Trip to Lisbon – 29th April 2025
We had to get a sprint on early morning the other day when we tried to find a parking space for the van in Caldas da Rainha. It was 7.30am and our Flixbus to Lisbon was leaving at 7.45.
We thought we knew where all the car parks were – but after going down several ramps only to hear ominous scraping sounds from the roof rack – we realised we had to reverse back up the 45-degree ramp onto the main street and find somewhere else that accommodated a 2.2m high van. We eventually found somewhere only to be apparently stymied by the unintelligible ramblings of google maps walking directions to the bus station.
Luckily a passing chap realised we were lost and advised, “Left, then 2 long blocks, its on the right”. With minutes to go we sprinted down the high street, and got to the bus station just as the coach rolled in. Whew!!
A few months ago, I would not have been able to run like that. It was lucky I had been going for walks and practise runs round the lagoon for the last 2 weeks. Last year I hurt my back several times, and couldn’t even walk some days, or sit, for weeks at a time. I had quite a bit of time off work and eventually realised that I had to give in to it, and not try to do anything much till it had healed. My back feels good but now I need to regain my fitness levels.
We have been on a bit of a mission to find the best chocolate croissants in Portugal. I am not talking the flaky pastry ones you find in the bakery section – just the individually wrapped, mass produced versions which are quite cheap but handy to have in your bag. I think we accidentally found the best ones at Intermarche.
However, having tried 6 other big supermarkets in the nearby city of Caldas da Rainha – how many supermarkets can a place contain?!? – I accidentally picked up a bag of “simples” plain ones… :-/ The deciding factor is the amount and quality of the chocolatey centre of course 😊
We got to Lisbon and got a taxi straight away to the main square, the Praca de Comercio, and passed the time taking photos before the surrounding cafes opened at 10am.
Fueled by coffee and a Pastel de Nata we soon came upon the Santa Justa lift, which is an elevator to the higher area of Largo do Carmo, and a good viewpoint over the city.
Rather than queue, we raced up the nearby steps, winding round shops and apartments, till we reached the top with a great view of the city below.
This then led us up to the Igreja do Carmo church, another tourist attraction. This is now a roofless gallery of all the artifacts found around Portugal following the great earthquake of 1755.
We had not really planned what we were going to visit so took a hop-on-hop-off bus tour round the city.
We stopped at the Maritime Museum for lunch, and because it was raining. Then nipped over the road to see the Padrao dos Descobrimentos (Monument to the Discoveries) and the Belem Tower.
The first is a marble 170ft tall prow of a boat surrounded by famous explorers.
The Belem Tower is a 16th century fortification that symbolises Portugal’s role in the age of discovery.
We then waited for the hop-on bus to pick us back up again – only it never came. We saw them go by on the other side of the 8-lane highway, but even though we were at the right stand, apparently 3 stops had been cancelled. We, along with a few others, waited an hour and a half, before we were picked up again… A Dutch lady using crutches and her son kept us entertained with stories of what she was going to do to the bus driver if we ever got back on.
Castelo Sao Jorge was our next visit, high up on the top of Sao Jorge hill, the highest point in Lisbon (the city of 7 hills).
We wound our way up the narrow, cobbled streets, going through various villages, thinking it must be round the next corner, only for there to be more steps and more ancient buildings. The castle is part iron age, part Roman and part Islamic fortress. We walked around the top perimeter and Paul took photos.
I just clung to the handrail…
View from the top of Castello Sau Jorge
Walking down the hill, back to the main square, we stopped for a drink and cake at one of the little cafes, before getting a taxi back to the bus station and Flixbus back home again. We got back in at around 21.30 – a long but interesting day 😊
