Tiles and Laundry

December 13, 2009

My trip in Portugal started in Lisbon, where I met up with Minju for 4 days. We had a great time in Lisbon getting lost in its maze of narrow winding streets, admiring its tiled building façades, and looking out over its sea of clay roofs. We felt very at home in Portugal. The people are friendly and accommodating and always quick to lend a hand. We couchsurfed with two different hosts: Machado and Ricardo. Both guys were great. With Machado, we had many interesting discussions and with Ricardo we shared a lot of laughs.

My favourite parts of Lisbon were the Alfama and Graca districts. These are the old parts of town and many of the buildings are more than a century old. Many of the buildings are decorated in colourful painted tiles, which were extremely popular in Lisbon in the late 19th and early 20th century. Even in the downtown, many of the buildings still have tiled façades. The tiles look nice and give the city a very unique feel. Lisbon is also said to be the laundry capital of the word. Everywhere you look, people are hanging laundry out their windows to dry. Based on our photo habits, we determined that Minju is addicted to the tiles, and I am addicted to the laundry.

In Lisbon, we visited the Castello de Sao Jorge. The castle is built up on a peak and looks out over the city. It closely resembles the type of castle that I used to draw as a kid. We also went to the Belem district, which is home to the spectacular Mosteiro dos Jeronimos, a large gothic monestary, and Lisbon’s Discovery Monument. We also ate the Pasteis de Belem, the original version of the custard pie that Portugal is famous for.

We visited the Lisbon aquarium, which was fun. They have a huge centerpiece tank, which houses sharks, sting rays, eels, eagle rays, zebra fish, tuna, and even the huge and grotesque sunfish. When I first saw the sunfish I thought my eyes were playing tricks on me. I had to check with Minju to make sure I was actually seeing what I thought I was seeing. It is one of the biggest and certainly the strangest looking fish I have ever seen (see below). The aquarium also had penguins, sea otters, and jellyfish. They also had a fish that is capable of producing its own light. Very cool.

From Lisbon we took a day trip to the magical town of Sintra. Surrounded by high mountains, it used to be the summer getaway for Portugeuse royalty. We explored the grandiose gothic palace of the Quinta de Regaleira and the towers and walls in the surrounding park. It is a spectacular combination of architectural and natural beauty.

After a great stay in Lisbon, I headed up the coast to the city of Porto. Porto’s old town has a very authentic feel and it feels largely untouched. This probably has a lot to do with the fact that it is a Unesco world heritage site. The old town is in a little bit rougher shape than Lisbon but that only adds to its charm. There is a beautiful stretch of the old town along the river that separates Porto from its neighbouring town Gaia. Both towns have houses built into the grassy riverbanks. The scenery is spectacular.

My last stop in Portugal was Geres, the huge national park in Northern Portugal. I absolutely loved Geres and all of its natural beauty. I spent two days hiking and mountain biking around its many trails. My hikes took me across rivers, past waterfalls and lakes, and up rock faces. At times, the trail itself was a small stream, and I would have to hop from rock to rock. I climbed a small mountain on the Calcedonia trail, which was challenging and extremely rewarding. At the start of my climb I was surrounded by lush, thick forest, but higher up there was less vegetation and it became extremely rocky. It was very barren up there, but it had a certain beauty to it. The hike took me uphill to one of the highest peaks in the area. It was one of the most peaceful and serene places I have ever experienced. In two days of hiking, I didn’t see one fellow hiker! For the first time on my trip, I actually felt genuinely alone. It was a cool experience.

On my second day I rented a mountain bike and set out for Spain. Actually. It is only about 12km to the Spanish border. The ride was absolutely beautiful. The leaves are changing to bright yellows and reds and the ground was coated in them. The rocks were covered in a thick layer of green moss. I biked past streams and waterfalls. It was awesome. The only downside was that the trail was muddy and wet so I got absolutely covered. It was a small price to pay. After crossing the border, the trail stopped and I found myself on a highway that went straight downhill. I couldn’t resist the temptation and took off down the road. It was an incredible rush.

Next stop, is another stint in Spain, this time stopping in Madrid and the Basque region. Thanks again to Machado and Ricardo for being such great hosts!

-MB