Read about our trip to Sintra, Portugal over in My Adventures and check out pictures on my Photos page or by clicking into the album through one of the images posted.

Date of trip: November 2009

While Will and I were visiting Portugal, we spent a day in Sintra, 45 minutes from Lisbon via a train that runs every 20 minutes. Unlike Lisbon, the town is full of character and charm and conjures up images of the Moors and Portuguese royalty.

Highlights:

-We started our day at Quinta da Regaleira, an estate reached by a 10 minute walk from the center of town. The mansion itself is impressive, but empty and the main reason to visit is the grounds. Full of ponds, forts and passages, the property is a Gothic playground that you could easily spend hours exploring. Although we were intrigued by the underground caves, we were too chicken to walk through the long, dark tunnels. I definitely think a flashlight would have come in handy here!

-The Palacio Nacional de Sintra served as a home to Portuguese royalty for centuries until the monarchy ended in 1910. The interior design is very interesting with detailed tiles portraying the theme of each room, including the Swan Room and the Magpie Room. Also of note is the sprawling kitchen with its giant, white, conical chimneys that reach up through the roof.

-Anywhere you stand in Sintra, you can see the Castelo dos Mouros sitting high on a hill. The Moorish Castle was built between the 8th and 10th centuries A.D. and getting there is a hike. The best way to reach the base is to buy a round trip bus ticket that includes a stop at the nearby Palacio Nacional de Pena. Once you arrive, be prepared for a climb. I only made it up one side, but the effort was worth it. With the entire town laid out below you, the view is incomparable.

-Not far from the Moorish Castle, on another hill, is the Palacio Nacional de Pena. With round, brightly colored towers and vaulted arches, it looks more like a mosque than a European palace. Inside, the rooms reflect its purpose as a summer residence for the Portuguese royal family until the end of their reign.

Sintra is a wonderful place that should not be overlooked. While I enjoyed my time in Lisbon, it is Sintra that has everything I had hoped to encounter in Portugal: beautiful architecture, a romantic history and lush, sweeping countryside.

For more pictures, please visit my Photo Gallery or click on any of the photos posted above.

Sintra Links:
Sintra Official Site

If you are an avid collector of frequent flier miles, and you really should be with the way airfares are right now, a good mileage calculator is essential. Airlines aren’t always clear about what your going to earn for a flight so I like to use MileCalc. It lets me enter my itinerary, including multi-stops, and calculates the mileage I’ll earn based on the airline I’m flying, any bonuses or promotions and my booking class. It’s particularly helpful if you are chasing elite status or trying to earn a specific number of miles for a trip you’re planning.

People sometimes laugh at me when I say I have a bucket list (list of things I want to do before I die). I know I’m only in my 30s, but life is short and my list is long! One thing I’ve long wanted to do is ride on a blimp. I did some research several years ago and learned that it was highly unlikely I would get my wish without knowing a person that had access to one. I pretty much put that dream on a back burner until I got an e-mail from my sister about Airship Ventures, a company that began offering zeppelin rides in San Francisco and Los Angeles last year. The difference between a blimp and a zeppelin is that a zeppelin has a rigid skeleton which makes it easier to steer and allows the engine to be carried away from the gondola making it much quieter. Suddenly, the impossible was possible and we signed up for a ride.

We decided to ride the zeppelin, Eureka, in Los Angeles and it turned out to be a good decision as weather in San Francisco can be unpredictable and often causes cancelled flights. Eureka holds 12 passengers at a time, as well as a driver and a flight attendant. Although we had to sit during takeoff and landing, we were free to walk about the gondola during the flight and enjoy the view from the huge windows. We even got to stick our heads out of the two windows that open! The ride was smooth and quiet and truly unlike anything we’ve ever experienced.

Thanks to Airship Ventures for making one of my dreams come true!

Airship Ventures

I am not one to spend a lot of money on a suitcase. They get thrown around, are placed on dirty belts and racks and pricey pieces can attract thieves. Still, I have to admit that I am loving the new Britto Collection from Heys. The bags are like works of art and their hard-shelled exteriors look quite durable. I’m feeling tempted!

From $200 heysusa.com

There are a lot of different luggage tags on the market these days, but I think these Bag Buddies are particularly cute. ID info is listed on the buddy’s tummy and Velcro straps attach him to any bag. They are perfect to get kids excited about travelling and great to make luggage stand out on a conveyor belt. They are also machine washable so you can easily clean them after getting dragged around germ filled airports and hotels. Bag Buddies come in five different animal varieties so you can collect them all and take a different buddy on every trip!

$7.85 Magellan’s

Before a recent trip to Las Vegas, Will received an e-mail with a great offer to stay at the Aria hotel in the brand new City Center complex. Although we all know that staying at a new hotel can be dicey, we figured a luxury property would have to be running relatively smoothly.

Date: December 2009

Parking: Since construction continues on City Center, parking was a mess. There was no back entrance to the self parking lot and we missed the entrance twice forcing us to circle back around the strip. Eventually we used the valet which we stumbled upon by accident. We figured this would make life easier, but the pickup is in a different location so getting our car back was as much a hassle as dropping it off had been.

Check-in/Check-out: We had no wait at the front desk and the woman who helped us was very nice. Although she didn’t have a record of the promotion we had booked, she called a manager over who was able to correct our account. Although it took longer than average, we were satisfied and were given a room on a high floor as requested. Check-out went smoothly and our bill was accurate.

Room: We stayed in a standard room and since we were the first or second guest to stay there it was very clean. Our view was not of the strip, but it was still nice from the floor to ceiling windows. Everything in the room was controlled via a small computer screen on the night table which was somewhat tricky to figure out. I knocked it over during the night causing the curtains to fly open and all the lights to turn on. Overall the room was decent and the bed was comfortable but it seemed unfinished. Wires dangled from the TV, our heat didn’t work, a handle fell off a bathroom drawer and one of the lights above the bed was dangerously loose. I was not impressed at all with the bathroom. The connected shower and bath were strange, the water pressure was horrible, and the sinks had little counter space and splashed water everywhere when used.

Overall Impression: It seemed like a lot of things were thrown together to get the Aria open ASAP even though it’s not really ready. Although all of the employees were very nice, many of them didn’t yet know how things work at the hotel. Hopefully, it will improve with time but I don’t think there should be such a steep learning curve at a 5 star accommodation.

Grade: D+

Visit My Adventures to read about our trip to Lisbon, Portugal and check out pictures on my Photos page or by clicking into the album through one of the images posted.

Date of trip: November 2009

Although I didn’t know much about Portugal, Will and I decided to check it out over Thanksgiving when we got a great deal on airfare. Lisbon is very spread out and hilly in some areas, kind of like San Francisco, but the public transportation is cheap and easy to figure out.

Highlights:

-My favorite section of Lisbon was Belem because there is so much to do there. The first thing you notice in Belem is Mosteiro dos Jerónimos, an imposing monastery that stretches more than a block down the street. It contains the royal tombs and is the final resting place of many notable Portuguese. It also has a beautiful two story cloister with a lion fountain in it. Apparently, it is customary to rub the lion’s paw and make a wish. Nearby, the brand new Berardo Museum displays a fantastic collection of modern art and, across the street, sits the truly awesome Monument to the Discoveries, a giant statue of famous explorers setting sail on the River Tagus. A short walk down the road brings you to the Tower of Belem, an old fortress built in the early 1500s which offers unparalleled views of the river and was used to spot approaching ships. From the top, you can see the 25 de Abril Bridge, which resembles and was built by the same company as San Francisco’s Golden Gate, and Cristo Rei, a 246ft monument of Jesus that was modelled after Brazil’s Christ the Redeemer. Back near the tram stop, the National Coach Museum, showcases one of the best collections of ceremonial and travel carriages in the world. Last but not least, a visit to Belem would not be complete without a stop at Pasteis de Belem, a famous cafe that has been serving up the best pasteis de nata, egg tarts, in Lisbon since 1837. The pastries are served warm and are traditionally sprinkled with cinnamon and powdered sugar. If you can’t get a table there’s a take out line where you can get the tarts to go.

-The Baixa District is the downtown area of Lisbon and its streets are lined with shops and restaurants. It’s a really pretty area, especially during the holiday season when it’s covered with bright colored lights. Since the area is situated at the bottom of two big hills, trams are a great way to get around and the Santa Justa Elevator connects Baixa to the Barrio Alto, or old town. The elevator is worth riding for the view alone and, if you’ve purchased a day pass for public transportation, it will cover the fare.

-The Parque de Nacoes, which was built for the Expo ‘98 World Exhibition, remains a fun and popular place to visit. It is located at the city’s nicest metro stop, Oriente station. There are many gardens and trails in the park making it a great place to spend a nice day. There’s also a nice aquarium called the Oceanerio, and cable cars that glide overhead giving riders the best view of the Vasco de Gama bridge, one of the longest in the world.

I wouldn’t say I fell in love with Lisbon, but it is a lovely place. I wasn’t crazy about the food and the culture seemed heavily influenced by the English, Spanish and French. At the same time, the city did have a look all its own and strolling down the charming cobble stoned streets while admiring the old tiled buildings was the best part of my visit.

For more pictures, please visit my Photo Gallery or click on any of the photos posted above.

Lisbon Links:
Lisbon Official Site
Mosteiro dos Jerónimos
Berardo Museum
Tower of Belem
National Coach Museum
Pasteis de Belem – Portuguese Only
Parque de Nacoes