Trip Review: From Lisbon to the Portugal's Beaches!
After two very successful days in Lisbon, we departed for the grand area of Sintra to see another side of Portugal!
Photo Mission, part two
During Sunday’s photo mission on the tram, I found one of the better lookout points for the sunrise. On our last morning, I really wanted to capture the beautiful Lisbon sunrise! Because we had to get there before sunset, Kelly and I took an Uber rather than bike up and down the many hills. It was the right decision!
Once we were on the platform, we were the only ones for a long time! Eventually, we met a nice Austrian family taking pictures as well! In the end, the sunrise was a little bit of a bummer because of the heavy fog over the Atlantic. Plus, a cruise ship was pulling into the harbor and ruined most of the shots! However, it was still pretty!
On the way back, we walked down the hills - mainly because it was much easier! Plus, the beautiful Se de Lisbon church was nearby and there is another iconic picture with that in the background as the famous tram rolls through the street! We waited and waited and came really close to leaving’ however, instantly, 4-5 trams rolled by the church! I was able to get great shots of the tram with the church as a background.
Our last photo stop whilst in Lisbon was to the famous Jeronimos Monastery! It is a beautiful white marble building, but it is closed on Mondays so do beware!
Breakfast Buddy!
Compare to my other photo missions, it was great to have a breakfast buddy! Because we wanted to try the Pastelria Batalha, our pastel da nata baking class shop, we stopped there as I knew MF would also enjoy the treats! I ordered a tasty full breakfast of eggs, bacon, and assorted pastries. We had so much food that we had to take away the pastries to go! In the end, it was the correct decision!
“Sunny” Beach Day
During our planning, MF desparately wanted a sunny beach day as winter is coming. When we were packing, we all forgot to pack sunscreen or towels. Safe to say, when it was finally our beach day, MF was a little mad at me…
After we left Lisbon, we drove for about 45 minutes to the sleepy Sintra coast. Along the Atlantic Ocean, there are many little beaches and we were heading to Praia Grande - one of the most scenic and quiet beaches!
However, no towels, no sunscreen, no worries! Thankfully, the sun was hiding behind the clouds and we were able to literally nap on the beaches, using our clothes as towels! We didn't even need sunscreen… I think!
At Praia da Adraga, the beach is very beautiful and scenic! There are huge rocks surrounding the beach, making it a cove but at low tide, you could walk around the rocks and get to another side. At the lone beachouse, they offered surfing lessons so we also had free entertainment during the afternoon! I really enjoyed the beach - just bring your own drinks, food, sunscreen, towels, and bathing suits!
Pensao Sisudo
Around 3pm, once the sun finally appeared, I wanted to get out of the sunshine before we burnt. Heeding from our past lessons in the Maldives and Thailand, I did not want to be sunburned on another trip! Thus, we made the short 5 minute drive to Pensao Sisudo.
Luckily, we were able to check in right away to our room. It was a family room so everyone had their own twin bed! As part of the B&B deal, we also could use the shady terrance and MF and I were immediately attracted to hangout there!
Kelly and I went to the convenience store (or perhaps the village grocery store) and purchased beer and snacks for dirt cheap! This is the Portugal I really like! I think we ended up buying a liter of beer for $1!! We definitely enjoyed our shady terrance!
Low Key Beach Dinner
Perhaps I was tired of paying for expensive dinners or eating rich tapas, I just wanted a simple, low key beach dinner. Strangely, most restaurants are closed on Mondays so our choices were very limited to either fancy seafood restaurants or beach diners. I wanted a beach diner!
On the way to Praia Grande, we had a spectacular sunset! I stayed on the beach to grab some photos whilst the ladies went inside to grab us a table.
Amazing Sunset
In the end, while I asked for a basic meal, I didnt want it to be THAT basic.. I ordered a simple pizza but it was pretty…. basic. It reminded me of my college days!
However, we enjoyed a fantastic sunset on the beach!! Although the heavy fog prevented us from seeing it set behind the ocean, it still was magically! Plus, it reminded all of us of the amazing sunsets back home!