Candlelight Procession in Fatima

This is bit of the candlelight procession where the image of Our Lady of Fatima leaves the Chapel of Apparitions to travel through the square, lead by a man holding a huge lighted cross and followed by the people that were at the 9,30 pm rosary that is held each night. It a moving sight and whatever your own beliefs the procession is a very moving event to witness firsthand. I had the pleasure to witness this with two friends and we were all very much of the same feeling of it's beauty and solemnity.

A Day Trip to Fatima and the monasteries of Batalha and Alcobaca

Fatima, site of the apparitions of Our Lady of Fatima to three peasant children that is a world wide pilgrimage site located 1 hour from Lisbon. Learn about the story of the apparitions and how the shrine was built with interesting facts that are not readily known, visit the basilica and museum and the village where the three seers were born nearby.



Alcobaca is the ancient site of Cistercian monks that was founded in the 12th century as a promise from Portugal's first king. Continually inhabited to the year 1834 the monks left their mark through the stunningly beautiful architecture and cloisters; where you may even get the chance to hear an impromptu classical music recital.


Batalha, one of Europe's most stunning examples of Gothic architecture was built as a vow from the king of the 2nd ruling dynasty in Portugal for winning a decisive battle against Castile that secured the independence of Portugal. The pantheon of the kings of this dynasty are here as well as the famous unfinished chapels.



Contact Gregory to make this full day tour. Follow the below link for further information.
Fatima Local Guide, Guided Tours in Fatima: A Day in Fatima and Batalha and Alcobaca monasteries

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Portuguese cuisine - Amejioas a Bulhao Pato

My most recent trip reminded me of the Portuguese cuisine and its richness and unique way or presenting different combinations like the use of cilantro with soups and meets, over roasted baby goat and lamb and the fresh seafood that is served in all parts of the country.



One of my favorite dishes is called Ameijoas à Bulhão Pato, This Portuguese specialty is named for 19th century poet Raimundo António de Bulhão Pato, 1829-1912, apparently by a chef in Bragança whom Bulhão Pato had mentioned in his writing.

Unfortunately I cannot verify this since I can't find much in the way of English translations of Bulhão Pato. And truthfully, I don't really care if it's apocryphal--it sounds like a good enough story so we'll go with it.

What I do know is that this dish is an absolutely celestial manner in which to prepare the humble clam or cockle. Try making it at home and see if you can match the recipe given below; it will be worth every minute of preparation after taking the first delicious bite!

Ingredients

* 1 kilo of medium-sized clams
* 4 cloves of garlic, sliced
* 1 glass of white wine
* 2 tablespoons of fresh coriander/cilantro leaves
* Sea salt
* Freshly ground pepper
* 2 tablespoons of olive oil
* juice of half a lemon

What To Do

* Heat the oil in a saucepan that has a lid that fits it
* Saute the garlic briefly in the hot oil (don't let it get too brown)
* Add the clams, wine, pepper and salt
* Cover the pan and cook till the clams open
* Discard any clams that do not open (sneff suggests that you might get fewer unopened clams if you start them in a cold pan with the oil and garlic--try it and see)
* Add the lemon juice and the coriander
* Serve right away with warm crusty bread for dipping in the sauce

note: this photo was taken in Evora and has the added ingredient of rice, not customarily done but it worked. And you can see we enjoyed it with the freshest grilled sea bass that I have ever eaten.

Portugal Trip May 25 to 2 June 2009

I have been offline from 25 May until 2 June leading a visit throughout Portugal with two persons that have happily become friends. Our visit took us through wide parts of Portugal starting with Evora and Vila Vicosa, to Belmonte and through the Douro Valley to Guimaraes and onward to Fatima and Ourem before finally finishing in Lisbon in time for them to embark on the remaining several weeks of their cruise.

What will follow will be stories from each place that we visited, along with some photos and suggestions for others that may wish to make this tour themselves.

As HG Wells said, 'Wet or fine the air of Portugal has a natural happiness in it, and the people of the country should be as happy and prosperous as any in the world'.

If you would like to experience this visit yourself please contact me at the email below.

Lisbon Walk Saturday 23 May

The weather was not looking promising and I was with two guests that were in Lisbon one afternoon on the Queen Mary II. Meeting at 8,30 in the morning the sky was grey and overcast with what looked like a storm coming on but it cleared up and was another beautiful Lisbon day... as it almost always seems to be! And a great day for walking.

We started at the Monastery of Jeronimos with a stop at the famous Pasteis of Belem pastry shop. Everyone should try to go there when in Lisbon, but early as the crowds start to arrive quite early. If you don't know what these famous pastries are you will be in for a treat... delicious small custard filled pastry cups, warm from the oven and served with a sprinkle of powered sugar or cinnamon; or both !

On our walk we also got a chance to see and visit the Biological Market that takes place in a different park depending on the Saturday. Today was in Principe Real garden located in the heart of the city. I usually go to one of these every Saturday and am always happy to find that the people selling the vegetables and fruits are conscious of making certain that the quality of the diverse foods sold are of the highest quality; they take great pride in giving their customers quality at reasonable prices and I highly recommend you make a stop when in Lisbon on a Saturday morning walk.

The Walk took us throughout Lisbon and my guests had a chance to get a feel for the city and see places without being stuck in a big tour crowd. They went to the castle, Alfama, Chiado and we also took the famous No. 28 Trolley car though the narrow streets of the old city. Lunch was great; Portuguese style cod fish with bechemel sauce and rice cooked in the oven with fresh duck in Chiado at a great out of the way restaurant next door to the Sao Carlos Opera House.

All in all a long day but fun .. and they were abe to get back to the ship to continue their cruise back to London on the Queen Mary II.

Thanks Don and Steve for a chance to show you a little of Lisbon and I look forward to seeing you again.

Lisbon Wanderings on a Sunday afternoon

Even though I am living here many years I often tell people that it seems I am still on vacation. Yesterday, Sunday, was one of those days. I met a friend of mine in the center of Lisbon and we had a walk through the Alfama and lunch at a small place called Oh Caldas ( Rua Sao Mamede 22C Lisboa, LISBOA, LISBOA 1100-535 Tel.218875711).

The total price for two persons was only 16 euros and we had a starter of some grilled meats (chourico, pork, beef - which was a bit heavy I must admit for lunch) and then I had small fish called Carapauzinhos Fritas, which are fried in oil and served whole with a side of Acorda, a Portuguese dish traditionally from the Alentejo region made from bread, eggs and coriander. My friend was more daring ! and had an omelet of shrimp and french fries which is not so traditional although the shrimps were fresh; showing that quality of ingredients are something that are important to the owners of the restaurant.....I highly recommend this place but remember that as the prices are so low and the place is small there are usually lines waiting on the evenings. We happened to go on Sunday and there was only us and one more table as they only started opening at lunch for Sundays recently.

After we walked some and came across a procession of GNR horsemen playing instruments that were escorting a statue of Portugal's new Saint Nuno Mario on horseback that passed by the Se Cathedral. It was a great treat and surprise to witness this; as I said it seems many times that I am always on vacation in Lisbon.

Lisbon Random Photos

Random photos from Lisbon taken on a beautiful Sunday afternoon.

Sunday in Lisbon May 3, 2009

With the start of springtime Lisbon is a wonderful place to stroll around, and yesterday I spent the most part of the day re exploring some of it.

Particular interest was the visit to the National Guard headquarters which was open for their 98th anniversary to the public. This is the site of many historical happenings, the most famous was when the April 25 Carnation Revolution occurred and the old regime was ended and democracy started again in Portugal after more than half a century of a dictatorship.

Another interest was that this is the same place that the new Portuguese saint Nuno Alvares Perreira, canonized at the Vatican this last week, built when he gave away all his noble titles and totake vows to become a simple monk. On May 10 there will be a ceremony at this very site and I will be there so check back to follow the day in stories and photos.

The church he built was destroyed in the 1755 earthquake but the convent was rebuilt and is now the National Gard headquarters. I think another irony of history is that a warrior who became a monk built a church and monastery that is now he headquarters for the National Guard of Portugal, and is now carrying out PEACEKEEPING duties in places throughout the world!


Here are a few photos from there and also from my walk yesterday. These are the types of walks that I do on my Lisbon Ad Lib Walks for my guests from DiscoverPortugalTravel.com website.

Hotel Reservations and Car Rentals

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Restaurante Lisboa à Noite

Located in the center of Lisbon in Bairro Alto is a charming restaurant that specializes in traditional Portuguese foods prepared with the utmost attention to details and using traditional ways of preparation.

We highly recommend this restaurant, it is a must visit on your visit to Lisbon.

address:

Lisboa à Noite
Rua das Gaveas 69, Lisbon, Portugal

website: Lisboa a Noite

email: info@lisboaanoite.com

( make sure you tell the owner, Vitor, that Gregory referred you or contact me or make your reservation)