Portugal

I was disappointed when I found out that there is no train service from the South of Spain to the South of Portugal, and at first I thought I would have to go all the way back up north in Spain only to then go south again once I got into Portugal. Instead, I decided to just take a bus across the border, and then get a train the rest of the way. That ended up working out well, and soon I arrived in the lovely little beach town of Lagos. I went to the hostel that had been recommended by another traveler, and liked it right away. I asked if they had a female dorm (sometimes it is nice to get away from the snoring and smelly boys if possible - sorry boys, but it's true), and so they put me in a room that I had to myself for the first two nights! I had only planned on staying for two nights, but almost immediately decided I would stay for three - the place just had that cozy feel to it. Lagos itself is relatively small, which was nice for a change, and it has a laid-back vibe. Also, the beaches looked very inviting, and the weather was great. The hostel had a nice rooftop terrace that made for easily meeting other travelers, and the first night I was there, they made free sangria to encourage mingling! What's not to love?
My first day there, I walked out to the lighthouse, which itself was not much to look at, but the views out on the peninsula were pretty stunning. The coastline along Lagos has several rocks jutting out of the sea, some forming arches, and all of them making for beautiful photographs. Also, the beaches are unique in that the rocks and cliffs form little inlets so many of the beaches have a private feel to them. The water was turquoise and so clear. I climbed down on one of the rocks and just sat there for awhile enjoying the view, and wishing I could join the locals below in their boat. The walk back to town was nice because I walked along the cliffs above the beaches. Since it is such a tourist town, I also got to enjoy some more American-type foods that I had been missing. I had eggs, toast, and pancakes one day, and a really good burger another day. The day I had reserved for the beach ended up being pretty cloudy with occasional rain, but I didn't let it stop me. I went to the beach anyway and did get some sun, but mostly just loved being able to lie on the sand and do nothing!
Next, it was off to Lisbon. When I arrived there, I tried to book my train ticket to Paris in three days, and the guy told me that due to strikes, the trains wouldn't be running that day, but that they probably would be the day after. So I booked it for that day, but he said it was only possible to book it to the border of France and Spain, and that I would have to get an onward ticket once I arrived to the border town. More on that later. My hostel in Lisbon was really nice, and had also been recommended by another traveler. It seems that hostels in Portugal in general are really above average. When I was looking at them online, they almost all had reviews at or near 100%, which is pretty rare. The best thing about my hostel was that they offered nightly meals cooked right there in their kitchen by a Portuguese chef! They were much cheaper than any restaurant meal could ever be, and they were four-course and included unlimited wine. It was boxed wine, but hey, I wasn't complaining! I partook of those delicious meals three of the four nights I stayed there. They usually consisted of soup, salad, a local dish for the main entree, and dessert. The meal was served at a big, long table which made for easy socializing. The first night, I met a couple of nice girls and we stayed up talking until about two in the morning in the lounge. I also met Gerry from Hong Kong, who was nice enough to take me to dinner at a restaurant one night and pay for it! He and I ventured out of Lisbon one day to the small town of Sintra, which we had heard was a must-see. Traditionally, it has been the holiday home for royalty, the rich, and the famous. When we got there, we headed into town, and then uphill towards the Castelo dos Mouros. At first, I wasn't willing to pay the high price to see both that and the Palacio da Pena, and so Gerry bought two tickets because he wanted to see them, and wanted me to see them too. I ended up paying him back the next day because I was so happy that he had convinced me to see them, especially the palace! The castle was more like a wall that we could walk along, with good views of the city and country below from the 8th-century ramparts. Then, we made our way up higher to the palace, which is probably the coolest-looking palace I have ever seen! It was like a fairy-tale building out of a storybook, complete with a drawbridge and all kinds of little lookout points and bright colors. It constitutes one of the major expressions of 19th-century Romanticism in the world, and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It was really fun exploring all of the different areas of it, and getting some good pics. The inside was decorated elaborately as well - one of the rooms had fabric covering the walls and ceiling! As always when I am inside buildings like that, I like to think about the lives of the kings and queens who have lived in those rooms. Those are the only two buildings we had time for on a day trip, but otherwise I think several days could be spent seeing all of Sintra.
On another day in Lisbon, I went on the free walking tour of the city that was offered by the hostel. It was definitely the strangest walking tour I had been on yet. There were only 6 of us on it - me, two British women, and three people from Brazil. The tour lasted way longer than any previous tours I had done, and included a stop for coffee, and lunch! Normally the point of a free walking tour is that you will not spend any money, so the coffee was an ok exception, but then lunch was interesting. People were ordering wine, and when a few of us said no to wine due to the cost, the guide informed us that the bill would be split evenly at the end either way, so we went ahead and got wine anyway. I ended up spending more for that lunch than for the four-course dinners at the hostel! Also, since three of the people spoke Portuguese, the guide talked probably half of the time in that language to them despite the fact that they also all spoke English. So the three of us that didn't speak Portuguese were just standing around half of the time, and the whole tour took probably five hours. The tour ended with a free port wine tasting, which I left during due to the fact that by then it was only me and the four left who were not speaking English. Of course I realized that this was Portugal and that was their native language, but it was overall just a weird experience and made me feel unimportant and left out, and pretty sad. After I left, I was walking back towards the hostel and slipped yet again on the cobblestone streets (their cobblestones were different than the normal type, and were really slippery even when they were dry, which made for rather cautious walking, especially on the hills that were everywhere) and stubbed a couple of my toes really hard on the curb. They started bleeding and I started crying, both from pain and the frustration of the day. I found a church where I was able to collect myself and just be quiet for a little while. My toes ended up being black and blue for a week or so after that, and they still don't feel completely normal, almost 2 months later.
Another day, I took the tram to a part of town that was further out called Belem. The tram ride was interesting. It was packed full, and I was right next to the door. Basically a fight broke out near me, and people started yelling in Portuguese and one girl was trying to hit and kick another girl. It seemed that the first girl was accusing the second of trying to steal from her purse. The second girl really looked well-dressed and normal, so I am not sure if just due to the close proximity, the first girl thought she saw the other's hand in her purse? All I know is that then everyone around started checking their own pockets and wallets and purses, and the accused girl got off quickly at the next stop. I guess I would, too, if I was being assaulted and accused! It was quite the experience, and I do wish I could have understood what was being said. When I got to Belem, I went to the Mosteiro dos Jeronimos, which is Lisbon's most emblematic religious building, and dates from 1496. I didn't pay to go inside the monestary, but I did go for free into the large adjoining chapel. Then I just had to try what was supposedly the best pasties de nata (custard tarts) in Portugal. Seriously, I had heard about these tasty treats from so many people, and every guide book mentions them. When I first walked by the place, which has been around since 1837, there was a long line. When I went back, the line was much shorter, and I ordered 6 of them and went to a park bench to try the famous little things. They are custard baked into a little shell of pastry dough, and you get small packets of cinnamon and powdered sugar to sprinkle on as you desire. Honestly, for as much of a sweet tooth as I have, I was pretty disappointed - they were too eggy. Since I had bought 6 of them, I had the next couple of days to keep eating them as well. Then I went across the street to the Padrao dos Descobrimentos (Monument to the Discoveries), which celebrates the Age of Discovery during the 15th and 16th centuries. Mostly I wanted to get pictures of the square in front of the monument, which was gifted from the South African government. On it is the Rosa-dos-Ventos (compass rose) and Mappa Mundi (map of the world), created from various marbles. To get good pictures, I had to pay to go to the top of the monument, but it was worth it.
While I was in Lisbon, they were gearing up for one of their biggest festivals of the summer, the Festas dos Santos Populares, or St. Antonio's Day. There were street parties throughout the neighborhoods, and it was fun to wander through the crowds of people eating grilled sardines and drinking sangria. They decorate every little square and street, and there are all kinds of vendors selling food and drinks. I left on the day of the biggest part of the celebration, where each neighborhood has a crazy party and the whole city stays up all night. But, I needed to get all the way up to The Netherlands to meet up with a friend, and it was a long ways away, so I had to get going. Overall, Portugal was beautiful and I would like to go back someday and spend more time there, especially along the coast, and up north.