Portugal - Lisbon, Evora, Sintra & Porto

Portugal is located next to Spain, but pretty far from other European countries. To my surprise, it is one of my favourite European count...

Portugal is located next to Spain, but pretty far from other European countries. To my surprise, it is one of my favourite European countries. Flight from Lisbon to Porto only costs me ten euros. Transport, food and accommodation are very affordable as well. If you are a fan of codfish, be ready to feast on them without burning a hole in your pocket.

Lisbon

The hostel in Lisbon was the best I have stayed so far. They offer an extensive range of breakfast, which consists of beverages, artisanal bread, spreads, ham, cheese and even freshly made crepes. It was a generous spread. The hostel has a pretty hip and cool rooftop patio which has a small pool, bar, home-grown herbs for cooking, and even a huge tent-tage where they host BBQs and parties on certain days of the week. Each bed has a personal lamp, curtain for extra privacy and a huge locker beneath it. I highly recommend one to stay in Sunset Destination Hostel in Lisbon. Unfortunately, my time in Lisbon was pretty short and only managed to visit several places of attraction. 

Belem Tower

The Belem tower was built as a fortress to guard the entrance to Lisbon’s harbor in 1515 and it is one of the most popular sightseeing attractions in Lisbon. To capture the most breath taking view of the tower, visit it in the evening and catch the sunset. 

Feira Da Ladra

Feira Da Ladra is a flea market where you can find a wide range of second hand goods, handmade artisan goods, CD’s, cassettes, clothes, stamps, antiques, paintings and even mobile phones that trace back to the Nokia 8210 series. The market is held on every Tuesday and Saturday, from dawn to dusk. 

Tram 28
When in Lisbon, one has to take the famous tram 28. It will take you through the hills of Lisbon and discover the stark contrast between the historic and traditional quarters and the sophistication of other parts of the city. 

Food

The Portuguese cuisine is famous for seafood and has many mediterranean influences. Olive oil is one of the main bases of Portuguese cuisine and many of their local dishes consist of cod fish. While cod fish is relatively expensive in Singapore, it is one of the mainstream local seafood and hence, inexpensive. A codfish main dish served in an average restaurant costs about six to eight euros. I was feasting on cod fish for almost every lunch and dinner. 


When you go over to Portugal, you certainly have to try the Portuguese egg tarts. Some of the egg tarts from the traditional bakeries are excessively sweet. I had three to four egg tarts a day and the best I had is none other than the ones from the famous Pasteis De Belem. It is a walking distance from the Belem Tower. The shop can be easily identified because there is always a long queue outside.


The egg tarts, also known as Pastel De Nata, are extremely crispy and flaky on the outside but soft on the inside. The consistency of the custard is very fine and smooth and most importantly, not overly sweet.

Evora


Evora is a medieval town, approximately one and a half hour train ride from Lisbon. It houses the second largest collection of Portuguese national monuments. I made a day trip to Evora to skydive.


I had my first skydiving experience with Skydive Portugal and it was absolutely amazing. Portugal offers skydiving all year round. I paid approximately 240 euros for the 4200m jump and multimedia package, consisting of both photos and video. The instructor straps two go pros on his hand, one to capture photos and the other to capture video. The most scary part of skydiving was the moment when I had to step out of the plane to position myself for the jump. I could literally feel my pulse in my mouth. Without any hesitation, the instructor jumped off the plane and I found myself falling. Once we reached terminal velocity, it felt as if I was floating in the air with a ton of air blowing at my face. At this point, enjoy the panoramic view of the world beneath you. 

Sintra

I also took a day trip to Sintra, the "Fairy Tale Land", which is home to quite a number of palaces. With only a day in Sintra, I visited two palaces Quinta Da Regaleira and the Pena Palace. Quinta Da Regaleira houses a romantic palace, chapel, luxurious parks and a vast array of constructions. The place is huge and i think one can spend about half a day exploring Quinta Da Regaleira alone. Unfortunately, I did not spend much time in Pena Palace as I was rushing to catch the last train back to Lisbon. I guess it will be good to spend a night in Sintra.
 

On our way back to Lisbon, I also took away a sandwich and some home-made pastries from the recommended Saudade Cafe, near the Sintra station. A nice stop for breakfast or lunch.

Porto


Livraria Lello & Irmao 















When in Porto, one definitely has to visit the Lello bookstore. Known as one of the top three most beautiful bookstore in the world, the inauguration of the bookstore in 1906 was attended by renowned writers. The entrance fee is three euros. However, your purchase will be subsidised by the entrance fee should you buy any book from the store. Upon entering the bookstore, you will be welcomed by the marvellous and grand looking stairway and exquisite wooden walls. 










J.K. Rowling is believed to have drawn some inspiration to write Harry Potter in this library. She worked as a language teacher for several years in Porto. Indeed, there are some similarities between the Lello library and the one described in Hogwarts.

Ponte de Dom Luis I

Sharing much architectural resemblance with the Eiffel Tower in Paris, Ponte de Dom Luis I is also designed by Gustave Eiffel. It is a double decked metal arch bridge that spans across the Duoro River, connecting Porto and Nova de Gaia. The bridge consists of two levels. Cars and metros use the lower level while pedestrians may use either level to cross the river. 


After crossing the bridge to Nova de Gaia, you may walk or take a cable car down to the foot of the hill. 

Port wine 






At Nova de Gaia, there are plenty of cellars that offer wine tours at affordable prices. I visited the Sandeman Cellar. The duration of the tour is about an hour and includes tasting of port wines. During the tour, you will get to unravel the secrets of Porto wine and its aging process.

Majestic Cafe
The Majestic cafe is one of the top tourist attraction in Porto. The classy cafe is designed by architect, Joao Quieroz in the 1920s. With such ambience, don’t expect the prices to be cheap but it is defnitely a worthy visit to admire the majestic interiors and atmosphere. 




The breakfast on the table costs us 20 euros in total. 

Francesinha

Do try their local Portuguese sandwich, Francesinha. It is made with bread, wet-cured ham, linguiça, fresh sausage such as chipolata, steak or roast meat and covered with melted cheese and a hot thicktomato and beer sauce served with french fries.

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