Category Archives: Europe

September 26, 2015 · 5:41 pm

Alfama, #28 tram, Castelo, Menino Deus church — Lisbon

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#28 Tram Ride!

Great day. Fantastic breakfast on the third floor terrace of our funky hip hotel, then we took a taxi to the western end of the # 28 tram to secure a seat the entire route though the city. Not to be missed! Great to rumble through the narrow streets and hills past pastel-colored facades and the occasional faded tile facade.

We found a cute cafe Pois Cafe for a light lunch (sardine crumble) near the cathedral, then we wandered up and down the hills of Alfama, the charming 18th century post-earthquake neighborhood with terraces looking out across the red tiled roofs to the river in the distance. A highlight was the Menino Deus church, which we happened upon on the very first day it was open to the public. (It  used to be FNO…for nuns only). Didn’t look like much from the outside — a flat stone facade but inside, stunning baroque church with intricate marble and tile and trompe d’oille paint work. We didn’t go onto the castle grounds but walked around the little hillside village beside it and stumbled upon a great little cafe that replicated a tram inside and had surprisingly good pastries, ice cream and quiche.IMG_0870.JPG

Another tram ride (our 3 day Lisbon card was a good investment) and another walk near the theater where we sampled some cherry liquor and then walked past the fabulous Art Deco Edens theatre, where people were hanging out on the top near the fantastic glass towers. This city  has such charm and verve!

Francine and Russ

Francine and Russ

 

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September 25, 2015 · 11:23 pm

The Independente, Cervejaria Ramiro, Gloria funicular — Lisbon

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    funicular!


    After a somewhat nerve-wracking four-hour drive up to Lisbon from Pedralva in the Algarve (the last straw was the engine warning light going on about an hour and a half outside the city and the car suddenly loosing energy but fortunately regaining) we rendezvoused at the Lisbon airport with our old friends Francine and Russ who flew in from London.IMG_0873.JPG

We bought a three-day transportation pass for 39 euro each and rode the metro to Rossi station where we hauled our suitcases up a very steep and long hill (which we later learned is where the wonderful old funicular goes up and down) to the grand old pile that is the Independente Suites and Terraces. It’s a three-story old mansion with lots of faded Old World charm and funky art every where. We rode a strange very small elevator up to our second floor room (rather than walk with our bags) and into a charming high ceiling-ed room with dramatic art, big long windows that open like French doors and night lamps made out of old plumbing pipes.IMG_0855.JPG

We wandered around our neighborhood which is across the street from a tile-stoned park with an overlook where we can see across the city to the Castle and river in the distance. We walked to an amazing old mansion that has been turned into small shops showcasing local designers called Embaixada and a slightly less grand mansion near by called Entre Tanto. Tonight we took the funicular down the hill and walked past the gorgeous art nouveau theater to Cercejaria Ramaro, a famous seafood restaurant that already had a line out the door. We squeezed,our way in and our 7:30 reservation was eventually honored. The seafood was phenomenal. Shrimp, lobster, clams, even goose barnacles, all incredibly fresh and flavorful, simply prepared because there was no need to do much. The place was packed, with room after room of loud happy people cracking crustaceans. I haven’t laughed so hard in a long time.IMG_0882.JPG

 

 

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September 24, 2015 · 9:28 pm

The wild and windy western Algarve

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Our eco-hotel/village

We have been staying for the past three days in a remarkable place — a once dying village tucked deep in a valley in the western Algarve. Someone bought the old village, fixed it up and now runs it as a eco tourism village. And it works! We have a little row house (for lack of a better word)… A white stucco one-bedroom place on a narrow cobbled lane. Aldeia de Padralva, we discovered tonight, also has an excellent restaurant where we had black acorn-fed pork kebabs and spicy Piri Piri (a Portuguese spicy chili).

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In Aljezar

Mostly, we have been eating seafood plucked right out of the Atlantic including fish stew (cataplana) and grilled prawns in oil and garlic and grilled sardines. Delicious! A highlight was the Michelin-starred restaurant in the nearby village of Villa do Bispo called A Eira do Mel  (We ate a cataplana of wild shrimp, cubes of pork and Portuguese sausage in a delicious broth. It was served for two in a large pot with rice, followed by homemade lemon ginger ice cream) and at a  seafood place right over the little bridge from the Mercado in the moorish city of Aljezar (grilled sardines, shrimp sauteed in garlic). We also ate at Site de Forno overlooking the beach near the town of Cappeietera.IMG_0814.JPG

Casteljho beach, north of Vila de Bispo

It’s not been all about the food. The scenery is spectacular – dramatic black stone cliffs along the Atlantic Coast, with wild waves crashing into jagged rocks in the water, perfect sandy beaches, lots of wind. We walked today in the morning from Casteljho beach to another  beach a little to the north, with fisherman somehow fishing on the jagged rocks in the water. We also went to the beach in the tiny town of Salema on the Mediterranean side, which was much calmer but very cold. We braved the water anyway.

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Cork purses for sale in Lagos

Also enjoyed the fort at Sagres  (which did feel like the end of the earth, as people once thought it was pre-Christopher Columbus), roaming around the resort town of Lagos and exploring the Moorish village  of Aljezur. I am so glad we stayed on the western Algarve instead of on the southern coast which is chockablock with high rises. This area is a national park so protected from development. Amen.

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Lagos storefront

One mishap: our car was broken into while we were roaming around a beach area the first day. Fortunately we didn’t lose anything crucial (passports, credit card, glasses etc) and I had a good excuse to buy a little cork purse (a Portuguese staple.)

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September 21, 2015 · 6:27 pm

Evora, Monsaraz — Portugal!

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Hanging in the Chapel of Bones

So glad we decided to come to this charming medieval walled in city, Evora. Narrow cobbled stone streets lined with white stucco homes outline in mustard yellow and sometimes pale blue, red-tiled roofs, blue and white tiles, wrought iron balconies. All eventually leading into the wide open main square with its elegant facades and fountain and last night a huge local orchestra playing a concert that started at 9:45 pm on a Sunday.

The 2,000 year old roman temple is on the highest group, flanked by the Gothic cathedral and a stunning Pousada (state-run posh hotels here). The University was also astonishing, with its classrooms lining a large courtyard, each room with blue and white tiles, some themed to match the courses taught in them. We also visited the Chapel of Bones, god knows how many monks skulls and femurs cover the walls and even line the buttresses. The skeletons apparently have been temporarily removed, which was fine with me. Spooky enough.

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Evora at night

We had a good meal at Restaurant 1/4 to 9— black-eyed beans with tuna in a light oil and lemon sauce, then a pot of shrimp and clams in broth full of bread that the waiter mixed with zest. The result was like eating very moist stuffing with seafood. Very filling and delicious.

Today, we tried some local pastries at Cafe Arcade, shopped along rue 5 outré, (who knew you could make shoes, purses and book jackets out of cork?).

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Monsaraz

We drove to several hill towns in the Alijento region, the most spectacular is Monsaraz, a walled town high above a river valley on he border with Spain. There are about two main lanes, no cars, all stone pavement lined with loved white-washed cottages with purple and red flowers spilling over walls. When we got to the remains of the castle’s limestone ramparts we climbed some metal steps to get to the top and were astonished to suddenly be inside a bull fighting ring. No fights today but apparently they are held occasionally.

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Monsaraz view

Tonight was dinner in Evora at a five-table place (all five advance booked) called Taquinha d’ Oliviera, which lived up to the hype. We ate only one of the appetizers placed on our table (custom here is if you eat, you pay) marinated chickpeas with fish and then Dirck had pork and clams, I had lamb and potatoes. Nicely done.

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Evora ruins

We love the little hip guest house we are staying at — Evora Inn Chiado Design. The front door is a humble affair that is easy to miss in the main arcade near the main square but after walking up several flights we found reception and a few flights up ,our little room with little touches of mod well-chosen furnishings and French doors that we have opened. My view past our wrought iron balcony is of red curved tile roofs and white buildings and the cathedral set against a sunset. Hard to beat that.

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August 16, 2015 · 5:25 pm

Best resources for planning our Portugal trip

Hard to believe that in my youth, I rarely planned trips and never used guidebooks. In middle-age, with limited time to travel, a slightly bigger budget and advanced pickiness, I’ve taken to booking lodging and sometimes meals in advance using an array of guidebooks and travel articles. Here’s what’s come in handy for Portugal:

Lonely Planet guide – Got this from the public library and have used primarily to find lodging and bone up on cultural activities.

Rick Steves’ guide – It’s not as detailed as the Lonely Planet guide but Rick was helpful in narrowing down where to go during a two-week period. His guide is not as encyclopedic as Lonely Planet – with info on far fewer locations and for the locations it does list, offering fewer options. I didn’t use his lodging suggestions much – Lonely Planet had a wider range, more interesting off-the-beaten-track places and good subtitles like “rural inn” to help narrow things down. I don’t like big hotels or resorts. I prefer smaller family-run places where you can sort of get a feel for what real life is like and connect a little with locals/local life. But I think Rick’s guide will be helpful for actual sight seeing, with some good walking tours in places like Lisbon and Porto…

Newspaper travel stories – The NYTimes has a few including a story on The Other Algarve (which I found a bit late, after I’d spent considerably time trying on my own to figure out the least touristy places to visit) and a 36 Hours Lisbon; But I also found some really helpful stories from the Travel Channel (Anthony Bourdain’s show), the British press including some stories from  the Telegraph and the Guardian, plus Afar magazine.

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April 1, 2015 · 3:37 pm

When in Ghent: back by popular demand – another guest post from Francine

 

Our friends Francine and Russ in London just returned from Ghent, Belgium and our friends David and Denise in Des Moines are visiting their son in Antwerp (Belgium)…sooo, here’s some travel suggestions from the Londoners (Francine) to the Iowans:

    1. Map of ghent belgium
Okay – a few words about Ghent
We stayed in the centre of the medieval district – Hotel NH. Good hotel – clean and comfortable – but not especially quaint. There is a Novotel close by too. The advantage of these places are they are a hop, skip and a jump to the sites. Don’t have breakfast there though – find a local café.
Ghent (or Gent as it is known in Belgium) is about half an hour train ride from Brussels.  I suspect it is about the same from Antwerp. There are several stations. The main station is about 30 mins walk from the centre – so get a taxi or hop a local train to Ghent St Peters – and then only 10 mins from centre.
Things that are special about Belgium/Ghent – the beer, chocolate, lace, 14th and 15th century art and in season mussels and chips!
Sites we recommend are all close by to the hotel – Belfrey, St Bavo’s Cathedral (a visit to Van Eyck brothers painting Adoration of Mystic Lamb in the cathedral is a must), St Nicolas’s church and Castle of the Counts. Fabulous strolls can be taken around the town and along one of the 4 rivers that meet in the middle of the town.
We visited the STAM museum – about the history of Ghent and about half an hour walk from the centre or 8 minute tram ride and a museum about the ongoing restoration of the Van Eyck painting in  an arts centre that used to be a monastery (Caermensklooster) but there are several we did not have time for, ie  the trendy Design Musuem and Fine Arts Museum where you can watch them restore the van Eyck masterpiece!
Beware musuems are mostly closed on Mondays!
Things to do – take a river boat cruise, take a tram, walk round the town at night as all the buildings are illuminated and there is a night trail. The tourist office is right by the Town Hall, tucked away near the river (about 3 mins from NH hotel) and you can buy a 48 or 72 hour  Ghent card which gives you free public transport and entrance to virtually all the sites and monuments.
On Sunday morning – go to the flower market and join the locals in a plate of Oysters and a glass of wine at the Blue Oyster kiosk.
Amazing array of bars, cafes and places to ear  – all of which were fab. We liked
Mokabon – retro coffee bar-  good for coffee not breakfast
Faja lobi café – great sandwiches, Indonesian food and I think breakfast too
The Pink Flamingo bar –  funky 50s American – good for beer/wine pre dinner
Wasbar (launderette cum café) – on the way to Stam museum and good brunch with prosecco!
Restaurant de Graslei -Traditional Belgian beer and food in old house on quay side of the river
Marco Polo – trattoria – with good slow Italian food
de Rave – very close to NH hotel – intimate authentic Belgian cuisine restaurant run by husband and wife team.
Finally – lots of boutiques and shops – especially women’s clothes/shoes (if that is Denise’s thing)
Here is more about the place http://www.visitgent.be/en/ghent-0
If they are really feeling adventurous  and staying in Belgium for a while- they should take a First World War battlefields tour and visit Ypres and an amazing museum there dedicated to  the so called Great War If so – they must stay for the Last Post which is played at the Menin Gate every night and attended by hundreds of people. Very moving experience.
I hope they have a lovely time!
Fxx

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November 23, 2014 · 3:54 am

Where to go in Portugal …Sintra, algarve, Tavira

I met a woman on a flight to Dallas who had recently visited Portugal. She showed me photos of gorgeous gardens and moorish tiled buildings and courtyards. And she gave me several names of towns to visit including Sintra .

 

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July 20, 2013 · 3:43 pm

Being gay in Poland – what I learned from two young bright lesbians

Photo of the steps of the United States Supreme Court building on the morning of June 26, 2013, hours before the court overturned the Defense of Marriage Act.

You meet interesting people on trains and so I did on a recent trip from Germany to Poland: two bright, articulate, young Polish women who, as it turns out, are a couple. We got to chatting during a long train ride and the topic somehow moved onto the subject of the U.S. Supreme Court’s recent decisions in June that strengthened gay rights. The women talked about how heartened and moved they were by the advances in gay rights in the U.S. – and then gradually mentioned that they were a couple and had few such rights in Poland, in part due to the pervasive conservative influence of the Catholic church.

One woman, college-age, said she could not tell her parents she is gay because they are very conservative (anti-gay, anti-Semitic et.al.)  and definitely would not approve. The other woman, slightly older, said she’d told her parents and was surprised and pleased that they accepted the news reasonably well. I felt for them – and it reminded me that the fight for gay rights in the U.S. is being closely watched by gays/lesbians elsewhere who, alas, have an even tougher fight.  Interestingly, this conversation took place after a young guy who was also in our train cabin  left for a bit. When he returned, the women and I exchanged a quick knowing look and changed the subject.

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July 15, 2013 · 6:50 am

Prague Castle and thereabouts

133.JPGAnother day of perfect weather Sunday and we joined hordes of tourists — no joke, I’m talking Macy’s Thanksgiving Parade size crowds, Iowa State Fair Size crowds, Obama’s (first) inauguration size crowds – crossing the fabled Charles Bridge to head up the hill to the Prague Castle complex, a series of grand buildings centered around the massive St.Vitus Church, where we watched the rather amusing changing of the guards, who wore shades and powder blue uniforms designed by Hollywood director Milos Foreman’s costume designer Theodor Pistek (at the then-new president Vaclav Havel’s request, no less!). (see bottom photo) Church construction began in 1344 and ended in 1921. yes, you read that right. Although the glorious Alfons Mucha art nouveau stained lass window came later, in 1931. (This trip has made me a mucho Mucha fan.)

Much of the complex required an admission ticket, alas, which we didn’t feel like paying. We did pay to wind down from the palace through some lovely terraced formal Royal gardens (
Zahrady gardens) and landed at Besada, a surprisingly good restaurant in Malostranska Square for lunch that we just chanced upon, that served surprisingly good hearty Czech food- snitzel, pork medallions, potatoes, potato and sauerkraut pancakes.

Next stop, we walked up and up and up steps of a nearby park to the funicular, which we used to sail down the north bank. Then we walked along the river, admiring the boats and the Sunday strollers until we reached the Charles Bridge again, this time dominated by a French food fair and a boisterous French brass band that the locals and tourists seemed to love.

Back at our pension, the lovely Green Garland Pension (Pension U Zeleneho Vence) on Retezov Street, we had one last coffee (tea for some) at Montmarte, an atmospheric cafe across the street and excellent gelato at a good place near the hotel, Creameries Milano ( 12 Husova) before bidding a sad goodbye to our London friends who flew home to London. We had adequate Italian food near our hotel at Olive Nera, enjoying eating at the outdoor cafe overlooking a pretty square and people watching. (Our evening was marred only briefly by a garbage truck that parked right in front of our table to pick up, slowly, the trash. On a Sunday night no less.)

On Monday morning we took one last wander around the area behind the big church in the Od Town square, finding even more gorgeous art nouveau and art deco buildings. And then off to Prague’s airport where I flew to London (on a decent British Airways flight) and then to Chicago (on a worn-out American Airlines plane)  after going through three security checkpoints for that flight alone. (Another in Prague.)

 

 

 

 

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July 12, 2013 · 10:16 pm

Prague fairyland

146.JPGPrague is stunning. My neck seems to be locked in an upward position as I walk through the OlD Town staring up at one spectacularly ornate building facade and church after another. Ornate decorative details everywhere you look, rococo and baroque and art nouveau; buildings adorned with sculptures of buxom women, elaborate iron balconies, gold leaf, geometric patterns. My favorite today hands down was the incredible art nouveau Municipal Building and a small museum devoted to the work of alphonse Mucha. Also walked across the Charles Bridge in early eve.

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Prague Castle

We are staying in the heart of it all at the Green Garland Pension, a 14th century building on Retezova Street, a narrow street made of old paving stones. Already we have eaten very well, first at The Bake Shop, which we found instead of the Jewish deli we were looking for and has a wide selection of salads, breads, meats, pastries; later at Club architecture, which served nouvous Czech cuisine…I had an excellent beef goulash with dumplings. We also had coffee yesterday morning across,the street at an old place called Montmarte and beer at a brew pub down the street and tonight at another bohemian bar, Literati Kavarna Retezova.

Tonight we splurged for Russ’s 56th birthday at Celeste, a fancy French restaurant atop Frank Gehry’s building on the river known as Dancing House (because you cn almost make out ginger and fred dancing). excellent food, spectacular view of the castle across the river high on a hill above the river. AFter that went to a small cavernous blues club around the block from our pension to hear a band fronted by a guy from small town Oklahoma.

We also had good thin crust pizza at a little open air place near Wenceslas Square, pulcinella, (via melantrichova #11) and coffee and pastry at a hard to find place, Mysak, opened on 1911.

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Municipal Building

We toured several,incredibly beautiful synagogues and a very old Jewish cemetery in the Jewish district, including one temple,where the walls are painted with thousands of names, one afte another after another of Czech jews who died in the holocaust. very moving. We also walked across the elegant Charles Bridge and into the main town square.

we met up,as planned with our friends from London Francine and Russ who,we,last traveled with last october in New Orleans. I have traveled,to 17 places and counting with Franc during our 34 year friendship, about a third if those the trips with our husbands in tow, to a,variety of places from Arkansas to Ireland, Santa Fe to Paris.

 

 

 

 

 

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