A digital travel diary. · WP v1.08 · Updated
I discovered Joe Bonamassa a few years ago on Spotify (with songs like Drive) being one of my favorites. I especially enjoyed listening to his collaboration with Beth Hart on Don't Explain. . When I learned that Joe would play at the San Jose Civic Center, I was excited to see him live and purchased excellent seats for the 8:00 pm show. . . We…
Read More: Joe Bonamassa at San Jose Civic CenterMariza is a world-famous Fado singer, and I was surprised and delighted that she was visiting San Francisco. Having just returned from Portugal, where Mariza usually performs in large stadiums, I was happily surprised to find I could purchase tickets to hear her live. . Here is a sample YouTube video of her singing:. . . . According to Wikipedia: . Mariza was born in…
Read More: Mariza at SF Jazz
At around 9:30, I ordered an UberX from the Torel Palace Hotel to Cais do Sodré Train Station, where trains to Cascais depart. We arrived at about 9:57, missing the 10:00 train to Cascais. However, we boarded the next train at 10:20 and arrived 40 minutes later.. . . According to Wikipedia (see more about Cascais):. Cascais is a town and municipality in the Lisbon…
Read More: Vising Cascais, Portugal
Friday, October 4, 2024 . Inna arranged a private tour of Sintra, and we met our guide, Nino (from Vangotourism), at 09:20, just outside our Torel Place Hotel. He had arrived in a Mercedes-Benz van, and we were quickly on our way to Sintra. There was heavy traffic on the way, but we arrived around 09:30. . . Nino is a local Portuguese guide who…
Read More: Visiting Sintra, Portugal
Monday, September 30, 2024 . On Monday, September 30th, at 18:00, after finishing sightseeing at the Buddha Eden Garden of Peace, we drove to Lisbon (LIS) airport, where I was scheduled to drop off my rented Nissan Qashqai at Hertz. . . There was some traffic on the way there, but we arrived at 19:00 and found the Hertz Rental car return near the airport.…
Read More: Back to Lisbon, Portugal
After visiting Obidos and Caldas da Rainha, we drove for 30 minutes to Buddha Eden Garden of Peace in Bombarral. . . Once we purchased our tickets (12.00 euros/person), we waited to board a train to ride around the gardens. We got off at our first stop and started taking many photos. The train is relatively slow and has a few stops. Next time, I…
Read More: Visiting Buddha Eden Garden of Peace, Portugal
After stopping at Obidos, we had some free time and decided to visit the spa town of Caldas da Rainha. . Once we found free parking in Caldas da Rinha, we strolled through the Parque Dom Carlos I, which overlooks a small lake with rowboats and large hospitals. . . If we had time, we would have liked to stroll through the park and enjoy…
Read More: Visiting Caldas da Rainha, Portugal
Monday, September 30, 2024 . After a delicious breakfast at Hotel Quinta das Lagrimas, we packed our suitcases and drove to Obidos. It was about 08:30, and some rush-hour traffic slowed us down on our way. . . We arrived in the vicinity of Obidos around 10:00 and parked in the unpaved but Free Parking lot. From there, we walked across the street and entered…
Read More: Visiting Obidos, Portugal
Sunday, September 29, 2024 . Since Inna had pre-purchased tickets for the 15:00 English-speaking Tour of the University of Coimbra Library, we ordered an UberX to get there on time. . . . . Arriving on schedule, we waited for our tour to begin at the Ticket Office. Our tour guide, Patricia, was excellent (with perfect British English pronunciation). She provided us with headsets so…
Read More: Touring University of Coimbra, Portugal
Saturday, September 28, 2024 . At around 17:30, we finally found our way to Hotel Quinta das Lagrimas (from Casal de São Simão). Although we arrived 30 minutes early, we could not find the car entrance, and both Google Maps and Apple Maps gave incorrect directions. . . We called the hotel, and the receptionist explained how to use the service entrance. Once inside the…
Read More: Visiting Coimbra, Portugal