Photo courtesy of RunQuest Travel

Thursday, June 20:

Journey to Lisbon

10am Depart Pousada Hotel

~11:30am depart Braga for Lisbon via speed train

3:30pm Arrive in Lisbon and transfer to My Story Hotel Ouro

5pm -  Walking tour of Lisbon

7pm - Dinner TBA

(My Story Hotel Ouro Night One)

Lisbon hosts 40 museums, one of the highest concentrations of museums in the world, including the Gulbenkian Museum (with an art collection spanning 5,000 years) and the Museu Nacional do Azulejo (National Tile Museum), featuring beautiful ceramic tiles as they would have originally appeared, including a panorama of the cityscape prior to the 1755 earthquake. (The estimated 9.0 magnitude quake destroyed much of Lisbon and wiped out nearly a third of the population.) At the highest point, you’ll find São Jorge Castle, built by the Moors in the 11th century and the royal residence for three centuries. 

Three miles west of downtown Lisbon is Belém, whose structures survived the 1755 earthquake. Erected in the early 16th century, the Monastery of Jerónimos was closed in 1837, forcing the Catholic monks to find creative ways to earn a living. The result is a delectable egg custard tart. Casa Pastéis de Belém is said to continue to use the secret recipe passed down from the monks, and though you can find a decent imitation at nearly any café, it’s worth seeking out the original, served fresh and warm. Nearby, the Belém Tower was a welcome sign for sailors returning from their voyages. Both the monastery and the tower are fine examples of Portugal’s Manueline architecture, featuring decorative, carved stonework.

(My Story Hotel Ouro night 1 of 2)