INTERESTING TIMES
(in Spain, Portugal and UK)
Faro to Lisbon
Friday 24th May, 2019
Saturday 25th May, 2019
Sunday 26th May, 2019
Friday 24th May, 20199
Faro, Portugal
reasonable start today, we didn't have to have the bags out until 0830 and then left the hotel at 0930. So we had a short walk after breakfast.
It did not take long to get to Portugal, only a couple of hours. Portugal is an hour behind us so we arrived at 1130 Portuguese time but it was time for lunch.
Lunch Time in Faro
e had an hour and a half in the seaside town of Faro, quite attractive with a busy marina. There were big hotels by the water but it still remained quite small and charming. If we go on our boat ride tomorrow we will go from Faro, it's only half an hour from the hotel. Christine would prefer us not to go on the boat, in case it is rough and exacerbates my ribs. We'll see.
Faro Marina
e shared a ham, cheese and tomato roll and a coke in a little bakery with an interesting line in wall decoration, then walked through a little craft market in a park where a large group of schoolkids was holding a noisy demonstration against climate change etc. ,then we had an ice cream and came back to where we had to meet the bus to our hotel/resort.
Conrad Resort
Driveway Entrance, Conrad Resort
he Conrad, a Hilton extravaganza, is half hotel, half condominium. As soon as we arrived we were gobsmacked by the driveway up to the main doors. The drive is lined with condominium blocks but the centre of the drive is a long and beautiful pool. It really set the tone for the hotel.
Conrad Resort Gates
Foyer, Conrad Resort
he foyer is enormous, and filled with light and a colourful art exhibition. This included very large versions of the Barcelo cockerel, a Portuguese icon, painted with portraits! The foyer is on the third floor but ground level, our room, which is enormous and beautiful, with a balcony overlooking the gardens, is on the second floor, so we had to go down to it.
Door Detail, Conrad Resort
he breakfast room and swimming pool/gym is also on this floor. The doors to the rooms have carved wood decoration and the room itself has everything.
Our Room Conrad Resort
he balcony has armchairs and coffee tables, so does the room itself. We have a Nespresso style coffee maker so we went across to a little supermarket fairly close and bought some biscuits to have with coffee on our balcony. Then we did some emailing and Viber with Geoff and relaxed. Mac is snoring, his cold is running its course and making him very tired. Me too. We have dinner here later.
Our terrace
Later:
inner was "unusual". We started with beef carpaccio, the first time we had encountered it. Although initially a bit reluctant to try what is essentially raw meat, we both found it delicious, spiced in a curing mix. Main was codfish in a white bean puree, absolutely tasteless, we both left most of it. Dessert was chocolate - cake, mousse, ice cream, decorations, all chocolate - OK but
OTT . It was quite late when we got back to the room, but we slept well.
Saturday 25th May, 2019
Foyer, Conrad Resort
ince we decided to miss the boat ride, much to Christine's relief, we were able to have a good leisurely lie-in this morning and a good breakfast before sorting out the luggage for our trip to Lisbon. Later we met some of the people who went on the boat and they said it was calm as a millpond. Oh well.
We bought a few souvenirs at the little shopping centre, had coffee and biscuits for lunch on our terrace, then caught up with Geoff on Viber for a chat. All seems well, but trackwork between Lithgow and the rest of the world is making life difficult. Cadfael is getting stroppy, having to wait so long for his dinner.
Lights in the Foyer, Conrad Resort
fter checking out, we hung out in the Fabulous Foyer, as I am starting to call it, enjoying the paintings and sculpture and the really interesting and different cascades of lights. Then it was back to the bus.
Our Room Lisbon
he trip to Lisbon was fairly quick but as interesting as outback Australia really. If it was not for the trees being cork oaks instead of eucalypts the scene was remarkably similar.
e arrived in Lisbon at about 1700 and met our new tour/cruise director Janos for a briefing and program notes etc. There are now many new guests on the tour, who have arrived from other places to join the cruise, so we are now 75 instead of 32.
Our Terrace, Lisbon
ur room is perfectly adequate, just that we have been so spoiled lately, it seems a bit of a comedown. It seems a little substandard, but we usually do not have to spend much time in the hotel.
Later:
e went out to see if we could find a laundry, and did, but could not get through the language barrier with the only person there to see if we could get a wash done, but it does seem to be do it yourself. We may have to buy some detergent and go for it. Such a drag!
e went on up the street to look for somewhere to eat. We found a little place that specialised in hamburgers - NOT McDonalds! and had a really good burger with cheese, ham and caramelised onion (and chips) with sangria. After we had ordered the sangria I noticed a bottle of Mateus rose in their fridge, but we didn't want a whole bottle. It was such a small place that we enquired whether they took plastic, and they didn't. However, the waitress took Mac to a local ATM and showed him how to work it. (It wanted six numbers instead of four.) Then another couple of women from the tour came in, new ones, and introduced themselves. They had also been personally escorted to an ATM by the girl (I hope she isn't making notes of the numbers!) They ordered the bottle of Mateus and would have been happy to share but we already had our sangrias.
View from our Terrace, Lisbon
Orchids in Hotel Foyer, Lisbon
nyway, back to the hotel. It may be deluxe, and the foyer is very beautiful, dripping with live orchids, but it is in a very inconvenient area, like the one in Granada. Our balcony is such a comedown from the Conrad, very small and the suburban street scene it overlooks is not very inspiring.
See what tomorrow brings.
Sunday 26th May, 2019
On the Tram Tour, Lisbon
ut today for a tour of the highlights of Lisbon. We were taken to a hill (Lisbon is built on more hills than Rome apparently) and loaded into antique tram cars (sourced from San Francisco) to head down to the only flat bit of the city which is by the river and ocean port. Mac and I enjoyed the ride but agreed that the "old town" they went through was gritty and grotty and an eyesore rather like our memories of Naples. Not very attractive, despite the tiled exteriors which seem a feature of Portuguese decor, most of which were cracked and dirty.
Church in Geronimo's Monastery. Lisbon
owever, the square we arrived at was quite monumental, with government buildings, the major railway station, banks etc. We strolled around it, bought a couple of souvenirs, then were taken to the major tourist area of Lisbon, the world heritage listed Monastery of St. Jerome, (or Geronimo as the Portuguese say).
Geronimo Cloister
t is no longer a monastery, they were all disbanded in a coup in the 18th Century but it is a lovely building. The church inside is the local parish church and they had just finished Mass so it was quite crowded. But the architecture, especially the cloisters, built around a garden with fountains, was beautiful.
Tiled Picture in the Cloisters
he Portuguese make a lot of use of ceramic tiles, a trait probably inherited from the Moors. They clad the outside of buildings and also the inside walls of many, including the Cloisters at Geronimo. I understand it helps keep the buildings cooler in the summer heat and probably keeps the warm in during winter.
Tower of Belem Lisbon
fter we exited we drove off to see the Tower of Belem, which is a 13th Century fortification and I think a toll bar, which used to sit in the middle of the river but is now on shore because of silting. Nearby the tower is a replica of an aeroplane in which two Portuguese men flew the South Atlantic in 1929. Lots of family groups were picnicking in the park beside the tower and enjoying a fine Sunday, although to me it was getting quite hot.
The Aeroplane Memorial, Lisbon
e returned to the hotel, had coffee and biscuits for lunch on our terrace, then I washed out some smalls and hung them on the terrace in the sun and fresh breeze. With any luck they will dry.
Tonight we have an included dinner and have been told to bring our cameras. Don't know what to expect, but it's an included meal which is why we didn't try to get lunch. More later.
Later:
e had an hilarious and delicious dinner at a restaurant perched on the very top of a hill overlooking Lisbon with a spectacular view over the city and the ruins of St. George's castle on top of another nearby hill. We had a four course meal with constant top-ups of wine and water.
1st course - baked cheese parcel - yum
2nd course - fish with curried rice - very nice
3rd course - pork fillet with potatoes and onions - yum
4th course - dark chocolate pudding - extra yum but the whole meal was delicious and far too much. Thank goodness we had not had lunch.
omorrow we go to Sintra in the mountains, and in minibuses it could be rough. It was rather tough coming home tonight - a bit hard on my ribs despite the anaesthetic alcohol!
We shall see what tomorrow brings.
Back to Top
Back to Contents
Back to Previous Page
Forward to Next
