Trip in Portugal

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Holidays in Portugal

On August 26 off my wife and I, from Rome to Lisbon.
Mostly I heard from those who had visited the Portuguese capital has awakened in me a great curiosity. As when, seeing a movie based on a novel that you read, remains surprised by the diversity of faces of the players compared to the image that you were made of the characters, so I am surprised from oblivion already watching the plane, landing, which changes between the houses and even more forward on the bus, towards the center, the diversity of physiognomy of the city compared to how I imagined I was.
Grand boulevards surrounded by modern buildings, which as it is here and the monumental. Only when starting from the central one climbs on the slopes, among which flows like a river, the fabric and architecture are becoming more vernacular, although inframezzati by monumentali complex. Surprising to find many abandoned buildings, with doors barred windows with broken glass, a phenomenon also present in other cities we visit.
Take accommodation in a small hotel on the crossbar from Gloria in the center, from there begins the exploration, we like to enter the fabric of the city, mix with their inhabitants, disregarding, perhaps, some monument and museum. The people there seem very friendly. Many people of color, probably mostly from the former colonies, what appears to us perfectly integrated. Motorists who drive fast, not too exceed, in the city, are respectful of the pedestrian crossing on the strip even more, perhaps exaggerating, of London. The standard of living seems pretty high, but there are beggars. In the public are posted signs warn pickpocketing. More people, noticing my Pentax SLR, I was warned not to produce it, to avoid scippi, warning that it seems excessive. Portuguese, if you understand the laws to seventy percent, but spoke quickly, as used, is, at least for us, incomprehensible
Our trips in Lisbon are mostly on foot, sometimes in small sections, with public transportation, efficient and very decent. Do not let us miss the opportunity to follow on the old tram-reconstructed, the long path of the famous lines 25 and 28, which enters in the thick of the plot of historical routes, sometimes very narrow and winding. We visit many monuments and churches of good architecture and decoration. The architecture of the past is often very valuable, in part, affected, in my view, over-decorating styles Manueline and derivatives, which sometimes seem, in extreme cases, a preview of the style Disneyland.
For our meals, day in order to maximize the valuable time of the holiday, we arranged with sandwiches in the evening for the most part a nice dinner in the restaurant, frequented mainly by locals, on the Rua Aurea, where you can choose from a limited menu, but of honest food fish or meat with vegetables, all at a price, including wine and water, which we will not allow you and a pizza. Here as almost everywhere in the village visited, the portions are Pantagruele. The Portuguese cuisine, according to our limited experience, does not shine for the variety and imagination. As for the prices that are increasingly affordable, a little 'attention is appropriate to the final in some local frequented mostly by tourists. In Rua Portas De Santo Antão, renowned for its restaurants, at worst as a maximum cost, we are destined for two, pot fish, wine and water, with a bill of € 50 which we, our own immemorial price, it seemed expensive, partly because the quality, to put into the scene, there seemed excellent.
One thing that surprised us is the lack of participation in the life of Lisbon on the Tagus river, if not for reasons of transport and industry, the great river is mostly separated from rail tracks and subway rail that runs along its shores.
Starting from the capital, to push us around, towards the west. Visit Belém, in fact, a district west end, rich in monuments. The next day we arrive at Estoril and Cascais, connected to an efficient rail metro area, which runs through an almost continuous extensive urbanization. From Cascais, which does not impress us at all, we enter the walk, some with bicycles made available by the administration, on the coast for enjoyable mostly high and rocky. Emerging from Cascais notice a residence in exile of Umberto of Savoy, pretentious transformed into a hotel, a "Rei Humberto II de Italia" is entitled to the coastal road. We finish our journey lungocosta rejected by a group of urban-type Intensive Guincho, if not mistaken.
Sintra, also connected with through-tube expanded urbanization, we like much more, in a rich green hills and monuments.
A north-west of Lisbon reach the Parque De Las Naciones, former home of Lisbon of 98, where we visit the splendid Oceanario.
Abandon Lisbon to Porto, who arrive with a train of efficient rail Portuguese The journey allows us to observe the landscape, that what we are seeing is quite uniform, consisting of a succession of hills largely wooded without major emergencies, frequent the area.
The city of Porto has little to envy in Lisbon, the smaller, but more marked in the morphology of which rises. Here too an important river Douro, Tagus below, but around its course, it plays a large part of the city life. Even in Porto notice as opposed to a not insignificant building activity the presence of many buildings abandoned and falling, we see an example from the excellent and cheap hotel where housed in Avenida F. de Magalhães.
Travelers with the same criteria of Lisbon, mostly on foot for the city, along the river and beyond it to the Villa Nova de Gaia, on whose Cais attend Taberna where you can enjoy the excellent wine Harbor. Even Porto, Cascais like, something that recalls the exile of Savoy, King Charles Albert of Sardinia: the house where risedette, transformed into Museu Romantic, at the Jardim do beautiful Palacio de Cristal, which also houses a chapel built in memory the King of Sardinia from Augusta's sister, in effect, a square is dedicated anonymous all'infelice king.
Last visit that city, reached by train, Coimbra is famous for its ancient University, also rich in monuments, is located on a bumpy terrain and climbs a steep hill. Visited, we like, animated by many young students, although it is present in period while declining holidays. The charm of this city, and not only this, is partly obscured by an excess of adjustment to tourism intrusive.
We can not miss a visit to nearby Fatima, the famous shrine whose extended aprons are somewhat 'squalid without the crowds of big occasions. Us from the station, more than twenty kilometers away, a friendly taxi driver, with which the conversation in French, that after taking the train back insists on giving us a coffee.
Returned to Coimbra you sleep last night, the holidays are over for me, and the next morning by the station to take us to Lisbon, where the roads we once again for the last walk-burdened.