Impulsive Christmas Trip

[amaroo]

Next stop was Cascais





We then headed back to Lisbon .... where the sights were still plentiful!





Awesome day - would happily suggest it as a day trip when in Lisbon.

 

[amaroo]

On the last day we ticked off...

Belém Tower





Jerónimos Monastery



Pasteis de Belém .... apparently they knock out >10,000 tarts a day





Time out Market

 

[Flashback]

On the last day we ticked off...

Belém Tower

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Jerónimos Monastery

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Pasteis de Belém .... apparently they knock out >10,000 tarts a day

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Time out Market

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Yep, that's the place to go and get em! Very well known.

 

[OZDUCK]

You have definitely sold me on Lisbon & Portugal - but the weather you had/are having is ridiculously good!

 

[amaroo]

You have definitely sold me on Lisbon & Portugal - but the weather you had/are having is ridiculously good!

The four nights we had in Lisbon weren’t nearly enough - we could have easily spent our whole trip in Portugal..... there’s always next time!

We have certainly been blessed with some great weather!

 

[amaroo]

TP (J) LIS-MAD

First time flying TAP Air Portugal - very impressed.

Compared to other Euro J we’ve experienced .... these guys win hands down. Not that it’s a difficult race to win.





About the only benefit of an OMG o’clock departure





Not a bad offering for a sub 1 hour flight



This was my first flight on a *A carrier crediting to my newly minted SQ KrisFlyer account With a truckload of MR points accumulating at lightning speed we’re about to hit those SQ suites with some serious redeeming

 

[amaroo]

We landed in MAD without issue and made our way from T2 > T1 (10 min covered walk) to collect our hire car. Tried hiring with Hertz, but their options for larger vehicles were limited, so it was Europcar for us. The car was ready, and we paid a pretty hefty sum for a 11 day car hire - premium for larger cars is expensive.

Nice easy drive first up....



On approach into Segovia



We were early and our rooms were not ready, fair enough as it was NYE and the hotel was very busy.

We dropped our bags and went to checkout Segovia...

 

[Flashback]

Based on the car rental timeline you must be close to dropping it back (today?), be interested to know if Europcar try and pull one over you (they've tried it on me twice, so I've never rented with them since!).

 

[ellen10]

Sergovia is on my list for our visit in October. Loving your photos.

 

[VPS]

How much time are you spending photoshopping all the blue sky into your photos. Loving the TR

 

[Straubs]

Gorgeous weather, and great photography. Looks like Summer weather!

 

[OZDUCK]

We landed in MAD without issue and made our way from T2 > T1 (10 min covered walk) to collect our hire car. Tried hiring with Hertz, but their options for larger vehicles were limited, so it was Europcar for us. The car was ready, and we paid a pretty hefty sum for a 11 day car hire - premium for larger cars is expensive.

Nice easy drive first up....

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Lovely photos again. However, I am becoming worried as not only did you take a photo from just outside our apartment in Bilbao but our hotel room in Segovia is right in the middle of this photo. Just above the house with blue awning. You have obviously been spying on me.

 

[amaroo]

We were very luckily to get into “Alcazar of Segovia” before it shut earlier for NYE .... made it by 10mins.



According to my son - this is what my daughter looked like when boarding QF1 back in Sydney



We went up the tower - would recommend doing this. Lots of very narrow steps coping with two way traffic (it would be blue murder in the high seasons), but the views are definitely worth it!

 

[amaroo]

More of the tower views



Impressive fortifications / moat



Apparently Segovia is the place to eat Suckling Pig .... so we did. Many famous well known places around the square, but without a reservation we were bum out of luck.

We walked the streets until we found one that looked good.

Meson Don Jimeno - very nice meal.



Sucking Pig .... really didn’t need the chips



Roast Lamb was delicious.... also didn’t need the chips





We needed to walk off that meal!

 

[amaroo]

The main attraction - Aquduct of Segovia.... built around the end of the 1st century (with a few rebuilds over time) and still looking magnificent!




We certainly saw it on a nice day!

 

[amaroo]

Eurostar’s Convento Capuchinos .... Segovia was filled to the brim due to NYE, and this place was straining under the pressure.

Rooms were nice enough, but our room had a “shrub” .... that’s sufficient enough reason to put it on our never to stay again list.

Luckily we only stayed one night...

Our room...





The offending “shrub”



The kids room





Nice views from both rooms

 

[RooFlyer]

but our room had a “shrub”

You mean a shower over a tub?

 

[amaroo]

You mean a shower over a tub?

Yes, hate’em .... can be difficult to avoid in these smaller towns.

 

[amaroo]

NYE dinner - Villena

When we booked there was no details on the menu or price.... the only detail was an immediate payment of a €50 pp deposit.

Ended up being a set menu, no surprises there, but also a matching wine arrangement which we’ve learnt to avoid.

No changes allowed (buy your own wine) and no discount for the kids not drinking ... tried offsetting the kids by drinking their share, but the majority of the wines were not worth backing up for another.

The restaurant is located in an old convent and shares the same building as the hotel (although they are not affiliated), it holds 1 Michelin star rating...



They proudly showed you the truffles prior to the dish... pretty generous allocation

 

[amaroo]

The Spanish have a custom of eating 12 grapes on the count of midnight .... mixture of superstition and good luck. Sensible ecological packaging for 12 grapes



The wines







NYE party bag



3/4 disliked this meal ... not sure a set menu is their thing!

Debatable if I would recommend this restaurant.... although it’s a 100% wouldn’t for NYE and matched wines.