Papa and I flew to Portugal yesterday. I planned this trip, with two weeks in Portugal and one week in Iceland, where we will meet our children for Thanksgiving Week. The Iceland part of the trip came first and I decided if we were flying across the pond, we might as well make the most of it and stay longer! We chose to return to Portugal, where we will be staying in several Pousadas we have visited before. All the Pousadas are historic in themselves and worthy of visiting, and special to stay in for a few nights.
Our flights yesterday from Tucson to Chicago O’hare and then to Lisbon were on time and smooth. The flight to Lisbon was the fastest flight across the pond we’ve ever taken! TAP flies their jets considerably faster than US airlines. We arrived by 8 this morning, picked up our rental car ($89, including taxes and fees, for eight days!), and hit the road, traveling east via toll roads. We got a toll tag at the car rental, so we just sail right through toll booths.
About an hour later, we stopped in Montemor-o-Novo, to see their castle. “Most likely built over the ruins of a remote Muslim fortification, Montemor-o-Novo Castle was rebuilt throughout the centuries for royalty. It was also the setting of some of the greatest moments in the history of Portugal. In 1496, this was the stage for the final plans of the sea crossing to India by Vasco da Gama.” The substantial castle are in ruins today, atop a hill with views in every direction. We walked all about.
Just as we were driving out of Montemor-o-Novo, we saw signs for a Festival de Sopas this weekend. We found the festival location and enjoyed four different homemade soups, along with the town people. It was a simple lunch for us and a real treat!
Our flights yesterday from Tucson to Chicago O’hare and then to Lisbon were on time and smooth. The flight to Lisbon was the fastest flight across the pond we’ve ever taken! TAP flies their jets considerably faster than US airlines. We arrived by 8 this morning, picked up our rental car ($89, including taxes and fees, for eight days!), and hit the road, traveling east via toll roads. We got a toll tag at the car rental, so we just sail right through toll booths.
About an hour later, we stopped in Montemor-o-Novo, to see their castle. “Most likely built over the ruins of a remote Muslim fortification, Montemor-o-Novo Castle was rebuilt throughout the centuries for royalty. It was also the setting of some of the greatest moments in the history of Portugal. In 1496, this was the stage for the final plans of the sea crossing to India by Vasco da Gama.” The substantial castle are in ruins today, atop a hill with views in every direction. We walked all about.
