15 Jul Spain and Portugal
Madrid
I arrived in Madrid in the morning and spent much too long trying to figure out the metro system. When I finally made it downtown I contacted my Couchsurfing host, Raquel, and met at her flat. I quickly showered and settled in, then we went out on the town. We walked the streets of central Madrid for hours, stopping occasionally for drinks and tapas. She pointed out all of the interesting buildings and statues, museums, foods…I must say, I have developed quite a taste for vermouth! It was a great day and we were both exhausted.
We took it a little slower the next day. We wandered through the Sunday flea market, which stretches in weblike patterns from the Plaza de Cascorro. I tried some traditional tortilla de patata from Juana La Loca’s and had a delicious lunch of stuffed mushrooms and other treats at La Oreja de Jaime. We then took advantage of the free entrance to the Museo Reina Sofia on Sundays to check out some Picasso and Dahli. It’s important to note that when getting tapas in Spain you must order a drink at the bar, and not sit at a table, to get tapas with your wine or cocktail. I had many a free meal and cheap drink due to this cultural habit Raquel educated me in. 😉
One thing that is wonderful about Madrid is that every step you take is a cultural, architectural, artistic explosion. The entire city is a work of art. And though the food is full of potato, rice, and bread it is fantastic. Even the touristy places can’t go wrong, though if you want to avoid tourist traps steer clear of any place advertising ‘tapas’ and head for the tabernas to order a drink. Tapas are gratis and the norm – they don’t need to advertise them.
In the evening we went to a church to see my cousin perform with his choir, which is currently touring Europe. I haven’t seen him in years, and I was so happy to have the opportunity to meet with him in such a setting. The performance was fabulous, and Raquel and I were both impressed.
On Monday my cousin and I met again with some of his friends in the Plaza Mayor. We walked around the city and I took them to the top floor of El Corte Ingles where Raquel had shown me a beautiful view of the city the day before. We had some paella together, then said our good byes. I took my leave at the San Gines Chocolateria, where I tried the famous local hot chocolate and churros. The chocolate was thick enough to coat my mouth with a thick layer of cocoa, fat, and sugar, tasting more like a hot chocolate pudding than the liquid beverages I am used to. May be worth the wait, but I arrived at the perfect time and didn’t have to. Just avoid lunch and dinner hours to bypass the long line that forms down the alley.
Raquel had to work, so at the end of the day I returned to the apartment, picked up my bag, said farewell, and we parted ways. It had been raining off and on all day and I found a bar to hole up in until my ride showed up. I was heading to Segovia, a smaller town north of Madrid, and apparently a UNESCO world heritage site.
SEGOVIA
I was picked up by Pablo, whom I also met on couchsurfing. He had convinced me that Segovia was worth visiting, though I knew nothing about it before my arrival. He happened to be passing through Madrid that evening and offered to give me a ride and a couch to crash on. Unfortunately it was already dark and I could see little of the mountainous road we took. Arriving downtown, we stopped for a late snack at the famous Meson de Jose Maria and had a glass of their incredible wine before turning in for the night. It was a special treat, as their wine is expensive to purchase bottled, but very affordable in house. I found later that they also have very good vermouth on tap!
Pablo worked the next day, so he gave me suggestions for what to see and I explored the town. I walked around for a long while, then had a bit of a problem when I tried to purchase some soap and my ATM card wouldn’t work. I moved on and tried another ATM, which also did not work. I shrugged it off and moved on to the castle, where it also failed. Now I am a bit worried, so I walked all the way across town to another ATM where it thankfully worked just fine.
By that time I was to meet Pablo for lunch and we headed to La Taberna del Fogon. We had 4 tapas plates that was way too much food for the two of us, but it was so delicious that we finished every bite. After lunch we took a drive along the outer wall of the city, stopped at the church of the Templar Knights, and stopped at an old coin manufacturing site turned cafe.
After lunch I headed back out to complete my interrupted tour. I walked the path along the outer wall to the Jewish graveyard, where I took in the views of the castle, spring wildflowers, and the scent of eucalyptus trees. Then I hiked back up to the castle for the tour I couldn’t afford earlier. The Castle Alcazar has a sort of fairytale appearance. I picked up the English audio tour for a few extra euro and slowly followed the guided route through the main floor. I figure audio tours are worth the extra buck – Otherwise I breeze through a place in ten minutes without much enlightenment about what I just saw. I skipped the tower ticket, though, as it just gives you a panoramic view of the city. I had seen enough of that walking around on my own. Beware of the creepy devil family painting.
When I met Pablo again in the evening we went out for a light snack of tapas and drinks, still pretty stuffed from lunch. In the morning I woke up very early and packed so I could catch the first bus to the train station, which would bring me back to Madrid. From there I rushed through metro stations to get to the bus station across town, stopping briefly to appreciate a talented violinist busking in one of the stations. I rushed into the bus station, freaking out because I can’t find my bus and it’s supposed to depart in the next three minutes. The woman at the info desk told me to chill the fuck out and sit the hell down, in not so many words (Tranquilo!). Turns out the bus was delayed for over an hour and I had plenty of time. Go figure!
Lisbon and Portuguese Hospitality
My bus arrived late afternoon in lovely Lisbon, and like the crazy person I am I decided to walk downtown to meet my friend, Susana. People think I’m nuts when I decide to walk long distances with my backpacking bag, but sometimes I’m too cheap to pay for transportation. Other times it is a good way to see different parts of the city, and other, other times I’m really just restless from lack of exercise. Anyways, this particular time I was restless, and it seemed like a great idea until about the last half mile when my hip started to ache…
But it was a glorious reunion when Susana and I finally met again. We both looked so different from when we were in Tonsai just 6 months ago, and almost didn’t recognize each other! She helped me buy tickets and we took the ferry across the river to Almada, where she and her mother live. We had a drink, caught up on recent events, then walked next to the overgrown abandoned buildings on the river promenade. It was very picturesque and beautiful, despite the dilapidated buildings… or maybe partly because of.
Susana and her mother welcomed me into their home as if I were an old friend they’d known for years. They both work, so during the week days I had the place to myself. It has been a while since I have had that kind of solitude and I took full advantage of the opportunity. I had slow mornings with breakfast, coffee, and yoga, did laundry, listened to Alan Watts and Ted Talks, and generally puttered around. Susana and I also cooked dinners together and her mother introduced me to new music where we danced around the apartment. It was glorious. In fact, I think I spent more time at their apartment relaxing than I did exploring the city of Lisbon!
I did go into the city, however. I’m not a complete hermit. Susana had helped me purchase a rechargeable metro pass that also worked for the ferry, so I spent a few days just walking through the city. Lisbon is full of artistic graffiti, beautiful tiled walls, orange trees, and cobblestone streets connected by steep stairways. I walked by churches and museums, shops full of specialty items, cafes and restaurants. I visited several parks as well, notably the Jardim do Torel for a view of the city, and Jardins da Fundação Calouste Gulbenkian, which also has a few museums in the park. I also popped into the Chapitô Colectividade Cultural e Recreativa. This is a cafe and restaurant as well as a circus school. They have regular performances, but nothing while I was there.
The Best Parts Always: Food
On Susana’s day off we went to the MAAT museum to see a specific exhibit called ‘The Happy Show’ by Stefan Sagmeister. It was fantastic, interesting, and a lot of fun. We followed that with a taste of Portugal at Pasteis de Belem, where I had the most delicious little flaky pastries (by that very name!) and a coffee with lemon. The line for the cafe was out the door and down the street! Small wonder, considering the perfect taste and texture of the little cakes. We then went out to dinner for her Aunt’s birthday and I had the chance to meet the rest of her family. The next day we went to a park and stumbled upon a little festival for children, complete with games, a children’s orchestra, and a pretty sweet clown band!
On Monday I went with Susana and her Aunt to the town of Sintra. We stopped for another local pastry cheesecake at Casa do Preto. These are not your typical creamy cheesecakes that one finds in the States, but are small tarts with flaky crusts and a lightly sweet baked cheese in the center. Delicious. We intended to walk through town, but it began to rain and instead decided to take the long way home via a coastal road. It was gorgeous. We made a brief stop at Vigia da Roca where there is a lighthouse and viewpoint over the ocean. We watched the waves crash on the steep coastal cliffs and mist sneak over wildflower covered hills before being dropped off back in the city.
On my last night Susana took me out to dinner. She had already had me try octopus salad (Which really was the best I’d ever had), so tonight we were looking to try fresh sardines. We started at the Almada craft brewery, Birraria, to whet our appetites and ended up getting a fascinating explanation of craft brewing process and the many functions and types of beer foam along with our drinks. We moved to a little restaurant on the main strip called Cabrita and ordered grilled sardines, cheese, mussels, and white wine. It was sinfully delicious. I eat canned sardines often, but had never tried them fresh. They were salty and crisp on the outside, mildly sweet and fresh on the inside. We cleaned our plates, soaking up the last drops of wine butter sauce with bread. It was the best possible goodbye from Portugal – good beer, good food, and a great friend.
Disaster Strikes!
Of course, I couldn’t go the whole trip without some kind of emergency. As I was walking in Lisbon on one of the first days there I dropped my phone, smashing the screen. It no longer functioned, so I asked a woman if she could direct me to a phone repair shop. There I was quoted 99 euro and told to come back in an hour. Okay, stressful and frustrating, but so it goes. I return to pick up my phone and my debit card won’t work in the machine. I think nothing of it and tell them I will go to an ATM and return. I tried the ATM outside of the shop and it does not work. I try the machines on every other floor and it still does not work. I ask for directions to alternate ATMs with mounting anxiety and none of them work.
I returned to the phone store and told them of my problem and had to leave without my phone. I walked in the general direction of the ferry, feeling lost and confused. It’s funny how much we rely on phones and technology getting through each day. Without a map, I was completely lost. I had contacted Suzana before I left the store to ask for her address and had to stop several times to ask for the direction of her street. I finally made it back, told her my tale of woe, and proceeded to problem solve. I determined I could borrow money from her and wire her the amount, which would cost around $30. My parents could send money through western union for about $25. I could withdraw cash using my emergency credit card for a fee plus a foreign transaction percentage.The frustrating part was that Schwab, my debit card company, blamed the Multibanco ATM company, and Multibanco blamed Schwab. None of them offered me any solutions or words of advice. I was frantic and upset, so I sent Schwab several messages explaining my predicament, though I knew it would take time to get back to me.
Finally, as I was chatting with Suzana about different currencies collected in Asia, I remembered my other emergency fund! I had a crisp $100 bill from the girl who bought my motorbike in Vietnam, plus 40 Swiss francs! Saved. I determined to pay for my phone using my emergency credit card and accept the accompanying 3% fee. Using the card for other inexpensive transactions would keep the fees low. If I needed cash I could exchange my foreign money for euro until my issue was resolved. A day after I picked up my phone, someone from Schwab finally took pity and suggested it may just be that my card had demagnetized and they could send me a new one. Sweet resolution, Batman. What they did not mention was that they would charge my account to send it, but what’s done is done. I had them send the card to my cousin in France and enjoyed the rest of my time in Portugal.
Cost
Yay for couchsurfing and friends! My budget was made around hostel stays, just in case, but not having to pay for lodging helped quite a bit. I’m also no longer separating out alcohol since food and drink is often a combo, and the phone issue made a pretty big dent in things.
Flight: $384.16 – $358.43 = $25.73 (credit card rewards)
Food: 147.54 + 6.40francs
Lodging: 22.00
Transportation: 93.80 + $13.99
Activity: 8.50
Misc (soap, donation): 17.00
Phone: 99.90
Total: 388.74E + 6.40F + $39.72 = $500.63
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