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Memories of a weekend in Madrid

Madrid is a big city so it can take some time to take it all in and so a weekend will only give a taste of what there is to enjoy here!

Here follows some tips based on my recent visit...Madrid is very Spanish (naturally!), so less touristy than Barcelona say, and really it’s Spanish spoken everywhere and very scant English. But I found the people very friendly and helpful especially if I started a conversation with an apology for not being able to speak the language!

How to eat in Spain! 

When breakfasting avoid the hotel but go out and grab a fab coffee and a pastry. And maybe a freshly made orange juice! Like the locals do. When eating out at night, do so as late as possible... and cruise the tapas bars, snacking and having a drink as you go... so we ate a good sit down lunch most days or took a picnic to a park say, then had a siesta (easier if you have wine with lunch!) around 5 to 6pm then got ready and headed out after 8.30. Go later if you can. Otherwise you will end up at a tourist restaurant (not good) or you will be the only person in a tapas place. Try sherry... it’s not like your gran used to have. Lovely with tapas. Locals snack in the evening. They don’t eat a three course dinner like we do. Tapas bars in la Latina area are very good and some had live flamenco and gorgeous guitar playing ! Regarding lunch time.... we picnicked (it was April...) Harvest Greens was good as was in Maga Sand. But there are lovely cafes everywhere and the locals sit down and enjoy a leisurely lunch some wine and a coffee.

Some things we did and places we visited

Walking tour. I love to do these in any city. The free ones mean its’ free’ but you give a tip at the end depending on how you enjoyed the experience. Most tours last about 2 1/2 hours. Depending on the city 10 to 20 euro seems to be correct. Some interesting facts I remember from our walk... during the Spanish Inquisition, people who were not Catholic were persecuted, in particular Jews. Many people took to hanging a big ham in prominent position in their house doorways.. to show they ‘ ate pork’ and to avoid trouble. And so the tradition of hanging pork products continues to today. If in a small shop they will gladly offer delicious samples! Also Spanish people have double barreled surnames.... historically a way of showing your religious heritage also.

Parque del Retiro. This is a beautiful park enjoyed by locals especially on Sundays. Picnic is a good idea here. We took out little rowing boats on the lake. Very popular with long queues but a lovely local thing to enjoy.

Recommended places to visit

Palacio Real. The palace. Take the audio tour. Very informative. Spain has an incredible history and the Royal family, the Bourbans are linked with other European Royals. If doing this book on line beforehand to minimise queuing time.

Prado Museum. The biggest art museum. If going with a younger person make sure to see Las Meninas by Velasquez. See it anyway. It’s beautiful. Again get an audio tour or research beforehand so you have a short list if favourites.... in order to avoid art fatigue. Really this is a place to visit many times.

Thyssen Bornemisza. A private art collection given to the state. A bit like our Chester Beatty. Some beautiful pieces here

Reina Sofia. The modern art museum so Picasso very well represented here. We had a very limited time slot so we took the stunning glass lift to the top.... took in the view then went to see the amazing Guernica and supporting drawings. It’s an amazing moving comment on war. Once again a museum that warrents several visits

Sorolla museum in the beautiful Salamanca district. Unfortunately I didn’t see this on my recent visit but luckily I caught an amazing exhibition of this artist’s work in Dublin’s National gallery. His paintings are absolutely beautiful,and this district is highly recommended. On my wish list for my next visit!

Beautiful Squares...plenty of these, we particularly enjoyed Plaza de Olivade. This is a local square, off the tourist trail...once again we took a picnic and sat out just like the locals. Plenty of cafes around here also to enjoy a glass of wine or coffee

Temple of Debod. Google this. It’s an Egyptian temple given to Madrid and reassembled at it’s present site. Best to see at sunset.

So that’s Madrid. Definitely a great city break, an art fest. And a place to return many times!

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A weekend in Porto

We were told by a local that Porto can thank Ryanair and it’s football team for putting it on the map as a short break holiday location. Apparently when Ryanair started to fly here, people came over to see football matches and then returned for weekend breaks and so the good news spread! So, here’s my tips on things to do, see, eat and drink (all wines delish) when in Porto!

We stayed at Flores village on Rua da Flores

I recommend a walking tour here...we did the original free walking tour with locals, rather than the more commercial free one (I call the Starbucks version)

Absolutely the best restaurant is Euskalduna... very hard to find, so worth getting a taxi even if you are staying close by. Think it got a star recently. Needs to be booked but phone them well in advance.... they kindly opened up their reservations book for us on a not normal working day! They also emailed me after our visit with recommendations for Lisbon too! The menu is a surprise tasting one... an amazing experience and wasn’t expensive for what we got!

Casual eats... we sampled or recommended by others

Cantina do Avillez... casual ‘headed’ by well known chef Jose do Avillez.... his other restaurant Belcanto in Lisbon has a star. This place is casual and not expensive.

Tapabento... has two locations, the tapas one close to the gorgeous railway station (go inside, amazing tiles), and a ‘real’ restaurant near Trinidad’s

Ze Bota at Travesso do Carmo... for homely cooking

Cantina 32

Mercearia das Flores (for quick lunch)

Taberna de Sao Pedro.... the real deal; see below

Tasca, very local authentic, basic, near Rua da Flores. I liked it but hubby less impressed

Apparently the Port Houses, across the river have lovely lunch places; we didn’t get to this, but two recommended are Vinum in Graham’s Port Lodge or Yeatsman at Sandyman

Another half day adventure is to take a tram, then boat ride across the river to the fishing village, Afurada. Well worth it to see the other Porto. Lunch at the very authentic restaurant Taberna de Sao Pedro is rustic, with no frills but very authentic and reasonable and the fish is amazing. Some people rent bicycles to cycle to Afurada but it was too hot when we visited

Visit Casa da Musica and Serralves (art gallery and beautiful gardens); we didn’t get to enjoy these but they are highly recommended.

Douro valley; can rent a car and drive about one hour to the interesting bit at Pinhao. Lovely town with fantastic small villages in surrounding countryside e.g. Provesende. Turisrent will deliver and collect car for one day rental to your hotel approx 40 to 50 euro for 24 hours

Once again as it was high summer when we visited Porto, we didn’t do this but others who did this in the Autumn spoke very highly of the Douro experience. Apparently there are boat trips to this area also.

Take a look at a very good travel blog.... Julie dawn fox.... very informative.

And finally, wear flat shoes in Porto, it’s extremely hilly.

Enjoy !

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A Taste of Lisbon

To be honest I’ve only had a brief taste of this city and visited off season and just for a weekend but here’s a little taste of what I found...

Stayed at LX boutique hotel on Rua do Alecrim... a lovely very well located hotel. Airbnb also an option here and most likely very reasonable.

To do....

Try a walking tour  (look out for free walking tours by locals) or Tuk Tuk Tours. Good to get your bearings. Lisbon is a big city, we stayed mostly around Chiado and Barrio Alto (at night).These two areas are beside each other. The area...Baixa is newer with wider streets in a grid formation but restaurants here are a bit touristy. The area Alfama is a maze of tiny streets, a bit rundown but interesting...and is well covered on walking tours.

Get a day ticket for all forms of transport....We bought ours at Cais do Sodre train station near the Time Out Market. The ticket seller will help you. As far as I remember we got a ticket which we could use on tram, metro, and the Elevators (and so you can skip the long queue to buy when waiting to go on the ‘touristy’ elevators.)

Eating

Time out Market...on Cais do Sodre...lots of stalls with delicious food and wine...great to wander around and pick a spot for casual lunch or wine tasting. Very popular!

Lisboa a Noite...this is a good spot for dinner...needs to be booked...very nice friendly staff and in a lively area...the Barrio Alto.

Carmo...on a very pretty square...Largo do Carmo. Nice for lunch or Sunday brunch.

Alma...Rua Anchieta, in Chiado area. Very high end and very expensive...a major treat...

To be honest you can eat in tiny places in Barrio Alto, that are authentic and very reasonable.

Take the number 28 tram...just get on and do the whole ride....at the end the hoards will get off then you can pick a best window seat and do it all again. Watch your pockets...pickpockets a big problem in Lisbon. 

Take Elevador de Santa Justa...in Chiado...amazing steel lift...looks like something out of a Harry Potter movie!

Shop in the area Chiado...some very nice traditional shops here.

Take Ascensor da Bica...from Cais do Sodre...it’s a funicular!

Visit Convento do Carmo...just ruins really on Largo do Carmo...but interesting, as the whole building was destroyed in the devastating earthquake and tsunami in 1755...but it’s Gothic arches proved to be earthquake proof and  survived. Look from this site towards the sea...it seems far...but the wave of the tsunami actually came close to this spot!!

Belem...take a tram (a modern one), from Cais do Sodre to this district. Nice to walk around and see Torre de Belem etc...and also there’s a cafe here that sells the very famous little custard tarts!

Visit Fundacao Gulbenkian...this will most likely be a good metro ride from where you are staying. Calouste Gulbenkian was a very rich man, think Armenian...anyway he collected beautiful treasure and art works throughout his life and donated his collection to Portugal (a bit like Chester Beatty in Dublin... This is  well worth a visit, and we did a one hour tour, of the ‘collection highlights’, think at 11am daily. Definitely recommend this.

Finally, Lisbon is very hilly indeed with tiled paths...so wear flat shoes. Watch your pockets/ bag. However, it’s a fun city and very friendly...I will surely revisit! .

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My tips on Cascais

Having visited Cascais on four occasions, I would like to share my experiences and tips on this special place.

Accommodation

We stayed at Hotel Miragem twice and Villa Cascais once. We also took a peep at Casa da Pergola but did not stay. Accommodation at high season is expensive and tends to book early. Bargains may be had at low season or with last minute bookings.There are also several resort looking spots on the outskirts and these may be worth exploring.

Casa da Pergola is a very pretty, upmarket guesthouse, and the owner kindly showed us some rooms and they are beautifully furnished. It is small and books early.

We have stayed twice in Hotel Miragem...it’s a very large hotel, and may initially appear soul less... generally this kind of place does not appeal to me. On the positive however, it has a beautiful pool, fabulous breakfast buffet and a nice cocktail bar. The staff are friendly and courteous. We found ourselves in Cascais at short notice this year and managed to get a last minute booking and in fact on arrival an upgrade for no extra charge. So I’d recommend booking a standard room and hoping for an upgrade. We were very well looked after here... The hotel also has a fantastic gym, which might appeal to families/teens in particular.

Villa Cascais is a small boutique upmarket guesthouse and we really enjoyed this place. One negative is that it is small with no real ‘extras’. On a positive note, it has a cute bar with a lovely terrace overlooking a square...well worth a visit for a pre-dinner drink. The staff are lovely here. Facilities such as the pool can be used at the sister Hotel Albatroz nearby.

Eating in Cascais

Well, there are plenty of restaurants...some very reasonable and here follows some that we sampled....

Hifen [Prounounce Hyphen]...a tapas place...young trendy and seems popular as a venue for entertaining/ work events and is always busy so definitely book this one. It’s across a square from Villa Cascais, overlooking the public beach (to explain...public means no concessions such as paid beds/ parasols, and it was traditionally the fisherman’s beach as it was possible to enjoy it for free. There seems to be regular volleyball games on for teens in the evenings here...and nice for a swim too). So if you sit upstairs, in particular the window seats (as long as it is not too windy), you may enjoy gorgeous views and stunning sunsets. Food of course is excellent here and reasonable.

Masala...In beach area of town, opposite a wine bar (same owners!)...on our first visit (of many by the way!) I thought it was small, a bit down at heel in appearance...The food is Indian, excellent and very reasonable. Great friendly staff. We booked but they will always fit you in. I’d recommend this as a sociable venue, great for groups, families etc.

5 Sentidos (means 5 senses)...up the hill in a less touristy part of town, but plenty seem to find this place. Good and varied food to be had here, including (but sadly not always) the most delish warm chocolate pudding...worth the trip here for this alone! [Interestingly, an aside, this place is opposite a lovely little church, which on our last visit to the area was literally bursting at the seams with folk attending weekly mass...spilling out on to the street even. I was informed that the priest here is very popular so people travel to his mass!]

Mar do Inferno....Situated about 2km out of town towards Guincho. We walked home from here after dinner...a nice evening walk. You can hear the waves crashing through a cave underneath the restaurant as you eat. The area is called Boca do Inferno...a local scenic spot. This place is large, family run and a bit touristy to be honest. The menu seems very pricey at first glance as the fish (it’s all fish by the way) is priced by the kg. We luckily got a great waiter who helped us choose - this is important so you don’t over order. Not everyone seems to enjoy here but we ate very well!

Kech...a Moroccan place in the old town. We just had a lovely lunchtime salad here. Across the street is another popular spot, Melody, which also gets good reviews.

Mussels and Gin...also up the hill in the older part of town. We did not sample here, but it is always busy. It’s worth taking a stroll around this area...plenty of nice little tapas style bars and informal eateries to explore at a leisurely pace!

Cafe World of Wonders...I love this place...my husband less keen due to the lack of meat on the menu...It’s mostly a daytime spot...with mezze plates, amazing juices and a lovely rooftop eating area. It has quite the hippy vibe! Nearby there are some traditional more formal eating spots...mostly serving fish.

Santini...and finally for dessert...this is an ice cream parlour...part of a chain in Portugal but the first one opened in Cascais...so you can say this is part of your history of Cascais tour! So mostly (except for the chocolate pudding experience) I skipped dessert and instead walked in here on my way home for delicious ice cream. Definitely worth a visit!

Things to do and see in Cascais

Walk from Cascais to Estoril on the promenade. Its 3km each way so a perfect daily exercise. Running or cycling an option. Best early morning but good at any time of day. By the way, Estoril has a casino, apparently the one Ian Fleming visited and inspired him to write the James Bond books! Also this was an area for wealthy/Royal visitors and there are some beautiful old houses to be seen.

Walk or cycle to Guincho beach (opposite direction to the Estoril walk).This is windy in spots...the full walk a good 10km, so cycling might be a better option (free bikes available or better ones to hire). We walked as far as Gaia...on this road...it has a lovely restored mansion with some shops and nice places to eat...good for a lunch stop.

Guincho...a wild surf (not swim) beach with massive waves. The Bond film ‘Her Majesty’s Secret Service’ was filmed in part here!

Swim...at any of the small beach coves at Cascais...gorgeous, and clean safe sea. Try SUP...recommend this. A 30 min one to one session is €15...definitely worth it...tends to be an off shore wind so good to get a lesson to start...most enjoyable!

Day trip to Sintra...a hillside town, inland and seriously uphill so it is colder (bring a jacket). Can bus (cheap) or taxi (approx €20). In my opinion taxi is worth it....but get dropped off at exactly the first site you want to see, rather than being abandoned at the bottom of the hill on the outskirts of the town.There are 4 palaces/ big houses, some with stunning gardens to visit, all quite spaced out but with a shuttle bus going between them. Our favourite spot here was Quinta da Regullaria...a fascinating house with amazing history and magical mystical gardens. There’s a free tour daily at 2pm. This is a must see. Sintra may not be as busy off season but in Summer it is crawling with tourists, especially at weekends. On our visit, we got a taxi, went early, on a weekday, saw the Pena Palace, a fairytale place, (dropped there by taxi), then took shuttle bus to Quinta da Regullaria...and then took a taxi on to Guincho, walked the beach and took a taxi home. A busy day. We were advised not to eat in Sintra as too touristy.

Day in Lisbon...Lisbon is huge so to be honest worth a separate trip but it is a short cheap train ride from Cascais. If you go you will be dropped at Cais do Sodre train station and across the street is the Time Out Market, which has excellent food stalls/ eating places...worth a visit. If you go to Lisbon for just a day, pick one or two things to do as it is hilly and huge. Unlike Cascais it has a significant pick-pocketing problem, especially on the trams so care is needed! Look out for my tips on a weekend in Lisbon...coming soon!

Shopping. Our favourite area was the little street close to the beach...near Masala. In particular a lovely shop selling linen mainly (for women)...It’s very reasonable, and is opposite a nice little coffee shop (cannot remember the name)...serves lovely pastries coffee and fresh orange juice! You go down steps to it and take a ticket and you will be called to be served.

In the town itself, there’s a super but expensive place called Loja das Meias....(it is in Lisbon also)...worth a visit if the sale is on but still pricey. The menswear is worth a look. Max Mara and Boss are worth a peep (again, if there’s a sale on)!

Light lunch and a drink on the terrace overlooking the ocean, at Hotel Albatroz. It’s a gorgeous setting here, coming here is less about the food, I’d recommend just a salad and some nice white wine and enjoy a stunning view .

Finally, Cascais is a super friendly place...I’m reluctantly sharing my tips...part of me just wants to keep this place for myself. Coffee, wine (especially the reds) , and food are all top class. The people are so polite and friendly...The paths are tiled however and very slippy when wet, and the weather is less predictable than the Algarve so wear flat shoes. Enjoy!