This theme as a summary for Croatia received some positive feedback, so I’m trying it again to recap Portugal. In Part 1, I am taking a moment to reflect on physical ups and downs, and in Part 2, I will share some emotional ups and downs.
So on to the categories! For the best Lookout/Urban, Lookout/Natural, Bell Tower, Palace, Cave/Manmade, and Cave/Natural, here are my picks for Portugal:
Lookout/Urban: In 1902, when it opened, the Elevador de Santa Justa solved a practical problem of getting from a low part of Lisbon to a much higher part, especially in the very hot summers. As one might guess, the wrought iron structure was designed by a student of Gustave Eiffel. With some strategic planning, I could have approached from the west and found myself at the main viewing level. I was, however, already on the east side (the low side), and wound up listening to a fun half hour podcast while waiting in line with lots of other tourists for the elevator to take me up the 45 m (147 feet). The elevator cab itself was a sight itself, with wood paneling, pull gates with keyed locks, and an incongruous sign for WiFi. Once on the main level, there was a small admission charge to go up the spiral staircase to the upper viewing deck. As public transportation options improved through the century, the elevator needed a new purpose, so this upper viewing deck was added – where you can see all of Lisbon! Orange rooftops in every direction. Wide boulevards with anchoring statues. The broad river with shipping activity. Nearby church without its roof, but with a bar hiding behind it!
Lookout/Natural: There are plenty of ‘southernmost’ and ‘furthest East’ spots in various countries and regions. There is usually a monument and a nearby souvenir stand, and a large parking lot for buses. There is also an intriguing choreography among visitors, for everyone to have their chance at the picture. The westernmost point of continental Europe at Cabo da Roca had all of this. But when I turned away from the marker and the people, I simply saw a captivating, rugged coastline, and felt a very strong wind, and maybe heard a little bit of the calling to set sail to discover new lands that has been heard on this coast for centuries. I know “what’s out there” and even I still wondered what lay beyond the horizon.
Bell Tower: Three of us enjoyed a 3 hour train ride up to Porto for a weekend. On one of our walks, we came upon the Sé do Porto, and partly because the cathedral looked interesting and partly because it was starting to rain, we ventured inside to take a look around. It had a beautiful cloister, warm stained glass windows, the full sound of a pipe organ, traditional tile art integrated with the gothic stone vaults, and a bell tower. I don’t recall seeing any bells though as we climbed up its steep stone steps. From the top of the tower we had sweeping views of the iconic bridges of Porto and the labyrinth of streets in the old city center. It was an interesting way to get oriented and see all that Porto had to offer, while staying somewhat dry.
Palace: The Palace of Pena, in Sintra just outside of Lisbon, is a wild and wonderful and whimsical place. It has turrets painted very bright yellow, and a tower painted vibrant orange, and a whole wing covered in deep blue tiles. Here, somehow, nineteenth century romanticism meets Crayola, and it works – from the first distant glimpse, you are compelled to check out this magical place on the hill!
Cave/Manmade: This was so cool! We explored the grounds of the impressive estate of Antonio Augusto Carvalho Monteiro (1848-1920). We followed our guide, wandering upward along the many walking paths, and then he went through a portal. Crossing to the other side revealed a deep well, encircled by a stone spiral staircase. We descended 15 steps to reach a landing, and did so nine times – sound familiar? Like Dante’s Inferno? Once at the bottom, in the pit (or the depths of hell), our way out was through another portal, behind a waterfall (without getting wet) – perhaps this cleansed our souls? And then we used stepping stones to get across a lagoon – to higher, brighter ground and a refreshed view of the world. The landowner and his scenographer-architect Luigi Mancini (1848-1936) had quite some imaginations! The Initiation Well at the Quinta da Regaleira was a huge highlight of the day trip to Sintra.
Cave/Natural: Our boat ride along the Algarve coast took us into so many gorgeous, rugged, untouched caves as shown in the earlier blog post. Here is one more video, of Algar Carvoeiro.
That’s the list. I hope you can tell that it is easy to get around Portugal from Lisbon, and experience some pretty special places! Obrigada!