Children of the Corn Meets the Shining

Well, we made it to Fatima. The bus ride was very pleasant; about an hour and a half through rolling pastures and vineyards. That ends the pleasant part of the day.

We checked into our hotel, which was basic, as we expected (there are not any charming accommodations in Fatima). Our hotel is very 1970s, but very clean and walking distance to everything we wanted to see. The only thing is, what we wanted to see was a bit of a disappointment.

Fatima signs

The story about Fatima is that 1917 three little kids saw the virgin Mary in a tree and over time the spot has become one of the most important holy sights for Catholics. There is a large and lovely, albeit rather sterile church, overlooking an immense square where crowds gather for festivals and Pope sightings. Some people, apparently so overcome with religious devotion (i.e. insanity) approach the church on their knees from hundreds of feet away. It is interesting, but not really moving, as i have found other religious sites to be. We saw three women on their knees, making their way awkwardly towards the church. It just looked silly.

Fatima: square outside church

The square outside the church is just a concrete expanse that looked more like a skateboard park than a shrine. The only thing that i enjoyed was the opportunity to buy large candles, wax body parts and wax children and burn them in what we can only assume is some sort of offering to god. (They even had wax breasts!)

Fatima souvenirs

The rest of the town is just a collection of gaudy religious souvenir shops, which we did enjoy, but you can only look at so many 4 foot tall glow-in-the-dark Virgin Marys before it becomes tedious.

There we a few unappealing restaurants and several uninspiring 1960s hotels, but that is about it. The really odd thing is that there were very few people. Outside of the church, the town was somewhat deserted. It was like Children of the Corn.

This sign was in a Catholic Church. Apparently it indicates  Confession, but i see a different meaning

This morning we got up early to catch a bus and when we descended into the hotel lobby, we could find no one. No one at the desk, no one in the restaurant, no one in the halls. We tried to exit, but found much to our horror, that we were locked in!! I was about to climb out a window when the desk clerk found us and set us free.  

Today has been a vast improvement. We are presently in Tomar, a charming Medieval era town on a river about an hour from Fatima. The streets are delightful, there are numerous churches and sites of historical interest. This morning we strolled through an outdoor market, sampling fresh bread, cheese and strawberries. We then visited the Convent of Christ, a 12thC convent & castle on a hill and had lunch off the town square. There are a few more places we plan to check out before catching a bus back to Fatima.

river in Tomar

 Tomorrow we catch a train north to Coimbra. 

view of Tomar

Under the Sintra Sun

view over Sintra

Sintra is amazing! As we expected, it has the quaint cobblestone streets & charming alley ways leading to artisan shops and eateries, what we did not expect was just how magical it would be.

We arrived by train and walked to `"Cinco", the B&B where we are staying. Through an unassuming green door we entered a beautiful garden where our host lives in her house, behind which is our cottage. We have full amenities, including a living room that opens up onto our own private garden courtyard with a table & chairs overlooking a picturesque valley. We were both delighted, but Betty Lou in particular is in heaven.

view from Cinco, Sintra

Upon getting settled, we decided to walk to the Palacio da Pena, Sintra´s star attraction. It is a beautiful palace, exuberant and romantic in its color & design, perched on a lushly forested mountain top. We decided to walk, but after an hour in the heat we flagged down a bus (we discovered later that we had accidentally opted for the long road). I must mention how beautiful the forest is and that it smelled like flowers and herbs and was filled with exotic birdsong.

Palacia da Pena - Sintra

The palace really was spectacular - it almost seemed like it ought to have been at Disneyworld and the views from it into the town and surrounding valley were beautiful.

From the palace we walked to another peak on the mountain where there sits an 11th Century Moorish castle. The castle is so cool. ("This is so cool!" being the phrase i exclaimed repeatedly while there.) The castle walls are precariously built atop the mountain and walking the ramparts takes you up and down along cliffs. It was like being in a medieval book or movie.

Moorish Castle - Sintra

At the end of all this hiking, we were drenched with sweat and satisfaction. We had a wonderful lunch in the village, followed by a nap and decadent desserts before returning to our courtyard to watch the sun set.

Today we went to the Quinta de Regaleira, a palace dating back centuries, but redesigned in the 1800s by an eccentric Brazillian coffee baron, known as Monteiro dos Milhoes ("Moneybags Montiero"). He hired a designer of Italian opera sets to create a lavish and magical garden setting for the palace, as well as the interior which was full of symbolic elements of alchemy, religion, and free masonry. The palace is interesting, but the real treasure is the grounds surrounding it. They are filled with turrets and walls, pools, grottos, flora, and fountains and, best of all in my opinion, super cool underground tunnels leading to different parts of the park! Some of these tunnels were lit and others were pitch black, making us wish we had brought lights. It was just amazing. I felt like Alice in Wonderland.

We just had a delicious lunch and the rest of the day is free. Tomorrow morning we catch the train back to Lisbon and then take a bus to Fatima.

We are both extremely happy.

me on the Moorish castle

Of All the Gin Joints...

We started our morning with yet another fabulous breakfast at our hotel followed by a morning stroll and...liquor! That's right it was not yet 11am when Betty Lou and i had our first drink! We walked back down to the Rossio Square to see what it was like on a non-Sunday (lively and bustling) and we happened by this little hole in the wall bar. I use the word 'bar' loosely however, as all it is is an opening the size of a small walk-in closet with a bar, a bartender and several bottles of red liquid. The place is called Ginjinha and it has been there for about 150 years serving only one drink to locals buy single shots of this boozy concoction and drink it standing outside. We had to indulge. I heard it called gin, but it is sort of a cherry brandy; not offensive, but far too sweet for my liking. Betty Lou thought it pleasant and clinked glasses with the local men. I know it was early for drinking, but it had to be 5:00 somewhere, right?

BL drinking with the locals

After that, much of the rest of the day was spent exploring. We went to the ruins of a medieval church and had lunch on a cafe patio on the square, but mostly we just walked.

I really can't explain how fascinating the streets are. These super narrow alleys, lined with buildings that were once brightly painted, but are now mostly faded and peeling, while others are tiled in exuberant colors and patterns. Many of the street are quite shabby looking and seem almost desolate, but then you turn a corner and there is a charming and unexpected hole in the wall restaurant or vegetable market. And have we mentioned the laundry? Strings of drying clothes hang from every window like streamers for a parade. Simply delightful.

Anyway, we are basically done with Lisbon and are ready to head to Sintra, which we will do in the morning.

Tchau.

me: map reading in Lisbon

Vasco de Gama

Today we ventured out of our neighborhood, down several steep flights of stairs to the Baixa & Avenida districts. These areas are much more conventionally European looking, compared to the pseudo medieval Alfama. We meandered around grand squares featuring fountains and tall statues of men on horseback serving as impressive perches for flocks of pigeons.

The squares were lined by cafes and shops, however, as it is Sunday, all of the shops were closed (except curiously for the stores selling underpants).

We took a bright yellow funicular up to the Barrio Alto district where we went to the Sao Roque church as a service was getting underway. We went back down by taking the 100 year old Elevator de Santa Justica, a frilly, metal sort-of free standing elevator.

We had coffee on Rua Augusta, which is a wide, pedestrian street with outdoor cafes running down the centre. (Sort of like South Beach´s Lincoln Road.) After that we perused some artwork being sort on the street and Betty Lou picked up a splendid watercolor painting.

me in Rossio Sq (Lisbon)

We took a tram to another area - Belem - which was extremely lively with restaurants, a great antique flea market and lots of pedestrians and tourists roaming around in the nearly 30 degree sunshine. The reason for going to this area was to visit the Mosterio dos Jeronimos, a stunning monatstery\cloisters and church where Vasco de Gama is entombed. (Betty Lou and i must admit that Vasco de Gama is pretty much the only famous Portugese person we could name prior to coming here.) The courtyard in the cloisters was lovely and we laid on the grass in the sunshine until the heat became too much for us.

The ride back was less pleasant as it was a tram crammed with hot, sweaty bodies, but it got us back to Rua Augusta where we had a great meal. Now we are both exhausted. It will be an early night.

Time is running short on the internet, so i will just say Good Night.

Alfama

Alfama (Lisbon) view

Ola! Our first full day in Lisbon has been a full one indeed.

First of all, let us say that the weather is perfect. Ever so slightly cool in the morning & evening and perfectly warm in the afternoon with a wonderful breeze.

Today we explored our neighborhood thoroughly. After a terrific breakfast at our hotel we meandered over the Feira da Ladra (the thieves market), which sold everything from antiques to junk. We didn´t buy anything, but it was fun to look around. We then went to two lovely churches, the Sao Vicente de Fora & the Santa Engracia. We then wanked south to the Cathedral called Se and popped in a few other churches that shall remain nameless (because i can't remember what they are called). We had a small lunch on a patio by a church overlooking the water (with a cigar & a mojito) before retiring for a short nap, after which we walked the ramparts at the Castelo de Sao Jorge.

We have just returned to the hotel after watching the sun set over city from a terrific little bar\cafe.

On a side note: my Portuguese is progressing very poorly indeed. I blame exams...and the fact that most people in Lisbon speak perfect English.

Dawn, if you are reading this, the newly sprouted leaves shimmered brightly in the sunshine!

d & b

Portugal: Arrival

Bom Dia from Lisboa!

We arrived yesterday in the late afternoon. We are staying at a lovely (fancy) hotel in the Alfama district, which is a tangle of hilly, cobblestones streets winding up steep hills to a Castle and to our hotel which is just outside the castle walls. We have spectacular views.

Last night we went for a walk and had dinner at a little outdoor eatery where we listened to Fado. We shared wine - Vinho Verde - with a table of drunken Japanese girls from Spain. It was a perfect evening.

Now a new day and adventures to come.

Photos from Turkey

As i am sure you all know, i did return from Turkey, somewhat reluctantly. My last night was spent on the roof of a hostel, smoking nargile, sitting on cushions and listening to this amazing French/Turkish band until about midnight.
The trip home was looooonngg. For those of you who don't know, there is a leather bondage gear store at the Munich airport. You've got to love the Germans.

Anyway, i have uploaded some photos here, mostly so that far away people (like my sister) can see them.

Thanks for following along.

cranes

boys on the Bosphoros

boy reading The Koran in mosque

footwashing spouts outside the Blue Mosque, Istanbul

soldiers, Istanbul

ionic columns, Ephesus

Celsus library, Ephesus

mosque carpets