Trip Recommendations

Lisbon:


Wander Alfama (the old district) for hours, getting lost down any and all little lanes. Unbelievable panoramic views.

Pensao Figueira Guesthouse (ask for a room facing the square).
Simply walk everywhere. The city is gorgeous, charming and in my opinion, magical.

Tona La Da Ca for dinner. Portuguese food at Portuguese prices. Wander into Bairro Alto and ask around. People will know what you’re talking about.

The Monastery in Belem. Vasco de Gama is buried there!

The real beauty is along the coastline. Rent a Smart Car from Ausocar (google it) for $30 a day and beach-hop for as long as you can. The Lagos to Lisbon route is beyond picturesque.


Madrid:

Eat, eat and eat!!!!

Museum of Ham (Museo de Jambon) gives you free ham with any drink (which are wildly affordable) and they do Sangria by the glass.

Momo has an amazing $15 3-course menu that was utterly divine. It is in the Checutera (sp?) district, just north of Plaza del Sol.

Helado (ice cream) anywhere.

Besides food, don’t miss the Reina Sofia (brilliant collection and brilliant curation). Touring the palace was also worth the wait and cost ($4). So over-the-top it’s no wonder Spain went bankrupt during its golden period. Also, make sure to stroll through the Parc Real in the east.

Last but not least, walk along Alfama and Gran Via at night. The Metropolis building at dusk is unrivaled for overall splendor not just in Madrid but, I would argue, almost anywhere.


Barcelona:

Barcelona is enormous, and the avenues are massive. I found it easy to navigate but less charming. It’s all about the destinations and hot-spots.

For food: Carmelitas for casual sandwiches (and a great ambiance), Dos Treces for modern Spanish food, Tres Hermanos for INCREDIBLE tapas and sangria and Wagaboo for fusion. It’s so modern.

For sites: Note that the Gaudi spots have long lines (over an hour) and are very expensive (as much as $15). Plan ahead and be sure to get there early. Don’t miss his tow homes, Parc Guell in the north and the Sagrada Familia (particularly amazing after 9pm with the lights on). Barcelonetta and the beaches offer some great people-watching, Las Ramblas and Old Town are the places to stroll and just take it all in and the fountains at Montjuic are simply extraordinary.

Hope that helps any of you on your quest through the Iberian Peninsula!

Also, cruise the entire Portuguese coast. Most. Beautiful. Coast. On. Earth.

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Kyle Taylor

Road Trip! Central Portugal Edition

After ten days of mediocre weather (and sweatshirts every day) we embraced the blazing sunshine and hit the road. Our mission: Find a deserted beached that we could have all to ourselves for the entire day. We chose to accept.



Armed with our Lisbon map, our central Portugal map our Smart car and flashback hits (along with Katy Perry every other song) on Radio Commercial, we made our way across the mini Golden Gate bridge past touristy Setubal, inland around the marshy bay, south again toward the Algarve then back west to the coast via Alcacer del Sol along the N253 and N261. We passed no more than twenty cars on the N roads and arrived at a beach with two other people on it, who were just leaving. Al made camp on the walkway while I trekked a bit further, staking my claim in the sand at the base of a dune. Two hours later I woke up from my perfect sunshine slumber, sauntered over to a dozing Alyson and asked if she wanted to “hop” to the next beach. “Yes.” And off we went, to another totally deserted beach.



Of course, this complemented our previous day’s post-Sintras trek to Lisbon’s northern coast, where we dined on fish fillets overlooking the waves crashing into the cliffs below, gazed at the windsurfers and para-surfers and took in a beautiful sunset perched in a cave just at the base of yet another seaside cliff. “The perfect end to a great trip,” Alyson quipped.



To top it all off, we drove across Europe’s longest bridge back into Lisbon and while we did get lost attempting to return the Smart car, our “lost” actually took us straight to the place we wanted to go. Naturally, we capped off the entire journey with dinner at our favorite place in town (and possibly the world), Tona La Da Ca. Portugal is the best ever. Ever.








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Kyle Taylor

Sintras: Like A Real-Life Fairy Tale

You know that quintessential image of a brightly colored magical castle at the top of a mountain, accessed by steep winding roads that bob and weave up the side of a cliff? It exists in Sintras. Alyson said it best: “This is the best day ever.”


Because so much of Portugal is somewhat remote (which is a plus, mind you), we decided to rent a Smart car and explore the majestic castles, seaside resorts and remote beaches in style. Alyson was in love with it. Seriously seriously in love with it. So much so that she contemplated marrying it. Seriously.



We drove into teeny tiny town via a teeny tiny access road, which almost immediately began to weave up toward the castle in traditional switchback form. After waiting in life for 20 minutes (only one ticket window was open, which seems to be a theme in both Spain and Portugal), we continued our upward trek on foot, reaching the gates out of breath but enticed by the fact that we beat a couple of seniors to the top (though not by much). It was, as you’d imagine, breathtaking. Words cannot quite capture it, so here are some pictures instead! A must-see.








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Kyle Taylor

Lisbon Is Langon

Well, not exactly, but it sounds so sing-song with Alyson’s last name, I just had to do it. While my first time through saw near perfect weather, our first two days were doomed to clouds, rain and darkness - none of which we had ordered. Fortunately, some recharge, cafe, long naps, movie time was in order. Combined with the soothing pace of life in Portugal’s biggest city, I’d say we did quite well.



We wandered for hours through Alfama, the old town. Cobblestone lanes, antique tram cars climbing the steep avenues, laundering hanging from the line, corner coffee shops, spectacular views of the sea, the cathedral and the old city fortress made for a divine post-overnight train morning. Lisbon is sort-of perched on two hills looking down on a central valley that now forms the heart of Old Town. No matter where you are the views are constantly changing but always incredible.



We took the oceanside tram along the water to Belem, home of Europe’s oldest monastery and burial site of Vasco de Gama, all around awesome explorer. The more I’ve learned about Portugal, the more I’ve realized it is “the little nation that could.” Now a nation of just 6 million, its empire was rivaled only by that of Great Britain (which is now home to just over 60 million).





We spent our evenings in Bairro Alto, the “hip” part of town. From dining to drinking, it is home to street after street of tiny cafes, Fado restaurants and small but happening bars. A few notes on these:

Food: We had arguably the best meal of our lives at Tona La Da Ca. I sadly have no idea what that means, but the food was out of this world. For about $17 each, we had bread, cheese and ham (obviously) a main of either fresh fish or delectable beef, a slice of the most delicious chocolate tart I have ever tasted and a bottle of wine. Beat that, western world.

Happening Bars: Drinks are super sweet. Stick with caiprihnas. They’re Brazilian and brilliant. Also, wine is naturally a safe bet.



Fado: It’s a national treasure and so it should be. While most fado joints are rather touristy, brave the crowds and kitsch, as the singers and guitarists are incredible. Alyson and I got sucked in for hours. Maria at Aldos is phenomenal. She comes right out of the kitchen mid-fish grilling to rouse you with her alto excellence.

Coffee Shops: Pois, Cafe in Alfama. Delicious food, great ambiance, all the day’s newspapers and an enormous library.

Croissants: We started every morning with one (and sometimes two) at Sao Nicolau in Rossio. Honestly and truly, it is the beest pastry I have ever had, and at $1.10 each, you’re full until 4 in the afternoon for next to nothing.




I LOVE Lisbon. Could definitely live here. The whole country reminds me of California, only with one tenth the number of people.

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Kyle Taylor

What’s With the Weather?

For the two months I have been following the weather in Spain and Portugal it has been nothing but sun. For the first five days I was in Portugal it was nothing but sunshine and warm temperatures. As soon as Alyson arrived, however, it was patchy clouds, occasional sun and now, pouring rain. What, might you ask, is the forecast for the day we leave? BRILLIANT sunshine and temperatures of 80 degrees.



It hasn’t been all bad. We have ended up getting quite a few sunny days, it’s just a bit colder than anticipated. Because I assumed warmth (it’s Portugal and Spain!), I packed no coat and four pairs of shorts. That’s right, I have a red sweater and a brown hoodie and THAT IS IT. I managed to lose my umbrella in Madrid just hours after Alyson and I talked about how we always seem to lose umbrellas and sunglasses (she left her sunglasses somewhere in Barcelona). Needless to say, this means that while I have been changing my under-layers, I’ve been wearing the same shoes, jeans, sweater and hoodie in nearly every picture taken on this trip. That is either marginally cool (like “wow, he visited all those places in one day?”) or totally not attractive. Let’s hope most agree with the former.



Either way, we’re hoping the forecast for sunshine Sunday and Monday (our last two days) holds true. I need some additional rays before going back to dreary London and I also really don’t want Alyson to beat me up. After all, I did promise a sunny escape in gorgeous Iberia. Oops?



NOTE: Do NOT trust weather.com. It is evil and wrong in Spain and Portugal. In fact, trust no forecasts for this part of the world.

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Kyle Taylor

Overnight Trains Go “Choo! Choo!”

Alyson and I decided to decrease our carbon footprint, resist the temptation to fly discount and travel old-school on the choo-choo train. BEST. DECISION. EVER. In doing the math (which I inevitably do) I added up not just the flight but the cost of checking luggage (they do that on discount airlines), the cost of getting to and from the airport, the cost of eating over-priced airport food since you have to be there days before you leave and the cost of a hotel (when traveling overnight by train). When you add all of those pieces together, the train is either cheaper or marginally more expensive. Of course, there is no way to really quantify overall happiness and enjoyment, but that easily pushes the value of train travel. I mean, it’s just great.




We took the high-speed train from Barcelona to Madrid (city center to city center), traveling at 220 miles an hour through gorgeous countryside and covering 500 miles in just under three hours. Perfect, no?





Then we engaged in a much more serious journey - Madrid to Lisbon. This was overnight and while I had done the same in China and Tibet, it was Alyson’s first full-throttle train experience. It could not have been more perfect. For just over $100 each we had our own two-person cabin complete with two beds that converted to proper chairs for day-time travel, a sink complete with privacy curtain and little stairs that led up to the top bunk. Our train commander took our tickets to “deal with the border so we could sleep” and offered a wake-up call in the morning so we could enjoy our free breakfast in the dining car before arriving in Lisbon. Yes please. And what was this journey called? The “Train Hotel.”



We enjoyed a nightcap in the bar car before bed, were whisked to sleep but the rhythmic vibrations of the train, awoke to a gentle tap on the door and dined on fresh bread, eggs, bacon, fruit, yogurt, fresh orange juice and coffee while watching the sun rise over the grape fields of northern Portugal. Can I please go again like, RIGHT NOW?

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Kyle Taylor