Destinations

Lisbon — often compared to San Francisco for its siting on various hills with a bridge reminiscent of our Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco — is a lively, humane and fascinating town full of history, monuments, lively smaller neighborhoods in process of change and modernization. The Santos district lying not far from the harbor area, has in the last few years become home to trendy small restaurants, small boutique shops and even a pharmacy from the 19th century with its own musician playing his own compositions at lunchtime. Pull up a chair in front of his white piano after purchasing your necessities and enjoy 15 minutes of marvelous sounds before moving on to other endeavors.

What more wonderful than seas with 1.5 foot swells, clear skies and a broad open decks to relax on between ports-of-call? Nothing!! I just returned from a marvelous six day ‘repositioning’ cruise aboard the SPLENDOUR OF THE SEAS, one of the Royal Caribbean Cruise Line’s mid-sized ships. Sailing from Lisbon, Portugal via Gibraltar, Sardinia, Dubrovnik and finishing in Venice, Italy, we got to experience a range of wonderful places to visit. We even had time to relax at sea on two of the days. All guests on board seemed to delight in this extra open time to mingle, laugh, chat and also have a bit of quiet time. It made an excellent balance between sightseeing new places and enjoyment of the ship’s proffered offerings.

On board, there were so many options for all age groups — rock wall climbing, spa treatments, mini-golf, shuffleboard and table tennis, jogging track, dance lessons, as well as special programs for the youngsters aboard with specialized on board counselors provided by the cruise line. Teens had their separate spaces and younger ones a playroom with age appropriate activities.

Throughout the day there was light musical entertainment which all of us enjoyed by the pool. If music wasn’t wished, there were ample other deck areas for quieter activities including snoozing. At night the quality and range of entertainment was excellent — full-fledged dance shows, atrium area duets and quartets, and light entertainment in several smaller club Rooms.

The ship had over 47 different nationalities aboard this sailing which gave many groups opportunities to share life experiences and cultures. The ship is designed to give everyone the option to be super busy to totally relaxed and the choices on the daily activities ‘menu’ left by the cabin stewards were endless and easy to make. All in all — a good time and all too short.

One month in Portugal is hardly enough time to actually see all the sights in this historic and beautiful country, rich in art, culture, nature, and delicious gastronomy.

We began our journey in the island of Terceira, Azores. Terceira is known for its world heritage city, Angra do Heroismo, rolling green hills, friendly people, and plenty of cultural celebrations in the summertime.

Being a native from Madeira Island, our next stop, gave us a chance to revisit the enchanted city of Funchal, overlooking the bay, surrounded by breathtaking views, tropical plants, bright flowers, and warm weather year round. Moreover, its neighboring island, Porto Santo, is well known for its golden and infinite sandy beaches.

From Madeira we flew to Lisbon, Portugal and drove to the center of the Alentejo region, to the city of Evora, where we visited Roman ruins dating back to 2 or 3 AD. We stayed in a exceptional hotel, Pousada Loiros, which is a converted convent that catered to the rich gastronomy of the region. We traced the walking paths of Evora, admiring the roman temple Diana, the historical Cathedral of Evora, many of its medieval buildings, and the impressive Capela dos Ossos.

Making our way down to the most southern part of the country, we finally arrived in Algarve, where we stayed at Vale do Lobo, near Almancil. This gave us the flexibility to wander through the beautiful small towns of the area, such as Loule, a tiny city tucked away in the hills, overlooking the picturesque ocean, and back down to the southern coast where the most beautiful beaches are in the natural reserve of Ria Formosa. Algarve is a great place to break from the busy life, to relax, enjoy the stunning beaches and golden rock formations that stand tall despite the centuries of erosion, withering away at them. At the most southwestern part of Portugal, Sagres stands in its historical majesty, where Prince Henry sent the Portuguese to embark on the discoveries of new worlds and opened the age of globalization.

To end our trip, we returned on the coastal highway to Lisbon, the capital of Portugal, built on seven hills and overlooking the immense Rio Tejo. Lisbon is a modern European metropolitan city, full of life, shopping malls, street restaurants, cafes, government buildings, historical monuments, and vibrating cultural diversity. Whether you are on a honeymoon, taking a graduation trip, or on a month sabbatical, Portugal is a country that has something for everyone. From old, historic cities, to busy municipal streets, from laid-back beach towns, to secluded forest-filled nature sites, spectacular islands, Portugal is a country that you must experience.