A Portuguese Affair - Lovely Lisbon!

So it was the month of April and by that time we were tired of the Swedish winters and thereby wanted to travel to some place which had plenty of Sunshine and Lisbon you really swept us right off our feet.

The Portuguese architecture really stood out to me. The combination of affordability, a scenic location, ancient blue and white azulejo tiles continue to dazzle alongside the colourful streets, cobblestone streets, medieval alleys, outstanding views, welcoming vibe and some of the sunniest skies in Europe.

We reached Lisbon late at night and then just took a taxi to the Hotel. We were staying at Lisbon Marriott Hotel which is like one of the best hotels I have stayed in Europe in past 6 years. Its not that far from the airport and only a quick taxi ride into town. The rooms are great, modern and fresh with excellent views of the city. They have a great bar, very friendly staff, great hospitality and also has some shops on site if you forget any travel essentials. It also has a lovely pool and a large selection for breakfast buffet, prepared very beautifully and served with love. (Again the best I have ever had in Europe).

We were in Lisbon for 5 days and thereby wanted to to take it really slow and enjoy everything.
The first day we spent exploring the classic tourist sights of central Lisbon at Baixa which is the heart of Lisbon which was completely rebuilt after the devastating 1755 earthquake. Simply strolling around the Baixa (downtown) is a good way to tick off sights – starting at Praca do Comercio & Cais das Colunas, admire the grand central square, stop for waterfront drinks then stroll along the busy Rua Augusta, along to the little sour cherry liqueur bars and the town houses of Rossio square.

Other popular tourist sights of Baixa includes the Elevator of Saint Justa, an industrial age marvel and work of art, Praça Rossio the heart of Lisbon with it’s open air restaurants and cafes.

The second day we visited Belem which is a pretty district of parks and monuments that follows the banks of the River Tagus. One of the finest attractions of Belem is Torre de Belem which was built in the 16th century and played an important role for the protection of the capital. You need to take tram E15 to reach Belem or take bus 27,28 or 29.

Mosterio dos Jeronimos is one of a must visit. It was built on the occasion of Vasco da Gama safe return from his journey from India. Its massive and true architecture not to be missed. I am pretty sure you will be dazzled by the great work done by the craftsmen.

Padrao dos Descobrimentos is the spot where most of the Portuguese discoveries started. It was made and dedicated to all the adventurers and explores of the early centuries.

What I loved and enjoyed the most was Alfama district the oldest in Lisbon.. It has a perfect blend - delightful maze of cobblestone streets, medieval times, lost of history and architecture. You can enjoy the great views of Alfama district from the Castelo de S. Jorge. The view from the castel is all worth the huffing puffing. 

After a lot of sightseeing and walking for 3 days I thought I should pretty much relax and do some local shopping and buy souvenirs. Vasco Da Gama shopping centre  is a huge one with plenty of options to shop and eat.  You can easily spend 4-5 hours there. Close to the mall is a science museum

(Pavilhão do conhecimento) and Oceanario de Lisboa. The whole area is really nice to stroll around.

We spent our evening at Navegardoors which is a very nice cosy place with live music to enjoy. A must when visiting Lisbon. 

Lisbon you really won our hearts!!! #untilwemeetagain

Enchanting Tallinn!

For people who wish to experience medieval era Tallinn is a must! We were on our Scandinavian trip when we visited Tallinn. From Helsinki, Finland we headed to Tallinn, Estonia by a ferry. They are frequent and you can get to Tallinn in about 2-2.5 hours. 

 

What I love about Tallinn is you really don’t need an itinerary to discover it. Just take a city map and start walking around. Just going by foot everywhere we explored interesting things, ate some local food in few of the countless restaurants, stroll the narrow streets checking the cute stores around.

Tallinn’s old town is just marvelous! We walked around all the time, loved the cobblestone paths on the narrow streets, staring at medieval cathedrals and sunny squares full of people. Though the city was quite bombed during the WW2, Tallinn’s old town is astonishingly well preserved and therefore it is inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage list! 

Raekoja Plats (Town Hall Square). It's at the centre of Old Town and has lots of restaurants and souvenir shops and quite often a market too. Some highlights as a tourist are: climb the tower of the St. Olav’s Church; climb up to Toompea (Upper Town) to admire the Alexander Nevsky Russian Orthodox cathedral. 

Also visit the Radisson blu Skyhotel. You can see the view to the whole city from there, absolutely stunning! While there are many great places to eat and drink my favourite were Elevant (Indian) and Old Hansa bar which is a medieval inspired restaurant where servers dressed in medieval clothes, food is served in ceramic mugs and then the food (don’t miss the special herb bread and mushroom soup)! 

We also did some cafe hopping. Kohvik Maiasmokk is ancient café with amazing desserts. The menu is quite unique, very modern yet truly authentic. It’s really difficult to resist several rounds of dessert when the window displays have cheesecakes.

It’s true that the city is beautiful. Visiting here is like stepping back a few centuries. All in all I was in love with Tallinn. It's very impressive with surprises around every corner. There is no time to be bored in a city beautiful as this.

Lake Chiemsee – A Perfect Weekend!

Lake Chiemsee is popular for sailing, surfing, canoeing and diving. The area also offers many beautiful biking and hiking trails which offer great views of the lake. There are a few islands around the lake, one of which has Bavaria's King Ludwig II's palace called Herrenchiemsee. Neuschwanstein Castle was also built on his orders and is probably more popular and known then this one.

We bought a Bayern ticket and took RE from Munich to Salzburg and got down at Prien Am Chiemsee. From their you can either take a bus or the old steam engine train (Chiemsee bahn) to Prien Stock, where you‘ll find the ferry to the Herrenchiemsee island. We took the old steam engine train.




                                               




                                     

We boarded the good ship Siegfried and sailed, voyaging for about 15 minutes to the island. We had the choice to either walk 2kms to the palace or take the charming horse and carriage to the door. We opted for the walk. The walk between the tall trees is stunning with beautiful scenery along.

                                                   



                                        


This island is pretty small you can take a stroll around the whole island without getting too tired. There are guided tours in different languages and if that's not your thing there is plenty more to see around the castle. I especially like the beautiful big fountains that are right outside the main entrance of the castle and the beautiful gardens. Unfortunately it’s not allowed to take pictures on the inside, but this way you will be surprised by its beauty even more.

                                                   


                                                   

The castle is opened all over the year but the best time to visit it is certainly Spring and Summer when the fountains are active. Soon it was time to board our ferry Siegfried and be on our way back to Prien. There are few nice restaurants in Prien where you can sit outside and enjoy the sun with a cool beer.

                                        
 

                                                   


                                       


It was really wonderful seeing this little seaside village. I hope you enjoy your Spring/Summer weekends here as much as I am enjoyed mine.