Globus + Lisbon experiences

Although experiencing other cultures throughout the world is a priority, the people I meet in my travels are just as important, and Rita Martins was outstanding as our tour director on a tour of Portugal in September 2013 with Globus (Littleton, CO; 866/755-8581). 

I was part of a group of 44 people, all of whom were very pleasant and contributed to the enjoyment of my vacation.

The cost of the 10-night tour, with airfare from New York via Madrid, one pre-tour night in Lisbon and single supplements, came to $3,854. Not included were meals, optional excursions, gratuities to the tour director and bus driver and miscellaneous expenses.

Gastronomes will discover that prices of gourmet meals in Lisbon are far less than those in other European cities, and if you like fish, especially cod, you won’t be disappointed. On this, my third time having dinner at Solmar (Rua das Portas de Santo Antão 106-108, 1150-269, Lisbon, Portugal; phone +351 21 342 3371), my main course cost less than €11 (near $15).

Another favorite throughout Portugal, featured on many restaurant menus, is grilled sardines, which I enjoyed on a couple of occasions. The only dish not to my liking was tripe, served at a luncheon included with the tour, although I consider having tried it to be an addition to my overall experience in sampling the cuisines of other cultures.

The restaurant Solmar is a short walk from the Mundial Hotel (Largo Martim Moniz, Lisbon), where we stayed two nights at the beginning of the tour and one night at the end. Although, in my opinion, the hotel is merely adequate, it is centrally located, within a short stroll of Rossio Square and the adjacent Figueira Square, the latter of which is the starting point for a number of public transportation routes.

During a 1972 visit to Lisbon, at the age of 30, I climbed all the way up to St. George’s Castle for a panoramic view of the city, which was well worth the effort. This time, the No. 737 bus from Figueira proved a more accommodating alternative.

I purchased a one-day transportation pass for the trolley (No. 15E), which in fact is a combination of several electrified vehicles and provides the most practical way of traveling to the Belém district. Principal sightseeing venues there include the Jerónimos Monastery, with the tomb of Vasco da Gama, and the nearby Discoveries Monument as well as, farther down the road, the Tower of Belém.

One gem located in the west wing of the Jerónimos Monastery, but not included in a typical sightseeing tour, is the Maritime Museum. It contains scale models of a number of sailing ships plus life-size figures wearing period military dress, with a separate room displaying massive royal barges. Not to be missed!

A 15-minute walk to the right of the monastery is another noteworthy site: the National Coach Museum, with two rooms dedicated to ornate horse-drawn carriages reserved for royalty. The second room, however, contains an oddity, a small coach with a distorted coat of arms painted on it, said to have been used by the king’s illegitimate family.

ROBERT A. SIEBERT

Jamaica, NY