Trains, Planes & Feet


TRAINS
It is easy to get around Portugal using public transportation. With a bit of planning, it can also be very cheap. Buying train tickets to cities across the country can be less than half as expensive if you buy them more than two weeks in advance.

Trains are generally comfortable and almost always on time - don't be even a minute late, or you may miss your train!

We learned a bit about the differences in English vs Portuguese languages when my mom purchased tickets from Barcelos to Braga. The ticket agent spoke some English, so my mother asked her when the train would come. The agent said, "In 2 hours and 34 minutes." We figured we had quite a bit of time on our hands, so we headed to a coffee shop to try to get an internet connection. We strolled back to the station an hour later to wait. Waiting is something you learn to do in Portugal. After a bit, Mom looked at our tickets and saw the time stamped on them was 14:34...and got the sinking suspicion that the agent had meant the train was at 2:34 pm, not in 2 hours and 34 minutes from the time we purchased them. She checked back in with the agent and discovered that was, in fact, the case. The agent told us just to get on the next train - they probably wouldn't care. Fortunately, she was right. The ticket taker looked at our tickets, punched them and wished us "boa tarde".

PLANES
Flying to Portugal, unless you have a lot of money to pay for First Class travel, is cramped and a bit uncomfortable.  All you can do is learn to relax and try to sleep squished into a tin can that is rocking and rolling through turbulence.  The flight from Toronto leaves at about 11:00 p.m., so sleep is possible if you are lucky. If you have a window seat on a clear night you can look out on a deep dark sky filled with stars.

Count on jet lag.  I slept for most of our first day in Lisbon and it took several days to feel normal.  My mom had trouble eating for the first day or two. I had not such problem!
Sleep is the surefire cure for jet lag.
A simple sopa caldo verde (chicken broth soup with cilantro and garlic) 
soothes a jet lagged stomach.

 FEET
In many cities of Portugal you will find walking is the best way to get where you are going. That's not to say that it is easy. Sidewalks are of cobblestone - which can be VERY slick in the rain, and sometimes very narrow. Streets can  be very steep and seem to be uphill no matter which direction you turn.

On the plus side, the views around you are stunning wherever you go. The streets twist and turn and suddenly an amazing view over rooftops will pop into view.  The streets often become so narrow that cars cannot enter them and they become pedestrian paths.  There are parks and statues and little pastry shops on every corner where you can stop to catch your breath, have a shot of espresso and perhaps a pastel de nata. 

Your feet are going to die. Wear comfortable shoes. Wear good socks. Bring bandaids. 
In Lisbon, women do not wear heals. 

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