Greencaviar Travel

It’s 6:00am. I looked over the window from my hotel room and saw the shiny rooftops. The purple jacaranda tree-lined street looked gloomy. It rained all night.  It was not the weather I was expecting from Portugal. Since I was already in Portugal I thought I would visit some World Heritage sites. So I signed up for a day trip to visit 3 of the seven Portugal Wonders and a visit to the Sanctuary of Our Lady at Fatima. I figured, the clouds would probably dissipate by the time we reached our destination. Our first stop was Obidos. This fortified village of whitewashed houses and narrow streets has a distinctive feel of a bygone era and medieval atmosphere. It seemed a world away from the coastal region of Cascais and Estoril I visited the day earlier. Our next stop was Nazar -- a medieval fishing village.  As a sucker for ocean beach, I found this trip to be enjoyable.  I loved the expansive views of the beach and the Atlantic Ocean.  Before lunch tim...

My plan was to spend some time at the Basque country in Spain and have a relaxing stay at the luxurious Hotel Riscal in Bilbao after my Camino De Santiago walk. But unable to exchange my hotel points, I changed my travel plans and booked a flight to Lisbon, Portugal. Luckily I was able to use my hotel points at the Sheraton Hotel and SPA.  My first day in Lisbon was literally spent relaxing, getting a massage and facial at the hotel/SPA.  The following day, I decided to explore the city.  I walked through Alfama, the oldest section of Lisbon, and visited a museum, historical landmarks, and the World Heritage sites of ' Monastery of the Hieronymites and Tower of Belém '. Lisbon has very similar topography as San Francisco. A lengthy bus ride the following day, took me along the coast of Sintra, Cascais, Estoril and Cabo De Roca. In Sintra, the highlight was the Pena Palace, the greatest example of romantic architecture in Portugal, built in 19th century upon a hillt...