Porto - Barcelona Day 10 Lisbon - Faro

So long Lisbon we have to leave you now it would be wonderful if we were to stay for another few more days maybe a next time we will be back. At the entrance of D'Happy Inn and were ready to move on again.

We rode to Saldanha Metro Station at GPS : 38.733892, -9.144082 to catch a direct metro train to Oriente Train Station for our next destination, Faro.

It was a rush hour, crowded with people going to work, four of us with our bikes and luggage having difficulty to gain access to the train platform. We were at one time advised by the staff to catch a later train due to the morning crowd. Bit by bit we managed to maneuver to the far end of the platform and were lucky to be able to squeeze into the arriving coach.

What a relief we made it to Oriente Train Station for the intercity train. Our fear has finally subsided. The digital directory was easily seen at the screens hung at the ceiling where we got info as to which platform to catch our train to Faro.

The hand signage was out and all into the coach, the train is moving now.....

My bungee cord came in handy again securing the bikes at a dedicated space.

Power point available for you to charge your electronic devices and by the way the fare was €11 to Faro from Lisbon.

Arrived at Faro Train Station after 3 hours of a comfortable ride. The southern most city of Portugal.

Faro is the capital of the Algarve. The old name of the city was Ossonoba, baptized by the Romans. Faro is part of Portugal since 1249, when the city and the entire region of the Algarve was conquered from the Moors by King Afonso III.

It was easy to locate The Story Guesthouse situated at R. Jose Estevao, GPS : 37.017590, -7.933954

Immediately after we have checked in for the stay at The Story Guesthouse we went out for the city ronda.

Uncle Google recommended and led us to this restaurant, Adega Nova at Francisco Barreto Street, GPS : 37.018661, -7.938363 for lunch.

Faro is situated by the sea shore, the fishes are easy available and had to be fresh & good.

Mixed seafood paella was ideal for Asians like us that was perfectly flavoured to suit our taste buds.

The fish dishes were good and delicious.

A wonderful lunch at Adega Nova, the staff was friendly and helpful. Thank you for your yummy food.

A land train to tour the centre of Faro which apparently is equipped with pre-recorded audio commentary. Might be a good idea for a quick look at Faro.

We have our bikes and did not have to use other mode of transport to see the places. Here we were riding through the shopping area of Faro.

The tall monument at the square in honour of Ferreira de Almeida who was born in the city of Faro. A great man who has contributed tremendously for Faro.

Behind the Porta Arabe which is the entrance to the Muslim city of Santa Maria and often referred to as the Arab Gate. It was served as access for those who came by sea and had a drawbridge over the marshland linking to mainland.

There is a legend associating the existence of an image of the Virgin on the walls that the Arabs laid into to the sea that resulted the land and sea ceasing to produce. The Arabs then returned the image to its original place which eventually caused the land bear fruit and the sea fish were found to be in abundance.

The medieval Cathedral of Faro. Church was built on the ruins of the ancient Roman temple, it was also a mosque during the Arab period then being adapted to a Church after the conquest of D. Afonso III. Located at GPS : 37.013303, -7.934959

Monument to Bishop Francisco Gomes de Avelar at GPS : 37.013603, -7.935283.
Dom Francisco Gomes de Avelar is said to had devoted his life in the improvement of Faro, investing in public building and improvement of urban infra-structures. He lived between 1736 and 1816, dying of old age with a long life for his time (80 years).

The statue of King D. Afonso III, standing in Faro’s historic walled city, found in front of the Municipal Museum.

The old town of Faro has many long narrow roads some with interesting ceramic wall tiles like this one. Photo credit : Jocelyn.

The sun was setting at the waterfront and we were having fun with our cameras.

Anne & F.A.R.O.

Faro with the 3 ladies and our Brompton.

The marina of Faro. It would be lovely to spend some time admiring the flashy yachts at the marina at one of the cafes.

There is also Faro's Maritime Museum which is found in the vicinity of the waterfront although it's quite small but it has some interesting displays relating to Portugal’s Age of Discovery, including a model of one of the boats in which Vasco da Gama sailed around the Cape of Good Hope to India in 1498.

Europe is generally bicycle friendly but we don't need this we have our own bicycles.

The reception of The Story Guest House recommended us to checkout this Restaurante À do Pinto at Tv. Rebelo da Silva GPS : 37.015912, -7.932836

A simple decor restaurant yet cozy.

Overall the food was excellent, always love the Portuguese which I am starting to like it. The seafood was fresh and delicious, what not all from the shore of Faro itself. Photo credit : Anne Cheong.

Paella with delicious succulent & fresh prawns.

Some kind of mixed seafood dish like what we get in Malaysia which we call "Pun Choy", ths was also another fabulous mouth watering dish.

Cheers and that was our last night in Portugal, it had been a wonderful journey in Portugal and I would love to come back again for the gorgeous scenery and most importantly the Portuguese food.

Porto - Barcelona Day 9 Another day in Lisbon

Good morning Lisbon as viewed from our apartment.

Today we were out without our bicycles and we were going to explore the city by foot.

Taking to steep road towards the nearest Metro station which was Intendente Station GPS : 38.722287, -9.135346

We stopped at Cais do Sodre Station and started exploring the city from there. GPS : 38.706277, -9.144983

Dropped by at Mercado da Ribeira food court / Time-out Market at Praça Dom Luís I GPS : 38.707478, -9.146268

Still in the neighbourhood of the market searching for other lesser commercial place to eat and we dug into secondary roads hoping to find one.

Somewhere at the rear of the market a colourful and interesting graffiti attracted us for a stop.

I just would not hesitate to do a wefie here.

Somewhere along this street we stumbled into a Portuguese restaurant at Rua de S. Paulo

Brunch at Restaurente Bacalhau, a Portuguese restaurant at Rua de S. Paulo GPS : 38.708291, -9.145717 not too far from the Time-out Lisbon market. We were the first customers, hopefully we enter a right restaurant.

Order made and came our food, a pan fried fish and tuna salad together with the popular sangria drink.

We were surprise to see curry dish and it was a prawn curry, simply delicious the way the Portuguese does it. Together with an omelette and octopus dish. Photo credit : Anne Cheong.

 I enjoyed the octopus too another good choice from the menu.

Igreja Santa Maria de Belém, a Catholic Church is part of The Jerónimos Monastery or Hieronymites Monastery, is a former monastery of the Order of Saint Jerome near the Tagus river in the parish of Belém. It is located at Praça do Império GPS : 38.697587, -9.205489

The monastery is one of the most prominent examples of the Portuguese Late Gothic Manueline style of architecture in Lisbon. It was classified a UNESCO World Heritage Site, along with the nearby Tower of Belém, in 1983.

Padrão dos Descobrimentos (Monument of the Discoveries) is a monument on the northern bank of the Tagus River estuary, in the civil parish of Santa Maria de Belém, Lisbon. Located along the river where ships departed to explore and trade with India and the Orient, the monument celebrates the Portuguese Age of Discovery (or Age of Exploration) during the 15th and 16th centuries. GPS : 38.693765, -9.205888.

Belem Lighthouse is a 16th-century fortification located in Lisbon that served both as a fortress and as a ceremonial gateway to Lisbon. It was built during the height of the Portuguese Renaissance, and is a prominent example of the Portuguese Manueline style. The structure was built from lioz limestone and is composed of a bastion and a 30-metre,[4] four-storey tower. Since 1983, the tower has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It is often portrayed as a symbol of Europe's Age of Discoveries. GPS : 38.693040, -9.208972

Doca do Bom Sucesso - Porto de Lisboa. This dock was formerly belonged to the Portuguese Navy and has been opened to house private craft (with 163 berths for boats up to 15 metres in length). GPS : 38.693670, -9.212010

A Polish agency providing cycling tour complete with a support vehicle. That's the way to explore the world on a bicycle. So nice isn't it.

Cute vehicles used as food providers.

The first aerial crossing of the South Atlantic was made by the Portuguese naval aviators Gago Coutinho and Sacadura Cabral in 1922, to mark the centennial of Brazil's independence. Coutinho and Cabral flew in stages from Lisbon, Portugal, to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, using three different Fairey III biplanes, and covered a distance of 8,383 kilometres between March 30 and June 17. Coutinho and Cabral's flight remains notable as a milestone in transatlantic aviation, and for its use of new technologies such as the artificial horizon.

Belém Tower, officially the Tower of Saint Vincent is a 16th-century fortification located in Lisbon that served both as a fortress and as a ceremonial gateway to Lisbon. It was built during the height of the Portuguese Renaissance. The structure was built from lioz limestone and is composed of a bastion and a 30-metre four-storey tower.

Since 1983, the tower has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site, along with the Jerónimos Monastery. It is often portrayed as a symbol of Europe's Age of Discoveries and as a metonym for Portugal or Lisbon, given its landmark status.

The Praça do Império (Empire Square) is a city square and park situated adjacent to principal monuments and tourist attractions in the civil parish of Belém.

Another view of the Empire Square with many ducks seen in the water.

The Lisbon Cathedral (Portuguese: Santa Maria Maior de Lisboa or Sé de Lisboa; Metropolitan Cathedral of St. Mary Major), often called simply the Sé, is a Roman Catholic church located in Lisbon, Portugal. 

One of the many statues in the church.

The oldest church in the city is the seat of the Archdiocese of Lisbon. Built in 1147, the cathedral has survived many earthquakes and has been modified, renovated and restored several times. It is nowadays a mix of different architectural styles. It has been classified as a National Monument since 1910.

A view from the Júlio de Castilho Garden also known as Santa Luzia Garden. 

Up and up we went to the hill top we wanted to see St.Jorges Castle.

Though the path might dimly lit narrow and steep yet there are souls moving up and down. Mostly coming down.

We knew we gonna miss the entry yet we wanted to see as much of Castelo de S. Jorge at R. de Santa Cruz do Castelo, GPS : 38.713630, -9.133835

São Jorge Castle is a historic castle in the Portuguese capital of Lisbon, located in the freguesia of 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.

So bye bye St Jorges Castle as we passed through the historical arch, maybe a second chance to visit you in the future.

One of the many steep stairways leading to higher ground or to the hilltop.

Thanks to Anne for insisting to try the traditional tram before we leave the place.

The tram finally made to the last stop where the driver left the empty tram. We took the chance to take a drama shot "pushing the tram" A little girl came and joined us for the fun. Photo credit : Jocelyn.

The minute I saw a sign that indicates Chinese food I suddenly crave for, it's been too long time since I had one. We went up to a first floor of a building and found this Pangzi Mianguan 胖子面馆, R. do Benformoso GPS : 38.717612, -9.134911. The braised pork ribs noodle soup was gorgeous.

That's all for Day 9, a tired day indeed and good night.