Our Portugeuse Adventure

Since we were so close to Portugal, we decided to load up the van and take the 641 km trip to Lisbon.  We did not really know what to expect when we got there, but decided that we may regret not taking the trip if we did not go.  I knew there were some interesting castles, churches and monuments in Lisbon, so we left early in the morning on the 27^th.  Since the drive would take us a good part of one day, we booked an inexpensive hotel in the downtown area for one night.

The drive was beautiful.  The hills and mountains were everywhere and there were cows, sheep, goats and horses roaming the fields freely.  As we moved toward the Portugal/Spain border the architecture of the homes and buildings started to look more “Spanish”.  Madrid is beautiful, but since our hotel was in a newer area of the city, the architecture is more modern.  

There is an open border between Portugal and Spain so we did not have to stop.  I was a little disappointed because I would have loved to get another stamp in my passport, but, not waiting in a line was great.  The toll was unexpectedly high, but that was okay too.  The kids were great on the drive there.  They alternated who played with the iPad and Princess entertained us with renditions of Old Macdonald Had a Farm. 

There is a huge bridge that takes you into Lisbon.  To the right there is a massive stature of Jesus with his hands raised, similar to the one in Brazil.  The view of Lisbon as you enter on the bridge is absolutely breathtaking.  Stark white buildings with bright red clay roofs dot the horizon.  The bright blue ocean waters surrounding the city complement the white and red to create this beautiful view.   All I could say was, “Wow!’.  I got excited because I knew that we had made the right decision to take the drive to Lisbon.  

As we got closer to our hotel however, I was starting to wonder if we should have gone.  The buildings were in need of serious repair and there was vandalism everywhere.  When we pulled up to the hotel, I became even more concerned because the neighborhood seemed sketchy.   Hubby went in checked in and we took our bags up.  It is true what they say; “You get what you pay for”.  The room was not that bad overall.  It was small, and the staff put two extra beds in the room for the kids.  But, the beds were uncomfortable and the lighting left much to be desired.  It was more like a hostel.  For one night, it would be okay.  For a longer stay, it may have been a nightmare!

We left the hotel to take a walk around the area.  Many of the “touristy” things to do were less than a kilometre away.  As we walked, the area still seemed sketchy.  I did not fear for my safety at any point, but the city felt dirty, smelled like urine, and there were drunk people walking around and prostitutes on the street corners...in broad daylight no less.  No one bothered us and we eventually got to a more touristy are.  We found signs to St. Jorge castle and wandered over there.  The vandalism kept appearing everywhere and Princess scolded the people who wrote on the walls.  This is where she learned the word vandalism...but with her it sounds more like Andawism.  She still struggles with her l’s.  There were some massive staircases that we had to trek up with the kids to get to the castle.  So, if you are traveling with young children and find yourself in Lisbon, prepare for the stairs.  Our stroller is super light, so Hubby carried it up, and the kids made their way up themselves...which in itself is pretty impressive; especially for Dimples.

The first stairway.  Dimples mastered this one.

Dimples needed some assistance on the second set of massive steps.  Princess came down to get us.

A side street view from a higher elevation.  The ocean is in the background.

Princess was in a photogenic mood.  She found multiple unique places to take a photo.

After visiting the castle which was nothing more than an eroded and falling apart edifice to St. Jorge, we opted to head back to the hotel.  The castle did boast some excellent views of Lisbon, but I had read that the sight of the castle itself was not worth the money to explore, so we did not go in, and I am glad because the kids were hungry. 

 

The night was a bit of a disaster.  Neither kid wanted to go to sleep and ended up in the little double bed with us.  Dimples fell out and the morning could not have come soon enough.  The hotel offered a light breakfast which was nice.  We checked out and headed on our way.  We were a bit disillusioned by Lisbon as the initial Wow! factor had vanished.

Thankfully, as we entered another area of downtown, our faith was restored.  Although many buildings were started to lose paint and require some restoration, the area was very beautiful, with gleaming cobblestone roads and paths, immaculate monuments, statues and fountains. The waterfront was nice as well, with the highlight being the massive monastery.  We drove out to see the Aqueduct, but this Aqueduct was neglected in comparison to the Aqueduct in Segovia.  However, it was still magnificent.  The only complaint I would have about this part of Lisbon was that there were many beggars and drug dealers that pestered us.  One drug dealer walked up to us with a loaded syringe...and we had our kids with us!  I had heard that this is a problem in some areas of Lisbon, but figured we would be left alone because we were with kids.  Sadly, I was wrong.

Panoramic View of a main square.

Princess at the Waterfront. 

The street view by the monastery and park.

Dimples and Mama by the water.  He likes to touch my face.

The MASSIVE monastery.

We found the kids an excellent playground to run around at which for them was the highlight I am sure.  Princess even climbed the “rock” wall by herself that kids twice her age were struggling with.  The more I watch her, the more I realize that she will be an adrenaline junky searching out the next big thrill.  Perhaps she will be the one I skydive with one day!

In May Princess was afraid of anything that moved when she walked on it.  Now she is the master of the swinging bridge.

Dimples saw the park and took off running!

We headed back to Madrid in the late afternoon feeling that the trip to Lisbon was worth it.  If we had not gone, we would have wondered what it would have been like.  It would have been nice to have a little more time there as we did not see some attractions.  Although Lisbon did not meet the original Wow! factor, it was still a great place to visit.  It did not make it into my Top 10 Cities to Visit list, but my curiosity has been satiated.