Portugal 2014: Day 1

We just returned from our first overseas adventure with the boys! We spent 10 days traveling in Portugal with Nana and Pop, seeing important historic sites, eating delicious Portuguese food, and playing on the beach. It was a memorable journey and our boys did beautifully. They are excellent travelers and dealt with the time change and different schedule even better than their mama!

We left the states on May 31, just two days after school let out, in order to beat the heat and tourist crowds of late summer. The boys woke up early, as usual, and were so anxious to leave! Airports are part of the fun for them. 

So excited about the adventure!

We left our house at 10:30 a.m. for our 1:30 pm flight to Newark, and then overnight to Lisbon, arriving in Portugal a little after 8 in the morning. The boys both slept about three hours on the plane and were full of vim and vigor when we arrived at our hotel.

We stayed at the Lisboa Carmo Hotel for three nights. Located in the Chiado District, right in the center of Lisbon, it was the perfect location for us.

Carmo Square was steps away from the hotel. Note the beautiful jacaranda trees in bloom. We saw them all over Lisbon.

Our plan to beat jet-lag was to keep moving, so after a short amount of downtime in the hotel, the four of us set off on our first adventure. We visited the Gulbenkian Museum, which houses Greek, Roman, Egyptian, and Asian art in addition to a collection of European art. It was definitely worth a visit, and we were even treated to a little concert in the lobby.  

After walking the grounds at the Gulbenkian, we took a taxi to the Alfama District to visit the Castelo de Sao Jorge (St. George's Castle). The first stop was a late lunch outside the castle walls. We ate typical Portuguese fare: codfish cakes, vegetable soup, bread, cheese and grilled sardines (for Gene!).

Nana and Pop joined us for our castle visit.  

St. George's Castle was built in the mid-eleventh century by the Moors on a site previously fortified by the Romans and the Visigoths. It is at the top of one of Lisbon's tallest hills and provides beautiful views of the city below.

In 1147, Dom Afonso Henriques, the first king of Portugal, led the reconquest of Lisbon and pushed the Moors out of the city, and the castle became a royal palace.

Peahen and peacock.

Ancient olive tree inside the castle walls.

Our first day in Lisbon ended with a lovely meal in the Chiado District, followed by a good night's sleep!