Tuesday, December 02, 2008

06 November: Lisbon

This morning we took a train to Sintra. There are loads of expensive day trips to the town but most of us chose to "backpack" it by making our own way there on the local train from Rossio station.

Let me tell you upfront that I think this was the biggest waste of my whole trip, but more on that later. Sintra was touted as having a Disney World palace and being a beautiful city. Mostly it was a disappointment (perhaps because I didn't pay the entry fee for anything) and a long day of sore legs from walking uphill!

On arrival, we split up. Michael (a 60 year old New Zealand guy, who I think sort of felt like he was "looking after" me, not letting me wander off in a strange city alone) & I walked / hiked up to the Castelo dos Mouros (Castle of the Moors). Let me tell you, from the train station it is freaking far and way high up! We didn't go into the Castle of the Moors (it was a 5 EUR entry fee) instead we walked further along the road to the Pena National Palace, which we didn't go into either (this one was 8 EUR, I think). Let me explain right here that food in Euro's is damn expensive and this was fairly early on in my trip. Who knew if I could spare 5 EUR on some more ruins when I knew the thing I'd mostly come all this way (from Lisbon to Sintra) was still going to cost be about 4.50 EUR in bus fare each way. In the end when I got home and realised how much I had left over from my trip, I do kinda wish I'd gone into the Castle of the Moors, but I don't know if I had gone in if I would've got to do the thing I've already mentioned was number 1 one my list for the day because as it was we only had about an hour to spare which we used to have some lunch.

The view of the Castle and the Palace are pretty useless unless you pay to go into them (they're pretty far from the entrance gates). But the view over Sintra from that high up was pretty spectacular. After that we strolled back down and enjoyed some Spinach quiche for lunch. The walk was long and exhausting!

(Here comes my number 1 bit of the day that made it all worthwhile ... although I do sorta wish I'd just gone straight here after arriving in Sintra by train, but oh well!) After lunch we took a bus out to Cabo da Roca, which forms the Westernmost point of both mainland Europe and mainland Portugal. What a spectacular view of the coast! You might wonder why this would be the highlight of my day, but it is a pretty cool thing to be able to say you've done (especially since I've also been to the Southernmost tip of Continental Asia on Sentosa island in Singapore :) ).

We ended up back in Lisbon after sunset, just before 6pm. A much longer day-trip than I was expecting!

21h00: Just back from dinner out at an Indian / Italian restaurant. Some of the group ate there yesterday and were (oddly) keen to go back. I say oddly because you'd think you'd wanna try somewhere new when you're only spending 2 nights in a city half way around the world from home! But clearly I was not the only one unimpressed by regular Portuguese fare). But, I hadn't tried it so I was keen to tag along. It as expensive by SA standards, my Chicken Makhni cost more than what we normally spend on a meal at Ghazal's for Varen & myself! But it was delish and I topped the evening off with a Capirenhia (can you believe none of the Aussies knew what that was!). I am disappointed to say that I have yet to actually find Trinchado on a menu - it's my favourite "Portuguese" dish from back home. Odd!


Tamara said...

Hehehehe... I remember when I was in Bosnia with my fam, we went to the same restaurant a few times becuase they had a waietr who could speak English and food that my ultra-fussy brother would eat. Oh ja, they also had an aircon, which would have brought us back had nothing else done so ;-)

Can't believe the Aussies didn't know what a Caipirinha is!

phillygirl said...

@tamara - well okay that does sound like an acceptable reason for eating at the same place twice ;) but going to an *indian* restaurant two night's running in *portugal* just seems peculiar to moi.

I know!

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