Portugal - A surprise Package

20 Unforgettable Moments in Portugal

We landed in Lisboa (local for Lisbon), Portugal via Valencia without much expectations, after memorable experiences in France and Spain. But hold on - it was a pleasant surprise for us, as we have experienced  in almost all our trips the last leg of the trip is the most amazing. So here we were in Portugal, amazing last leg of the - Time Lapse Europe series.

1. The seemingly "cheap" TAP Portugal airlines have a smart catch about the luggage. They charge you for the weight and also the size of the luggage. So do check all aspects before you travel on their ATR flights to Lisbon from Valencia. 

2.The climate in this Atlantic facing city during August, was much pleasant compared to the hot and sunny Spain. The climate was particularly amazing on a super full moon day (picture above) night in Lisboa. 

3. First time in this trip we stayed at the hostel, with bunk beds. Initially I was bit, skeptic but its fun to mingle with other travelers, learn and also travel with them. Such places shatters some of the mind-blocks as well as inhibitions.

4. 

The best place to visit for a day, if you're in Lisboa, is Sintra. A train journey of 40 minutes and you arrive in a different world, a mountain with full of palaces, castles, museums, gardens and parks. It is famous for its 19th-century Romanticist architecture. 

Sintra is something you cannot miss if you are fond of history and nature. It is also one of the most sought after real estate places in the entire Iberian peninsula with awesome climate, great views, greenery all around and also historical significance. The local government have some of its VIP meeting held in the palaces of Sintra. 

Check out the names of the places to see on the signboard. All these places are worth a visit even if  you're running short on time. Highly recommended - Pena Palace and Moors Castle. 

5. The Pena Palace is sitting on top of the hill overlooking the Sintra plains. An airy vantage point for the royal family to keep a watch on the surrounding area. It is a UNESCO world heritage site, with a rich collection of artifacts, paintings, statues and equally rich views of the nearby areas. Pena is also used for official government occasions.

  

6.

A magnificent fairy tale like palace has a typical Romanticist style architecture with mix of other styles as well. Here is one of the many entrances, it is quite scary if you observe the details on it, a mythological depiction of triton. 

The magnificent grandeur-ness of the palace spectacular views from all around the palace and also the architecture makes it a must visit palace, make sure you have this in your itinerary. There's quite a bit of climbing you have to do reach to the top, but all the efforts are worth your every calorie spend. 

It will cost you around €13,30 for an adult entry into the palace. Check the availability on their site and also book online in advance to avoid last minute hassles. 

7. The Moorish Castle (Castelo dos Mouros) is another marvelous structure just in the vicinity of Pena Palace. Another UNESCO World Heritage Site, a great vantage point with dramatic views all around, upto the Atlantic. Strong structure with typical structure of the castle with watch towers across all the directions of the Sintra mountain. 

8. The Cristo Rei or The Sanctuary of Christ the King is a massive stature overlooking the Lisbon city across the Tagus river, situated in Almada municipality. Standing at 341 feet, you can spend half a day here and its surrounding park. 

9. The yachts and boats lined up in the backdrop of the monument of the discoveries (Padrão dos Descobrimentos). Portuguese explorers and sailors were pioneers in the age of discoveries. Many renowned sailors including Vasco Da Gama was from Portugal, which is duly recognized with a monument on the banks of the Tagus river connecting to the Atlantic Ocean. 

10. The famous Tower of Belem (Torre De Belem), right at the edge of the river Tagus, another UNESCO World Heritage site. It was built in 15th century by the King John II to defend Lisbon. 

11. This ferry takes you across the Tagus to Almada, from Lisbon to Sanctuary of Christ the King or the Cristo Rei. It will cost you only €1.20 for a one-way ticket. 

12. The Praça do Comércio or Terreiro do Paço is a huge public square, a typical of all European cities, located  in the downtown Lisbon, on the banks of the river Tagus. Earlier it was part of the palace Pacos de Ribeira, which was destroyed in the massive earthquake of 1755, since then it is remodeled into a square as you see now. 

13. There are many advantages of walking, and walking with a fellow traveler who has visited the place before number of times. You can explore the details of the city on foot much better than any means of transport. 

This gem of the hotel we discovered taking an off route in the alleys of Lisbon, somewhere hidden from the public eye. The old wooden architecture, ambiance and style of this hotel was unique and worth a visit. 

14. 

A bird's eye view was required to shoot the surrounding places near the Praça do Comércio. Here we were on top of the Rua Augusta arch, a terrace to get the overview of the most happening place. 

We spent almost an hour on the arch, in the scorching sun getting all sorts of angles and shots and watching the city flow from a vantage point. Got an overview of how the royal guards must have been keeping a watch on its citizens and also people arriving into Lisbon on ships from the Tagus river. 

Here you can see the modern tram which runs along with the old tram. In the background (top) you can see the 25 de Abril Bridge, which resembles very much with the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco, in the USA. 

15. Do not mistake this bridge with the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco, this is its twin brother - 25 de Abril Bridge, a suspension bridge with similar look and feel as the Golden Gate bridge. Incidentally, it is constructed by the same company who made the Golden Gate Bridge in the USA. Equally magnificent structure connecting the municipality of Almada to the capital city of Lisbon. 

16. 

Castelo de Jorge is bang in the downtown Lisbon. Sitting on a hill top, like all the typical castles for the view of the surrounding and a place of administration. 

Another Moorish styled castle with strong bastions. The castle is the main tourist attraction of Lisbon and hence a lot of rush, especially during the weekends. 

Though not all the castles are same, they have their own uniqueness and history. 

17. A must visit for history lovers is this place - Lisboa Story Centre. All the history of the Portugal empire, colonies and also the great era of discoveries, when the sailors from Portugal sailed from its shores in the quest to find new lands to expand its territories. I personally felt, for some of its history, is inconvenient to the present generation, which the local people want to forget but surely have taken lessons from it.  

18. 

There is a considerable difference between a tourist, traveler and explorer. 

This poster was adorning the wall in the hostel we stayed in Lisbon. It was kind of reminder to all the so called "tourist" to respect the place and fellow travelers. Such reminders may not be noticed in an hotel, but when you stay in a hostel it is more relevant. 

When we travel, we are the ambassadors of our country, the way we carry ourselves and behavior is something people notice immediately and judge. This was kind of a reminder, much required for awareness. 

19. The sunset near the Tagus and Atlantic Ocean, were exquisite to say the least. A colorful play of lights across the palette of sky, calm waters of the river and an endless promenade for watching it. We were lucky to see it during the extra time of the European summer. You can see it in detail in the video below. 

20. Tried to capture my point of view of Portugal in this short video about Travel Tips to Portugal, hope you like it. Please give your feedback in the comments below. 

Thanks for reading through. That was an end to the amazing 18 day trip across 3 countries with 3 friends and it was a lifetime memories. All of the places visited in (France, Spain & Portugal) are unique by themselves. Though we had great expectations about France and Spain, it was Portugal which surprised me most, as a package, be it amazing palaces, castles, climate, monuments, history, its people and much more. 

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The Best of Spain

What comes to your mind when someone says - Spain? Probably bull fight, sandy beaches, rugged harsh landscapes, wine, sangria or much more. You're guessed it right, there's much more to it than just all these things. Just scroll below to follow our brief journey and unique experiences we had during the 10 days in this magnificent country. 

We had quite an adventurous journey entering Spain, Taking the SNCF train from Paris via Toulouse to Girona in North Eastern Spain. From Girona, we took a self drive car to Lloret De Mar. You can easily book all your train journeys online, as we did it from Rail Europe. Do check out for offers before you book it. 

The train from Paris to Toulouse was bit disappointing, with cramped up cabin for much leg room of us three guys along with one other passenger. + our luggage. The connecting train to Barcelona was quite spacious and modern (picture below) going to Barcelona from Toulouse. Our destination was Girona, from where we hired a self driven car, with quite a bit of adventure 😉

20 Best Moments in Spain

1. Check out the entire coastline and beaches in the Lloret De Mar.The shades of blue doesn't fade, do they ? Its much like an much glamorous Goa of Spain and much more.  

Lloret De Mar, though not known as the top destination in Spain, we would definitely recommend it over others like Madrid. It has a sense of rebellion youthfulness. Fantastic climate year round makes the residents life expectancy one of the best in the world. 

Lloret De Mar has amazing to do activities including a nightlife and right from boat party to water adventures like scuba diving, swim with dolphins, kayaks, snorkeling, casinos and list goes on. And of course if you have interest in the history then there are two forts, one in Lloret De Mar and another one in Tosa De Mar.

2. This is one the best drinking games I have seen on the seashore promenade of Lloret De Mar. 

Traveling with vegetarian friends has its advantages as we always use to walk those extra miles to find an Indian restaurant. In that extra mile we came across the unexplored places which were never in our itinerary. 

The entire coastline is crowded during the season from June to August, with businesses minting money. The most surprising factor was shops owned by Asians. We were surprised by a substantial Indian diaspora, in a remote city like Lloret De Mar.

3. You can meet an Indian person in any corner of the world. We met a lot of Indian shopkeepers in Lloret De Mar who had migrated here decades back for a living with an aim of permanently settling there. 

We got a big jolt when the self drive car we hired, was rammed into stationary school bus in Lloret De Mar. Nothing much happened after that except our entire focus was on how to get rid of it, as soon as possible. With few Euros in the drain and being in an unknown country, makes a huge difference. To our dismay, we got advised not to get it repaired as it will be known by the self drive company and would be fined.

When such incidences happen, it adds to the excitement as long as it doesn't cost you in money. But for that entire day we were just in shock, we decided not to take the car anywhere. Moreover the fact that lanes of Lloret De Mar has cramped roads leading to the seashore where we were put up.

4. The dent and the broken reflector mirror is not as much visible, but it dented our wallets. Finally,we decided to move on without the car, which is actually a wise thing to do in a city like this. 

5. The beaches at Lloret De Mar are man made with big grinded stones mixed with sand. It was hard to believe at first, when the sand doesnt stick to your feet and feels great, you kind of start believing it. The sea this side of the globe is too rough, with ropes attached at many places for the tourists going inside sea to hold on when the tides keeps knocking you down. 

6. Tossa De Mar is a 20 minutes drive from Lloret De Mar. This beach looks more natural but similar features. A fortress perched up at the one end like with watch tower built in the early 15th century, called as Castillo de Tossa de Mar

7. 

A day in a coastal Spain is a waste without this pitcher of Sangria. I had learned and heard a lot until I traveled to Spain, and actually had it.

Sangria has various fruity flavors, usually a fruit punch, but that punch is bit intoxicating. The best of the lot, according to me was with red wine and lemon. The hot sun, sandy beaches, a cozy vantage point with a pitcher of Sangria and lazy afternoon is what you all need for a blissful siesta.

Almost all road side restaurants and cafe's will serve it, along with a combination of tapa. Tapa is an appetizer or snack in Spanish cuisine and translates to small portion of any kind of cuisine.

Although you get variety of other beers and wines, Sangria has a special place in Iberian peninsula.

The thing that it goes with any kind of food and also anytime of the day, makes desirable. The restaurant sign boards and neon signs all over screams and calls to have one.

So once in Spain, drink as the Spanish do. 

8. A must do - A yacht party in the Mediterranean sea with the locals. Lloret offers a lot of options for the young crowd to go on a boat party, anchor in the middle of the sea and just splash in with variety fun games, food and drinks on board. 

9. Your best bet to move around the sea side as well as internal areas in Lloret De Mar as well as Tossa De Mar. The lanes and alleys near to the beach side are very congested, so you better hire something operated on battery or your own calories 😃

10. Another must do in the list - water sports. We did scuba diving and it was mind blowing experience in the clear waters with lots of fauna inside. You can get a certification too, but need to have atleast a week to get yourself trained. 

11. The most famous street of La Rambla is a must visit when you're in Barcelona. It is buzzing with life and as if the entire city converge on the streets for shopping, leisure and entertainment. It is "the happening" place of Barcelona, if not most. 

12. A cathedral which is being for build for 100+ years, literally due to various factors, since it began. It is expected to get completed by 2026 during the centennial year of Antoni Gaudi, the renowned Spanish architect. This marvelous structure is awe-inspiring, even when it has thousands of tourists visiting it, the silence observed inside the cathedral is amazing and soul touching. 

13. If you're a football fan, you should guess this place. An entire museum with rich history of football, collection artifacts, trophies, BARCA's merchandise and you get a chance to imagine how it would feel when the match is on in this spectacular stadium. Cant miss this in Barcelona. With larger than life portraits and pictures of all football stars played for BARCA, it takes you to a different world, keep half a day for BARCA visit. 

14. Our ALSA bus from Barcelona to Valencia. The distance is 350 kms, but it amazingly smooth roads took us only 4 hours to complete it. This journey is not along the coast, though if you're self driving, you can opt for the highway along the seaside. 

15. Valencia's modern architecture is flabbergasting-ly astonishing. I had seen it in pictures before visiting it but when you actually see them, you only wonder not as to just how could they imagine them, but to actually make it possible in real. Simply amazing imagination and architecture.  

16. Ciutat de les Arts i les Ciències or City of Arts & Science is truly a marvelous area in Valencia which is spread on acres of land just across the dried river Turia. 

17. The City of Arts and Sciences is situated at the end of the riverbed of the river Turia. Turia river which was drained and rerouted, the old riverbed was turned into a picturesque landscaped sunken park. Once you come out of it you see these structures surrounded by crystal blue water which adds to the magnificence of it.  

18. The other side of the Hemispheric or Hemisfèric. It is an IMAX dome shaped theater, which also has a planetarium and a laserium inside this dome. You can try boating in the small man made pond here. 

19. The street artists in all the places we visited, were fascinating, did mentioned in my earlier blogs. This guy was literally playing with fire. The amount of practice, skills and focus required for this kind of act is something even the professional athletes putting everyday. The only difference is, these artists are not getting the due fame, respect and money which they deserve. This is my small effort to to appreciate and spread their talent. 

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20. We had so many "instagramable" moments that I could not decide which one to post and which ones to let go. Though we covered most of the places planned in our list, the ones which we didn't has a lasting impact. The above picture clicked on the last day in Spain in the old downtown of Valencia with these marvelous flowers blooming in the Mediterranean summers. 

With totally tanned skins, hotter Spanish climate like back home in India or rather more, but nevertheless filled with memories. We were eager to explore our next destination of Portugal, our next stop was Lisbon through air. Interesting to note we did not had much expectations about Portugal till we landed there and it was a complete turn around after that. Coming soon - Portugal - A Surprise Package. 

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My 20 Observations about Paris

First things get this clear, Paris is not France, they are distinct, there is a lot to France than just Paris. But of course you can expect what to see once you land in Paris. Most importantly, its not just a tick mark item, you are insulting a city like Paris if you come here just for tick on your bucketlist. 

We landed in UFO-ish airport of CDG (Charles de Gaulle) Paris with tubes and tunnels taking us from one terminal to other and then through the metro to our destination. The first thing which was pleasant about Paris was its climate, coming from Indian sub-continent, that was much relief.

Did you know this airport is also called as Roissy Airport before it was renamed on great Charles de Gaulle

                                   

I think, France owes a lot to axis forces during world War II. Lot of its historical monuments and culture are intact today because of its friendship with them. The history is sowed in every nook and corner of Paris and its sub-urban areas. France is a blessed country with Paris sitting at the helm like a charming ageless princess. Paris was worth all the hype and fame it commands. It's one of the places in the world, where you point camera in any direction and you get a picture to cherish. Earlier such place I visited was New Zealand, pure raw nature and beautiful serenity. Paris is meticulously planned in an exquisite setting, bestowed by amazing climate.

1 - View from Arc De Triomph, not a single structure is uneven, obstructing the view. You can view the city scape from here and details of city planning. If you are an architect student, then you can get a lot of ideas from here. 

First day was bit tiring, jet-lagged, as we had just landed. Settling in the hotel to plan what to see in a city that offers you so much is really difficult - its a problem of plenty 😃. Good thing about our hotel Yooma was it is walking distance from the Eiffel Tower, just 10 minutes crossing the Bir Hakeim metro station which is situated over the bridge. Highly recommended as its quite modernish looking hotel in city filled with Romanesque and Gothic architectures.

2 - The Lourve, inside view. I thought the I would get to see "The Monalisa" in much bigger size, but was disappointing. My view - Monalisa is too much hyped.But Lourve is a must see, you can spend an entire day inside this museum and the courtyard vicinity above. You got that, the entire museum is underground. 

Thanks to the Big Bus in Paris, you are able to see the vast architectural beauty of Paris by spending lot of time at each place, be it a palaces, churches, administrative buildings or monuments. You can just hop on & hop-off them from anywhere and frequency is amazing.

3 - All the statues on top must be in gold, its like a unwritten rule. This monstrous face caught my eyes on top of the Academie Nationale De Musique, mind you there was an entire army of them peeping from the roof top, watching down straight in your eyes. Each of these terrifying faces are unique. 

4 - When you enter such a museum, with such an exquisite art, you keep on circling yourself looking up and around, confused what to click and which art to leave. Must see if you are an art lover, even if you're not you will be spell bound by the artifacts on display the richness of the French past. #Lourve 

5 - The street artists of Paris are omnipresent, this grand old man had a sweet sorrow in his violin tune, just hear, he plays the magic on the one of the many bridges on Seine river. I recalled the story of Joshua Bell, this person is worth $1000 ticket !

6 - I was always fascinated by the electric vehicles (EV) from my childhood and I found them in abundance in France. Small cars, bikes, mopeds, three-wheeler's, bicycles and buses. Paris has charging points at almost all public places which shows the importance given to EV's. There are lot of app based public electric bikes which you can hire to do sightseeing. It is the best way to roam around the city, moreover you can pick up and drop these vehicles from any point and drop. 

7 - You will find such strange looking faces on almost all the buildings, structures and monuments. Some directly looking at you, some smiling, laughing, some in pain. Observe their expression details on each of these faces. You will find monsters, common people, angels, gods, kings and so on. It is really interesting to note the stories behind each one of them. 

8 - This structure doesn't need an introduction. Tried to capture it in full, but if you dont have a wide angle lens its impossible to capture entire tower from its immediate vicinity. As soon as you land in Paris get the tickets, since its one of the seven wonders of the world, there's a lot of rush no matter which day of the week it is. If you have strong legs you can climb up to the level 1 and then take elevator. Make sure you visit every corner of the tower and spend good amount of time  on top. 

You can reserve your place on the lawns for hours and just imbibe the scenery around this magnificent structure. Truly worth your entire day.

The two things which are very common in Paris city, points 9 and 10 below

9 - 

On the left, the lamp post with locks galore. No its not locked because it valuable, these symbols of lasting love, locked and left to withstand time. 


These can be found on almost every bridge, lamp posts, on boat anchors along the Seine river walkway, ancient grill of door, you name it. Since Paris is a "city of romance" this is so very common.  


It is a dream of every couple to visit Paris and to do take vows for life. You will see people locking (and of course lip locking too) and throwing the keys in the river, so nobody finds it and their love will be "locked" in these locks forever!

 
10

On the right, well not a face-palm but a typical street artist covering his face when you point a camera to him. Duh Camera shy ! You will find talented street artists everywhere in Europe, and Paris is not an exception. 

The amount of professionalism can be seen in their acts and also the money they spend on their costumes. Its really noteworthy, the way they perform with full passion on streets everyday. Unfortunately, not everyone notices them unless its really a famous tourist place flocked by thousands of tourists. 

We spotted this guy with golden colored appearance, just across the Eiffel on the Seine sidewalk. He was quick to cover his face as soon as he spotted a camera pointing to him. 

11 - The Seine river cuts through most of the Paris, a very systematic transport system with organised cruise trip is like a siesta. Take a wholesome continental meal and get on one of these cruise. Its a must if you're short on time and want to cover Paris in a days' time. 

12 - Something for the foodies. Your Paris trip is a waste if you do not eat out local continental food at a road side cafe or restaurant sipping French wine. By the way water is expensive than wine or beer, so you know what to do 😉 

13 - Shoots and more shoots. As mentioned above, its a very picturesque city with lovely photogenic locales, amazing backdrops. How can professional photographers miss that?Being the city of romance, you will find a lot of bridal shoots happening all over the city and if you're lucky then you might even stumble upon a movie shoot. 

14 - Great views of the city - Of course the Eiffel Tower gives you amazing views. But if you want to relax and enjoy the views with children playing around and the world famous football juggler - Iya Traore - you need to visit the Sacre Cour. From the lawns even if you do not have a artistic bend of mind, you can see the linear view of the city, meticulous planning and the designs on every corner. 

15 - The Eiffel tower souvenirs - you will find them all over the city. Beware do not go for the expensive ones which you can get in any shop. Buy it from the street vendors, mostly from the black people. They are willing to bargain if you have the skills.  

16 - Indian restaurants (owned by South Asians), they will have all Indian names. Accept the fact that Indian cuisine is world famous and is liked by everyone. Indians craving for home food and Non-Indians alike, come here to taste that spicy food and to get the feel of India. You will find them everywhere with little efforts but mind you they are not cheap.  

We met Nepali, Sri Lankan and Bangladeshi chefs who cooks great Indian cuisine in their respective restaurants. 

For the vegetarian (and vegan) travelers, such restaurants are delight, since they cannot have everything that is on offer in the restaurants. 

Refer to the my blog Time Lapse Europe, have mentioned all the Do's and Don't for the travelers. 

17 - The ever pleasant weather of Paris has to be experienced. Whether you visit in summer, spring or winter, there always a chill in the air, whether it rains or sun sunshine, the crispy pleasant weather always keeps you fresh all the time. Even though we visited in July, which is full on summers, it was a amazingly pleasant weather. 

18 - The amount of planning to use the space for monuments, residential apartments, hotels is amazing. You will see half-mile long parks, monuments, palaces and museums, which was planned centuries ago makes you think the foresight of those people. And each of these monuments are a master piece, maintained and fitted in the new city like a professional. You will not realize, when you traverse across the city, in a big bus, but when you take a bird's eye view from one of the several vantage points in the city. Coming from region where we are cramped up for the space, the planned details makes you wonder, is it luxury or necessity. But, that's what makes Paris a truly a top global city.

19 - The entire city is a ramp-walk, with models walking down the street with their designer outfits with or without make-up and in style. The fashion capital, doesn't need to try too hard to be one. 

You will easily find a person in an Armani carrying a Louis Vuitton bag and getting down from a Ferrari or a Porsche.

The streets leading to the Arc De Triomphe are shoppers haven. Around Avenue des Champs-Élysées, you can find numerous international fashion and lifestyle brands. 

20 - Just across the Louvre, in hop-skip & jump you will find a serene garden by the name Tuileries Gardens. It features a typical French landscape garden and great for strolling or just relaxing after a tiring and a long walk in the Louvre. One common feature of such gardens are the feminine statues and other sculptures.The amount of detailing is something which you cannot miss. The garden is so lethargic that you do not feel like leaving from here. 

Hope you will have some more observations or if you're planning to visit Paris, then you can try these places and just observe. Your feedback is welcome and you can comment below for your views. 

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