Where We Went On The Morocco-Gib-Spain-Portugal Journey
Posted On Thursday, June 18, 2009 at at 12:22 AM by Alvin
The Sea-Faring Portuguese
Posted On Monday, June 15, 2009 at at 12:14 AM by Alvin
The history of Portugal had been inextricably linked to the seas and oceans - the dramatic voyages of the exploring seafaring vessels, the heroic conquests of the new worlds, the abundance of the riches and rewards and the subsequent inevitable decline, all etched in the turbulent history of the peoples of this country.The mosaic near the Torre de Belem at the outskirt of Belem described this history better than words. The mosaic charted chronologically of the countries and cities around the world that came under Portuguese influence during the seafaring days of the past centuries; Brazil, Ceylon (Sri Lanka), Goa, Malacca, Kochi, Macau to name a few. We took time to enjoy the last part of this journey - Lisboa, by visiting the Marques de Pombal, the tramways in the Alfama district, the Mosteiro dos Jeronimos at Belem, Padrao dos Descobrimentos (the Monument of Discoveries), the Torre De Belem, admiring the cityscape of Lisboa at the Largo das Portas do Sol as well as the nearby village of Sintra. Tiring but what a lovely city to finish off this memorable journey, we even treated ourselves to a Portuguese-influenced Indian curry to round it off !
St Antonio Festa In Lisboa !
Posted On Friday, June 12, 2009 at at 12:13 AM by Alvin
After a week of sunning and eating at the relaxing pace of The Algarves (basically a few paces from any beaches and restaurants), it was a shock to get back to the real business of lugging a backpack and looking for Pensao in this buzzling Portuguese capital ! The Avenida were majestically (read tiringly) long and wide and we didn't exactly expect to bump into the famous annual St Antonio Festa In Lisboa ! Basically, parades and parties in Lisboa all night through tonight - that meant all hotels booked solid for this weekend ! Somehow (don't ask me how), we managed to find a quiet Residencial near the glorious Marques de Pombal area. We could not wait to get out to feel the party ambiance where the main Avenida da Liberdade was lined up with Lisboa locals and visitors alike, anticipating the fun and joy of this Festa !
The Picture Perfect Algarves
Posted On Wednesday, June 10, 2009 at at 12:13 AM by Alvin
Clear blue waters, dramatic landscapes, curious rock formations, soft powdery sands and plenty of cataplana restaurants just about summed up this lovely stretch of the world - The Algarves. Having said our Adeus to Soren and Catherine in Tavira, we relaxed and ate our heart out in Lagos for a few days.Lagos had a well-chilled-out vibe to it and a town where pretty much nothing happened and when anything did happen, it took place in almost slow motion - no kidding. Anything that moved seemed to float slowly instead; like the waiters serving you, the passing cars stopping for you, the girls playing beach volleyballs and the tourists taking photos or clinking glasses - hey, maybe we were just too relaxed !After our visits to Sagres, nearby coastal village or enjoying the gorgeous views of the different Praias (beaches) near Lagos, like the much-photographed Dona Ana and Camilo, we would settle for the famed cataplana dish for our extra long seafood lunches - Portuguese dishes cooked in a large copper utensil (the cataplana), all washed down in crisp chilled white wine, cheers !
Surprising Friends In Lovely Tavira
Posted On Sunday, June 7, 2009 at at 12:12 AM by Alvin
We met Soren and Catherine during our (and their) trip to Laos in 2007. To be more exact, we happened to be sitting next to each other during the (very) slow boat from Pekbeng to Louang Phabang; so they had plenty of time to tell us where one should visit in Morocco as well as describe their lives in Tavira. We parted company with nothing more than a name card and a list of places to visit in Morocco and of course the customary "if you do happen to be in Portugal, please drop by...". So 2 years later, we dropped by un-announced ! There was a big question mark on Catherine's face when the lovely Italian waitress working at her Bistro told her about these two oriental creatures on her doorstep, demanding her presence. Good for her and her excellent memory, she named the (very) slow boat at once !It was kind of her to show us the nearby towns and thoughts of her latest recipe ! We met Soren over a few glasses of Vinho Tinto the following night and it was good to catch up with his latest happenings and their memorable trips to Japan and Chiang Mai. All in all, a fun re-encounter !
The Heart And Soul Of Andalucia - Sevilla And Cordoba
Posted On Thursday, June 4, 2009 at at 12:11 AM by Alvin
Coming back to main land Europe from North Africa, we were greeted with the welcoming intense colors, culture and excitement of the The Heart And Soul Of Andalucia - Sevilla and Cordoba. These cities reminded us of what we missed most about Europe, the grandeur and the intensity of its culture as well as the unique flavours of its many foods and wines.Mandy mentioned after a few hours of exploring Sevilla that this was a city she could live in; much like Vienna where she spent 2 years back in the Nineties. Her compliments were well-founded as Sevilla was a medium size city built around the beautiful River Quadalquivir with a number of interesting districts. Apart from the picturesque river bank along The Quadalquivir, the Sevilla Cathedral and La Giralda (the bell tower) were religious monuments of great significance and the Santa Cruz district contained an intricate and confusing arrays of Calles which rival any Moroccan Medinas in guaranteeing to make you get joyfully lost and found (especially after a few cana of beers) ! The Santa Cruz district contained countless beautifully decorated buildings as well as endless number of photogenic alleyways, it was really a joy to get lost in there ! We also spent time visiting Plaza de Espana and the gardens at Alcazar. Of course, who could forget the Sevillanos' motto of NO8DO - Sevilla has not abandoned me.
We spent a day trip out to Cordoba and although the time we spent there was short, we were nonetheless impressed with its world famous Mezquita (mosque) - religious monument containing both Catholic as well as heavy Muslim designs and architectures; a fun day out.
Welcome To The Rock !
Posted On Monday, June 1, 2009 at at 12:11 AM by Alvin
過大海 ! Gibraltar had always held a special impression and fascination in my mind - the land where a Legendary Rock marked the end of the old lands and the beginning of new ones; or perhaps it was just the sheer excitement to imagine that once upon a time, this was the location of a gigantic waterfall (just like our present day Niagara or Victoria Falls) where trillion and trillion tonnes of Atlantic Ocean waters poured in to the dried-up Mediterranean sea bed ! Of course on this very day, The Rock would be our day trip from Algeciras !
We left Tetuoan yesterday morning for Ceuta via a delayed bus, a further connecting bus, a shared taxi to the Frontera, passport controls of both countries and a loss of 2 hours as a result of time difference (Ceuta is officially part of a Spanish province in Morocco).Further travelling by a 45-minutes fast boat across the strait to the port city of Algeciras and we finally lost every hint, sound and smell of all things Moroccan - welcome back to Europe proper ! Algeciras was deserted on this Sunday afternoon and we went out looking for anything that resembled a eatery (mouth wide opened, lungs gasping for air, tongue rolled out and muttering something like giv' us a beer...) ! Having been fed on a splendid diet of Spanish tapas and a few Cana of fine beers the previous night, we were ready to tackle The Rock ! We caught a bus to La Linea and walked across an air strip after passing passport controls and The Rock was right there to greet us. We had a good o' fish and chips for lunch followed by a pot or two of English black tea (most civilised, o' boy...) in this tiny English enclave and it felt good to be in an English village town again; something like a sunny Winchester maybe. We saw The Rock from the front, from the Spanish side, from the back at Europa Point (from where we also caught a distant view of The Moroccan Rif mountains) as well as from the top of The Rock - yes, whew, done it all and we arrived back to Algeciras with tired limbs and fully satisfied after this day out !
