Loitering with intent in Lisbon 18

It's nearly time to pack our bags and head for the airport, so for our last full day in Lisbon we spent the afternoon at what many call one of Europe's best (yet perhaps least-known) private collections of fine art.

Calouste Gulbenkian was a British-educated Armenian who made his fortune in the Middle East oil fields. He filled his Parisian mansion with art  before moving to Lisbon during World War II. Here he continued to collect art, including pieces which the Soviets sold from the Hermitage (such as Catherine the Great's silverware). He died in 1955 and over the years since, his fortune has been used to develop a large cultural complex in landscaped gardens which are an attraction in and of themselves.

The museum turned out to be surprisingly compact but quite varied, although with perhaps too much space devoted to immense Turkish carpets and geometric Moorish tiles. Despite his motto ('only the best'), he also overdosed on bland French painting and sculpture.

Highlights for us included several canvasses by Turner, Rembrandt, Gainsborough, Hals and Burne-Jones. Apparently the museum can only display less than a fifth of the entire collection at any one time.

One room was filled with Art Nouveau glass designed by Lalique. Having never really had the chance before to examine his work before and only  knowing him for his dragonfly jewelry, I was struck by the beauty he found elsewhere in nature with other animals like rats, lizards and parakeets.

Back outside, the lush gardens surrounding the museum were playing host to a photo exhibition, with large images stood among the pools of water, gushing streams and outdoor ampitheatre which are to be found between the fine art gallery and the modern art collection next door. We passed on this second gallery and headed home for sandwiches, crisps and the last of the packing.

Tomorrow, our flight to Barcelona, but click back in the meantime for some practical tips on visiting Lisbon.

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Not much longer and we'll be jetting off to Barcelona, now that our holiday in Lisbon has nearly come to an end. You would think that after a week in the city we would have explored every nook and cranny twice over, but heavy rain curtailed some excursions, while poor planning on my part meant we had to visit Belem twice to see everything. And, as we wanted our time in Lisbon to be relaxing, some days we didn't leave the flat until the crack of noon.

We were tempted by the many possible day trips out of the city, such as the palaces at Quelez and Mafra, the Roman ruins in Evora, the medieval town of Obidos, the monasteries in Tomar and Batalha or the seaside charms of Cascais and Estoril. Maybe next time? In the end, we took only the one trip out of Lisbon, to the fairy tale town of Sintra, where whimsical castles and sublime ruins poke out from the forests and mountains.

As a cool mountain retreat, Sintra has long been a favourite of aristocrats escaping the heat of Lisbon. For years it was a haven for wealthy English eccentrics as well, such as Lord Byron and William Beckford, and it remains a honeypot for visitors today. Even on a Thursday afternoon in early November, the bus from the train station into town was busy with tourists.

After leaving the town centre, our bus began to tackle the seemingly endless series of switchbacks up the mountainside. Some bends were so tight, the bus had to back up at times to make the turn. Going round and round in a nonstop spiral while stuck in an airless cylinder alongside dozens of rubbernecking tourists very nearly made me ill, but at last we pulled up to the gates of the Pena Palace.

Originally this mountaintop was home to a monastery which was ruined in the disastrous earthquake of 1755. Nearly a century later, King Ferdinand hired a German architect to rebuild the monastic site, embellished with a romantic royal palace. From the gate it was a steep walk uphill through the woods, until we stood breathless under the colourful and extravagant spires and domes crowning the rocky mountaintop.

The blue sky is deceiving; we could see dark banks of cloud heavy with rain blowing off the sea and heading our way.

At the time, several tourists wearing plastic rain slickers (those cheap ones that are a step above from being mere bin bags) were trying to navigate the cobbles of the palace's courtyard with Segways. A minute later and the gale hit full force, whipping right up a shrieking woman's poncho and nearly sending her off the precipice. Catastrophe averted and our 'good for the wind' €5 brollie in hand, we dashed for the entrance.

Photos are not allowed inside, but we did sneak this one of the small tiled cloister of the old monastery at the heart of the palace.

Notice how the sun has returned? It didn't last and during the rest of our tour the palace windows rattled with the rain and wind. There wasn't much to see other than some hideous furniture in the otherwise surprisingly plain rooms. One highlight was a chapel that served as a showroom for King Ferdinand's personal stained glass collection. At the end of our tour it was very much a case of 'was that it?'.

Back out in the courtyard (now cleared of any Segways and screaming women), we noticed a sign pointing towards a turret at the cliff's edge and decided to take a closer look. This turned out to be the entrance to a walkway atop the exterior walls which took us around nearly half the palace along a narrow circuit of the battlements and guard towers.

The stones were wet and at times we were looking hundreds of feet straight down the mountainside, so we had to tread carefully as the gales lashed at us. It was well worth it though for a close-up look at the palace and the stupendous views (when the weather co-operated).

 

 

Between breaks in the rain we could see over to 'Castle of the Moors' which was treated by King Ferdinand as a folly in his back garden (albeit one whose foundations are a full 1000 years older than his Pena Palace).

Retreating into the depths of the palace, we had a quick bite to eat in the rather posh cafeteria that was the only dining option. Indifferent bread and stale spongey cake (more like blocks of styrofoam) bookended our plates of tasty roast pork which came with rice, but no chips or runny fried egg like we had come to expect. It was a bit dear (€25 for the pair of us), so I suggest packing a lunch or looking elsewhere.

The clouds cleared briefly and it took us less than ten minutes after leaving the Pena Palace to walk down the road to the Moorish castle. Like the castle in Lisbon, the ruins are overly clean and tidy; the pile of stones proved too ruined for King Ferdinand's tastes so he had the castle restored to an extent. Despite this, historic features remain like caverns that were carved to store grain, the scant remains of a Moorish graveyard and the walls of ruined church that was no doubt initially a mosque over 1200 years ago.

The walls sprawl over a huge area and there is much climbing involved; we passed on tackling the highest reaches and spent maybe a half hour scrambling around enjoying the view.

Though not as high up the mountain as the Pena Palace, the Moorish castle sits directly over Sintra and a marked trail indicated it was only 600m into town (most of it straight down). 

We found the bus waiting for us outside the gates, which dropped us off in the heart of the town among the many shops and eateries touting for the tourist trade.

Time for one last palace, this time the national palace or 'town palace' as it's called, the distinctive conical chimneys of which can be seen in my photo above.

As the property of the state, the palace still hosts dignitaries even today and is guarded by a swarm of policemen, but the attendants gave us a friendly welcome and encouraged us to take photos inside what  proved to be a building even more eccentric than the Pena Palace.

For instance, there was the swan room with its gorgeous ceiling and graceful chandeliers...

a chapel tiled floor to ceiling with flying doves...

and the famous magpie room, where each bird holds a scroll in its beak with a phrase that translates as 'for honour.' The story goes that King John I was caught by his wife cuddling up to one of her ladies-in-waiting. Supposedly he had the ceiling painted with as many magpies as there were ladies in the court, both as a warning about their gossiping and as an apology to his wife.

Yet another room has a ceiling which features sailing ships at sea.

Some of the rooms are decorated with lovely tiles, many of which are more than 500 years old yet still look almost good as new.

Fanciful ceilings and lavish painted tiles come together in a large room which has an ornate dome featuring aristocratic coats of arms above walls depicting a royal stag hunt.

By contrast, visitors can peer into this quiet little room nearby, its worn tiles giving a clue to its role in a sad episode in the palace's history. 

It was here that King Alfonso VI was imprisoned after being overthrown by his brother. Alfonso had been partially paralysed during an illness as a child which had also left him mentally unstable; his wife claimed he was impotent and his marriage was annulled. He spent the last seven years of his life in this room and died here in 1683 soon after his 40th birthday.

This is just a taster of some of the many rooms to be seen; I've created a gallery on my Facebook page soon with even more photographs. 

Back outside and the small garden surrounding the palace was untidy and overgrown in places with weeds. Although there weren't many plantings to admire, there were many quirky details which caught my eye.

Definitely worth venturing out for the day from Lisbon, even with all the rain!

INFO Sintra is easily reached by train from Lisbon's central Rossio station (in fact, it appeared to be the sole destination for all trains leaving the station during our visit, so no chance of catching the wrong train). Rossio can be entered through these horsehoe-shaped doors.

During weekdays there should be a train every 20 minutes, so you can turn up when you like and go. The journey takes about 40 minutes. I'm unsure of the fare because we paid using the credit on our Viva Viagem travel cards.

You should find a bus waiting outside Sintra station which is the very last stop on the line, after Portela de Sintra. At the time of our visit, we paid the driver €5 for a ticket which allowed us to hop off and on the bus as it went around town, then up into the mountains to the Pena palace and Moorish castle. When we visited, a combo ticket for the Pena palace and Moorish castle cost €12 and could be purchased from a machine at the Pena palace gates, which saved us time queuing at the ticket window. For another €2 there is a small bus which takes visitors to the Pena palace's front door. Admission to the national palace in Sintra was €7.

More information planning your visit to Sintra and all its various sites can be found here; there is plenty in town to keep you occupied for a full day or two.

Loitering with intent in Lisbon 16

We enjoyed another fun meal at a Moroccan restaurant called Flor da Laranja ('orange blossom') which is a one-woman operation in the fashionable Barrio Alto neighbourhood. We hadn't made reservations so we stopped by fairly early to ensure a seat, but even at 7pm it was still shut.

There are plenty of bars nearby so we had a quick drink. Along with the adjacent shopping streets of the Chiado district, this hill to the west of Rossio Square is the nicest place in town to spend an evening. Apparently on a balmy night you can hardly move in the streets for all the people spilling out of the wine bars, tapas places and nightspots...but on a cool, drizzly November night it was much more subdued. For most of the week we had cooked for ourselves to save our pennies, but on our next trip to Lisbon we'll be sure to spend more time here. 

Back at Flor da Laranja, the doors were open and we were the third party for the night. With a large group celebrating a birthday coming in behind us, the place was nearly full. The restaurant is one small room that seats maybe 20 people, most of whom are invited to make themselves comfortable among the cushions which sit atop benches lining the walls. As well as the traditional seating, the room is filled with mirrors and lanterns, and is mostly lit by candlelight.  

With the friendly owner taking orders, dishing up food and serving everyone, it felt like she had invited us in to her home for a meal with friends. Apparently she has been running the place on her own for about 20 years; she definitely knows her stuff, because at the moment her restaurant is in TripAdvisor's top 30 for the city.

We ordered beer (which for a change was Sagres instead of the ubiquitous Super Bock) and our starters followed soon after, stuffed vine leaves and something that reminded me of samosas: little crispy pastry pockets. Some were stuffed with fragrant and spicy vegetables, others stuffed with chicken and lightly sprinkled with powdered sugar. Combining savoury meat with sweetness or fruit is a Moroccan tradition, so our lamb tagine was packed with prunes while the lemon chicken was served with a poached pear dusted with cinnamon. 

Before we could tuck in we were presented with several side platters, one after another, until the tiled tabletop disappeared under a spread of terra cotta dishes. All the sides were vegetarian: roast sweet potato in a sticky honey sauce with plump raisins and cinnamon, green beans in a spicy tomato sauce, spinach dressed with lemon, slices of sweet roast aubergine and more. Every bite was delicious and despite the generous servings we didn't leave a single morsel behind.

As the evening grew late, the entertainment took to the floor: a veiled belly dancer. She started with a slow and seductive number, followed by a more lively routine that had her whirling around in her veils with everyone clapping along. There was no threat of audience participation (not yet, at least) but we weren't going to take a chance to find out. During a break we asked for the bill and took off before being invited to take a twirl ourselves. Altogether our meal came to €45 which was an unbelievable price to pay for such large portions of tasty homemade food and some entertainment to boot.

Again, I didn't have a camera with me, but I hope you enjoy these miscellaneous shots of mine from elsewhere in Lisbon. Click back next time to hear about another art gallery and a trip out of town before we move on to Barcelona!

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It looked like we were the first customers for the day at Enoteca de Belem, a little wine bar which I had read about which can be found hiding down a side street near the Jeronimos monastery and famous pastry place in Belem. 

Normally an empty restaurant would put us right off, but the reviews I'd seen were so enthusiastic that we barged in and took a window seat. I heard the woman at the bar put in a call and about three minutes later a chap walked in off the street and introduced himself to us as Nelson, one of the owners.

We were still thumbing through the immense menu, which was dazzling us with page after page of wine and port. Nelson said he had plenty more besides in the cellar and that he took home anything his customers didn't finish (I want his job). He asked what we style of wine we preferred and I asked for a soft red, something aged and oaked.  

Normally I am a bit wary in a restaurant when someone makes suggestions without me being able to check the price on the menu, but their policy here is to sell all wine at €4 per glass or €20 per bottle, no matter what vintage. And besides, with the place coming in as one of Lisbon's top 20 eateries according to the users of TripAdvisor, he must know what he is doing! 

Sure enough, Nelson obliged us with a tasty bottle of Duoro, very similar to Spanish Rioja and probably made from the same tempranillo grapes (although in Portugal the grape variety is called tinto roriz).

With it being an early lunch, we passed on having any hot food and instead asked for a platter of cheese and cold cuts. This came with a basket of chewy bread, delicious plump green olives, white butter and a history lesson from our host. Nelson described each of the cheeses, chutneys and sausages as they were all Portuguese specialties.

Among these were sausages which were first made over 500 years ago by Jews and Muslims who needed to blend in with their Christian neighbours to avoid persecution. So instead of pork, they made their sausages from bread, game and chicken. There was also blood sausage, or black pudding as they call it here in Lancashire. The best of the cheeses were the mild and creamy ones (I regretted not having some paper to take notes or a juiced-up camera to take photos; the photos for this entry are just miscellaneous ones from elsewhere in Lisbon).

All these gorgeous nibbles nearly covered our entire table and it was a struggle to finish everything, so it turned out to be a surprisingly filling meal. The tab came to €45 for the food and three glasses of wine. Forty quid may sound like a lot to spend on ham, jam and grape juice but it was great to be looked after by someone so attentive, knowledgeable and enthusiastic.

The place itself is modern with bright spot lighting, tile floors and hard wooden chairs, but it's small and inviting. Since most of the tables only seat two people each, it's an intimate place and I'd recommend making reservations for an evening visit. The full menu features nothing but Portuguese food and although personally I would pass on things like salt cod and octopus, it is the kind of place where you could easily while away an entire afternoon or evening sampling all the different wines and dishes.

We would definitely make the trip out to Belem again to pay another visit!

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The rain in Spain stays mainly in the plain; the rain in Portugal stops as soon as you buy an umbrella. Never mind. After leaving the Old Masters art gallery we were greeted with sunshine and a vintage tram ready to take us to Belem again. We decided we needed to visit a second time because on our first visit quite a few things were shut for the day.

First stop was the famous Antiga Confeitaria de Belem, the bakery which churns out thousands of pastries every day. This time we went inside and found ourselves in a sprawling labyrinth of rooms. It's a huge place, with room for the coachloads of people craving their custard tarts. We ordered ours with coffee and the waitress made sure we sprinkled them liberally with sugar and spice...very nice!

Next door, the 15thC Jeronimos monastery was open for business. The cloisters alone were well worth a look, glowing in the afternoon sun cutting through the rain clouds.

Because the day had started off so wet, I had not bothered to pack my main camera and we only had our small 'snapshot' camera. Unfortunately I didn't have a spare battery, but I managed a few shots before the camera died.

The cloisters had two levels surrounding a pleasant courtyard, with some of the most ornate carved stonework I have ever seen, in a style called 'Manueline' after the king at the time.

The style took its inspiration from the seafaring explorers of the day who came back from Africa, Brazil, India and Japan with tales of strange animals, colourful birds, exotic plants and the odd mermaid or two. The ropes from a ship's rigging also feature heavily in the architecture.

Sailors would visit here to pray for a safe passage and to give thanks for a successful voyage, so they would have recognised many of the motifs (even if some of them were from tall tales).

One of the rooms leading off the cloisters housed the refectory (the monks' dining room) which had some lovely tiles and paintings.

Exit through the gift shop...and into the adjacent church, which was free to enter. Here the same Manueline style was not as successful indoors as out. Without the warmth of the sunshine (and a good clean), the stonework felt gloomy and oppressive.

We had bought combo tickets at the monastery which entitled us to have a look around the Tower of Belem, the fortress on the riverfront which (to be frank) didn't have much to see inside. The building after all was a prison for a time (it takes about two minutes to duck your head and pop into the dungeon), but there is a good view from the top. It's worth sitting a few moments at one of the windows and to listen to the sea breeze whistling through the stonework.

The carvings are in the same Manueline style and among the fanciful animals you might spot is a stone rhinoceros which commemorates the animal which survived a 4-month crossing from India in 1515. It was kept as a pet by King Manuel I for a few months, but he was disappointed that the rhino would not fight his pet elephant for sport. The rhino was made a gift to the pope, but drowned in a shipwreck en route to Rome; such was the fame of the animal that Durer attempted a portrait of it despite never seeing it in the flesh.

Those pastries are wearing off, isn't it time for lunch yet? Click back next time to hear about what turned out to be one of the best meals we had on the entire trip.