Lisbon City, Fatima and Obidos - Lisbon - Things To Do Reviews

Well it's been awhile since I've logged on to Travbuddy, and I decided to write a review about my last major trip. In the summer I went to Portugal, Lisbon being the main place we stayed in. Portugal, from what I experienced, is beautiful. It has beautiful cities, countryside and people. The food is to die for, too. Okay, hotels: we stayed at the Holiday Inn Lisbon on Avenida Jose Antonio de Almeida. Very clean, nice rooms, great bathroom and comfortable beds. It's a little far away from the downtown area and main attractions; it is located in a residential area, but the upside of this is that it is quiet, and you get to experience how the locals live day to day. As far as food, we never ate breakfast, lunch or dinner, since as soon as we got up in the morning we were always out and about. For breakfast we would go to a small place south of the hotel, walking distance, where they serve pastries, cold cuts, and lunch meals, as well as good coffee. It's fast and it's good. This is pretty much the standard in these places. Attractions: I highly recommend the Monastery of Jeronimos in the Belem district, as well as the Royal Carriages Museum. St. Georges Castle on top of the hill in the Alfama district is a must, and it's a way to walk through the meandering streets of the old and important Alfama district. While there, don't forget to visit the Church of St. Anthony, where he was born and raised, before he went to Padua. Also, take a peek at the Cathedral, even though it's austere-looking, but very interesting in terms of history. Food: Go to the Belem district, dont forget to go the Pasteis do Belem, and try one of those yummy pastries with a good, with a kick, Portuguese coffee. Also try one of the many and wonderful seafood restaurants along the walk in Belem. We went to Portugalia restaurant, and the food and ambiance was wonderful. Don't forget to go to the Monument to the Discoveries, great place for picture-taking. Shopping, go to the main drag in downtown Lisbon which is Baixa-Chiado, as well as El Corte Ingles, a seven or eight story department store where you'll find everything, even museum-quality exhibits! Day trips: we went to Fatima, as pilgrims, and the place was divine, with every sense of the word. Don't forget to light a candle for yourself and your family and friends, any faith applies as long as you have faith! From there we ran into the town of Batalha where the imposing Monastery of Batalha is located, highly impressive building, not to be missed. While there, and if they're in season, why don't you try one of their sumptuous figs? We bought a kilo, and between my parents and I, we ate the whole bag. From there, we wanted to see what the small seaside village of Nazare is like, it looks cute, and the old ladies still wear their traditional dresses, but it was too touristy, and there was no where to park. So, then we went on to Obidos, a small mountaintop medieval town that is preserved as it was in the old days. The town is beautiful, with its cobblestoned alleyways, interesting boutiques, small tavernas and great liquor stores selling the cherry liquor "Ginginha"--very good, but strong. The town boasts a medieval wall with beautiful entryways, with decorations of blue and white tile typical of Portugal. From there, we returned to Lisbon. For this, we rented a car from Europcar, highly recommend this company if you'll be renting a car anywhere in Europe. The next day, we got ourselves lucky by finding a wonderful taxi driver, a "pan de Dios", as we say in Spanish, meaning "bread of God", who was more than willing to drive us around Lisbon and its villages. He took us to Sintra and it was beautiful, we saw the National Palace of Pena, which was awesome, like a fairytale. Cascais, another resort town, very beautiful and got to eat some authentic Portuguese food; I myself ate a dish that consisted of fried pork and oysters, yum! We also saw the National Palace (Royal palace), of Queluz, which was also beautiful. The taxi driver, by the name of Jose Gomes, took us all over these places, including the restaurant, and made sure we got the tickets, and basically took care of us. He was very friendly, talkative and knew about where to take people, and the history of Portugal. He was truly a sweetheart, so if you're in Portugal, try to look him up, I highly recommend him. And, of course, I can't forget the people, Jose Gomes is the Portugese people personified, all in one. They are the sweetest, friendliest people you'll ever find. They will go out of their way to help you in any way they can. They are lovable people who will make you fall in love with them and their culture and country. Being Mexican myself, I truly felt at home in Portugal, so many aspects of the country really reminded me of Mexico: such as the friendliness of the people, their lifestyle and livelihood, their devotion to family, traditions and faith. The day we took off for home, Jose Gomes took us to the airport, and we were so grateful with him that my mom and I gave him a hug. We were so sad to leave Portugal, that my mom and I also got a little teary-eyed. We were so sad to leave Portugal, but alas, all good trips must come to an end. But, I am planning to return to Portugal, and this time visit other places such as Coimbra the university town, and Porto, the capital of port wine, and maybe hop on some of the island. Before I forget, one more HIGHLY IMPORTANT RECOMMENDATION: while in Lisbon please don't waste a night, and go to a fado club to listen to the sultry and melancholy, but beautiful music of fado, the music of romance and longing that was born and bred in the streets of Alfama in the 19th century. We went to the Clube de Fado in Alfama, and I highly, highly recommend it. Wonderful singers and talented musicians, as well as wonderful food in a historic and romantic setting. So, next time you plan on a trip to Europe, please consider Portugal, one of Europe's oldest nations and underappreciated destinations: it's beautiful, cheap, and you'll love it! Obrigada!