Cascais (Lisbon), Portugal

If you'd like to experience the hustle and bustle of Lisbon, but woudl rather stay in a more relaxed, beachy area of Portugal, opt to stay in Cascais or Estoril. They are on a train line that will take you straight into Lisbon in about 35 minutes while affording you the chance to stroll the beach, eat in a beachside cafe (esplanada), and soak up the atmosphere.

Quick Tips:

Before you buy anything in a tourist area like Sintra, be sure to head to Boca do Inferno. It is a year-round market that feels like a tourist-trap, but actually has the lowest prices we have found anywhere. They have items from all over Portugal, sometimes for less than they sell for in the tourist areas where they are made. Even the Portuguese shop here. Lots of pottery, linens, tiles, and copper. Buy a cataplana (a copper covered pot that steams a complete meal on the stovetop) for about -25) to take home and cook some great Portuguese meals. Don't forget to haggle!

Best Way To Get Around:

Public transportation is very good in Portugal. You can use the train or metro to get into and around Lisbon. Buses are also good. There is a large bus station in the center of Cascais, as well as a train station (estação). Taxis are also cheap by American standards and readily available. You will spot these cream-colored cars everywhere. If you plan to tour the country, it is worth renting a car. The toll roads are beautiful and well-kept. If you are in the far left lane and the guy behind you has his left turn signal on, he wants you to get out of the way. If you don't like to drive 100mph (or more), it is better to stay in the middle or right lanes.

In general, dining in Portugal is a great experience. Even the worst food is pretty good. However, you will enjoy it much more if you are a fish and seafood eater. Fish is always fresh except on Sunday. Portuguese people will not eat fish in a restaurant on Sunday because day-old fish just won't do. If you don't like fish, the pork and veal in Portugal is fabulous. You can usually find a good steak, and lamb is often New Zealand lamb. Just ask the waiter to help you with a selection. Dried cod (bacalhau), which is re-hydrated and cooked, is more or less the national dish. There are a million ways to prepare it, most very tasty.

If you order fish, you will usually receive broccoli, carrots, and potatoes with the meal. French fries are the norm with steak or other meats.

By the way, there is always a charge ($1-3) per person for the bread and olives (couvert) brought to your table. Any dishes that are set out (cheese, shrimp, dips, herbed butter, paté, etc) on your table will be charged individually. This can add up to as much as one entree. If you don't want these extras, just say no when they are brought to the table and the waiter will remove them. Most foreigners are shocked at the end of their first meal here when they get the bill for these items. The prices are usually listed in the menu under entradas (starters).

Salads here are not great. I recommend you save your money and stomach space for other items. The soups are always wonderful!! The sopa do dia (soup of the day) is almost always pureed vegetable soup.

The wine is less expensive than soft drinks, so enjoy. Please see my other entries for specific restaurants.

A last note . . . a few restaurants open for dinner at 7pm, but most open at 7:30 or even 8pm. A dinner will take about two hours . . . they don't understand rushing a meal. And you will never receive the bill at your table until you ask for it. Happy dining! (Bom apetito!)

This is not a restaurant, this is an experience. It's best on a Friday or Saturday night, when there is live entertainment (music and fruit carving). The owner lived for years in Macao and has created this mecca of Thai food. She imports ingredients from Thailand and has also employed Thai wait staff (who usually do speak English).

When you arrive at this impeccably and lavishly decorated haven, you are greeted at the door. Fresh flowers, teak carvings, Thai masks and headdresses, silk fabrics, and candlelight are just a few of the details which she has painstakingly attended to. And this is only the decoration!

The food is fabulous, from the appetizers to Phad Thai to curries. My favorite end to the meal is the coconut ice cream. While the portions are not huge, you do leave the restaurant feeling full and satisfied. It's best to share an appetizer and sample a couple of dishes.

I hope you enjoy the restaurant as much as we do. And don't forget to take a look in their beautiful bathrooms.

This is a beautiful palace with gorgeous gardens. It has been called the Versailles of Portugal. From May to October on Wednesdays (check times), you can see a performance of the Portuguese dancing horses. It is a nice show of horsemanship in the Portuguese style. In the palace, you will find nice examples of Murano glass chandeliers, azulejo tiles, beautiful artwork, etc.

As I have time to add to the journal, here are some topics I will cover . . .

A Day in Belem:
Mosteiro de Jeronimos
Torre de Belem
Monumento dos Descubrimentos
Pasteis de Belem, Meia da Leite (coffee with half milk)
Museu do Mar
Pretty park up the hill from Jeronimos

From Cais do Sodré station:
Praça do Comercio
Rossio
28 Line
Castelo São Jorge
Mosteiro de São Vicente de Fora-fabulous azulejos (tiles)
Museu do Azulejo (take taxi from station-about 5 euros)

Columbo (largest shopping mall in Europe) if you need a retail fix.

Cabo da Roca, the westernmost point of Europe. "Where the land ends and the sea begins."

Azoia (the Windmill restaurant for view and burritos)

Praia das Maças, nice beach near Colares

Sintra:
Pena Palace
The National Palace
Moorish Castle
One great pottery shop with OK prices
The Lawrence Inn, nice restaurant

Daytrip to Mafra Monastery and Palace -- wow!

Daytrip to Batalha -- beautiful monastery with amazing stained glass windows and Manueline architecture. Well worth the trip.

Estoril:
Casino
Estoril Mandarin Restaurant
Walk between Estoril and Cascais
The Jackpot Restaurant
Costa do Estoril Restaurant
Summer Artisan Fair (June through September)

Cascais:
Walking streets of Cascais
Cascais Villa (hotel highly recommended)
Pergola House (nice, historic, centrally located bed and breakfast)
Boca do Inferno (shopping)
The Marina
Cascais Cultural Center
Caffé Italia -- GREAT Italian restaurant
Piano Bar (Esplanada and restaurant overlooking water)
The Albatroz (Hotel) -- opera nights. Dinner with opera singers serenading throughout the evening. Reasonably priced and well done.