The Arch in Praça do Comércio
Dear Commons Community,
Elaine and I spent 13 hours yesterday traveling from our hotel in Lisbon back to our home in North Salem. Tiring trip especially the four passport checks at Lisbon Airport but we understand it is for our safety. On the plane, we recapped our vacation and here are some of our thoughts.
Accommodations and Restaurants
The Alma Lusa Hotel was perfect for us. Located near the River Tejo, it has a most cordial and accommodating staff. The room was spacious, airy, and overlooked the Praça do Município. The Delfina Restaurant that is part of the hotel had good food and its outdoor patio is an excellent place to have an after-dinner nightcap. Dinners in all the restaurants were excellent especially if you enjoy fresh fish. The outdoor café at Squisito on the Praça do Comércio was our favorite place to have a glass of wine in the afternoon with a plate of fresh bread and cured olives.
Sights and Special Places
Every day we went someplace either in Lisbon or some other town in Portugal. Our favorites in Lisbon were the Carmo Archeologic Museum, the Church of St. Anthony of Lisbon, and Palm Sunday services at the Church of St. Mary Magdalene. We enjoyed our evening and daytime walks on the small streets that emanate from The Arch on the Praça do Comércio. Each of the towns outside of Lisbon were exciting and interesting. Sintra (National Palace), Obidos, Fatima and especially the site of the Battle of Aljubarrota in Batalha. Learning the background and life of the hero of this battle, General Nuno Álvares Pereira, left an impression.
People and Culture
We also enjoyed conversations with people whether hotel staff, waiters, or tour guides, who were friendly and attentive to us and all our questions. The people smile a lot and are proud of Portugal to which they refer as a small European country that has made significant contributions to Western culture. Its contributions to architecture, especially the combinations of Gothic, Manueline, and Moorish styles are grand to say the least. We tended to stay away from discussions about the era of American exploration, the settlements in Brazil and the slave trade.
In sum, we highly recommend a visit to Lisbon and Portugal.
Bravo and brava!
Tony
Alma Lusa Hotel at Night
National Palace in Sintra
A room under the Church of St. Anthony of Lisbon depicting the site of St. Anthony’s birth
Statue of General Nuno Álvares Pereirathe at the site of the Battle of Aljubarrota in Batalha
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