Spain and Portugal
We recently enjoyed a fabulous trip to Spain and Portugal !
With Viking River Cruises we took the pre-trip in Madrid and loved the city.
After our overnight flight we arrived in Madrid and even though it was only 7 AM our hotel had a room ready for us. After a quick nap and refresh we headed out to explore Madrid. John got us situated with the map and we found a cute little bakery for lunch.
Saw this sign at a restaurant near our hotel and thought these are words to live by!
The next morning we had a wonderful walking tour of Madrid - here we are in the main square.
Enjoying a cappuccino in a cafe in the square.
Our tour included the Prado Museum - no photos are allowed inside. Our guide was fantastic...he explained so many features in the paintings that we would have missed on our own.
First stop was wine, gazpacho, ham and cheese croquettes, and a tuna dish.
Next stop was ham lover dream...that plate was for one person! The ham was SO good, and of course...wine.
Fun to walk along the old streets and see the beautiful tiles...
The last stop was back in the main square with a kind of quiche, a tuna salad on good bread...
and the local specialty...fried squid on a delicious roll. I was skeptical, but it was great!
Last stop was a candy shop from 1775 - we took some chocolate back to our room for a snack!
The next day we found a tour about the Spanish Civil War...it was not near our hotel but our Viking guide told us what bus to take to meet the tour...
Very interesting tour for history buffs like us...the spot where the hotel Ernest Hemmingway stayed to report on the war, bullet holes from the fighting...
Beautiful buildings and sad memorials to a terrible time.
When it was time to return to our hotel we were nowhere near when the bus that brought us to the tour was located. Our guide explained we had to take the Metro - challenge accepted!
We did it ! Made it back to our hotel in time to go to a Flamenco dinner!
Was happy to see this Spanish reminder of Prime Days...and did not let being in Europe stop me from shopping !!!
A nice walk past the cathedral...
then onto the Corral De La Moreria - the famous flamenco spot that has been THE place for the dance since 1957.
This year the restaurant received a Michelin Star - well deserved as the food was amazing!
What a great show...full of energy and tradition.
The next morning we flew to Lisbon, Portugal. Once settled in our hotel we met our Viking Tour Manager for the week and found some great places to eat near our hotel. Then the next day our tour of Lisbon - with the fantastic Fatima as our guide.
Down to the waterfront and the memorial to soldiers lost in the wars in Angola other Portuguese colonies.
The Maritime Museum was a fascinating stop...Henry the Navigator and a huge map that showed how powerful Portugal was during the age of discovery.
admired the architecture,
and the beautiful mosaic sidewalks found all over Portugal.
The next morning we headed out to Fatima and then onto our ship.
First a stop at the cathedral at Batalha.
The light coming through the stained glass was magical. The tomb of Phillipa of England and John of Spain was touching - even though an arranged marriage and treaty, you could see they were in love as they are holding hands in their crypt.
From there it was on to Fatima...
An incredibly moving experience...
Inside the cathedral are the tombs of St. Jacinta, Lucia, and St. Francisco - the children who experienced visits from the Virgin Mary from May to October, 1917.
The feeling of holiness was palapable.
You cannot light candles in the cathedral - there was a terrible earthquake in Portugal in 1755 and even though the churches survived the quake the candles tipped over and destroyed so much by fire. So now there are areas outside where candles can be lit. John is holding a normal sized candle...some were very thick and taller than him. We soon found out why...
The place to light and burn them was like an inferno...I quickly lit my candle, said a prayer, and stepped back!
Very moving to see pilgrims walking on their knees up to the shrine to ask the Queen of the Rosary for help and cures.
The shrine as become so popular that a new, larger cathedral has been built on the grounds to accommodate visitors.
Even the hotel where we had lunch paid tribute to Mary!
These beautiful statues of the children depict them walking their flock to the spot where the Virgin Mary appeared. We are so very glad we got to visit this special place!
From Fatima we boarded our bus and made our way to our ship, the Viking Torgil, docked on the Douro River.
Thank you for stopping by Our New Vista and traveling with us...next post will be all about our voyage on the Douro River.
Have you been to any of these places? What are your memories ? Please leave a comment below - I love hearing from you!
Have a great week and enjoy this Fall!
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