Pastel in Porto

​We started our day with coffee and pastries at a cafe in Porto, Portugal. We then walked to the Porto Cathedral where we listened to organ music in the sanctuary, climbed stairs to the top of the tower, and saw our first Camino trail marker out front. Afterwards we walked across a bridge to the other side of the river which was incredibly beautiful and gave us an amazing view of Porto. On the other side of the river we found a new cafe where we played cards and had some snacks before getting to our cooking class. 

For our cooking class we made pastel de nata which is the most famous dessert in Portugal. We’ve already had several on our trip so far, in fact, it was one of the first things we looked for once arriving in Lisbon. We were very excited to make our own and there were only three other participants, giving us lots of opportunities for involvement. We made the dough and custard from scratch and at them straight out of the oven. It was the best pastel de nata I’ve had and I thoroughly enjoyed being a part of the baking process and watching them come together. Our instructor was a polish woman, but her historic and culinary insights were very helpful. 

After our class we walked down toward the river to play more cards and try a local wine flight. 

I won our card game and then we walked back across the river for dinner (local dish Francesinha) on an outdoor patio that became far too cold. My dad, Adelaide, and Alastair went back to our Airbnb and Dagny, my mom, and I crossed the bridge and back one more time to watch the sunset over the river. We were joined by no less than 2,000 locals and tourists and even witnessed a marriage proposal! Many people watch the sunset from the very same park the night before they start the Camino so Dagny was very glad that we got to do the same. We walked back to our apartment and my sisters and I ended our night by playing our new favorite board game, “Betrayal at House on the Hill.”

Magnolia

Sintra to Porto

  Today we woke up after for some, twelve hours of sleep, in Sintra. We started the day slowly before checking out of our accommodations before heading nearby to a cafe for some simple fare and an array of espresso beverages. After three weeks back in Denver post graduation fueled by Duffeyroll and Santiago’s, it’s been a rough adjustment to the European breakfast. Once we’d had our fill we enjoyed a brief parting walk through Sintra to the train station, where we boarded a train back to Lisbon. 

       Once back in Lisbon, we scrambled to change stations in the narrow window between our arrival and our departure to Porto. This was achieved with time to spare, although once we had boarded our longest train of the day, there was a 30 minute delay due to theft. A pickpocket had been caught by a group of travelers and they held him on the train until the Lisbon police could come and investigate. Soon enough, we were moving closer to the start of our Camino. 

      Once in Porto, we made our way to our accommodations only to discover we had been locked out of the building which housed our apartment by another resident. Dagny and I were sent off to find a place for the family to watch Portugal’s World Cup game, but as a family of six, and seeing as the game was underway, the task proved impossible. 

        Once we had made our way into the AirBnB, we had some flat on bunk time before we headed out for some upscale Portuguese food. I selected for us a restaurant, Elemento, based on its nearby location and recommendation from the Michelin guide. After a brief walk we tucked into our dinner, and it did not disappoint. Every dish was great, with the pork that Adelaide ordered being a standout bite. Once we’d had some excellent desserts and settled our tab we perused the streets while Dave had his evening cigar, before heading back to our apartment for the night. 

Alastair

Sintra - Pena Palace and our Picnic

​The McLains on the Camino literally fell asleep on the 45-minute train ride from Lisbon to Sintra on Monday afternoon. We had so little sleep on the plane, we dragged through much of our first day in Portugal. Our first night in Sintra was pretty quiet filled with cards, some drinks, and some appetizers before our first dinner scouted by Alastair. It was a little early for EU standards for dinner, 6pm, but we couldn’t stay out any later. Dinner was delicious with steaks, duck, risotto, and a dessert sampler which was delicious. It was early to bed for all of us as we were exhausted.

 

This morning David and I were up VERY early, but still pretty well rested. We took an early walk through town to find the only coffee shop open at 6:30am. Yummy cappuccino for me and Americano for Dave, always. By 8:30 we had the kids up and out for more coffee and pasteries before our big day of touring.

 

Can you spot the McLains on the Camino sticker??

We walked all the way through city center toward Sintra’s Pena Palace. Adelaide scouted these sites for us two years ago when she studied abroad in Spain and she had us all excited for our long day of hiking in the Sintra mountains. We hiked for an hour and a half almost straight up to the palace. We all loved all the lush green plants, koi ponds, amazing flowers, and moss-covered stone walls. It got our hearts pumping, and it was truly beautiful. Pena Palace is the oldest surviving royal palace in Portugal and dates all the way back to the Moorish period. A bright red and yellow royal residence complete with towers and ornate tilework. We walked all around the inside and outside of the palace. It is located on a hilltop in the Sintra Mountains and we could view a medieval fortress, the Castle of the Moors, from one side.

We hiked across a little valley to view a stone cross you could see from the palace walls. A highlight for me was sitting on the ground and enjoying a simple picnic we packed for the day. We had our morning pastry shop prepare ham and cheese sandwiches for us. We purchased some fruit from a local market and we had two chocolate bars to share. It was easy and perfect. We needed the food because we had thousands of steps to go for the rest of our day.

We walked all the way back down the mountain and back through town and up another mountain to see the Quinta da Regaleira and the Initiation Well. Alastair requested this stop weeks ago so we had to oblige. The well is a spiraling tower-like well that descends underground. The surrounding estate is impressive, with architecture inspired by influences including the Knights Templar. Was the well used for water or rituals like in the DaVinci Code? Hard to say.

 

By late afternoon we were exhausted! We found a beautiful roof-top deck for drinks, cards, and snacks followed by dinner number two at Alastair’s recommendation. Truly a “hole in the wall” with only about 10 tables. More yummy offerings with really delicious roasted vegetables. Alastair ordered the octopus, Ad and I had the duck, Magnolia pork cheeks, and Dave and D had steak with a fried egg on top. We all enjoyed it and our 8 huge bottles of water. We were exhausted and it was a really great day. So pleased we can make these amazing memories together. Tomorrow we will enjoy a lazy morning before our train ride back to Lisbon and onto Porto for some more adventures.

Jll