Archive for: February 2007

Our youngest daughter flew on a low cost flight to spend a weekend with us in Lisbon which is one of her favourite cities. Although we live in Portugal, her journey time by air was considerably less than our road trip!

Our first stop was for late lunch at ‘docas’ which is one of the old docks now being used as a marina with one side being lined with restaurants for open air and indoor eating. It is under the high level bridge across the river and the background noise of the traffic sounds like angry bees. Before the meal we had to have a drink at the Irish pub to see the end of a football match on Sky Television!

We stayed at the five star boutique hotel, The Beira Alta, which is the conversion of an old city stately home. It has an open air terrace bar with food and snacks on the top floor which looks over the city roofs to the river.

We chose this hotel since it is central. Nearby is the Brazileiro café where the famous Lisbon writers used to meet over 100 years ago. Also close is the ‘elevador’ which is a lift that takes you down to the main shopping area of the city.

This was a change from our usual hotels of As Janelas Verdes and York House which are two small hotels in interesting old buildings in the quieter embassy area of the city.

The following evening, we had a drink in the unusual Pavihâo Chinês where the walls are covered with old collections of many themes. This was followed by a taxi ride up the hill on the other side of the city almost to the castle. Here we went to the Chaperto restaurant which is reached through a graffiti painted door and through a courtyard full of students. A spiral staircase leads up to the high class restaurant where we had a table in the widow with an excellent view of the nighttime skyline to accompany our good food.

The next day we discovered Café no Chiado in Largo do Picadeiro near the hotel. An excellent small place for a snack or a light lunch.

The afternoon was spent on one of the trams which took us down to the city and up the streets in the old area on the other side. After a coffee, we made the return journey. A more structured sightseeing journey (and more expensive) can be made by the tourist tram leaving from the square by the river.

That evening we had another memorable meal in the A Travessa restaurant next to an old convent near the French Embassy. This is definitely a place to go by taxi since if you manage to find it, the parking is limited.

On Sunday morning, we visited the Jerinimos Monastery which with the nearby Monument to the discoveries and the Torre de Belem are the buildings in Lisbon most visited by tourists

Another night we went to a ‘Fado’ restaurant. The singing was excellent but when the bill came we found that we were being treated like tourists and I do not want others to share our expensive experience so the details are not given here.

Next day it was time to say goodbye to my daughter and we had a meeting scheduled at the Pestana Palace hotel followed by another at the nearby attractive town of Sintra. The Pestana Palace is the flagship hotel of the group that runs the Pousada hotels and many of their promotional rates apply at this splendid hotel.

What a difference was this visit to Lisbon compared with staying in one of the modern hotels. We did have the benefit of having been there before and the experience of someone who had worked in the city. Although the places were expensive by the standards of Portugal, prices were cheap compared to other European capital cities.

Persons over 55 years can get a 40% discount at the fabulous Pousadas of Portugal. Combined with low cost flights, it is an excellent opportunity for a high class mid week break at little cost.

The discount is available on single or double occupancy and only one traveller per room needs to be over 55. With this discount, the cost per person in a room for two, Sunday to Thursday, is approximately 36 Euros or £23. On Friday and Saturday nights, it may increase by 25 Euros as the Pousadas are very popular with the Portuguese and Spanish enjoying a weekend break.

Another option is the Golden Age Passport which is available for 375 Euros. This gives vouchers for 5 nights accommodation Sunday to Thursday inclusive and also 25% discount off the bill in any of the 42 Pousada restaurants.

There are more than 40 Pousada Hotels, many of which were formerly historic castles, monasteries, palaces, convents and other historic buildings. They all offer very high class accommodation and observe the best traditions of the regions where they are located.

The Pousadas are located throughout Portugal and many are to be found in the lesser known, unspoilt areas. One such area is the Costa Verde (The Green Coast) in the north of Portugal. It is one of the most beautiful areas of the country although it receives more rain than the Algarve.

The winter has an average of 5-6 hours of sunshine per day. This is a region of lush vegetation and small fields from which the area gets its name of “The Green Coast”.

Spring is a good time to visit to enjoy the warm sunshine and pleasant climate. It is after the winter rain and before the heat of the summer. The colour of the blossom of the trees starts with the Mimosa in February which is followed by the flowers of the fruit trees.

Two excellent Pousadas for a winter break in north Portugal are Pousada Monte Santa Luzia overlooking the delightful old sailing port of Viana do Castelo and Pousada Nossa Senhora da Oliveira in the centre of Guimaraes, once the capital of Portugal.

These Pousadas have been selected for their easy access to historic towns which can be enjoyed before the rush of tourists. Both towns have many cafes, shops, bars and restaurants and have easy motorway access to the airport.

Porto (Oporto) international airport is in the north of Portugal and TAP fly here twice a day from London Heathrow. Ryanair have two flights a day from London Stanstead and they also fly from Liverpool. In the next few weeks there will also be flights from East Midlands airport near Sheffield to Porto. There are also flights to the main European capital cities.

Also available is the Golden Age Passport which is available for Euro 375. This gives vouchers for 5 nights accommodation on any night except Friday and Saturday and also 25% off the bill in any of the 42 Pousada restaurants.

These offers are available for most but not all of the Pousadas. They are subject to availability and are limited to certain dates excluding such as Christmas, Carnival, Easter and the summer months. Conditions apply.

These discounts are available on single or double occupancy and only one traveller per room needs to be over 55.