Sintra, Tomar, & Lisbon Portugal
Travel Day - 30 September 2022 - Nashville to DC to Lisbon 🛬
I took a Lyft ride to the airport and the driver, Larry, was friendly and got me there on time. The plane departed for Washington, DC on schedule, but then we had an unexpected delay due to Hurricane Ian, which lasted for six hours but ended up being seven. I wandered around for a while and had a late lunch at &Pizza, which was decent for airport food and thankfully did not give me traveler’s diarrhea. After waiting at the gate for far too long, I decided to sign up for Priority Pass and went to the Turkish Airlines Lounge. While it was a nice distraction, the lounge was crowded and I’m not sure if the $32 USD experience I paid for access plus the $99 USD yearly Priority Pass fee was worth it. Later, I upgraded my Capital One credit card to the Venture X, which includes Priority Pass access, entry to Capital One Lounges, and the standard benefits of Visa Infinite Cards.
Sintra - 1 October - Landing in Lisbon, Trains, Metros and Checking Into the Guesthouse
I landed late at Lisbon around 10:45 a.m. After going through passport control and getting stamped into the country, I found a Vodafone kiosk and got a fifteen-day unlimited data sim card for the trip. It cost € 15 which is a pretty decent price for unlimited data.
Next, I went over to a cafe called My Bistro to get my bearings straight and grab a bottle of water. After that, I headed to the Areoporto metro station and bought a Viva viagem card, which I zapped with € 30 credit. Then, I took the Vermelho (red) line to the Oriente station, and accidentally purchased a ticket I did not need.
Once I found the train platform to Sintra, I waited for the train and then hopped on. When I arrived at Sintra train station, I got off the train and headed for the Chalet Saudade Guesthouse. The suite I had was amazing – it had a sitting room that could be used as a second bedroom and a balcony with an incredible view of Sintra and the ocean in the distance.
Once my room was ready, I unpacked my things and took a shower. Then, I went to the Café Saudade where I had my breakfasts during my stay. The food at the café was excellent. After a late lunch, I came back to the hotel and walked down to the garden, which was very nice.
Later that evening, I saw a well-fed yellowish-orange cat sitting on the stone table out in the garden.
Sintra - 2 October - The Moorish Castle, Pena Palace, and Pastéis de Natas
I woke up at 7 a.m. and got ready for the day. At 8 a.m., I went to the café and had a delicious breakfast that included a croissant, yogurt with fruit, ham and cheese, tea, and orange juice. After breakfast, I headed to the ScotURB 434 bus stop at the train station and boarded the bus. When I got off at the Moorish Castle, a lovely stray cat greeted me and looked in the direction I needed to go.
The castle had just opened for the day, so there weren't many people there. I walked around the outside walls of the old castle and saw some amazing views overlooking Sintra and into the sea. Then I went up to the Pena Palace, which is surrounded by an amazing nature park. Instead of taking the transfer bus up to the castle from the main entrance, I walked up to the castle. It was a climb, but definitely worth it
.The castle was amazing, and the mythic artwork inside was breathtaking. After going through the castle, I went down to the gift shop and bought some cards and a bottle of water. Then, I took a stroll in the park surrounding the castle to the High Cross, which had yet another amazing view. There were a few people who had made the walk up to it.
Next, I walked down to the valley of the lakes which was breathtakingly beautiful. Finally, I got on the bus and headed back to the historic city center. I ended up finding a Pastéis de Nata shop and got a box of six and a breaded chicken sandwich for lunch. Then, I went back to the hotel. Later that night around 7 p.m., I went out for an evening stroll to Sintra. It was a nice walk!
Sintra and Cabo da Roca - 3 October - The Quinta da Regaleira and Cabo da Roca
I arrived at Quinta da Regaleira around 9:30 a.m. and chatted with a couple from the US before being one of the first through the gate. Since I already had tickets, I went straight to the pre-purchased ticket line and was first through, followed by a younger couple from Germany. We all made a beeline for the Well of Initiation, and on my way, I saw another cat. I was lucky to be the first person to enter the Well that morning and enjoyed amazing views from the top down. After that, I walked through the tunnel to the outside where I was greeted by the sun. At the exit, there was a small water fountain with a pool and stepping stones, but unfortunately, they're now too slippery to walk on. Then, I strolled through the beautiful gardens, amused by the faces on the stone plant containers.
Next, I headed down to the cafeteria for lunch, and then went to the gift shop to purchase some postcards. After visiting Quinta da Regaleira, I walked back to the train station to catch the 403 bus to Cabo da Roca. The views from Cabo da Roca were absolutely astounding. It's the westernmost point in continental Europe, and gazing into the ocean from that viewpoint left me speechless. After taking in the views, I headed to the small gift shop to buy some cards and a magnet before hopping back on the bus to Sintra.
That evening, I had dinner at a fantastic restaurant called Metamorphosis, where I savored a delicious eggplant dish. I love eggplant! To drink, I had my usual sparkling water.
Sintra and Tomar - 4 October - Travel Day
I woke up at 6 a.m., packed my bags, and checked out. I went to the café for breakfast where they offered me a delicious breakfast quiche with ham. Then, I headed to the train station to catch the next train to the Oriente station. I arrived in Tomar around 12:45 p.m. and, by the time I got to the hotel at 1:08 p.m., my room was ready. Later that evening, I had a margarita pizza which was not what I had expected. The basil was dry and crumbly, like it had been shaken out of a bottle. Nevertheless, I was hungry and it filled me up. After that, I planned my next day and stayed in for the night.
Tomar - 5 October - Convent do Cristo
I woke up this morning and headed down to the hotel’s breakfast area at 8 a.m. After breakfast, I went back up to my room to get my messenger bag and headed to the Convent do Cristo. I walked up the Stairs of Saint James to the entrance of the convent and walked around it to where the main entrance is now, while they are doing restoration works to the Manueline window. Fortunately, I was one of the first four people at the convent before the tour busses showed up, so I got a pristine view of everything. The main church with the round nave area is amazing with the four columns, paintings on the walls, and ceiling. The statuary was also amazing. In the center of the columns, you can see where there used to be a stairway leading down long since covered over.
After exploring the convent, I exited through the gift shop where I bought more postcards for my collection. Then, I went to the castle café and indulged in a pastéis de nata along with a bottle of water. Then, I walked back down the hill and wandered around. Eventually, I went to a small restaurant, Tabernacle do Rio, where I ordered the daily dish, cod fish pasta. It was very delicious. After lunch, I had a three-scoop Gelato and walked back to the hotel to relax in the evening.
Tomar - 6 October - Church of Santa Maria do Olival and Seven Hills National Park
I woke up in the morning, had my breakfast, and then headed back up to my hotel room to wait until around 10 a.m. before I went to visit the Church of Santa Maria do Olival. I arrived at the church just before it opened and took some pictures of the bell tower. Once inside, I was amazed by the architecture and beauty of the church. Each alcove had a resting place and a statue. The alcove with the statue dedicated to Mary Magdalene was particularly breathtaking.
After spending some time at the church, I went outside to take more photos. Then, I walked down to the Seven Hills National Park and saw the Dom Infante Henrique statue. Unfortunately, the park itself was underwhelming. After leaving the park, I went back to my hotel to figure out where to have lunch. I ended up having a delicious veggie burger at Insensato Café and Livaria.
After lunch, I sat in the park next to the Rio Nabão, and later on, I walked up the main promenade to the Praça before heading back to the hotel for the evening.
Tomar and Lisbon - 7 October - Travel Day
I woke up and went down for breakfast as usual. After checking out of my hotel, I headed to the train station. Luckily, the train was already there, so I hopped on and found a good seat. I arrived in Lisbon around 12:45 p.m. and checked into my hotel, but my room was not ready yet. So, I decided to have lunch at the hotel’s bistro. I ordered Mozzarella toast with basil and fries and a lemonade, which was absolutely delicious. After lunch, I went to Bertrand’s, the oldest bookstore in operation, and bought a book in Portuguese to practice learning the language.
After returning to the hotel and getting my room key, I settled in my room for a bit. Later on, I headed to a restaurant called Kong for dinner. The food was excellent!
Lisbon - 8 October - Site-seeing adventures
I woke up at my usual time and went to the sister hotel for breakfast, which is served around 7:30 a.m. Then, I walked over to the Santa Justa lift, took some great photos without crowds, and walked down the street to get to Carmo Convent. At the top of the Santa Justa Lift, I took more great pictures before it got too crowded. Afterward, I sat in the square, waited for the convent to open, and took photos while it was empty along with one other German tourist. I explored the ruins, taking pictures of everything, including the pet cat Carlotta. I went inside, saw the exhibitions and bought a pen and some postcards from the gift shop. Once I finished at the convent, I headed to the Baxia-chiado metro station, took the Azul (Blue) line to the São Sebastio station before heading to the Calouste Gulbenkian Museum. The museum was amazing, and I also walked around the Estufa Fria gardens and enjoyed the lush plants in them. After that, I went back to my hotel, but they had just started cleaning my room, so I had a gelato.
Later, I went to the hotel's restaurant, had a strawberry lemonade and then walked down Rua Augusta to the Praça do Comercio, turned around and walked back to my hotel. I rested a bit before going out for dinner. I went to Ramen Bambu and enjoyed a wonderful tofu Ramen with little spice before heading back to the hotel for the evening.
Lisbon - 9 October - The day of the tower, the Lisbon Marathon, and a late afternoon tram ride
I woke up and had breakfast. Then, I took the green (verde) line to Cais do Sodre where I caught the train for Algés. From there, I walked about 1 km to the Tower of Belém where I took some excellent photos. After that, I walked along the promenade to the Monument to the Discoverers, which was also amazing to see before the tour busses arrived. Once I had taken pictures there, I walked back to the Belém train station and took the metro back up to Baxia-Chiado. I stopped by my hotel room and quickly changed my shirt and then walked down to the Praça do Comércio, only to find there was a marathon going on. So, I went to Mil Sobres for lunch and had another excellent Beyond Meat burger. After lunch, I went to Bertrand’s Livaria and bought another book by Aristotle, this time translated into Portuguese.
Then, I went to see Livaria Simao, but it was closed. However, on the stairs leading up to it, there was an awesome mural so I took a photo. Around 3:00 p.m., I went back down to the Praça do Comércio and waited for the YellowBus Hills Tram. Due to the marathon being taken down, it didn't show up until around 3:40 p.m., but it was well worth the wait! The tram tour lasted an hour and went all around Lisbon. After that, it was back to the hotel to recharge before going to Organi Chiado for dinner.
Lisbon - 10 October - My rest day before my next Travel day and Rain 💦 ☔️
I woke up early, had breakfast, and then took a leisurely walk down Rua Augusta and all the way to Praça do Comercio. On my way back to the hotel, I made a quick stop at Mantegaria to grab a six pack of Pastéis de Natas – they were too delicious to resist! Once I got back, I took some time to write and relax before heading back out to grab a King Burger from Kong and another Gelato. Finally, I returned to the hotel to rest.
Lisbon, DC, and Home - 11 October - Travel Day 🛫
I woke up early and got my bags ready for the day. I then checked out, headed to the Baxia-Chiado station and took the Metro to the airport. After printing my boarding pass, I went through security and waited for the gate announcement. Thirty minutes before boarding time, Lisbon Airport announced the gate number. I rushed through the exit passport control area and found out that any gate with a letter “A” requires a commuter bus to reach the plane as it is usually parked in a different area. I boarded the bus and headed to the plane. After getting off the bus and up the stairs, I finally made it into the plane for an eight-hour and eleven-minute flight.
Upon arrival at IAD, I took an airport commuter transportation to go the US passport control area. I made use of the Global Entry line and was able to get my photo taken and a ticket printed. After handing the ticket over to the CBP person at the exit, I made a quick restroom stop before walking to the area where connecting flights had to go through TSA security. Although eligible for Pre-check, I went through the regular lines as they were faster that day (virtually empty). I then boarded an airport train for the “C” gates and waited for my next flight from IAD home which only took an hour and 45 minutes.
Finally, I got a Lyft ride back home.