Greg's Wanderings

Tag: Camino Portugues

  • Day 35 – homeward bound

    Day 35 – homeward bound

    Oct 15

    My accommodations last night were extremely comfortable and convenient. The place was billed as “The Coolest Place Near the Airport ” and it lived up to the name. It was a large private residence that had converted its upper level to four guest rooms.

    Mine was huge. I swear, my private bath was larger than the hotel room I stayed in my first two nights in Lisbon last month.

    My flight today departs at 7:10. I received multiple alerts to arrive at least 3 hours early, as the EU just implemented new entry/exit processes on Monday and border control was taking significantly longer than normal. That meant getting to the airport just after 4 am.

    I was all packed before going to bed and set my alarm for 3:30. I woke up naturally at 3:15 and was out the door in short order. It was a pleasant walk to the airport as the temperature was already 18 C (64 F). The way was well lit and much busier than I expected given the early hour.

    Since I had purchased hiking poles and a larger pocket knife since arriving, I decided to check my backpack to avoid having to leave those items behind.

    After dropping off my bag, we hit our first snag, as to get to our gates (and passport control) we first had to pass through the duty free mall – which didn’t open until 4:30. It wasn’t a long wait and I was in the first wave, so when I did get to passport control the were only a handful of people ahead of me.

    I’m now waiting at the gate for my first of three flight legs. Lisbon to Dublin to Reykjavik to Portland.

    The flight to Dublin was uneventful – except somehow I lost my straw fedora hat at the airport. I remember taking it off when I went up to the immigration agent and then putting it back on again, but while seated in the gate waiting area, I suddenly realized it wasn’t with me any longer. Oh well, I thought it was a little dorky and considered abandoning it in Lisbon. It served its purpose.

    The second flight to Reykjavik got in early and then the outbound flight was pushed back 30 minutes, so there was a 4 hour layover to contend with. Fortunately, there was an abundance of power outlets, so I was able to charge up both my phone and power bank to 100% for the 8-hour flight home.

    We had a smooth final flight to PDX. Although the plane was very full, I was fortunate to be sitting next to one of the only vacant center seats. I passed the time nodding off, watching movies and listening to audiobooks. Even with those distractions, eight hours makes for a long time.

    When I got home, I had arranged for my daughter to be ready to record my dog’s reaction to me coming home. I’ll include the video once she shares with me.

    It was a wonderful trip, but I am grateful to be home.

    My spacious room near the airport.
    My bathroom was larger than the room I stayed in my first two nights in Lisbon
    Using FindMy to make sure my checked backpack gets on the plane
    After 18 hours of traveling, nothing is more fun than waiting nearly an hour at PDX to catch the shuttle after customs.

  • Day 33 – Exploring Lisbon

    Day 33 – Exploring Lisbon

    Oct 13

    I may have generalized the differences between hostel and Alberge too much.  

    I’m now staying in a hostel called The Central House and I couldn’t be more pleased.  While I’m staying in another mixed bunk room, there are only six beds and they are arranged to add privacy.

    This panoramic shot shows the bed arrangement. One bunk plus storage lockers to the left. I’m standing in front of the bathroom, to the right of the door. The other two sets of bunks are on each side of a privacy wall. My bunk is down the lighted hallway beside the window.

    I’m not even sure how many beds were occupied last night.  The bunk above me was empty and there are at least two others here, but they were so quiet and considerate.  

    While we share a bathroom, it’s located inside our room and we even have an electronic door lock.   And for the first time since getting to Europe, there is an elevator to reach my 5th floor room!

    My bunk pod is by the window, which has a small balcony looking down to the street below.  With my earplugs, the city noise was not an issue.  

    After my morning routine, I went downstairs to a really nice breakfast buffet included with my room.  I was out the door by 8:10 and the first to arrive at the laundromat one block away.  With a little luck, I’ll be done with my domestic chores before most tourists are out and about.  

    My first mission of the day is to ride the infamous #28 trolley, which is typically picked with riders.  I’m hoping an early start will let me get a jump on most folks. 

    I was able to get on the first trolley passing by.  I had to stand for one stop, but then a seat opened up and I had a grand view of the narrow streets and beautiful views.  

    Trolly ride video through the narrows streets

    While riding the trolley, I remembered seeing a billboard yesterday for an Earthquake Museum.  I located it several miles from my current location.  Hoping off the trolley as we passed a Metro station, I took the subway back to city center and then a light rail train towards the city of Belem.  

    The Quake museum was fantastic. Those who know me are aware of my interest in emergency preparedness, and this museum did not disappoint. It’s quite new and has a variety of interactive exhibits. 

    The highlight is a 4D reinactment of the the November 1, 1755 quake while sitting in Mass.  The full-wall CG animation starts as the acolytes come  in and light the candles.  About 3 minutes into the service, your seat make a violent jerk.  You end up “riding” your pew seat for a few minutes as you see the candles start the drapes on fire, candelabras crash to the floor and eventually, the entire alter in front caves in, leaving you with a view of the devastation beyond.  

    I’ve cut to just before things start to get really bumpy. Be sure to have the sound on.

    As you leave the cathedral simulator, the next room provides information about the fires that devastated the city.  You read, listen and watch while infrared lights make you feel the heat. 

    Learning about the rebuild of Lisbon is another truly remarkable tale.  It essentially gave root to the disciple of urban planning.

    Heading back into Lisbon, I knew I would be riding through the neighborhood I stayed in last month.  I wanted to see if I could find the restaurant where I had the hot rock steak.  I was pleased with how familiar the area looked and I was able to walk right back to the restaurant and get the name so I can find it tonight in the dark. 

    The 48-hour transit pass came as two separate 24-hour vouchers.  To stretch my time a little further, I planned my last afternoon excursion so I’d arrive right before my ticket expired and then I’ll walk down the hill to my hostel for a siesta. 

    The last stop was Castelo de Sao Jorge, overlooking Lisbon from it’s highest point.  The castle dates from the late 12th Century, but was used by the Moors during their occupation of Portugal and discoveries of Iron Age structures prove the site was used since at least the 7th century BC. 

    After a quick siesta, my phone & body were both recharged. I headed to the closest Metro station to activate my second 24-hour pass.  I then went back to the surface and caught one of the old trolleys back to the place with hot stone steak.  I arrived shortly after their 7 pm opening. Good thing too, as there was a line waiting for tables by 7:15.  

    The meal was very good, but not as good as the first time.  I decided to go elsewhere for dessert so I could free up my table.

    While looking for an interesting dessert place, I realized I was retracing the very first day of my Camino.  Only this time it was dark and I knew where I was going.

    I ended up going back to the hostel and asking for a recommendation. What they suggested, did not disappoint.  

    My bunk at the hostel
    View from the balcony
    The famous #28 trolly
    Painting in the Quake museum of a church after the event
    The room where you read about the fire is heated with infrared lights
    Map of downtown Lisbon before the Quake. Typical random narrow streets.
    After the Quake, the city core was rebuilt on a grid with standardized building dimensions with earthquake resistant elements
    View from Sao Jorge castle grounds.
    One of several peacocks roaming the castle grounds
    Sao Jorge (St George)
    Guarding the cith from above
    Obligatory selfie
    The castle had a moat, but not a drawbridge. However there were three different vantage points above where invaders could be shot from
    An archeological dig on castle grounds has found evidence that the site has been used for nearly three thousand years
    Street performance with marionette. There is a puppet museum in town
    My dessert: Carmel & almond tart with decaf espresso
  • Day 32 – Train to Lisbon

    Day 32 – Train to Lisbon

    Oct 12

    I’ve confirmed a key difference between a hostel and an alberge.  Beyond the fact that Alberges are exclusively for pilgrims, there is a code of etiquette that you just don’t find at larger hostels in cities. 

    In the Albergue, we’re on a common quest, having walked long hours.  Everyone goes to bed early and tries to be as quiet as possible in the common sleeping areas.  

    In my hostel last night, when I returned from dinner around 8:30, the light was out in my 8-person room and curtains were pulled across two of the lower bunks, likely indicating someone trying to sleep.  I crawled into my bunk, pulled the curtains and – with AirPods- listened to the radio broadcast of the Ducks game (sad).  

    About 10pm, the room lights were flicked on, the hostel host brought in two more guests who proceeded to talk, rustle about and turn the lights on and off for the next 30 minutes. This would have NEVER happened in an Alberge. 

    Today I take the train back to where my trip started in Lisbon. After being flumoxed by public transit ticketing on my first visit, I’ve decided to purchase a 48-hour all-access card that works on trains, metro, busses, trolleys and funiculars (not currently running due to a fatal accident last month).  The 48 hours works out perfectly for the time between when my train arrives on Lisbon today and when I can check into my near-airport hotel Tuesday afternoon.  

    The six-car train pulled into the station 15 minutes before departure.  Several hundred people with luggage quickly boarded and we pulled out exactly on time. The train is very comfortable with tons of legroom, wifi and power ports.  

    The overhead display shows the time, outside temperature and our speed – which has reached up to 218kmph (135mph).  

    I got into Lisbon and bought the 48-hour pass.  I now feel like I have the keys to the city.  

    I took two different Metro subways to reach my hostel, which is just 150 meters from the nearest station.  I dropped off my pack and walked a few blocks to the waterfront.  I’m sitting in the beer garden of the Museu da Cerveja (Beer Muesum) watching a Euro Cup soccer match on the big screen.  As soon as I finish my beer, I’m going to hop on the first tram that comes along and go explore the city.  

    Following my beer, I decided to just randomly hop on a ride and explore. I went to the nearest Metro station and hopped on a Azul Line train.  A few stops up, I recognized a name from my first days in Lisbon.  

    I hopped off thinking I would be in the neighborhood I stayed in last month. To my surprise, when I got to the surface, I was inside a very modern shopping mall.  I went outside the mall and realized my mistake.  I had been here before, but this was the shopping district I went to looking for the sporting goods store when I needed to replace my pocket knife.  

    By this time, my phone battery was getting low, so I shut it off and decided to find my way back to the hostel just by using the transit maps.  Two stops over on the Vermelha Line and five down the Verde and I emerged by the square in my neighborhood. 

    There was a craft fair going on in the square, so I wandered through the booths.  I then bought a t-shirt so I could launder all the entire collection I had been wearing.  

    Walking back to my hostel, I encountered a film crew shooting a scene in a shop just across the street.  I don’t know what is was for, but just judging by the amount of equipment and number a trucks, it was no small budget effort.  

    After getting a little charge on my phone, I headed out to dinner.  I’ve so emersed myself in the local cuisine that I’ve been really ready for something lighter with more vegetables.  I found a Vietnamese cafe and enjoyed a tasty meal.  

    Taken outside the Porto train station, you can do the construction boom. Look closely and you can see 10 construction cranes in the photo
    Ample leg room! Oh, I wish I had this much for the flight home!
    Simple, but tasty lunch at the train station. €3.80
    Map of the Lisbon Metro. My hostel is near where the green and blue lines converge in the Rossio neighborhood
    This dog is a doppelganger of Jessie’s dog, Buna
    Back at the square where my walking tour started last month
    A beer museum!
    Served in insulated inverted bottle-shaped glasses
  • Day 31 – Touring the Douro Valley

    Day 31 – Touring the Douro Valley

    Oct 11

    The hostel was very noisy last night.  Snoring, creaking beds and floor boards. Getting out of the top bunk was  not as  bad as I feared, but I have requested a lower bunk for tonight.  

    I have an all-day tour today, so I packed everything up, abandoned my backpack in the 8-person sleeping room and left a note for the desk clerk. Hope it all works out.  

    I left the hostel around 6 this morning.  Being near the train station, there were ample cafes open for an early breakfast.  I’m so glad to be back in Portugal where a hearty breakfast can be had for €4.50.  

    I then walked through the dark, empty streets of Porto towards my tour pickup point next to the cathedral. 

    Our 30-person minibus uncludes wifi and charging ports.  Our guide, Maria, explains that the Douro Valley was one of the first designated vinticultural regions in the world, first recognized in the 1750’s and designated as a UNESCO world heritage site in 2013.  

    Maria was very informative and on the drive to our first stop, we learned about the major industries of the  Porto region: shoe manufacturing, cork, tourism and construction. We also learned that there is currently a housing shortage in Portugal mainly being driven by immigration from Brazil and the US. 

    Our first stop was in the  city of Aramante.  A beautiful town with a river through its center and a church and bridge both restored by a monk who was later sainted. 

    We then went through the Vino Verde wine region.  Being between the ocean and the mountains and with a predominantly granite-based soil, it produces lighter wines. 

    We then went through the mountains in a tunnel nearly 6km long (3.5 miles) to emerge on the dry side of the mountains. With a mix of granite & shale-based soil and hotter, drier climate, grape vines have to work harder to produce fruit and the result are much bolder wines – perfect for Port.  

    Port is made by taking table wine and adding stronger  alcohol (grapa or moonshine).  This was done to stabilize wine for shipment to England when wars wars with France cut off the wine supply for the Brits.  

    The Douro Valley has 250,000 acres of vineyards and it’s almost all in steep, terraced slopes that can only be picked by hand.  

    We visited a small winery for a tour and tasting, then went to lunch – near a viewpoint.  We sat at one long table for 30.  To my left, a couple from Boston.  Across from them, two young women from Syria.  Across from me a couple from Chicago who just moved to Lisbon.  On my right, two young women from Manchester, UK.  

    Lunch was a creamed vegetable soup, cod cooked in cream sauce and cold vegetable medley.  But the best part was the conversation. 

    On the way out, I saw a guy when the  exact same pair of shoes.  I stopped to talk with him and learned he was from Sacramento and was leaving from Porto on his Camino tomorrow. 

    Wine harvest used to be an all hands on deck effort with  neighboring villages helping. These days, harvest relies on migrants from India, Nepal, Bangladesh & Morocco. 

    Our final stop for the day was in the  town of Pinhao, which served as the shipping port for moving the barrels of port down the Douro on boats until a railroad was built in the late 1800’s.  Now replicas of those boats are used to give tourists a river’s eye view of the valley.  

    Our way back to Porto started on N222 – “route 66 of Portugal.” Butto me, it reminded me of driving through the Columbia River gorge with a narrower river and much narrower road. 

    Reflection pond in Amarande
    Plaques show flood levels of four events over the past century
    I marvel at the effort needed to construct all these terraces
    The bridge in the background was used to film the final scene in the most recent Fast & Furious movie
    Our tasting room
    View over the valley from 2000 foot vantage point
    Small chapel at the vantage point
    I learned that cork is responsible for 5% of Portugal’s GDP. Besides wine stoppers, it’s used like leather hat clothing and accessories and in building materials
    Kayakers on the Douri
    Winery homes perched above the terraces
    Example of the tourist boat fleet
    Final view of the terraced valley