Last month, I was lucky enough to travel to Portugal with my family. Although we were based in Lisbon, I was able to see much more of the country during day trips out of the capital and into the Algarve. The views from the Ritz Four Seasons were captivating, from the balcony view of the monument in honour Marques de Pombal to the rooftop view of Christ the Redeemer and the 25th of April Bridge, Lisbon had plenty to offer.
Our first trip was to the province of Sintra where we visited several beautiful castles in Pena, all of which were steeped in history as well as incredibly ornate and well-preserved.
(Pena National Palace)
Our next trip however was to Evora which was undoubtedly my favorite Portuguese town. This quaint town was full of visible Roman influences such as the Roman walls surrounding the town itself and temples and monuments like those below which were reminiscent of Rome itself.
Evora is also home to a magnificent spectacle known as the Chapel of Bones. Built by Franciscan monks in the 16th century, it is supposed to remind us humans of the transitory nature of human life. If you can get past the morbidity of it all, it is truly a jaw-dropping monument.
While in Lisbon, I was able to enjoy all that Portugal had to offer in terms of cuisine. Having gorged on shrimps, scallops, lobsters, and red bream all week, I realized that although I could not solely survive on seafood, Portuguese fish was one of the freshest and delicious I'd ever tasted.
At Eleven restaurant, I was treated to this unbelievable dessert which consisted of lemon and nutella soufflé with nutella ice cream. To say I died and went to heaven would be a clichéd understatement!
Hopefully I've given you a good feel of Portugal and persuaded you to see it for yourself if you haven't yet! Here are just a few pictures of some more of Lisbon's famous attractions, just in case you needed more enticing.
(Park of Nations)
(Tower of Belem)
(Grave of Vasco da Gama)
(Tram 28)
the short.
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