Curated Carlos

My Nashville neighbors and I planned to meet at the restaurant at 7:30. It was a 15-minute walk from my hotel and I recognized the neighborhood since my initial stay in Lisbon was just a few minutes away. The weather was pleasant and the streets weren’t yet thronged.

One of our party, who’s a pro at these things, made the reservations for the chef’s table in August and we weren’t disappointed with the seating. The four of us were seated with a solo diner from Los Angeles, who meshed well with our lively group. He had a 5:00 am flight back to L.A. and I’ll be curious to find out if he made it.

Our server, Beatriz, was an energetic 21 year old originally from Porto. We had chosen the chef’s menu and decided to go with the wine pairing, which provided us with a wide spectrum of rare Portuguese wines. As in many chic Michelin-starred restaurants, the dinner was a series of highly original small plates which interested readers can investigate on the many online reviews. Several of the tiny seafood plates were bathed in sauces made from the heads of the fish, including a large prawn. One can appreciate the art in imagining and then executing plates like these.

After the tiny but superb desserts, we were shocked that four hours had elapsed. Group photos were taken and posted to Instagram, which I haven’t checked this morning. The bill was predictably steep, but not as high as I’d guessed. Was it worth it? Yes, since it’s not something that I’d ever do on my own.

After dinner the group decided to go around the corner to The Ivens, where two of our party were staying. It was far past my bedtime, but I happily joined for one glass of wine. One of the neighbors was staying near me, so we walked back together and walked off the dinner, as they say. The other friends and the guy from L.A. ordered another bottle of red as we were leaving. I’ll need to catch up on sleep tonight!

The train from the Algarve arrived in Lisbon around 11:15 am. I grabbed an Uber to my hotel, The Altis Grand, in the Príncipe Real district, about a 15-minute walk from where I stayed in Chiado last month. I used points for the two-night stay, and will get an Airbnb from my original host for Sunday and Monday nights. When I planned the trip in August, I left the return trip to Lisbon open in case I wanted to stay in a different area. Since Lisbon is such an “it” city right now, I couldn’t find an Airbnb for four nights, but this solution is fine.

My Nashville friends spent the day in Sintra, so I explored the neighborhood a bit. The hotel is in the upscale part of town, near the Avenida Libertad, Lisbon’s Champs-Elyseé. All of the Paris and Milan couture places are here, but I noticed that they weren’t too busy. The erosion of the “wealth effect” is showing.

After a quick bite, I visited the former palatial house of António de Medeiros e Alameida, a Portuguese tycoon who lived from 1906 to 1987. He was an avid collector, particularly of clocks and watches. He also had a vast collection of art, religious artifacts and French and English furniture from the 16th to 19th centuries. He turned his collection and the palace over to his foundation to ensure its future as the Museu Medeiros e Alameida.

Got back late from the 4-hour dinner at Belcanto and will post about that tomorrow.

After a light breakfast, I made my way to Coast Supply Co. in town to pick up the mountain bike that I reserved yesterday. The staff were very helpful and they helped me download a .gtx file from their blog to my iPhone, so I had the 24 km (14.8 mile) course ready to follow. They also gave me an iPhone holder, which was super helpful. The course was part gravel, with a rock garden segment along the beach route which was fun to traverse. Although the temp was in the low 70’s, it felt much hotter and even frequent sunscreen applications seemed to be fruitless. I don’t need any more tan!

When I got back to the shop I was drenched. I’m glad I left in the morning.

Although, as I mentioned in yesterday’s post, the hotel is beautiful, the suite had a mosquito problem. I killed two before bedtime, but apparently there were more hiding. I must have a dozen bites, with a nasty one on my right cheek. At first I thought “bedbugs!”; but I checked the bed closely and didn’t see any evidence. As a precaution, I’ve kept the A/C on and the doors shut. I don’t think I’ve had a mosquito bite in ten years. The receptionist confirmed that they were a very recent problem.

Often, small Portuguese towns have The Stations of the Cross built into walls and it’s fun to try to count them. I found one on my way back to the hotel.

On every lengthy European trip, there’s always one “mistake” and Lagos takes the honor this time. Although the hotel is lovely, the town itself is a tawdry tourist trap. For example, I needed to run a wash at the lavanderia since I couldn’t find a nice Airbnb option here and the charge was €6! And I also had the pleasure of a 90-minute wait because of the endless cycles. For Northern Europeans, Lagos is probably a paradise; but Sagres is the only place I’d recommend in the Algarve.

Early tomorrow I head back to Lisbon by train, with a perilously short time to change trains. My Nashville neighbors arrived in Lisbon today and I’ll be meeting them tomorrow for dinner at the chef’s table at Bel Canto. https://www.joseavillez.pt/en/belcanto

After a nice cappuccino at the Italian Espresso cafe on the other side of town, I walked back along the beach route and decided to check out the hotel gym for a much-needed workout. It was surprisingly well-equipped and empty.

I’ll do some research before heading to Lagos. I asked the receptionist to arrange for a taxi to drive me there rather than taking the local bus which makes a dozen stops and takes over an hour. The ride was worth the €40.

The taxi driver was entertaining, telling me how awful and corrupt the Portuguese government is. I just listened.

The hotel in Lagos is charming. My suite has two bathrooms and could easily accommodate 3 adults. It even has a little kitchen. The receptionist was helpful with restaurant and beach suggestions.

Down the street I found a little bar that served cold-pressed juices. The owner is a young guy who bought the house and rehabbed it into the bar and patio on the first floor and three rental units above. He even built a terrace on the roof. The juice was great. I hung out by the quiet hotel pool before walking down to the beach and into the center of town. Like Sagres, Lagos is a big surfing town, although quite a bit larger. I went into the recommended surf/bike shop and scheduled a bike pickup for the morning since they rent out quickly. I’m looking forward to exploring the area.

All of the travel finally caught up with me and I’m planning an early bedtime. Tomorrow should be a fun day.

This morning there was a marine layer which burned off by 9:30. I walked through the sleepy village until I found a coffee place at 8:30. I ended up sharing a table with a German guy currently living in Switzerland. He surfs here and gave me some local eating recommendations. We talked a bit about the war in Ukraine and the European energy crisis. What he told me was incredible. One of his friends is an investment banker in Frankfurt. In the current year his annual energy bill is 3,000€. He asked me to guess what the new contract price is, effective October 1. I guessed double. It’s 18,000€! How will Europe avoid falling into a recession? And with the severing of Nordstream? Pretty grim thoughts over a cappuccino.

After dropping by at the hotel, I decided to walk to the Fortaleza de Sagres, built in the 15th century on a commanding promontory above one of the popular surfing beaches.

When I got back to the hotel I grabbed a quick bite and then headed back into town to rent a mountain bike to head up to Cabo de São Vicente, the most southwesterly point in Europe. On the ride up I was struck by how much the area resembles Todos Santos in Baja. Sagres is a little greener, all the roads are paved, and there’s no litter; otherwise there’s a strong similarity. Most of the tourists are from Europe, especially Germany and Holland, with a few Americans and English thrown in.

The cape was spectacular. It’s the beginning of the Atlantic coastline of Europe.

Back at the bike/surf shop I had a nice conversation with the owners, who opened the business in 1994. They’ve seen Sagres grow from a sleepy fishing village to a major surfing mecca. Sagres still retains that small town vibe, with a welcome lack of big hotels and over-commercialization.

On the ride back I noticed an interesting restaurant called Ferment, so I decided to check it out for dinner. It was about a kilometer from my place so I showed up just before they opened at 7:30. It was a bit chilly so I asked to be seated inside. The menu features small plates and was a far different selection than normally seen in Sagres. Shortly after I was seated, a young woman walked in and asked for a table. I thought I should ask her to sit at mine since the place was bound to get crowded when she suggested the same and I joined her for dinner. She was on her third trip to Sagres for the surf camp and was tired of the boring food at the camp so decided to go out for a real dinner. We shared four plates, including an excellent stuffed sardine, a pasta with mussels, a vegetable plate and a grilled octopus with a creamy sauce. It turns out that the restaurant is owned by four young Italians from Milan who serve tables and do the cooking. My dinner partner was a Dutch lawyer living in Lisbon. We had a great and far-ranging conversation over a three-hour dinner. Very Mediterranean! We exchanged numbers and hope to meet in Lisbon to go to her favorite karaoke bar, which should be most amusing.

On the walk back, the local bars were buzzing as they’d be in a SoCal surf town.

Grabbed the 10 am express train from Braga to Lisbon Oriente and then got an Uber to the Sete Rios intermodal transit station to board the 3:30 Rede Espresso bus to Sagres, which was an estimated four-hour journey, which was actually 4.5 hours. The Mercedes coach was very comfortable, air-conditioned and had high-speed Wi-Fi. Best of all, there were only 8 people on board out of a possible 58!

After about 20 minutes we crossed the Vasco da Gama Bridge, at 17 km the longest in Europe.

About halfway through the trip I had an interesting conversation with a young Latvian guy who looked like a SoCal surfer. He was planning to hike from Sagres to Santiago de Compostela along the medieval pilgrimage route. He had his backpacking kit and just sleeps in his tent while traveling. Coincidentally he’s from a town near Sigulda, about an hour from Rīga, where I stayed in 2019 and where I ran the Stirnu Boks 10k, which he ran in 2021. These random coincidences never cease to intrigue me.

Traversing the length of Portugal was worth the ordeal. The scenery was great and the final destination, although dark and foggy, looks well worth the journey. Fortunately I was in Portugal, where 8:30 is a common dinner hour. I had a grilled sea bass at Gigi, a restaurant recommended by the hotel, which, by the way, overlooks the Atlantic and features a full suite with kitchen and balcony. I’m looking forward to an epic Algarve day tomorrow. I may rent a scooter!

On the advice of my Porto coffee interlocutor, Patrícia, I went to Nordico for breakfast. I arrived shortly after the 9:30 opening and grabbed a seat in the back garden since the weather was so pleasant. I ordered a cappuccino and chose the poached eggs on avocado toast. Despite the sparse crowd, it took them almost 25 minutes to bring the cap. And I thought Barista Parlor took a long time! I’d asked them to cook the poached eggs medium soft, but when they arrived they were runny and ran all over the toast. Also, they weren’t warm at all. A somewhat disappointing breakfast overall. At least the cap was excellent.

Afterwards, I dropped by to visit the Torre dos Coimbras. It was empty, so I chatted with the two young attendants, João and Claudia. João and his family had emigrated from Rio de Janeiro and Claudia was a student. João was a well-informed extrovert and said that a number of Brasílians lived in Braga. He confirmed my impression that Braga was a traditional city and explained that it was one of the few Portuguese cities that had grown organically in the past decade. He said that a growing number of Americans and European retirees had moved in, but that they were welcomed. He knew a lot about American politics. He invited me to have a drink with him and Claudia at the adjoining bar, where his brother works. Sounds like a plan.

The Torre and adjoining art gallery were built in the 16th century by the Coimbras family. The narrow stone steps up were thankfully deserted. Anyone over 6’2 or a 40 inch waist wouldn’t be able to pass through. The top had a series of plaques with an overview of Braga’s ancient origins and a stained glass window that reflected the late morning sun onto the hardwood floor.

I guess the third time’s a charm and I finally joined a Free Tour at 3 pm. José, our guide, said that they couldn’t arrange for a guide on Saturday. There were six of us on the 2-hour tour and José did a great job. He showed us some hidden secrets on the tour, including five closed green doors that contained stops on The Stations of the Cross, which are only opened during Holy Week, when numerous processions pass through Braga. I found out that there are actually 40 churches and monasteries in the city, which is why it’s been nicknamed the “Second Rome”. It’s also full of Roman ruins dating back to the time in the first century AD when it was known as Bracara Augusta, after the Emperor Octavian, Caesar Augustus.

Towards the end of the tour, we visited Igreja da Santa Cruz, finished in the 18th century. José asked us to find the three roosters on the facade. After giving us a hint, several of us found two. He then said that there were only two, but that the city guide suggested three so that tourists would really scrutinize the elaborate Baroque façade.

After the tour, he and I spoke for a while. He’s 22 and working on his master’s, but would like to take a gap year before working and backpack either in the Balkans or Southeast Asia. I encouraged him to do it.

After the rather heavy dinner last night, I decided to visit Gosto Superior, a vegetarian restaurant around 15 minutes’ walk from my Airbnb. It was off the tourist path and the food was quite tasty and all under €10, including wine and sparkling water.

Time to run a wash and hit the sack. I have a long journey south to the Algarve tomorrow.

The express train to Braga from Porto Campanha station took under 40 minutes. While I was at the station, I bought a first-class express train ticket back to Lisbon so I wouldn’t have to worry about it Monday morning. I called an Uber and was at my Airbnb just outside the historic center in 6 minutes. The self check-in was flawless and I was impressed with the size of the apartment and how well provisioned it was.

Earlier, I’d received an email from FreeTours changing my city tour from 3 pm to 11 am, even though I wouldn’t be in Braga until two. Oh well, I booked the 5:00 tour but that, too, turned into a no-show, despite the email confirmation. Oh, brother! I just visited the key sites on my own.

My impression of Braga is quite favorable. It’s a traditional and elegant city. Another notable difference is how more religiously observant it is. Its many churches were having First Saturday masses.

It’s the oldest city in Portugal and was founded by the Romans in the 1st century AD before falling to the Visigoths in the 5th century. It was under Moorish rule from the early 8th century until its reconquest in 1040. The Sé, its 11th century cathedral, still stands. It’s a combination of styles but still serves as the seat of the archdiocese, the oldest in Portugal.

Much of the historic core is pedestrianized and is full of families with children, often with grandparents in tow. It reminds me of Salamanca, which I visited in 2013. It’s a glimpse into the old, traditional Portugal. For example, since tomorrow the weather will be sunny with a high of 85, I’d hoped to rent a bike; but the shop told me that most businesses are closed on Sunday.

I passed by a beguiling cheese shop, CorriQueijo (cheese is normal), which was closed in the early afternoon. When I came by later I bought a few hundred grams of Portuguese cheeses, including a raw goat milk one, a blue, and a soft cheese from the Azores. They also had a little tasting along with a glass of Alvarinho, produced in Braga. I bought a bottle.

I decided to eat dinner at Caldo Etornado. The advantage of coming from a culture where 7:30 pm is a civilized dinner hour is that one can always snag a great outdoor table in a country where 8:30 to 9:30 is the preferred time.

I ordered the roasted pork shank with a glass of 2019 Tons Duorum and a side of sparkling Pedras water, the go-to in Portugal. The serving was enormous, but I got through half of it and all of the spinach.

Although they look like French fries, they’re called “sliced” French fries.

I walked the dinner off with a stroll around town. It was pretty quiet since Braga was playing a football match against their rival, Porto.

Earlier, I stated that my opinion of Porto had vastly improved after spending the first part of the week there. It’s improved even more.

After a well needed sleep I arose around 5:30 and enjoyed two Nespresso espressos in the room and checked messages. I decided to go for a long walk down the hill to the Douro riverfront and walk to the lighthouse on the Atlantic in Foz, which I’d passed on the bike ride on Tuesday. It was still dark when I left and the streets were empty. After descending the Rua da Restauração I reached the riverfront and headed west under the high arch bridge, Ponte da Arrábida. As the sun began to rise some walkers and runners appeared. I took a photo of the lighthouse and turned around as the sun was rising. When I climbed back up the hill to my hotel, I checked Strava to see that I’d gone 7.2 miles.

After a trip to the room, I Googled breakfast spots and saw that highly-rated Early was only 5 minutes away. I’m glad I checked it out. At 9:30, I was the first customer. I joked with the server about the lamentable cappuccino scene in Portugal and she promised that they knew how to make one. It was delicious. I ordered two poached eggs on their freshly made bread and a side of seared broccoli with carrot kimchi for some missing probiotic action. The food and ambience were perfect.

While I was eating, I saw one of the staff speaking with a woman who I thought might be the owner. After she left with a carton of pastries, I asked the server if she was the answer and she said “yes”.

On the walk back, I saw her getting out of her Audi and I asked if she was the owner. She was and she asked if I wanted to see her guesthouse and brunch area and she showed me an extremely well executed interior including a wall filled with their curated wines, spices and olive oils. She then showed me their rear garden, which interestingly adjoined that of my hotel next door. She and her brother own the guesthouse, a shop called Earlymade and the restaurant. She had been an asset manager and her brother had earned his PhD and had lived in New York and London. Patricia said they dropped it all and followed their passions. They’ve been in business since 2015 and have been featured in The New York Times and The Telegraph. Their elegant guesthouse is called Rosa Et Al. The people I meet!

Took the noon train back to Porto. I’d screwed up a reservation and ended back in Porto tonight, but there were a few things I’d missed earlier in the week. I spent some time on the phone trying to resolve a travel issue with Amex and was routed to the dreaded overseas call center. Wasted time while I was put on hold. Finally told them I’d hang up if the issue wasn’t resolved and I got it handled. Has anyone had a pleasant experience in these situations? I think the covert goal is to get the customer so enraged that they abort.

The Jardins do Palácio de Cristal are worth a visit. This expansive park also has attributes of a botanical garden. It’s perched high above the Douro in the northeast part of the city and has views of the Atlantic. The SuperBock Arena is also worth a visit. It’s named after the Portuguese best-selling beer.

I was a bit tired from all the hiking the day before, so I went to a very hip place called Apuro, around the corner from my hotel. The food was great and the staff very friendly and eager. 7:30 is a slow time for dinner, so I found a great spot overlooking the kitchen.

On the short walk back to the hotel, the temperature had cooled. There’s definitely an autumn feel in the evenings and I noticed that the plane trees were showing yellowish tints.

My hotel, Rosario Luxury Suites, is really a cool place. There’s a nicely lit garden out back with a huge persimmon tree. They have Nespresso machines in the rooms, so I know I’ll have a passable espresso or two in the morning. I plan to retire early and take a long early morning walk before grabbing an Uber to the train station for the ride up to Braga.