By the time I reached the southernmost destination on my railroad trip through Portugal, I was an expert on the country’s trains and train stations. Hence, I intended to guide myself through this glorious city of Lisbon along the route of the legendary tram No 28.
The contra-selfie culture: Asian tourist painting Lisbon’s Church and Monastery of São Vicente de Fora. This Way to the Whole Story ->
At the beginning of my railroad trip, I spent two days in Porto – enough time for a grand tour of the city.
His master’s example: The Ponte Dom Luis I was built by Théophile Seyrig, a scholar of Monsieur Gustave Eiffel.
Road trips are my passion. Preferably railroad trips. Buses are fine, too. But trains are classier. There is no legendary Trans Siberian Bus, no illustrious Orient Coach, after all. Nope, legends on wheels are always trains.
And getting to Porto by train undoubtedly keeps the legend alive.
Let me guide you to Figueira da Foz, a charmingly old fashioned seaside resort. It is the epitome of a South European vacation destination, indeed.
As if the beach wasn’t desert-like enough, they have these makeshift shelters that remind me of Beduin tents.
For about ten years, I hadn’t been to a European beach. I was thinking that Asia or Latin America were the places to be(ach). Arriving at Figueira da Foz, about two hours south of Porto and the second stop on my rail-trip along the Portuguese west coast, I stood so corrected.
Let me guide you through the most important landmark of Coimbra, namely the university founded in the 13th century and combining beauty with knowledge.
Dom João III overlooking his empire of wisdom.
At this magisterial institution, knowledge is dressed in incredible beauty.
Although I had just arrived in Portugal’s capital, I decided to go on a day trip to Sintra right away: It’s one of the most popular tours from Lisbon, it’s extremely touristy, and I was afraid that on the weekend, it would be even more packed since all the Portuguese daytrippers will join the foreign tourists.
They sure were not shy about painting the Palácio Nacional da Pena – built in the 19th century for King Fernando II.
Another very popular day trip from Lisbon is a short train ride to the very popular beaches of Estoril and Cascais. Albeit not really dreamy, especially on hot summer days, a day in these sophisticated retreats on the shores of the Atlantic Ocean can be the perfect break from Lisbon’s big city life.
Estoril is not only this sophisticated beach retreat. It’s also prone to the forces of nature.
If you spend more time in Estoril, you should stay away from the beach and go on a day trip to Sintra. Even by public transportation, this town of palaces is less than an hour away.
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