Lisbon photo update

Just writing a quick post while Fei's sleeping... Meaning a photo post of Lisbon!

Me in Jeronimos Monastery.. Gorgeous place!

Monastery--Rick Steves, travel guy, calls it his favorite cloister in Europe 

Tower of Belém. Was a defense post of the bay at one point, then turned more into a lighthouse. 

Pastel de belém! They have been making Portuguese egg tarts since the 1800s! And it was pretty much the best one I've ever had. Soft and custards with a hint of cinnamon, crunchy and flaky crust, all hot and fresh from the oven.

Day in Sintra, a historical city outside of Lisbon. Here is the moorish castle, which dates back to the first or second century. Kinda reminds me of the Great Wall...

Totally the Great Wall.

We hiked to the top!! Gold star :)

Awe-inspiring... The well of initiation in an estate in Sintra (Regeilera, I think.) I immediately thought, batman cave! But this one has stairs ;)

It's supposed to inspire a feeling of a celestial, ethereal connection. It was rumored to have been used for Masonic rites.

The Palace of Pena. It looks lik Excalibur!!

Portugal is known for arts and crafts (especially beautiful hand-painted tiles, see next pic) and Fado, a type of music sometimes likened to Portuguese blues.

Portuguese tiles

Codfish with cream, practically the national food of Portugal. The food here is good but soooo salty!

Narrow walkways, steep hills, cable cars, fog, a bridge which is the spitting image of the GGB... Squint and it's San Francisco!

Friendliness

In Versailles, I met a fellow traveler from the US. We chatted about traveling in Europe and agreed that for big cities, they tend to have a lot of similarities. So what really makes a difference is the people of the city. If they are friendly and treat you as their family, then an extended city visit willbe much more enjoyable. If they treat you like a piece of used gum stuck to the bottom of your shoe, no matter how great the city is, an extended visit will likely be less enjoyable.

In Paris, the people tended to split into two camps. Some were the stereotypical French store owners with their noses stuck up in the air at my American ways. Probably my incompetent French and tourist status did not appeal to them. However, many Parisians were surprisingly generous and helpful. My cousin and her friend and I were riding the subway when we discovered we entered the wrong side (heading the opposite direction.) I could see no way to cross to the other side of the tracks without exiting, which would force us to forfeit our tickets. I asked a guy what we could do. His train arrived but he ignored it and took us to the other side, then asked three locals if we could go through the turnstiles with them. Who does that?? What an amazing and nice guy.

In Versailles, a small town just outside Paris, I encountered so many nice people. I asked one store owner about his honey, and he ended up spending 20 minutes explaining his wares to me, giving me samples, and selling me honey and various salts for a reduced price. It was sweet!

And Portugal is really the last word in hospitality. The restaurant downstairs immediately took us in as family. Felipe, one of the waiters, gave us free beers and roses as "window service." He also took us around on the last night to show us a night scene (don't worry Mom and Dad... The apartment owner has known him for years... ;) ) and when we dine, one beer ordered equals two delivered, a pitcher of sangria is automatically refilled on the house. And one waiter tried to give me a whole flan to take away. Not sure if that was for real, but I said no I can't take a pan of flan to the airport, but thank you!

Some of the restaurant people downstairs!

Other people in Portugal were only too happy to provide me with instructions and give me advice. The culture is just amazing. Portuguese people are definitely my favorite so far!

On the flight from Lisbon to Barcelona, I asked the flight attendant (who went out of his way to write me a list of cities I should visit in Portugal) if Spanish people are as nice as Portuguese people. He said, "you decide..." so I guess we'll see!

How hot could it be?

When I was booking accommodations on airbnb for Barcelona, I noticed that the flats in the gothic quarter (El Gotic) didn't usually have air conditioning. But both Fei and I really wanted to have a/c. So I asked around: is Barcelona really that hot in August? Everyone told me yes, it's quite hot. I looked up the weather and it was about 70-85 degrees all day. The humidity was high, though.

I thought that after years of visiting Taiwan in the summer, this would be no problem!! Taiwan gets to be 90-100 and it's super humid. (I conveniently forgot everyone has a/c in Taiwan, of course.) so I booked a flat without a/c but in our chosen district.

I just arrived in Barcelona, and turns out its really hot. Really, really hot. Perhaps it's the fact that I just lugged my ever-growing luggage up 4 flights of stairs. Or perhaps it's the jeans and cardigan I was wearing. Anyway, for all of you wondering- I can now confirm that Barcelona in August is hot!

Ola, Lisbon!

First impressions of Portugal:

It's beautiful.

It is next to the sea. The buildings are gorgeous. We are living in the cutest little apartment in Alfama, the historic district. The buildings are colorful and/or tiled, and you can really see the Moorish influence on the town.

This is where we live.

It's friendly.

Everyone is nice, and very one speaks great English! What a refreshing change from Paris!

We actually live above a restaurant. We've made friends with all the waiters, who ing our doorbell when we are at home to say "window service!" and deliver fresh cold beers via my balcony. What a community :)

My room with the balcony

Yes, window service!

There's a lot of fish.

It's a seaside village, meaning they eat a loooot of fish. You know how I said the grocery store in Paris was filled with cheese? The grocery store here has the most seafood I've ever seen. The two meals we've had so far have been fish and green wine (vinho verde.)

Grilled sardines

Vinho verde-- it's kind of a young white wine. Fei described it as "like sauvignon blanc." Not bad with fish.

So far, it's shaping up to be one of my favorite cities in the world! I wish we didn't have to leave so soon! 

What's your travel style?

Some people like to hit all the sights and monuments. Some people like to do all the cultural things locals do. Some people enjoy outdoor and natural activities. Many like to spend time relaxing. And some like to shop, shop, shop. Others like to party!

I actually like to do a combination on every trip. Variety is what makes a good vacation. I think my days in France included the wide range of travel styles.

1. Sightseeing

This was a big one in Paris. There are just a ridiculous number of famous sights in France. Sacre Coeur, Notre Dame, the Eiffel tower, the Arc d'triomphe, Champs Élysées, the Louvre, Versailles, the Concorde... We really saw them all. French architecture is really amazing; it is definitely at the top of my list. American architecture is so bland in comparison. Even among European nations I like France... It's so grand and it's not as somber as Italy which is dominated by churches (my opinion.)

Sightseeing also is a great photo opportunity :)

2. Culture

Exploring another country's culture is one of my favorite travel activities. A huge part of this one in France is eating. There are also other quirky local things: buying tickets, going to the post, grocery shopping, etc. But the big one here is probably dining.

We actually ate in a few times. Mostly we ate bread, cheese, fresh produce at home. The cheese section in the grocery store is HUGE-- bigger than the meat section!! And once I even cooked soup for Fei when she was sick.

Meal at home

Otherwise we might grab a fresh pastry from a local boulangerie (our local friends seem to do this for lunch most of the time.) French people love sweets! I don't really understand it. But the pastries are good.

Pierre Herme, omg I cannot describe in words how amazing this man is. 

Pierre Herme macarons, I can no longer eat any others. These are perfection in taste and texture.

We also ate out a lot in France. No meal was over 20 euro. So it's possible to eat well in France at a reasonable price if you know where to look.

Galette with ham and cheese and salad

Falafel- pretty famous in Paris

Duck. Freaking amazing: fried, tender, and garlicky.

Lamb steak 

Another cultural thing was drinking in public places. Young French people drink everywhere-- along the Seine river, on bridges (like the love lock bridge), beneath the Eiffel tower. When my cousin Silvia and her friend Inaise visited, we drank champagne beneath the Eiffel tower. So fun!

Silvia pouring some champagne!

3. Nature/relaxation

This category is a bit lacking. Paris is the antithesis of natural, which is probably why some of them escape to the countryside whenever they can (some every week!) I will say that I walked miles every day, and my feet and legs ached every morning.

In the town of Versailles, there was more nature. (most everything was manicured, though).

4. Shop

Shopping is great in France-- just ask the Chinese! Go into galeria Lafayette, and you will see lots of tourists buying Louis Vuitton and Longchamp. There is a line to get into Chanel! 

I actually did not get a chance to shop much. I just don't have the budget for French shopping :) but I did get some skin care, gourmet goods (special honey, salt, and herbs), and chocolate.

5. Party

I guess this isn't our biggest priority. We did go out for one night in the Marais, the gay district. It was fun but not the best. First there was the language barrier. Second the drinks are small and more expensive than the us. (Is that why Europeans love to party in the us? Cheap, oversized drinks?) maybe we will go out more in Spain. 

So that's my France trip in a nutshell. Au revoir!