My favourite food and drink of Lisbon

It was my birthday this week, and to celebrate my boyfriend and I went to eat at a small Portuguese restaurant in Bedford that I’d heard great things about. It’s called Baia de Cascais, named after the coastal town of Cascais, near Lisbon, from where the owners hail. We had a lovely dinner (you can read my review on IndyBrit to find out more) which made me think of the food and drink I enjoyed during my trip to Lisbon a few years ago.

Fish

I would like to go vegetarian but the thing that stops me is my love of fish; I eat it several times a week and would be lost without it in my diet! Some of the best fish dishes I’ve enjoyed so far were in Lisbon.

Salted cod is popular; this could be grilled, fried or boiled, and served with various shades of potatoes, fries or rice, depending on the dish. One evening our hostel owners cooked salted cod fish cakes with rice and beans for the guests, which was absolutely delicious; I could have eaten plates of it!

Vinho verde – “green” wine

You’ll find this available in most restaurants. It’s not actually green – the “green” aspect refers to the young age of the grape that’s used to make it. It’s a white wine which is slightly sparkling – not enough to earn it the status of “a sparkling wine”, but it’s a light and refreshing accompaniment to your meal.

Ginja

You’ll want to buy a bottle of this Portuguese cherry brandy to bring back with you! It’s a must-try whilst you’re in Lisbon. If you’re visiting the Castle of São Jorge, look for the little shop near the entrance where they’ll sell you ginja in a chocolate cup, which of course you eat after you’ve drunk the liqueur – yum!

Pasteis de nata

You’ll find these delicious custard tarts in every bakery and café in Lisbon. They originated in one particular bakery in the Belem area of the city, which usually has a long wait for tables and a significant queue for take-away, but you’ll find good quality tarts elsewhere too.

What do you think…have I missed anything fantastic?

Me at the real Cascais a few years ago

Corfu, Greece

Every July I go away for a week somewhere hot and sunny, to ensure that whatever happens with the British weather, I will get at least a few days of sun! I wasn’t sure where to go this year, so I did a bit of searching, and cheap apartments and hotels on the Greek island of Corfu kept coming up, so, having never been to Greece before, I decided to give it a go.

I wouldn’t normally go for an apartment as it feels like too much space for one person, but this was by far the cheapest option accommodation-wise this time. I booked in at Minore Apartments in Messonghi, in the south of the island. I was initially a bit concerned that there were no TripAdvisor reviews for this place (there is one now!), but I reasoned that most people will generally only bother putting reviews on TA if something is very good or very bad, so there was probably nothing to worry about. It turned out to be a great decision; the studio apartment was basic but had everything I needed, it had a balcony with a bit of a sea-view, it was a few minutes’ walk from the sand and the beach-side restaurants and bars. And the owner was fantastic; I had emailed to ask if they could help me to arrange an airport transfer, as I was finding them expensive and their blurb on the booking pages said that they could help with this; their aid was actually the owner himself turning up to collect me from the airport, and dropping me back there the next week, and refusing to accept any payment for it! Once settled in on the Wednesday night that I arrived, I relaxed on my balcony drinking some local beer and listening to the Greek music drifting up from the tavern below, watching the sun set over the sea, and ready to start my holiday.

I spent Thursday lazily, just adjusting to being on holiday; lots of lying on the sand, swimming in the gorgeous but chilly sea, and eating and drinking: gyros (legitimate doner kebab!) and Greek beer for lunch, and prawns in tomato and ouzo sauce and feta cheese, with local wine, and baklava for dessert, for dinner…yum. My initial impressions of Corfu? How green it was…it looked like a tropical island with the forest enveloping the hills. I was also struck by the friendliness of everyone I had encountered that day; in the  restaurants and the shops they welcomed me to Corfu, and no one questioned or commented on the fact that I was alone. 

On the way back to the apartment that evening I stopped off at the supermarket to buy some bottled water (tap water in Corfu should not be drunk) and local wine to drink on my balcony, and was presented with a shot of kumquat, the local liqueur, at the till – lovely, but bizarre!

 

I had decided to take a boat trip on Friday. There are several travel centres in the area but the TripAdvisor Messonghi forum suggested that it was cheaper to go down to the Messonghi River in the early evening and book direct with the boat owners, so on Thursday night before dinner I had done this, booking with Captain Homer, again on the recommendation of posters on the TA forum. The trip departed at 10am, sailing out from the beautiful river and south along the coast. The Captain and his wife were both welcoming and friendly – again, no comment about me being on my own – and there was a really lovely atmosphere to the whole trip. Our first stop was Petriti, a little fishing village, which was wonderfully isolated and peaceful; boats, sand, a solitary taverna, a few people walking along the road every so often. I took lots of photos! Back on the boat, we headed out into deeper water for a swimming stop – blissful – being greeted with a little cup of ouzo and lemon after clambering back up the ladder; it was only 11.30 in the morning, but it was perfect after a swim! Another swimming stop in shallower water – a bit chilly – and it was time for lunch; a delicious spread prepared by our host – Greek salad, tuna salad, bread and olive oil and tsatsiki, with some local wine to wash it all down with. It was all very lovely.

Our final stop was at Notos, which was like a tropical paradise; palm trees and flowers everywhere, hammocks to laze in at your leisure, and the sound of crickets filling the air. I climbed up the hill for a bit to enjoy the view, then chilled out in a hammock until it was time to board the boat again to head back to Messonghi – a glorious way to spend the afternoon.

We arrived back at 4pm and I was left really sleepy – must have been all that sea air – so I went back to the apartment for a nap before heading out for dinner; sofrito, beef in garlic sauce, a Cofriot speciality, and then back to the apartment to chill out on the balcony with a book.

I slept badly (partly due to an epic dream in which I was in the Hunger Games!) and didn’t wake until late on Saturday, so I decided to have another lazy day; beach, swim, food, wander. In the evening I walked along the beach after night had fallen and there was the most beautiful full moon, shimmering over the water; I tried to take photos on both my camera and my phone but sadly I couldn’t get any of them to come out. I stopped at the supermarket for water and wine again and was once again given kumquat at the till; I could get used to that!

On Sunday I woke up with my skin feeling a bit dry and sore, despite all the suncream and aftersun I’d been using, so I decided to stay off the beach today to give it a bit of a break. In the morning I walked up to a little village called Chlomotiana; a very steep two-mile climb from the Messonghi-Moraitika road, but one which is totally worth it for the amazing views and the pretty village at the top. It’s a proper little Greek village; white houses, flowers everywhere, old women in traditional clothing chatting in the street (I would really have liked to take a photo of them but felt it would be too rude to do so without asking, and my Greek is pretty much non-existant!). I found a café and sat outside with a couple of other tourists and some locals, drinking my first (and last) Greek coffee – disgusting stuff, like the granules left at the bottom of a filter coffee mixed with sugar – no wonder it’s always served with a glass of water! After taking a few more photos, I headed back down, walking into Moraitika to have a wander and some lunch. 

My plan for the afternoon was more walking, this time to Boukari; I had read that it was a pleasant three-mile walk along the coastal road. However, not realising this meant the minor road right by the shore, I walked along the main road and ended up heading inland on a very steep climb…after a while of panting my way around another corner to find yet another winding hill, I realised I’d very much taken a wrong turn! It was such a trek and scorching hot, but the views of the coast were wonderful, as were the close-up views of the forest and crags as I climbed higher, so I kept going for a while! After all of that the lure of a swim in the cool blue water was too strong, so I reneged on my plan to stay off the beach and went for a quick late afternoon dip.

After dinner I decided to treat myself to a cocktail in one of the beach bars, choosing one – “Barocco” - with lots of comfy-looking sofas and cushions right on the beach. It turned out to be a gorgeous way to spend the evening; sipping a cheap but strong Black Russian, watching the sun set over the sea. Feeling very blissed-out, I headed to the supermarket for my usual bottled water and shot of kumquat before taking up position on my balcony. It was World Cup final night – Germany vs. Argentina – and I heard a cheer rise from the village; there were lots of German tourists around!

I got up early on Monday to catch the bus into Corfu Town.  I wasn’t entirely sure what I was doing with the bus, but I figured if I stood at a bus stop and got on a green bus that stopped there, it would all work out! It turned out to be a very organised operation, with a conductor on the bus taking fares and giving change. It was just 2 euros and 20 cents for the 25 kilometre journey, which is super-cheap compared to bus fares in England! The journey took just under an hour and followed the coast for most of the way, so I was glad I had deliberately selected a seat on the sea-side of the bus just in case – it was a gorgeous view.

(It’s worth noting that, although there is officially no bus service from Corfu Airport, this bus was letting people off a few roads away, by the Avis car hire, and picked people up from there too on the way back).

In the bus station I picked up a map and a bus timetable, intending to take my usual approach of just wandering around to explore the town. First I came across the magnificent New Fortress, then the port; brilliant blue sea, with gigantic cruise ships parked up, and ferries arriving, I think from the mainland. I then found myself in the Old Town, where I was continuously taking photos – so pretty! It reminded me a lot of the nooks and crannies of Naples last year. There were lots of shops selling jewellery, trinkets, olive oil etc. too. I found St Spyridon’s Church (the patron saint of Corfu) but couldn’t go in as I wasn’t appropriately dressed; I was wearing short shorts, and hadn’t thought to bring a scarf or wrap to cover myself up with. 

After lunch I headed up to The Liston – the elegant esplanade that was once reserved for royalty only – and then the old palace, finding next to that the gorgeous Old Fortress sitting out in the bright blue sea, ships all around it, and people bobbing around in the water. I spotted one guy swimming out from the beach to the fortress, and really wished I’d brought my bikini and towel! It was absolutely beautiful and reminded me a lot of Malaga and Naples; that Mediterranean city feel.

If you’ve read my previous posts, you have probably noticed that my lack of direction and spatial awareness is a general theme throughout any trip of mine; coupled with my inability to read maps, I got totally lost navigating my way back through the town to the bus station; I have no idea how I managed it in the end, but I did!

That evening I finished off my souvenir shopping in Moraitika before dinner, then followed my new routine of dinner and a cocktail on the beach. There were two little girls playing at the edge of the water, and slowly they began to play together; their parents were enjoying a drink and they were both amusing themselves. They had only just met and didn’t seem to speak the same language, but they bonded over picking up handfuls of wet sand and chucking them into the sea; it was really sweet to watch!

I woke on Tuesday with the feeling that I must make the most of my last day! I decided to try walking to Boukari again, taking the correct road this time! I was hoping to find a bit of beach along the way but had no luck finding anywhere decent until about two-thirds of the way along the road, when I spotted a little rocky cove, with what looked like a swimming platform (it had a ladder) past a rickety plank, extending over the rocks into the deeper water – obviously I was going for this! The water was surprisingly warm and I had a wonderful swim, with the whole thing to myself. Afterwards I lay out on the rocks, enjoying the sun and listening to the sea. 

When I eventually could bring myself to move, I completed my walk into Boukari and located some lunch; now with sore feet – I should have worn trainers for this three-mile walk! Boukari was exceedingly picturesque; lots of little boats and fishing platforms, and the water was a fantastic blue in between the darker shades of rocks and seaweed.

When I stepped out of the tavern, I realised it was raining – boo! It was a cold drizzle and there was a wind getting up. I started my walk back to Messonghi, and by the time I’d reached my little cove again, the drizzle had stopped, so I decided to sit there for a while. The sea was rough and was tossing the swimming platform around, so as much as I wanted to swim, I decided it would be silly to attempt it, with no one else around. So I just sat, enjoying being out on a rock amidst the choppy water, a little crab tickling my toes. It was very peaceful and I sat here for ages – I spotted Captain Homer’s boat coming back in for the day, but not close enough for them to spot me waving sadly!

After getting back to Messonghi, I went for one last swim in the calmer shallows, before dinner and a final cocktail (OK, maybe two, as it was my final night!) on the beach.

I was leaving first thing for the airport on Wednesday, but I got up early to watch the sun rise over the sea from my balcony, then walked down to the beach for one final view of the sea. It was scorching hot already and shaping up to be a beautiful day. I really didn’t want to leave, but was struck at how lucky I was to be enjoying that view that morning, and to have spent the week there; to be seeing the world very slowly, one country at a time.

You can see the rest of my photos on Flickr.

Volcanic adventures in Italy and Sicily

Hello! Well, I haven’t written anything for months as I haven’t really been doing any travelling; I changed jobs and relocated back in March which prevented me from getting anywhere (apart from a very rainy weekend in Bournemouth!) until my summer holiday, which I had been planning for a while; I am a bit obsessed with volcanoes, so I wanted to spend five days based in Naples, to visit Pompeii, Herculaneum and Mount Vesuvius, then three days on Sicily, primarily to climb Mount Etna, but also to lie around on the beach for a bit after all that culture and history. I had originally planned a solo trip as usual, but my friend B had always wanted to visit the excavations, so she came along with me. I know the theme of this blog is supposed to be solo travel but I couldn’t not share this brilliant trip with you, dear reader! 

We arrived in Naples late on a Sunday evening, after a flight delay of two hours which scuppered our plans to take the bus from the airport to the central train station, and from there to walk to our hotel in the historical quarter, next to the university; being as it was after dark and neither of us had visited the city before, we decided to take a taxi from the airport. This cost 35 euros for a trip of a few miles though; if I’d known we were going to arrive so late I would have prebooked a transfer or taxi which I suspect would have been cheaper. This was our first introduction to Italian driving…more to come on that!

We stayed at the Hotel Europeo for our five nights in Naples. This was cheap and cheerful; a small but decent room (although the frosted glass window on the bathroom door was a bit odd, especially for a twin room which one would presume is being shared by friends rather than partners!) with enough storage space (and plug sockets) for two people. I’d definitely recommend this place for a stay in Naples. The location was great for exploring both the city itself, and for getting the train out to the other places we wanted to visit. Breakfast is not included but there are plenty of cafes nearby; we generally turned left out of the hotel and headed up to the square - Piazza San Domenico  - where you can take a seat in the sun and enjoy some Italian coffee and local speciality sfogliatelle or other pastries to start your day off nicely.

Sfogliatelle

We spent Monday exploring the city. We both tend towards just wandering around discovering things, and the historical quarter is perfect for this; lots of little side streets to mooch through, covered in colourful graffiti. After some lunch we headed up to the Naples National Archaeological Museum, where you can find a number of artefacts from Pompeii, Herculaneum and other excavation sites in the area; definitely worth a visit, particularly if you’re also planning on visiting those sites, as we were. This was exciting preparation for seeing the sites themselves. It’s a bit of a gamble what you’ll get to see; on any day a number of rooms will be closed, and some artefacts will be on loan elsewhere (some are currently in the British Museum in London at the Pompeii and Herculaneum exhibition which is running until September 2013 – also worth a visit!) – but we managed to see plenty. 

For our first evening meal in Naples, it had to be pizza! Having read in various places that a margherita is the only genuine Napoli pizza, I had to go for that, along with a bottle of local beer, and it was delicious! We ate at Lombardi a Santa Chiara as it was just up the road from our hotel. Great pizza, but we found our waiter a bit abrupt; when we asked politely (in Italian) if we could have milk with our coffee, we were told rather sharply that “this is a restaurant, not a bar”!

 On Tuesday, we took the train out to Pompeii. The train goes every half-hour from the Central station (also known as Garibaldi); follow the signs for the Circumvesuviana Railway which is under the main station, and purchase your ticket at the booth down there; if you try to buy from the machines in the main station you will only see an option for Pompei, which is the modern town; you want Pompei Scavi. Equally, make sure you get on the train heading for Sorrento. The journey took about 40 minutes and was on a crowded train with no air-conditioning, but had some fabulous views of Mount Vesuvius as we got nearer.

Pompeii is one of the most amazing places I’ve ever been lucky enough to visit, along with Herculaneum, which we visited the next day. I’m told it’s starting to disintegrate (not surprising considering the number of people who were standing on the pillars in the basilica to pose for photos etc.) so I’d urge you to visit as soon as you can. I think my favourite section was the forum, which was intact enough to still look like the forum; with the volcano looming ahead, I could see how it would have looked back in Roman times, like all of the artist impressions. It was mindblowing to walk through streets that still looked like streets, following the footsteps of a whole city of people who last stepped there nearly 2000 years ago. Take a bottle of water if it’s hot, definitely take your camera, and allow plenty of time; we arrived late morning and stayed almost until closing time at 7.30pm – you essentially need a whole day to see Pompeii properly.

On Wednesday we took the same train, in the same direction, to visit Mount Vesuvius and Herculaneum. The trip to Ercolano Scavi took about 20 minutes. We decided to start with the volcano. If you’re wanting to go up, it’s best to do this from Herculaneum rather than Pompeii, firstly because it’s closer, but also because you’ll need a whole day for Pompeii, remember! We took the Vesuvio Express as it seemed like the only option to get up the mountain for those of us without a car; the ticket office is just outside of the station. They’ll sell you a ticket for twenty euros which includes transportation up and back down again in their minibus and entry to the crater. The climb from the car park to the crater is steep but not overly difficult. This was my first experience of an active volcano, and while it was brilliant to actually be up there, it wasn’t really doing much – just a small wisp of steam! It was also quite a rushed trip; we were given about 90 minutes to ascend, look around, and get back to the minibus. I think it took us about 40 minutes to get up, slightly less to get down, which meant we didn’t have much time up there. I’m glad we made the trip though; it was quite something to be stood on the mountain which has wrought so much havoc, and will do so again in the future.

 Modern Herculaneum is a busy little town and there were plenty of places to have some lunch before heading down the excavations, which are about 15 minutes’ walk down from the train station. Like in Pompeii, it was amazing to stand in those streets. Herculaneum in some ways is more spectacular as it is much better-preserved; everywhere you turn, there’s another mosaic! Also, being much closer to the volcano, you get a real sense of the mountain looming over the town. It’s smaller than Pompeii so we only needed a few hours there; easily done in an afternoon.

Thursday was our last day in Naples, and with our feet aching after all of the walking around the excavations in previous days (wear good shoes!), we had a slow day mooching around the city again. We explored the area down by the docks, went into the Castell d’Ovo (Castle of the Egg – so named as it’s said that the poet Virgil put an egg into the foundations, which, if broken, would mean the collapse of the castle and destruction of the city) which is worth the walk out to as, unlike the more prominent Castel Nuevo, it’s free to enter, and offers amazing views of the port and Vesuvius (unfortunately a bit misty that day!). We had lunch by the harbour, then headed back up to the historical quarter to do some souvenir shopping at the various local shops, before ending our time in Naples with another pizza!

Naples often gets bad press. Reactions to my saying we were going there were not always positive (note to well-meaning family and friends: if you tell me that a place is too dangerous for me to visit, I WILL go there!), and I was expecting to have to be extra-cautious about safety and to have to deal with harassment in the streets. In reality, we experienced no harassment whatsoever (unlike in my current town of Bedford where I get it almost daily), and felt completely safe – with the exception of crossing the road! Drivers in Naples don’t stop for pedestrians – they will try to nudge around you and get through before you – and the scooters appear out of nowhere, even on streets which you’d be convinced were pedestrianised. My advice is to follow someone who looks like a local, at least until you’ve built up your confidence in crossing the road without getting killed! Some say that Naples is dirty and chaotic, but I loved that about it. The historical quarter is vibrant and fun to explore. I would say don’t let the bad reputation that it has put you off – give it a try yourself. It won’t be for everyone, I’m sure, but if you’ve enjoyed your time in other large European cities, I think you’d find something to like in Naples too.

On Friday it was time to pack up and head to Sicily. We were going by train, as I wanted the experience of travelling on a train which gets shunted onto a boat to cross the sea! The journey takes all day, although I think there’s a sleeper train if you’d prefer to do it that way. We took the train leaving Naples Central station at 9.55am, and we arrived at our final destination at about 4.30pm. The train is an old-fashioned one with compartments of six people, and you’ll want to book a ticket in advance (I got ours from Rail Europe) to ensure you have a reserved seat, as our train was busy. The seats were spacious and comfortable and there was sufficient space in the overhead luggage storage for our suitcases. We were in a compartment with four Italians who didn’t speak much English, and we didn’t speak Italian, so communication was a bit tricky! It was amusing to watch these four strangers become friends with each other over the journey though; they were immediately chatting away. You might want to bring ear-plugs or something with headphones if you’re wanting a quiet journey! The route down through southern Italy took about four and a half hours I think, and we went through some mountain towns and saw some great scenery. I think there was a buffet car but the train was packed so we didn’t go and investigate; we’d bought a packed lunch along with us just in case, which I’d recommend doing as it’s so much easier.

When we got to the port at Calabria, right in the toe of Italy, it was just like getting onto a car ferry in a vehicle! Once we were on, we were able to leave the train and go up on deck. The crossing was only about 20 minutes but it was a beautiful afternoon, and good to get some fresh air and sun after being on the train for so long. At Messina, we all piled back onto the train and were shunted off to continue our journey; a little while later we got off at our destination of Taormina-Giardini, to take a short ride on the bus to our hostel in Giardini-Naxos, which would be our base for the next few days. I’m glad we experienced the train, but if I were to do the trip again, I would probably choose another option – I think there are boats from Naples to Messina – as it’s a long journey. It definitely needs to be done once though!

We stayed at Gianni House, in a private twin room (bunk beds) with our own bathroom. I can’t recommend this hostel enough; it was cheap and comfortable, in a brilliant location just five to ten minutes’ walk from the beach, friendly and welcoming, and had an awesome roof terrace with a view of Mount Etna!

Gianni was immensely helpful; in the weeks before we came, I had been trying to find an Etna tour departing from Taormina which would take us as far up the mountain as possible, and had been struggling to find anything. I emailed Gianni with our requirements and he booked us onto a suitable tour.

After checking in, we raced down to the beach to catch some evening sun, making the most of our short time there! We had dinner at the wonderful Lido de l’Aurora Celeste, which overlooked the sea. I tried the local speciality penne alla norma, which is pasta with aubergine, and we enjoyed some local wine, which was lovely – I wish I’d bought some to bring back. I definitely recommend this place for an evening meal by the sea while you’re here.

On Saturday it was an early start to catch our tour to Mount Etna, the volcano which had brought us here. SAToperated the tour, and the bus departed at 8am from the Recanati bus station which was ten minutes’ walk from the hostel. We paid for the full tour, as far as we were allowed to go, which involved a cable car and then a jeep after the bus. You can stay at 1900m if you wish, and there are dead craters to see there, but you will be missing out if you don’t take the full trip. I don’t have adequate words to describe it – look at my photos (links at the bottom of the page) to get the full impression! It was like nothing I’d ever seen before; an alien landscape, and steam everywhere. I struggled a bit to see the volcano in Vesuvius, but here there was no doubt that we were standing on volatile terrain. I buried my fingers into the black soil at various points, sometimes discovering heat, at other times finding ice. I also couldn’t resist sticking my hand into some of the smaller steam vents, which I probably shouldn’t be recommending as I suspect it’s dangerous! This was a much less hurried affair than Vesuvius had been; we were given plenty of time to explore. This was the highlight of the whole holiday for me; it was just a wonderful experience. The tour is pricey at 85 euros each, but completely worth it. I’m now even more determined than ever to cross some more active volcanoes off my list!

Excitedface!

 

Sunday was completely given over to lying on the beach in the sun, which was blissful! It was a clear day and, as we floated on our backs in the sea, we could see Etna gently smoking away; a brilliant view. The day ended pleasantly too, with Gianni cooking pasta for all of the hostel guests, which we ate on the roof terrace as we chatted with people from all over the world. Another reason to stay at this hostel!

We managed some gelato and a walk by the beach before leaving on Monday to catch a bus to Catania airport, from where we flew back to London, to recover from a busy and exhilarating eight days. I’d say that Etna is a must-see for volcano enthusiasts, and if you’re at all interested in history, get yourself to Pompeii and Herculaneum soon! Some of the many photos that I took are up to view on Flickr: Naples/Pompeii/Herculaneum/Vesuvius and Sicily/Mount Etna. 

Happy travelling, all.