I've just had a relaxing week staying with friends in Portugal
From Seville I caught a bus to Faro in the Algave where Pedro1 picked me up and drove me to his place in Vilamoura, a small village about 20 minutes from Faro. I stayed there three days and he took me for a drive all along the south coast to the south western most tip of Europe and into Faro for a few hours for a squizz.
The old town of Faro, within the old city walls, is really tiny - just a few streets really. And it has a strange old cathedral that looks like its unfinished on the belltower
faro cathedral
faro
faro wall
faro harbour flatness
Nicely rested I then caught the train 300 odd kms north to Lisbon where I went to catch up with Claudia and Pedro2 with whom I had a great time with in Myanmar last year.
Lisbon turned out to be a great spot. It has great deal of art, culture, history and cakes!
rua augusta lisbon
arch
railway entrance
decorative double horshoe arch
view from the quay to the castle
lisbon
terry and claudia outside the famous ginjinha bar lisbon
lisbon panorama
Near to central Lisbon is an historical satellite suburb called Belem. Not only does it have a terrific monastery and archaeology museum, a tremendous art gallery, early 16th century limestone tower and huge late 50's monument to Discovery but the very best pastéis de nata (portuguese tarts) at the cafe Pastéis de Belém.
monastery jeronimos
monument to discovery
belem tower
jeronimos doorway
after the rain
I spent a couple of hours in the amazing Berardo Museum which has over 4,000 works of modern and contemporary art and I was VERY pleased to find a Franz Kline (my favourite painter) in the collection!
a kool kline
terry in lisbon
pedro2 and terry
lisbon recycling bin
Another remarkable museum in Lisbon is the Gulbenkian collection. It belonged to an Armenian tycoon and most of the collection adorned his Paris house around the early part of the 20th century. It has some wonderful Roman and Persian antiquities and a healthy smattering of 20th Century modernists.
egyptian stele
unusual frontal portrait on a roman coin
miniature ivory carving
madonna and child
bust of moliere by caffieri
bruno cherier by jb carpeaux
victor hugo by rodin
There was also a beautiful room full of some of the best Lalique glass and jewellery I've ever seen:
pedro2 and terry beachside lunch
About 25 kms north west of Lisbon is a hilltop town of Sintra. We spent a few hours here on a sunny Sunday.
sintra palace
palace
moorish fort sintra
chimneys sintra
the only place to have travesseiros and queijadas (they're cakes - what else would they be?!!)
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