The Algarve

July 12: On the train down to Lagos, met and chatted with a few people:

• Bruno, from near Lagos but working in London, on his way home on holiday
• Savannah, American from Bend, Oregon (small world), on a work-exchange program in the area (okay, she was pretty hot - I think this is where I got distracted and misplaced my sunglasses)

Hopped the bus to Salema, checked into my room, and relaxed on the beach:

July 13: A day of mixed outcomes

Today was supposed to be a day of lounging around and rest, but I woke up with energy and decided to go for a short hike down the coast and check out some of the beaches in the coves.

Portable tripod mastery

Which was all well and good until I felt ready to continue down to the point, a good 3-4 miles down the coast from Salema.

Of course, I had only brought with me 750 ml of water, which is NOT ENOUGH for 6-8 miles in the midday sun in the south of Portugal. The last half of the walk back was a disastrous haze as my body started running out of fluids. Luckily, no signs of renal failure thus far. Less luckily, after laying down a good base tan over the last 2 weeks, I burned the crap out of my skin today (even many already quite tan areas).

Had a nice rabbit stew dinner (with PO-TA-TOES) and now off to bed. To Sevilla tomorrow (the final stop for which I don't have a guidebook) if all goes well.

Full photo album

Sintra

July 11th: Started at the Gulbenkian museum (free today!), a fairly wildly varied collection. Lots of nice Chinese gemstone carvings, Turkish rugs, Ottoman books, and this bad boy from Rene Lalique:

Dragonfly Woman

Then onto the train to Sintra. (Missed the first train by less than a minute because the ticket guy gave me the wrong ticket).

Sintra is magnificent - the Pena palace and the Moorish fortress are two incredibly breath-taking buildings. Absolutely a must visit (maybe THE must visit) in Portugal.

The Pena Palace

Basically a brightly colored Disney castle sitting on top of a mountain -  filled with terraces and buttresses and so on. The interior is quite interesting as well - great example of Victorian design.

The Moorish Castle

Definitely leaning more towards "ruins" than "castle" at this point, the whole outer rampart on the cliff edge is still intact and walkable (and very cool).

Hiked down from here (after taking the bus up), and recommend hiking both ways - not that far, and the bus is crowded and expensive. Plus, you get to see the palace from the castle before arriving:

The National Palace is then a little out of the way, but it's a bit ho-hum in comparison anyway (although they were doing a bit of jousting in the yard when I was there).

Got back to Lisbon just in time to catch the World Cup final in the plaza outside the rail station and get myself a nice spot on the balcony:

Vamos Espana!

Full photo album

Lisbon

Alright, it's been a busy couple days, no posts - expect more of that if and when Wifi becomes harder to find.

I think I left off after Wednesday...

Thursday (July 8):

Up early to the rail station to pick up my ticket to Lisbon, then off to the OTHER train station to get tickets to Toledo. Was intending to go to Toledo on Thursday, but instead went home, had a little siesta, then went off to the Royal Palace:

Raaaar! Look out, Juan Carlos I - your palace armory's extensive collection of medieval and renaissance weaponry will not save it from the ravages of Spider Jaryn!

More Royal Palace photos

Friday (July 9):

Off to Toledo in the morning - a fine example of Spanish architecture built on Spanish ruins built on Moorish/Muslim ruins built on Roman ruins. I'd been "enjoying" the triple digit daytime temperatures, but Toledo got up to a nice and toasty 109 F (43 C).

More Toledo pictures

Finally, back to Madrid and hopping the night train to Lisbon.

Saturday (July 10):

Arrived in Lisbon - sans hotel reservation, on a Saturday, in July. Not the best idea - I'd been having some persistent phone trouble contacting the hotels I wanted, so I just decided to wing it. What's the worst that could happen?

After a little exploring, I found myself a bunk in a hostel - 2 guys in a six person room, not bad. And free breakfast and Wifi!

After I got my reservation, still had to wait a good 6 hours to check-in, so I went off into the city. Through the Baixa to the Castelo S Jorge and the Alfama, back to Praça de Comercia and on the trolley to the suburb of Belem for the Coach Museum, Jeronimo's monastery, the Descombrimentos monument, and the Tower of Belem. Whew.

Slacking on guard duty. This is the only guard post in which two Portuguese teenagers are NOT making out

Now to bed. Tomorrow's probables: Sintra, the Gulbenkian museum, further exploration of the Barrio Alto, then off Monday to the Algarve.

Madrid - Day 2

Madrid is awesome. I'm gonna need some earplugs to be able to sleep tonight, but nothing like being in a European capital when it goes to the World Cup final for the first time.

Today I went to the Prado and the Reina Sofia, which were quite nice, but clearly not the highlight of the day. In the afternoon I had a couple beers at a fine bar on the corner of Calle de Lope de Vega and Plaza de Jesus. Struck up a "conversation" with the bartenders (who spoke about as much English as I speak Spanish). They recommended I watch the game at the stadium, but I thought that might be a bit much, so I just went to a pub like a block away.

Where I met Sergio and Vanessa!

We had some drinks, witnessed the incredible chaos of Plaza del Sol (more pictures), had some tapas (alright, they bought me some drinks and tapas - huzzah for Spanish hospitality!), and I got some info on the north of Spain. Good times had by all.

Now I just have to get up early, go to the train station and confirm my reservation to Lisbon...Ugh.

Madrid

Finally arrived in Madrid after a 15-hour day of rail travel. One of the (hopefully many times) I'm grateful for the 1st class railpass.


View Larger Map

Got to walk around Bayonne for a bit as well, which I wouldn't have been able to do otherwise.
Bayonne pictures

Notes about Spain thus far:

1. Fewer English speakers (compared to Paris; not really a surprise)
2. Sometimes, when the Metro ticket machine has a language button, its a ruse
3. Prostitutes EVERYWHERE. 15+ in the ~100 m from the metro to my hotel

Paris: Days 2 - 5

Off to Madrid tomorrow morning - failed to reserve my train early enough (they suggested two weeks) and couldn't go overnight. :( Fortunately, my train to Lisbon has now been successfully booked.

Overview of what I've been doing for the last few days below - busy. busy, busy. Hopefully I'll be able to compose something more interesting (and better laid out) than just album links on the next update - lots of thinking time on the train...

Day 2:
The historic core of Paris:
Notre Dame / Deportation Memorial / Sainte-Chapelle / Conciergerie / Louvre / Orsay

Full album

Day 3:
Miscellaneous:
Napoleon's tomb / Army museum / Rodin museum / Champs-Elysee to Arc de Triomphe / Opera house
(Also a late night of drinking which I failed to bring my camera to)

Full album

Day 4:
Versailles

Full album

Day 5: 

The Eiffel Tower and Marais

Full album

Paris - day 1

Arrived in Paris in the early afternoon of July 1. Paris is boiling hot currently - well into the 80s during the day and oppressively humid. Nevertheless, my persistence in wearing jeans and dark shoes instead of shorts and tennis shoes has the natives occasionally taking me for a local - until I open my mouth.

Typical conversations:

Parisian: Bonjour!
Me: Bonjour!
Parisian: How are you today?

Parisian 2: (lots of French, really fast)
Me: ...Oui...

After the airport, we took the subway over to Pigalle:

Climbed up to Sacre-Coeur and vicinity:

Had some French dinner at J'Go:

not the Moulin Rouge:

The whole photo album

More to come...