Day 3--Lisboa

 Saturday was devoted to seeing the sites in Lisboa and so we bought a 24-hour transportation card that allowed us to use the Metro, buses, and trams for €5.  Best decision of our lives.  Even with access to all public transit, we still walked for what felt like miles on our already sore and tired legs. We had a difficult time deciding what to go see because, as is common in most big tourist-oriented cities, everything costs money.  In the end, we decided to go see everything and then decide at each site if we felt like paying to see the inside in addition to the outside. 

We started our morning in the neighborhood of Alfama.  It is one of the oldest areas of Lisboa and is known as the heart of soul of the city.  To say the least, it was gorgeous.  We stopped in at several Cathedrals in the area to take a look, and they were breath-taking.  The Catholic faith may not specifically speak to me, but you walk into those churches and it is like heaven itself is there.  We also walked through Feira de Ladras (which means Thieves’ Market).  It is totally legal today but very interesting to walk through.  After that, we headed over to el Castelo do Sao Jorge (Castle of St. George).  We had seen it in the distance from the train station the day before, but we wanted to see if we could take a closer look.  Ultimately we didn’t get to see the castle up close, but we got to see some great views from the castle gate which was open to the public and in the surrounding area that we walked trying to find the castle. 

Church Number 1

Monasterio do Jeronimo

 Next we headed clear across town on a bus to the neighborhood of Belem where several important sites are located.  First we saw el Monasterio de Jeronimo (Geronimo’s Monistary) which is absolutely ginormous.  It was definitely impressive.  Then we headed towards the shore of el Tejo (the river) to see la Torre de Belem (Tower).  Honestly, we were not that impressed.  It was beautiful, but it wasn’t that tall.  I was more excited about being so close to the water!  There was also a pretty impressive bridge, reminiscent of the Golden Gate Bridge, and a tower/statue with some pretty impressive sculptures. 

Marissa, Masha and I with la Torre de Belem behind us

Giant monument/sculpture by the river

By this point, we were fairly exhausted and had to pull ourselves by our bootstraps to continue, but there was one more place we wanted to visit.  We headed back to the northeast on a bus/tram to see la Basilica Estrela (a Church) that was absolutely positively wonderful, probably the most impressive of the three we saw.  It was difficult to get good outside pictures because there were trees in the way, but both the outside and the inside were imposing/inspiring. 

Finally, two trams and two metro lines later we made it back to our hostel, tired and satisfied.  Marissa and I wanted one more meal somewhere, so we went online and tried to find a local Portuguese restaurant, but the closest one we found ended up being closed.  In the end, we “settled” for a Turkish kebab place, which was not settling at all because it was fan-freaking-tastic.  It is amazing how good food tastes after a long day of walking around! 

All in all, Portugal, Lisbon, and Sintra were AH-mazing! It was great to get to see another culture so close to the one we have been experiencing.  It was an eye-opening experience at how accustomed I have become to addressing people in Spanish and how difficult it can be to travel when you don’t know any of the language.  I had the hardest time remembering to say Thank you or Obrigadad (Portuguese thank you) instead of Gracias.  I wonder what it will be like once I return to the states!

Day 2—Trip to Sintra

Arriving in Sintra

On our second day in Portugal we decided to take a day trip to the nearby town of Sintra.  Everyone who has been to the Lisbon area suggests it, and it was definitely worth a visit.  We walked from our hostel to city center (which was beautiful and open) in order to find the train station that would take us to Sintra.  We needed to eat something for breakfast so we stopped at a café that didn’t look too busy and ordered our Spanish usual, café con leche y tostada con mermelada (coffee with milk and toast with jam).  I learned something new because the food arrived, and the coffee tasted watery.  The reason is because it was more like American coffee with the coffee brewed with water instead of the Spanish version in which café con leche is brewed in an espresso-type machine and then combined with steamed milk.  The mermelada was all fancy and came in little glass jars and the bread was like American sandwich bread and not the baguette that we are used to.  We had a feeling we were in trouble money-wise, and we were, spending more than €5 a person for such a simple breakfast (compare it to our freaking awesome chicken).  Welcome to tourist restaurants!

Stone staircase

We made it to Sintra without too much trouble, though figuring out how to order tickets at self-serve ticket stations that really only know Portuguese proved disastrous.  Right off the train, Sintra seemed wonderful.  We followed the masses and quickly surmised that the main sites to see were the Castelo de Moros y Palacio de Pena.  The bus station was located in the valley, and the sites were at the top of what was basically a mountain, so we started walking up street after cobblestone street.  Eventually we came to a stone staircase/path that was supposed to lead to the Castle.  It had some gorgeous views, and you could see the towns nearby spread out before us, but it was definitely a hike and some layers of clothing were removed in the process. 

 

El Castelo de Moros like all the castles we have visited was really cool! I wouldn’t necessarily say that it was my favorite because of the fact that it wasn’t free and was really crowded with tourists (not that we are locals or anything), but it was beautiful.  We could see all the way to the Atlantic Ocean from the top!  I wanted to visit, but we didn’t have time since we were really only in Lisboa for two days. 

Palacio de Pena

Next we headed to el Palacio de Pena.  I am not sure if Pena means pain in Portuguese like it does in Spanish, but that is what we joked because a pretty significant amount of pain was going on by the time we made it there.  Unfortunately by this time the fog was rolling it, but it was still really neat to see. The colors would normally be really bright yellows and red.  The Palace is where the royal family resided during the 1800s and possibly other times, but I am not sure.  The outside was extremely impressive, and we weren’t allowed to take pictures inside. 

El Palacio looking creepy in the fog

Me, excited to be eating chicken again

Finally with the energy that we could still muster we walked carefully down the cobblestone streets and back down the mountain in the rain.  We could have taken a bus, but determination (stubbornness) and resistance to falling into the tourist traps forced us to persist.  We headed back to Lisboa and to a second night of that amazing chicken for dinner.  Honestly it was so good that I would go back to Lisboa just for the chicken.  We were so tired that we chilled in our room and went to bed by 10.  

Day 1—Journey to Portugal

Following the disappointing news that we were not going to be able to get tickets to see the Alhambra in Granada this weekend, Marissa, Masha, and I changed our plans at the last minute and decided to head to Lisbon, Portugal! Can I just say what a fabulous decision it was! Despite the fact that it was off and on raining while we there, we had a wonderful time, and it was great to get to do some exploring in a new country.

Marissa, Masha & I sans Masha's passport

We had Thursday and Friday off of school for Día de los Santos, so we headed to Merida on Thursday morning to catch the bus to Lisboa from there.  We were getting close when suddenly Masha looked over at us and told us she had a strange question for us.  Did we have our passports?  Thankfully, we did, but unfortunately she did not.  Thus when we got to Merida we began trying to find a way for Masha to get back to Zafra and then also to Lisboa that day, while we were going to continue on to Lisboa and check in to the hostel (there were fewer buses than normal because of the holiday).  In the end, Francisco (information booth guy and Masha’s future husband) helped Masha find a bus to Sevilla that would stop and pick up passengers in Zafra (though not drop them off because another bus company has a monopoly to the stop in Zafra).  So we head off to Lisboa, and Masha headed off to Zafra on the bus to Sevilla, with the plan that she would head to Lisboa on the 1AM bus and meet us at the hostel around 5AM.

El Tejo-bridge to Portugal

We got to Lisboa without anyone problems, though the bus ride was long, and we were definitely tired of sitting by the time we got there.  We then had to figure out the Metro system to get to our hostel. Keep in mind that everything is now in Portuguese, which is similar to Spanish but also more different than you would think.  Eventually we made our way there without too much hassle and checked into the hostel, but we were now starving. 

Portugal's best chicken

We started walking the streets nearby and eventually came upon this smell that was probably the best thing I have smelled since coming to Spain. We glance at a menu outside the restaurant, which strategically has their grill in the window, and in the process learn some Portuguese because they had the English translations.  We decided to eat there and both want the ½ Frango c/ Batatas e Arroz (otherwise known as half of a chicken with potatoes and rice), but we don’t know how to pronounce words and have no clue what half might be in Portuguese.  We are “this” close to pulling the framed menu off the wall to point at what we want, when Marissa has this brilliant idea to type it into a note on her Ipod (gotta love technology <3).  So we order and wait for it to be ready.  It is only when one of the cooks asks another customer if he wants chili spices (in English) that we realize all of our efforts and worries were for nothing.  Finally, we took the food back to our room and dig in to what was one of the best meals I have ever had in my entire life for €5.  It was probably enough food for two or three people, but I ate every last bite.  Dinner was followed by some Criminal Minds and early to bed. 

Masha, happy to finally be in bed!

I woke up in the middle of the night to a knock on our door.  We opened the door to an exhausted Masha.  The bus to Sevilla that was supposed to stop in Zafra to drop off passengers had not stopped after all because the attendant in Merida had sold Masha at ticket to the express bus instead.  So Masha rode the bus three hours to Sevilla then had to ride the two hours back to Zafra to pick up her passport only to catch the bus back to Merida to leave for Lisboa.  Luckily she had a good sense of humor about it, but she was definitely happy to crawl into bed (as were we all)!

Merida--Capital of Extremadura

Today we (me, Marissa, Rebecca, and Masha) headed to Mérida to explore the town and the ruins, which date all the way back to the time period when Spain was part of the Roman Empire.  In one word, it was AWESOME!  I could probably write a separate blog post about each site that we saw, considering I read up on them all in this nifty guidebook we got when we purchased our tickets!  Instead, I will just tell you the basics, but if inquiring minds want to know, shoot me a message!  One interesting little tidbit is that Mérida has more ancient Roman ruins than anywhere else outside of Rome.  It is extremely fascinating to see how the city has just built up around them.  You are walking along and then BOOM, there is a Roman Forum right across from the café where you are eating tostada.  I acted as official coordinator and timekeeper to make sure we got our money’s worth and see all that we could, especially since the sites that we needed tickets for all closed down during siesta. 

First we hit up el Teatro and el Anfiteatro (the Theater and the Amphitheater), where the gladiator fights took place and where the plays/dramas took place respectively.  Of everything we saw, this was probably the most impressive.  It was relatively intact and easy to imagine the bloodshed, the events that took place in these ancient ruins.  I can't wait to see them in Rome later this year :D

Me, the gladiator!

Amphitheater

Marissa and I

Ok, point is, we saw a ton and it was really really cool.  It is probably my favorite place that I have seen since I have arrived.  I will probably update this post again soon, but we have been at the cafe during a busy time for entirely longer than is appropriate.  It is such a tough life to be so busy doing fun things and seeing awesome sites! 

these places.   

Badajoz: Not so Bad-ajoz

This weekend Marissa and I headed to the capital of our province, both of which are called Badajoz.  I had not heard very positive things about Badajoz; people had said that it was dirty and boring, actually.  I don't know that I completely agree, but we will probably not be going back, except to get to Portugal. 

First semi-funny story that reveals my true English/American nature.  We see this status, and I immediately say, "Look, it's Shakespeare!"  If I had thought for more than a second I would have remembered that a city in Spain has little reason to celebrate the like of a British playwright.  Though all men from the 16th century look the same to me, it is definitely Miguel de Cervantes, author of Don Quijote, which makes a lot more sense in Spain.  Further adding to my shame was the fact that we were standing in the Plaza de Cervantes, which should have made it obvious. We went to the biggest El Corte Ingles in Badajoz, which is basically like the Macy's in New York City.  It was huge, like 6 floors huge!! I bought some drawing supplies to attempt to take up a hobby to keep from going insane, but what we were really excited for was the new knife we bought!  I know, lame, but it sliced right through my tomatoes last night.  I even gave myself a little cut on my finger to christen the knife (on accident)! 

This is Marissa standing in front of la Guadiana, one of Extremadura's two main rivers.  The other one is in the North Province of Caceres called el Tajo.  It wasn't quite as picturesque as Lake Anna, but it was water and there were some great reflections of the clouds and the sky on the water.  Saturday we walked around some of las Plazas and the streets, getting a feel for the place.  We also went to El Faro, the brand new shopping mall that just opened last month.  The crowds were completely overwhelming, especially after getting used to the quiet way of life in Zafra.

Sunday we planned to explore some of the oldest parts of the city. The city's history is long and storied, dating all the way back to the 8th century when the city was taken over by the Moors.  Over the next few centuries a giant citadel/castle called Alcazaba was constructed to provide protection to the city.  To this day, a large part of the city is surrounded by a wall originally built to aid in this protection.  A large part of the citadel has been restored and still stands as you can see in the picture, but our favorite part was the ruins that stood around the garden.  There were arches and staircases and designs in the rocks that really inspired the imagination.  Check out my facebook page for more pictures soon! I LOVE CASTLES! 

I love flowers :) They make me happy.  Los jardines de Alcazaba

Castle in Burguillos del Cerro

Today Marissa and I went to Burguillos del Cerro, which is a small town nearby where Marissa does her teaching.  It was nice to explore somewhere different.  We have been feeling a bit stir-crazy, but Burguillos was beautiful. 

The main stop of the day was a castle built during the 13^th century.  We couldn’t find out very much about the castle; it doesn’t even have a name.  Despite that, we had an excellent time exploring a world from a different, somewhat simpler time. One of the best parts, it was absolutely 100 percent free!  It was the first castle I have ever visited, and I was definitely impressed.  It makes you think, what will be left from our time 800 years from now? 

Castle in the sky!

The Pit of Despair! (There were two, and they totally made us think of "The Princess Bride")