Frauentag in Lisbon

Three years ago I celebrated International Women’s Day by traveling to Budapest. (https://shannonlubell.com/?s=Budapest)

This year, I went to Portugal. It was a lovely way to celebrate especially after being grounded with the pandemic.

With things ‘normalizing’ and Tuesday, March 8 being an official holiday here in Berlin (the kids were off from school on Monday and Tuesday), we decided it would be a good time to continue this tradition.

Being fully vaccinated, boosted, and recovered, I set my sights on my first flight in over two years.

Not only would it be nice to see this beautiful city and hopefully experience the sun and warmer weather, but I had the luck of having a friend who had recently moved there invite me for a visit.

So on the afternoon of Thursday, March 3, I took the UBahn (subway) to Alexanderplatz where I boarded a regional train to the new(ish) BER, Willy Brandt Berlin Brandenburg Flughafen. The trip took 45 minutes and was very easy.

I had only been to BER once before to pick up and drop off my mom when she visited last summer. Overall, it was very easy. I packed a small carry-on, got through security in only 18 minutes, and enjoyed a red curry before getting to my gate. Three hours later, my EasyJet flight landed in hilly Portugal.

After taking a taxi, I arrived at my friend’s apartment around 11:00 PM (her time, midnight Berlin time), settled in and went to bed.

The next morning as I woke, I wondered what time it was given the blackout shades. (6:30 local time.) After walking my friend’s dog together, we split up so she could do some work and I stopped by a charming cafe a short walk away for breakfast.

After having a cardamom latte and avocado and poached eggs, I headed toward the Praca do Comercio, a 30-minute walk away.

The Square, with the Arco da Rua Augusta built in 1875 as a triumphal arch, is stunning and faces the bay.

As I was walking around, I noticed a Fußball shop and picked up a few items for the boys and had them customized with ‘Lubell’ on the back.

While waiting for the customization, I walked down the R. Augusta and stopped by a cafeteria for an espresso (at a traditional coffee bar – much like I’ve seen in Italy) as well as a pastel de nata.

After having collected the boys’ souvenirs, I wandered down the R. August until I saw the Santa Justa Lift, a cast-iron elevator built in 1902 to connect lower streets with Carmo Square.

I debated going up or continuing my walk through the old town and decided it was fate to be there.

So finally, after waiting for nearly an hour (not something I traditionally do – but I was a little tired and used the time to catch up on emails), and paying €5.30, I was rewarded with a beautiful view of Lisbon.

I had plans to meet my friend for a late lunch, so I started to slowly meander my way back to her neighborhood so that I could have time to see some of Lisbon’s big sights.

I went a few blocks north to Rosario plaza and the National Theater.

Then to the Statue of King John.

Stuck my head in the Church of St. Dominic which was holding Mass.

Saw the Portuguese National Theater again.

Meandered past the Praça dos Restauradores.

And stumbled across a tram that brought me several blocks up a very steep street.

After I got off, I walked 30-minutes through steep, narrow, winding streets back to my friend’s neighborhood where we met for lunch.

After lunch, she did a little more work before we set off north about an hour’s drive to the medieval town of Obidos.

We had not officially booked rooms yet but had an idea of where we’d like to stay after doing a search online. After parking the car at the outside edge of the town wall, we went into the hotel and scored two rooms.

The hotel, The Literary Man Obidos Hotel, became our home for the next two nights.

A former convent, our rooms were basic, small, but very charming. Boasting over 60,000 books lining its walls and dining room, the hotel was perfect!

We settled in and picked a restaurant for dinner, the Restaurante Da Pousada Do Castelo.

Since restaurants typically don’t serve dinner before 7:30 and I was ready before she was, I headed into the old town and swung by a bar for a quick glass of Ginja, a classic Portuguese liquor (brandy or fortified wine) that’s been infused with sour cherries, sugar and cinnamon.

My friend later joined me for a glass herself and we then wandered the five-minute walk up several flights of stone stairs to enjoy dinner in the old castle.

Having talked and enjoyed our dinner for a few hours, we wandered back to our hotel and settled in for the night.

The next morning, I woke early and went for a quick walk around the walled medieval city before meeting up with my friend for breakfast.

We then explored the delightful, quiet Obidos together, walking the entire perimeter of the city on its stone wall and visiting a few shops including a bookstore that was in an old church.

Since we both enjoyed exploring and discovering new places, we got into the car and headed to a neighboring town, Calda da Rainha, for lunch and more exploring.

After a traditional Portuguese lunch, complete with bread and olives (which you pay for a la carte if you eat them after they are left on the table), we visited the town square and Saint Sebastian church before driving to the Ceramic Museum.

We then explored the beautiful Parque Dom Carlos I and enjoyed an espresso and nata.

Just before sunset, we drove back to Obidos and enjoyed a lovely dinner at our hotel. The Literary Man Obidos Hotel.

The next day, after our breakfast buffet, we checked out of the hotel and drove to Nazare beach, which is where we would spend the night.

My friend told me about an HBO show, ‘100 Foot Wave’ that is filmed there. Because of the underwater canyon system next to the beach, some of the highest waves in the world can form there.

Word quickly spread and the elite of the surfing world descend on this sleepy beach town for some of the finest surfing in the world.

After arriving, we first took the funicular up to Forte de São Miguel Arcanjo, which has been turned into a Surfing Museum.

We walked down a long steep road to the fort, which is also where the photographers perch to catch the surfers braving the huge waves. The view was spectacular.

After climbing the long, steep hill (did I mention it was looooong) back to the square, we settled into an open-air lunch in the sun.

Being the ever-curious travelers, we decided to head to the Alcobaca Monastery. The church and monastery were the first Gothic buildings in Portugal (early 13th century). Due to its artistic, cultural, and historical relevance, it was included in UNESCO’s World Heritage Site list in 1989.

Afterward, we went back to Nazare and decided to go to an Indian Restaurant for dinner that night for a change of pace.

We headed back to Lisbon the next morning. While my friend worked, I spent the afternoon exploring the old city. First, I went to a delicious lunch with amazing views over the city.

Then off to visit the Castelo de San Jorge.

The views from the castle were incredible. I booked a tour in English and was blown away by the history.

São Jorge Castle is a historic castle located in the Santa Maria Maior. Human occupation of the castle hill dates to at least the 8th century BC while the first fortifications built date from the 1st century BC. The hill on which São Jorge Castle stands has played an important part in the history of Lisbon having served as the location of fortifications occupied successively by Phoenicians, Carthaginians, Romans, and Moors before its conquest by the Portuguese in the 1147 Siege of Lisbon. Since the 12th century, the castle has variously served as a royal palace, a military barracks, home to the Torte do Tombo National Archive, and now as a national monument and museum.

After the tour, I walked through the very hilly neighborhood (can I just tell you that my calves were on fire during this trip!) and went to the Church of Saint Anthony, an 18th-century Catholic Church that is believed to mark the birth of St. Anthony.

Afterward, I found a nice traditional restaurant and enjoyed my last dinner in Portugal before taking a cab to my friend’s apartment.

The next morning, I took another cab to the Jeronimos Monastery and was delighted to find that admission was free for women, being International Women’s Day.

It was so wonderful to have this time to explore new places. And to travel again by airplane after over two years because of COVID. This trip renewed my desire to travel by air again with our family. Which we’d get the chance to do in just over a month when we’d travel to Sardinia. Stay tuned for that post. (I’m working on this post up at a cafe in Sardinia.)