Sun. April
12:
(Easter Sunday) Welcome to Lisbon, Portugal!
It
is “one of Europe’s most enjoyable
cities”; a photographer’s paradise: “wide, tree lined avenues graced by
Art Nouveau buildings, mosaic pavements and outdoor cafés.” It was settled by the Phoenicians 3,000 years ago, held by
the Romans for 7 centuries, and by the Moors for 400 years.
A 48-hour Lisboa Card will be provided.
It will grant you free travel on the metro, buses, trains and lifts; and,
the train to Belém plus free admission to 26 museums and monuments. Tonight you might want to have dinner at “Real Fábrica,”
a great bar in an artistically converted 19th century silk factory.
One of the very best restaurants for authentic Portugese cuisine is the
small “A Velha Gruta” by the Parça de Luis Camões.
The only distraction is the charm of its pretty servers.
HOTEL: (LISBON)
Mon. April
13:
In Chiado, there is the Teatro Nacional de Sao Carlos: Lisbons’s opera
house, and its largest an most beautiful theater; beyond the dull façade of the
Igreja de Sao Roque are chapels resplendent with gold, marble and Florentine azulejos
(hand-painted tiles); including the Capela de Sao, designed and built in Rome
using amethyst, alabaster, agate, lapis lazuli and Carrara marble. Alfama; given its shape and atmosphere by the Moors, is a
warren of medieval streets plunging from Castelo de Sao Jorge to the river.
The finest (and priciest) azulejos can be found at the “Fábrica
Sant’ Ana.” Tonight you can
watch an authentic performance of fado, the traditional melancholy
singing sometimes called “the Portuguese Blues.”
The best venues are the small bars and restaurants of the Barrio Alto,
late at night.
HOTEL: (LISBON)
Tue. April
14:
Sintra, a 40-minute train ride away, is a World Heritage Site.
In one of its many lush parks stands the Pena National Palace, an
extraordinary architectural confection with mind-boggling interiors:
Eiffel-designed furniture, Ferdinand-designed china, and a wall of cavorting
nudes painted by Dom Carlos I;
statues of candle-bearing Turks and a teak-furnished tearoom. In Lisbon, the magnificent Museu Colouste Gulbenkian will be
open. The founder / patron
purchased works from Leningrad’s Hermitage between 1928 and 1930 when the
young Soviet Union desperately needed hard currency.
The museums collection of over 6,000 pieces spans every epoch of Western
art and much Eastern art. Tonight
you might want to dine at “UMA,” a popular restaurant that boasts an
award-winning arroz de marisco.
HOTEL: (LISBON)
Wed. April
15:
This morning, we will take an alta qualidade (fast deluxe) bus for
1½ hours to Évora, “one of
Portugal’s most delightful towns.” The ancient Moorish walled center is a
World Heritage Site. The flags of
Vasco de Gama’s ships bound for India were blessed at Sé, the fortress-like
cathedral. The Museu de Évora
displays Life of the Virgin, a 13-panel altarpiece. Opposite the museum
is the Templo Romano; with a large complex of baths, it is the best-preserved
Roman ruins on the Iberian Peninsula. The
huge Igreja de Sao Francisco houses The Chapel of Bones, lined with the bones
and skulls of about 5,000 people. An
inscription over the entrance translates: “We bones await yours.” Creepy! Our
hotel is the best place to stay within the old city.
One of the rooms has a tile wainscot that is noted in guidebooks.
Café Antelejo serves the good, hearty fare of the region.
HOTEL: (ÉVORA)
Thurs.
April 16:
Today
we will take an express bus ride into the wild, rugged heart of the country;
Portugal’s highest mountain range, with people living in traditional thatched
huts of stone. We will stay deep in
the Parque Natural da Serra da Estrela, the largest protected area in the
country. This is the perfect time
to visit. Those who intend to take
one of the longer hikes tomorrow should visit the nearby park headquarters this
afternoon. The restaurant at our
lodge serves extremely sophisticated international cuisine.
LODGE: (MANTEIGAS)
Fri. April
17:
There are wonderful walks through dramatic scenery.
Some of the walks from our lodge include a 4-mile climb to Poço do
Inferno (Hell’s Well), a waterfall in the craggy gorge of the Leandres River;
a more demanding 5½-hour hike; with magnificent views, to Penhas Doura; or, a
long day-walk through the beautiful Vale do Zezere. You can shop for handmade
woolens and queijo da serra, the famous cheese of the region.
LODGE: (MANTEIGAS)
Sat. April
18:
This morning private vehicles with drivers will take us to Guarda;
there we board an express bus to Coimbra, the “Oxford of Portugal”; named
the National Capital of Culture in 2003. Coimbra
is to Lisbon, as Florence is to Rome: the repository of the nation’s culture.
The Old University is packed with treasures dating back to the 16th
century. The most vivid is the
Bibloteca Joanina with its rosewood, ebony and jacanda tables, Chinoisere
designs etched in gilt, and ceilings with fine frescoes.
The façade of the Santa Cruz Church is magnificent! The interior has an
ornate pulpit and elaborate carved tombs. A long pedestrian mall, with elegant
shops, passes in front of the church. The town is adorned with grand azulejos,
the best are at the university. In
the midst of all this worldly culture, along the narrow Rua das Azeiteiras, are
2 small restaurants: “Adega Funchal” and “Adega A Cozinha,” that feature
the hearty cuisine of the mountains: roast lamb, grilled trout, smoked ham and a
wide selection of olives and famous cheeses.
The signature dish at the “Funchal” is goat stewed in red wine; a
delight that must be experienced to be appreciated.
HOTEL: (COIMBRA)
Sun. April 19: This morning, we take a pleasant 2-hour express bus ride from Coimbra to the Lisbon airport.
Total cost of $2,100.00 per person, double occupancy, includes all hotel and lodge stays; all transfers; bus fares on fast deluxe or express buses; private vehicles with drivers as noted; and a 48-hour Lisboa Card granting free public transportation and admission to 26 museums and monuments. All participants will be mailed a copy of World Food: Portugal by Lonely Planet.
A non-refundable payment of $1,050.00, payable to W.S. Donahoo and received at:
Post Office Box
3415
Winter Park, Florida 32790, USA
is required for a reservation.
AVAILABLE SPACES ARE STRICTLY LIMITED TO 14 PARTICIPANTS, AND WILL BE FILLED ON A FIRST-COME, FIRST-SERVED BASIS UPON RECEIPT OF DEPOSITS.
ALL PAYMENTS ARE NON-REFUNDABLE; Payments are not transferable to other passengers nor other trips. Credit cards are not accepted.
* Notification to omit flights must be in writing (US Mail, FAX or e-mail), and received not later than time of final payment. Such notification is irrevocable.
Final payments will be due in January, 2009. Failure to pay on time will result in cancellation of reservations and forfeiture of deposits.
Items in italics are not included, but are suggestions based on location and time available. International flights, gratuities, and porterage are not included.
Passports, valid for six months after the end of the trip, will be required.
Buz Donahoo, Condor
Adventures
Post Office Box 3415
Winter Park, FL 32790, USA
Tel/Fax (407) 645-0490
buz@condoradventures.com