It’s a privilege having the opportunity to revisit Europe after a long six-year hiatus. I had almost given up on the thought of coming again to explore the old continent, with all that has transpired in recent years. But here I am, flying with China Eastern via a stopover in Shanghai, and then catching an onward flight to legendary Madrid. I jumped on the subway and with one change of lines was close to my hostel, and as soon as I reached street level the scene hit me like a thunderbolt. The elegant street pavements and classical architecture of the old buildings in Central Madrid are so beautiful it nearly makes one’s heart fit to burst. Wow, was all I could think… I really am back in Europe! From prior conversations with Europeans during many visits to the continent the buildings don’t seem to register as a big deal, but the history and culture never ceases to amaze a visitor all the way from Australia. Mind you, it certainly doesn’t hurt that Madrid is one of the most beautiful cities in all of Europe!
I quickly settled back into European life and have been blessed from the outset of this five-week adventure with perfect early autumn weather. Blue skies, light winds and warm temperature have been just the tonic, in fact it is reminiscent of summer in Sydney with the daily temperatures rising into the mid 20s. There’s so much to see and do in world famous Madrid, however my return visit is only for three short days. At the least I’m confident l can rekindle some fond memories of old times and of course enjoy new experiences in this gorgeous city. I met an English guy at the airport bar flying over, and he said he starts the visit to a new city by purchasing a ticket on the hop on hop off bus. I kept the idea front of mind and have enjoyed the previous occasions doing so in other countries. But for me the first day in a new city always is spent on foot, and as such I strode out to Plaza Major in the centre of the city to start the adventures. European cities are so grand, so impressive, and oh so crowded! There are literally swarms of people, locals and tourists alike, all out and about so as to enjoy the delights of this magnificent city.
After a great day of walking and exploring, I took advantage of both routes on the hop on hop off bus for the next two days of adventure while taking in the rich history of Madrid. What a city, Madrid is simply magnificent! However, with such an ambitious itinerary planned I jumped on a morning bus across the Portuguese border for the six-hour journey to Porto. I’ve visited Portugal twice before, but this marks a first opportunity to see the world-famous city of Porto on the Douro river. Porto is also the jump off point for the Portuguese section of the Camino de Santiago, and as such is absolutely swarming with tourists. I had five glorious days to enjoy the sights, and booked on an excellent walking tour to commence the familiarization process in the city. The half day tour crammed in so many sights and the guide pumped us full of information, it turned out to be a thoroughly enjoyable experience! On days two and three I again made the most of the hop on hop off buses where you can get off anywhere along the routes to explore further. Also interspersed with the bus adventures was a lot of walking, often without any real plan other than to follow my instincts and get a feel for the city.
Porto is also a frequent port of call for some of the world’s largest cruise ships. The Royal Caribbean behemoths disgorge mainly American tourists by the thousands, and to be honest although Porto is a glorious gem of a city, a visit can prove somewhat overwhelming with the sheer number of tourists that flock to the city. Perhaps I hadn’t fully recalled the monumental scale of tourism in Europe after such a long hiatus, but it’s almost overwhelming (and perhaps not the ideal destination for a solo tourist). I felt a little self-conscious going to the giant restaurants on the river that are crammed full of diners, and tended to drift a bit out of the centre of town to enjoy a quiet meal and a beer with at least a modicum of solitude. One quaint habit of some older European ladies is to talk so loudly it can only be interpreted by my bruised ear drums as shouting. So, for example, they see a solo traveller on the hop on hop off bus, or on a cruise down the Douro river and what do they do, yes that’s right… park right next to me and start bellowing like it’s the most natural thing in the world. Hello ladies, your companion is right next to you, is there really any need to involve the entire neighbourhood in your conversation!
Anyways I digress, five days in beautiful Porto fairly raced by and before long I was on the bus south to the capital Lisbon. What a thrill to revisit this magnificent city, and I quickly became ensconced in hostel life at great digs in a perfect location. Once again I booked on the first available walking tour, and shared the experience with an American lady from the hostel after she asked to join me during breakfast. This hostel is bigger with a friendlier vibe than the one in Porto, the hostel is just the ticket as a base for some excellent adventures! Lisbon is a total knockout, I had almost forgotten how beautiful the city is! Just be prepared for lots of climbing stairs which is sure to get the fitness levels up. The tour was great value and extremely informative, as we charged around the attractions with a knowledgeable and informative guide. I organized tickets on the hop on hop off bus, and spent the following few days exploring the two separate routes around this magnificent city.
There have been severe wildfires in Portugal during my visit, however I was still able to catch a train an hour out of town to the magnificent hillside town of Sintra. Unfortunately the trail to Pena palace was closed, so I was not able to enjoy a return visit to this colourful and unique palace. Oh well, the memories from my prior visit will always remain special. A visit to the beautiful town centre itself is how I will have to content myself. Sintra is a simply gorgeous town, but so jammed with tourists the crowds proved to be somewhat of a distraction to getting full satisfaction from the visit. It takes a lot of patience to get nice photos, and you can be sure the frame is often ruined by random tourists constantly walking in to view! Nevertheless I was still able to sneak in some nice photos. The train ride back to Lisbon runs frequently and proved very convenient, heading to Rossio square close to the hostel. I just had to prepare for the usual numerous flights of stairs that can’t be avoided when visiting!
It’s hard to take in the fact I’m back in beautiful Europe, and the first fortnight of my travels has literally flown by. What a great starting point, but now it’s time to head out to explore the Macoronesian islands of the Atlantic Ocean for the first time. I can’t wait to see what the islands have to offer but what I do know about Spain and Portugal is, basically all of you should be here now!
“Can we just skip to the part of my life where I travel the world?” – Unknown
As I continue my travels, until next time it’s signing off for now
Tom
Tom's music blog can be found here:
http://www.tomrooneymusic.com
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