Street art - Setubal - Portimao

It’s been two months since my last post so I have been lazy again… Sorry! Just warning you that this is going to be a long post! ☺.

I am finally out of the hotel, it took 3,5 months for the company to give me a room. I have been very annoyed how they are NOT handling things, and the same still continues. I am most likely renting a room on my own very soon. The location is good though, in Arroios, the old part of Lisbon. 

Finland celebrated 100 years of independence on December 6th, and all over the world they had events and blue and white lights on sights and historical monuments. Here they lighted the Finnish flag to Belem tower and had a small celebration. They were serving some Finnish snacks and drinks and played music. I spent a couple of hours there with my colleagues and it was a nice event! Here is a photo of that. 

A friend from Finland visited me just before xmas, and brought me salmiakki and chocolate! I still have some left. I was very happy… we had a great time, just walked around Lisbon and visited Cascais. For some reason I just love Cascais. Here’s some more photos of Cascais and Lisbon. 

First Lisbon

Then Cascais. Yes, had a ride on that wheel, nice view!!

Then another friend from Canada came to Lisbon for two weeks. We actually met in Brasov, I hosted her there! It was great to meet again, we spent xmas eve with my colleagues and then catching up with some red wine 🍻. On New Years Eve we decided to take the train to Setubal, because I hadn’t been there either. If I remember it correctly, the train ticket was 4,5 € one way and it took about an hour, it is south of Lisbon. Setubal is a beautiful place, I should visit again at summer! I noticed they have dolphin watching tours from there and I really want to do one of those, since I like dolphins. It was a bit rainy for a while, so we had lunch then. We just walked around and took photos. Here’s some photos of Setubal. Based on the photos some very interesting people live in Setubal... 😂

The next day we met an expat from the US, she had just moved to Lisbon. Got some lunch, walked around admiring city’s street art. If you are into street art, Lisbon really is a great place for that. You see street art basically everywhere! And it is not only on the walls, the city is full of all kinds of performing  artists too. Like the guy playing cello, he was unbelievably good!! Here’s some photos of the art in Lisbon.

And then… I was able to have four days off, and decided to go to Portimao in South Portugal, because I wanted some warmer weather and sunshine! Before that I went to the embassy to vote, we are electing a president in Finland. Unfortunately most likely we won't have a new president, the same dude will continue for another six years. Didn’t vote for him the last time and didn’t vote for him now! In Portimao I booked an apartment in a hotel, just one block from the beach in Praia da Rocha. It was so much warmer there! In the sun you could wear a t-shirt! That area reminded me so much of Costa del Sol in Spain, also very similar architecture. But the seaside is hotels and restaurants, many places are closed in the winter. Tourists wear small tops and shorts and sun hats, and locals have winter jackets 😂. It was quite easy to spot the tourists. And it was weird to hear so many people speaking Finnish! I didn’t really do anything there, just enjoyed the sun and the ocean (no, did not go swimming, are you crazy??). I was planning on going to Lagos on a day trip, but decided to go there for couple of days later. I really wish I could live there in south, it is warmer in the winter and by the ocean… my love number one! Here’s some photos from Portimao. 

Very sorry about writing on so many things in the same post, I really should post more often so I could concentrate on one thing in one post! What else… in few weeks I will have a week of and travelling to the Azores then for five days! Ryanair flies daily to Ponta Delgada and return flight with 20 kg checked in baggage cost me only 70 €! Haven’t booked accommodation yet, but I am just going to relax and hike, and hopefully the weather will be great for hiking! A few friends are planning on visiting already at spring. The apartment is still a big issue, but otherwise everything is fine here. My next post is probably from Azores, and that trip I am REALLY looking forward to, everyone has told me to go there because it is so beautiful. Soon I will see it myself ☺.

Porto and Bilbao

Finally I get to finish and publish this post! Having a sick day and just lying in bed and coughing my lungs out. Charming. But here it is, about my visit to Porto and Bilbao!

Since I had 3 days off, from Saturday to Monday, had to go somewhere, and I chose Porto. I did the bookings on Thursday so I didn’t really check anything what to actually do in Porto. Except drink port wine of course. I took the bus from Lisbon Sete Rios station, return ticket cost 34 € and you can buy it online. It takes 3,5 hours and the busses are very comfortable! Unless you have a screaming baby which for some odd reason always happens to me 😐. My record is 6 screaming babies on the same bus.

The bus arrived to Porto at 15 on Saturday, and it was just 500 m from the apartment I rented for 2 nights. The apartment hotel has only 5 apartments, doesn’t really have reception, so you have to let them know beforehand when you arrive. The name of that place is Bonfim 234 Townhouse and it was absolutely great! Ana checked me in, gave me maps and recommendations where to go, how to get there, what to see, where to eat… And the apartment was just perfect, separate bedroom, I had kitchen and a fridge (!!!), and the best part; a record player! In the hall there were records you can play, including Grease soundtrack, Rod Stewart, Rolling Stones and so on. The place was paradise, very clean and modern and great location, and it cost only 88 € for 2 nights even if I booked just last minute. I enjoyed that place so much, and it was nice to cook again, haven’t had a kitchen or a fridge in over a month now.

I walked around the city, took a bus tour to see a bit more than just the centre, went across the river to the wine cellars to have some nice port! Some cliches you just have to do ☺. I also got SERIOUSLY lost. Everybody knows I always got lost, but now I went walking to a trail because the view from up there was amazing. I kept walking the trail thinking it has to lead somewhere. Yeah, to a dead end! Couldn’t find my way back and I always found a dead end. I even fell down but only on my ass 😁. Sun was going down and it was getting dark and I had no idea which way to go anymore. Finally I found a bigger trail and the road. It was literally totally dark in five minutes when I got to the road! It was getting a bit scary and I just got Uber back, didn’t feel like walking anymore... The situation needed a long warm shower and a huge glass of red wine!

Photos of Porto

The next weekend I also had 3 days off, from Sunday to Tuesday. I had been talking all the time about going to Salamanca then, so naturally I went to Bilbao. I booked my flights and hotel on Saturday, considering that I got a pretty good deal. My flight was 189 €, and the hotel for 2 nights was 120 € including breakfast. The flight takes only about 2 hours from Lisbon. The hotel was Bilbao Plaza and it’s located by the river, 400 m from the city centre and about 1 km from Guggenheim. The hotel has only 2 stars, but in my opinion it should have 3.

Sunday was cloudy and rainy, so I went to Guggenheim then, and also because it is closed on Mondays. The entrance is 10 € and the place is totally worth visiting! I had wanted to visit for a long time and now I finally did it! Spent a few hours there, and it was raining when I left, so I just had dinner and spent the evening at the hotel. On Monday morning it was rainy again, but luckily it cleared during the day. It was still quite chilly, only 12 degrees but I was prepared for that so it was ok for me. I can handle cool weather, I’m a Finn! That is the stereotype but I can assure you it is not true!

Monday I visited the cathedral, and because with the same ticket you can also see St Anton church, I went there as well. The fee was only 5 € and the audio guide is included in both places. They were both very beautiful! I have been asked sometimes why I visit churches quite often as an atheist. The answer is very simple, I am interested in history, architecture and art. Churches are usually the only places to experience all that, and old churches are beautiful. I don’t visit to pray or because of what they represent, I just like to admire the places and hear about the history. Too bad it’s usually only churches left and maintained, or at least usually the only places you can visit (also castles). I walked around the city for hours, and Bilbao seems very beautiful too! It is very different from Malaga of course, but I really enjoyed Bilbao.

Photos of Bilbao

On Tuesday afternoon I returned to Lisbon… back to the small and dark hotel room. Yep, still in a hotel, 7 weeks now. Next week I will start morning shift, I will be so happy getting up before 6 a.m.! Sarcasm intended. I hate f--king early mornings! I won’t have three days off for a month, then a friend is coming for a visit and I am really looking forward to that! Right now I don’t have travel plans, maybe take a week off in the near future and visit northern Africa but nothing more specific is planned yet. As I said at first, having a cold right now (from air conditionng again) and getting bored. Can't even make tea in this hotel room and have to get out to get something to eat! Soon I will be fine again ☺. 

In the end one tip for female travellers... It is a website and a group for female travellers, you can ask and share ideas and  information. And they are not paying me for this! Most conversations of course are not interesting for everyone, but I've read some good tips there. So visit and join if you are interested https://www.facebook.com/groups/gowonder and the website www.letsgowonder.com.