Christmas in Portugal

The 25 Avril bridge, with the Christ statue visible across the river

 

Christmas fair in the main square

Two years ago, we spent Christmas in Lisbon, Portugal. I realized I never wrote a post about it! But Lisbon is a wonderful place to spend Christmas or New Years' Eve. Our trip didn't go exactly as planned, because the kids got sick and we had to cut out some of the planned adventures. But we still had a great time in an apartment with amazing views! And we got to visit the Christmas fair, which was the trip highlight for the kids! So below is my Lisbon excerpt from my Welcome to Rota book, with my pictures from our trip:

 

We spent an evening at the Christmas fair, and the kids loved going on the rides!

Lisboa, the capital of Portugal, is a 5-hour drive from Rota, and definitely worth visiting. It has a great variety of medieval charm, rich museums, beautiful architecture, and modern shopping, dining, and nightlife. There is something for everyone, whether you are looking for a romantic escape to fairy-tale castles, or a fun trip with children. Yes, they speak Portuguese, which looks similar to Spanish but has a completely unique sound. However, English is widely spoken in all tourist areas, so we had no trouble getting around. 

Climbing some of the MANY stairs!!!

            The drive to Lisbon will take you through the rural part of Southern Portugal, where fields of olive trees, sheep, and cows dominate the landscape. The tolls on the route are very steep. You present your credit card at a kiosk when you cross the border, and then small fees are automatically charged every few miles. In 2014, a Category 1 (small car) paid about 20 Euros in tolls each way. But a minivan is Category 2 and pays twice as much. So remember to plan tolls, gas, and parking expenses into your vacation budget. Also, note that Lisbon’s time zone is 1 hour ahead of Madrid’s.

             Lisbon is built on seven hills, each with its own personality. Research to find lodging on the one that suits you. For example, one has loud nightlife, one has great shopping, and another has a medieval castle. Try to limit your walking tours, because it is a VERY hilly city, with steep staircases that climb several stories at a time just to reach the next block. Children will tire quickly, and it is NOT stroller friendly, so consider using a baby backpack instead.

We stayed in an apartment just below the castle--great views!

ST. GEORGE’S CASTLE: Perched high on the Alfama hill, this castle is a well-preserved medieval masterpiece. Children can play on the ramparts for free, or you can pay the entrance fee to tour the castle and visit the small archaeological museum inside. Either way, the views are gorgeous and worth the climb!

CATHEDRAL: The city’s largest cathedral, called the Sé, is a Romanesque building with arching stone ceilings, stained glass rosette windows, and huge paintings. 

CHRIST STATUE: The enormous statue of Christ overlooks the city from across the river. It was built in 1959 in thanksgiving for surviving WWII, and is modeled after the statue in Rio de Janeiro. You can reach it by ferry, then take a bus ride to the statue and an elevator several hundred feet to the top. Incredible views!

BRIDGE: The enormous suspension bridge that crosses the Tagus River is called the 25 de Avril, after Lisbon’s revolution. Americans will be reminded of the Golden Gate bridge in San Francisco, which it is modeled after. Lisbon’s bridge currently has the longest central span in Europe.

 

YELLOW TROLLEY CARS: these iconic, old-fashioned cars are the public transportation on the streets of Lisbon (there is a metro underground). They are especially popular in the old part of town, around the cathedral, where you can board certain lines and pay a minimal fee for a scenic ride.

ART AND ARCHITECTURE: Whether you visit an art museum, the beautiful Belem tower, or the Jeronimos monastery, there is plenty of colorful culture to experience. 

AQUARIUM: One of the best aquariums around, the Oceanarium in Lisbon is a huge cube structure with enormous tanks on each side, representing the different oceans and their ecosystems. It can be reached by metro, and is located at the edge of the city.

SINTRA: a city just outside Lisbon which is considered “the essential day trip” from the city, because of its high concentration of gorgeous castles and mansions. It was the summer retreat area for Lisbon’s royalty. The most famous is the Pena Palace, with high turrets, beautiful domes, and bright pastel colors. You can drive 40 minutes from the city, or take a metro ride lasting about 30 minutes.

FATIMA: a Catholic pilgrimage site about 1 hour north of Lisbon. This is where the Blessed Mother appeared to three children six times in 1917, and demonstrated the miracle of the sun. A huge church is now built on the site of the apparitions, where Mass and Confessions are regularly available in multiple languages.

Walking through Cadiz

 

This historical city is world-famous for the annual Carnaval celebration in February or March that makes the city vibrant with crazy costumes, singing performances, and crowds of celebrators. It is a gorgeous city worth visiting any time of year. Cádiz is built on a small peninsula, across the bay from Rota. It is one of the oldest continuously-inhabited cities in Europe—originally founded 3,000 years ago! It was taken over by the Phoenicians, Greeks, Carthaginians, Romans, then the Moors, and finally the Spanish. According to legend, Hercules founded the city of Gadira (Greek name of Cádiz) approximately 80 years after the Trojan War, around 1104 B.C. The Phoenicians called the city Gadir. Then the Romans settled the city and called it Gades. It became a thriving naval port for exporting olive oil and wine. Roman control lasted from about 500 B.C. until 500 A.D. After the Romans, the Visigoths, Moors, and eventually the Catholic Spanish inhabited the city. The current name Cádiz is derived from the Arabic name, Qadis, meaning ‘walled city.’ 

Cadiz town hall and central plaza

  During Spain's age of exploration, Cádiz was an important port. Columbus sailed from Cádiz for his 2^nd and 4^th voyages. It was the harbor for the Spanish Armada, and in 1587 the Englishman Sir Francis Drake led a surprise raid on Cádiz that destroyed about 30 Spanish ships. This delayed the sailing of the Armada, and influenced their eventual defeat. In the 18^th century, when the Guadalquivir river become silted and less traversal, all the New World trade that was flowing through Sevilla was transferred to Cádiz. This was the city's golden age. If you wander through some of the barrios (neighborhoods), you will notice that many houses were constructed during that period. The city has a classy, romantic, 18^th century vibe.

View of Cadiz when arriving by ferry

  The history of this rich city is best appreciated by walking. The city is not large, and since it is surrounded on three sides by water, it is easy to keep your orientation, even on the narrow winding streets. Cádiz is full of interesting buildings that are built upon layers of other civilizations. There are several ways to get to Cádiz from Rota. You can take a ferry from Rota or Puerto, which only takes half an hour and costs about 2 Euros per person. Purchase tickets and board the ferry by walking to the end of the long pier in Rota’s port. It is slightly cheaper and more convenient from Puerto’s port, because the ferry runs more frequently there. The ferry schedule is available here. 

Plaza San Antonio, with parking below

If you drive to Cádiz, there is public parking near the port, underneath the Plaza San Antonio, or in several other underground garages along the northern and western edges of the city. The city of Cádiz has made walking tours easy by painting colored lines on the pavement to guide tourists to major landmarks. In some areas the lines are faded or the sidewalk is under construction, so it is best to stop by a tourist office and pick up a free map or walking guide first. There is one tourist office near the Port at Paseo de Canalejas, and another on the Playa de la Caleta near the castle of Santa Catalina.

Cadiz Cathedral interior

If you come by ferry, you can easily walk the Green route, “The Medieval District,” which highlights the Cathedral, the Roman Theater ruins, some of the city’s oldest churches, and the ancient city walls. The Puerta de Tierra is the former city gate, which still stands and allows lanes of traffic to pass through. The Cathedral is one of Cádiz’s most interesting landmarks. Constructed from the 18^th-19^th centuries, it is a mixture of architectural styles ranging from rococo to baroque to neoclassical. Unfortunately, the interior is now marred by nets permanently suspended from the ceiling to catch falling plaster.

Phoenician sarcophogi in the history museum

            The Purple route, “Shippers to the Indies,” takes you past the homes and churches of the city’s former wealthiest citizens, and up the Tavira tower, which offers panoramic views of the whole city. The church of Our Lady of El Rosario houses the large statue of the city’s patron saint, and the nearby rococo style church of San Juan de Dios is small but gorgeous. The Purple route will take you past the Cádiz Museum in Plaza de Mina, one of the best history museums in this area. Admission is usually 2.50 Euros, but is FREE to EU citizens, or anyone with an EU driver's license. The museum gives great insight into the 3,000 year long history of this city. It is organized chronologically. Most of the remnants of the Phoenicians are funerary. Statues and artifacts from the Roman city of Baelo Claudia are housed here. The upper level of the museum has a small collection of huge paintings and religious artwork. 

Castillo Santa Catalina

Cadiz's world-famous beach: Playa de la Caleta

If you have comfortable walking shoes, you can explore the Orange route, “Castles and Bastions” which extends along the city’s perimeter. It provides gorgeous ocean views, a stroll through the formal Genoves Park, and the chance to explore the Castillo Santa Catalina and Cádiz’s world-famous beach, the Playa de la Caleta. The Castillo is a star-shaped fort built in the 1690's to defend the Northern side of Cádiz. You can walk along the castle walls, and explore each tiny guard tower on the points of the fort. The castle and beach appear in one of the James Bond movies, Die Another Day. In the scene where Halle Berry comes out of the water and joins Bond for a mojito, they are supposed to be in Havana, Cuba, but the scene was filmed here! You can see the fort in the background. 

            

 

Constitution Monument

 The Blue route, “Cádiz Constitution,” highlights the Plaza d’España with the Constitution monument, and the city’s most modern squares and churches. This tour follows the route of the civic procession that proclaimed the Constitution in 1812.  When Napoleon Bonaparte placed his brother on the Spanish throne, Cádiz was one of the few cities to withstand his rule during the "Peninsula War." It was in Cádiz that the Constitution of 1812 was passed, so for a brief period Cádiz was the capital of Spain. The monument to the Constitution is on the Northern side of the city, and is a very impressive memorial with a perpetual flame, and an empty chair surrounded by allegorical figures. In 1820, the Gaditanos (people of Cádiz) revolted to secure the Constitution’s renewal. Their revolt spread across the country, becoming the Spanish Civil War.

Cádiz is gorgeous in the sunny summer, but also very festive and exciting around Christmas. And of course it has non-stop celebrations for Carnaval in February. It’s a great city to enjoy pastries and culinary delights from any panaderia or pasteleria, and has numerous wonderful tapas bars and restaurants. One unique location to mention: Café Royalty is a lavish restaurant carefully restored to its 1912 splendor. Located at Plaza de la Candelaria, this Romantic period café is lavishly decorated with gilded scrollwork, large mirrors, and numerous details from the early 1900’s. It’s a gorgeous and unique environment to soak up the historical surroundings of this splendid city.