-arranged car service that was to take us to the Lisbon bus station. The car service was scheduled to arrive at 11 AM but was ten minutes early. Good thing. Because the doofus took us to the airport instead of the bus station. F*** ! ! ! Brain fart, pal ! I wasn’t too pleased ! And my online review submitted tonight reflected that.
Despite the “scenic” route to the bus station we arrived (just) in time to catch the 11:45 AM Lisbon to Portimão bus. Bus and train travel in Europe is efficient and comfortable and relatively cheap. Unlike bus and train travel in North America which is none of the above.
The bus ride took 3 ¼ hours, south from Lisbon to the Algarve / south coast, then west along the south coast to Portimão, a small city. Upon arrival at the Portimão bus station we were surprised to find that there were no taxis waiting for customers. I had to use the i-Phone to locate a local taxi service phone number, then phone for a taxi and wait for its arrival.
Our rental apartment is on the fifth floor of a ten storey condo building in the Portimão suburb/resort community of Praia da Rocha. We were met at the condo building by a property manager who took us to our apartment on the fifth floor (known as the fourth floor in Europe, the main floor being “zero”), showed us around, and collected payment. It’s a very nice suite. We’re glad to be here in a full apartment with all the amenities of home.
Our priority was to head to the two supermarkets within two blocks of our building, and stock up on some food basics, including buying supper for tonight. We returned home with two full shopping bags, then I went back to the nearest store to buy a jug of water while Joanne began preparing supper.
We need to get some rest over the next few days !
Thursday ; Cloudy and mild.
We slept poorly. We were cold. This apartment is unheated. The property manager left a small oil filled radiant heater yesterday, but it was not even capable of warming up the bedroom until this morning, after it had been on since yesterday evening. This morning I phoned the property manager to ask for another heater, preferably a larger one. He didn’t have a larger one, but brought us another one like the first. We left the first one on all day to keep the bedroom tolerable, and placed the other one in the living area when it arrived in the afternoon. However, with two heaters turned on, and some warmth from cooking, showering, clothes washing, two bodies producing heat, etc., the apartment is much warmer tonight.
We had an easy day. We did two loads of laundry. YAY ! We have a washer in the apartment. In much of Europe, clothes dryers are rare in personal homes. Our apartment has a folding large clothes drying rack. It’s now spread open in our living room, beside the radiant heater, with a floor fan blowing air across the heater and against the clothes. Necessity is the mother of invention ! HA HA HA !
We bought more groceries, mostly items we need/want for Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, and Boxing Day meals, including baking supplies. I want to experiment with some of the Christmas baking ideas from the Angra do Heroisma Christmas Festival cooking demonstrations. Wish me luck ! Joanne is going to experiment with new ideas on how to prepare her traditional Christmas Eve tourtière dinner, and Christmas Day turkey dinner. Wish her luck !
Joanne set up our two inch tall Christmas tree purchased in Angra do Heroisma, and decorated it with the three inch round, wooden ornament we bought in Lisbon. HA HA HA !
Friday ; Sunny and warm. It’s about time ! I’ve been suffering from lack of sunlight !
We had our first real view of the beach today. Yesterday was foggy, with … wait for it … 100% humidity ! This morning we went for a leisurely walk east on the main street, looking for a local large hotel which is the pick up point for a guided bus trip we might make in a couple of weeks, then around to the south looking for another large grocery store, and finally west again back towards our apartment, looking for a local pastelaria / pastry shop. Once again we bought quite a lot of groceries, stocking up for Christmas and New Year’s meals, and preparing for “home cooking” now that we’re in a full apartment. And, of course, we spent / bought more than we should have at the pastry shop.
After lunch and a nap for me we went out again, this time exploring the main street to the west. And got our first real good look at the beach. Very nice ! I’m looking forward to a long walk on the beach on Christmas Eve, and Christmas Day, and New Year’s Day. The town is on cliffs above the beach, so there are many stairs down to and up from the beach. <sigh>
In the evening, after a home cooked meal, I downloaded and processed photos.
Saturday ; Christmas Eve
Today I sadly remember my father’s passing 27 years ago on this date.
Mix of sun and clouds in the morning, becoming sunny in the afternoon, warm.
Well … didn’t see that one coming ! Was awakened by a ringing phone at 3:17 AM. Staggered out of the bedroom to the dining room table where I had left the phone, and answered it. “HELLO ! ?”
HA HA HA … it was our 101 ½ year old friend Eilene phoning from her home in Oregon (at 7:17 PM) to wish us a Merry Christmas. Thank you, Eilene. How wonderful to hear from her. Ever since the last time we saw here (4 years ago … thanks, Covid !) we expect each conversation with her to be the last. But … she just keeps going and going. At her advanced age I can easily forgive her lack of awareness of time zone differences. Merry Christmas to you, Eilene !
It’s now 5 PM and I have just finished the first ever in my life independent Christmas baking. HA HA HA ! Well done, Daniel. It’s never too late for an old dog to learn new tricks. I tried to replicate the puff pastry Christmas trees done at one of the Christmas Festival cooking demonstrations in Angra do Heroisma. Mine certainly don’t look like Christmas trees, but … they smell nice ! HA HA HA ! If they taste as nice as they smell, it will be a success.
We went for our early walk around noon, walking to the end of the main street along the waterfront, then down a long series of stairs, and walked back towards our apartment along the beachfront boardwalk. Our late afternoon walk around 6 PM was a shorter distance because it got dark and cool quickly.
Joanne was unable to find a pie shell in the local grocery stores with which to make her traditional Christmas Eve tourtière dinner. So … she used puff pastry to create a sort of tourtière … uhhhhh … empanada like concoction. HA HA HA … it looked a bit unusual, but like my “Christmas tree” pastries, it tasted just fine.
DSK
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