We had beautiful weather for our trip from Porto to Lisbon. The train was packed and this was even the off-season for travel. As far as comfort, the train line between the two cities is a bit rough and curvy, so if you have any form of travel sickness, take your medications!
Campanhã Station – Porto, Portugal
Campanhã Station – Porto, Portugal
Campanhã Station – Porto, Portugal
There were several areas along the way that showed the affects of all the rain Portugal has received this spring. Several places were flooded and there appeared to be a lot of farm land underwater.
Weather and Flooding along the way – Porto to Lisbon, Portugal
Weather and Flooding along the way – Porto to Lisbon, Portugal
Lisbon Central Station
The main train station in the city is Lisbon Central Station, which is also a bus and metro hub, so you have several travel options when you arrive to your hotel. We chose a cab, but be careful and take a photograph of your meter before you get out, our cab driver still tried to rip us off. Instead of the 12.60€ he was owed, he tried to charge us 20€ and finally got 15€. He was very talkative and did show us a few sights along the way, but it still annoyed the both of us.
Lisbon Central Station – Lisbon, Portugal
Lisbon Central Station – Lisbon, Portugal
Palácio das Especiarias
We stayed at the Palácio das Especiarias, a boutique hotel on the edge of the old historic part of town.
Palacio das Especiarias – Entrance – Lisbon, Portugal
They have individualized rooms, a beautiful garden and many free amenities.
Palacio das Especiarias – Entrance – Lisbon, Portugal
Palacio das Especiarias – Garden – Lisbon, Portugal
Palacio das Especiarias – Room – Lisbon, Portugal
Palacio das Especiarias – Room – Lisbon, Portugal
Palacio das Especiarias – Stairway – Lisbon, Portugal
Palacio das Especiarias – Stairway – Lisbon, Portugal
Palacio das Especiarias – Stairway to Breakfast – Lisbon, Portugal
Palácio das Especiarias – Daily Breakfast – Lisbon, Portugal
Every day after 3PM, they have free wine and cheese downstairs, which you may also take up to the garden or even your rooms. The wine appears to come from the Duoro River region and is pretty good.
Palacio das Especiarias – Welcome Room – Lisbon, Portugal
Restaurants
Azia Thai Restaurant
Pretty tired from our journey we immediately started looking for comfort food, what better cuisine than Chinese food!
Azia Chinese Restaurant – Inside – Lisbon, Portugal
It is a small restaurant but prepares all manner of dishes, from Thai, Japanese to Chinese. They also have a pretty good wine list with half bottles. The wonton soup with noodles is very good and highly commended.
Azia Chinese Restaurant – Spring Rolls and Wine – Lisbon, Portugal
Azia Chinese Restaurant – Soup and Salad – Lisbon, Portugal
Azia Chinese Restaurant – Chicken Fried Rice – Lisbon, Portugal
On our return trip from Romania, we took a few days from the 22nd to the 24th of September, to stay in Milan with our sons. The point was to relax a bit, before they took their return flight from Malpensa Airport back to the States, and to see a few of the sights. We were lucky enough this time to have had the luxury of purchasing tickets. That is, within six months of their use, in order to visit Da Vinci’s Last Supper and Crucifixion, two works by him that are the most difficult to see. Luckily, few people for various reasons are able to travel or visit these works now, making access to them more readily available. So we jumped at that chance when we saw tickets were in fact available.
Milan – Museum Cenacolo Vinciano – Tickets For Two
I am not going to comment on Da Vinci’s work, but let his masterpieces speak for themselves.
Hotel Manzoni
Located in Milan’s Quadrilatero Della Moda section, this four star hotel can be found on Via Santo Spirito. Both outside and inside are quite compact and very well kept. There is a bellman to help with luggage and front desk that is occupied around the clock.
Milan – Hotel Manzoni
Our rooms were suites and rather spacious for being in the historic part of Milan. Most floors are decorated in marble with tastefully chosen chandeliers, some of which are from Murano.
Milan – Hotel Manzoni – Floors
Milan – Hotel Manzoni – Lobby
Museum Cenacolo Vinciano
The museum is located in Piazza di Santa Marie della Grazie and contains the works of Leonardo Da Vinci’s Last Supper and Crucifixion.
Da Vinci’s The Last Supper and Crucifixion – Viewing Area
Da Vinci’s Last Supper
Da Vinci’s The Last Supper
Da Vinci’s The Last Supper – Original Shot
Da Vinci’s Crucifixion
Da Vinci’s Last Supper
Da Vinci’s Last Supper – Details
Legend:
Christ
Tito
Dimaco
St. Vincent Ferrer
Ludovico il Moro
St. Peter Martyr
Virgin Mary
St. Dominic
Mary Magdalene
St. Thomas Aquinas
St. John
St. Catherin of Siena
Beatrice d’Este
St. Maragaret of Hungary
Restaurants
Near Hotel Manzoni are several very good restaurants, as is per usual in most Quadrilateral sections of Italian cities. Since we did not have a lot of time to spend in Milan, the below two were identified and chosen based on customer reviews and not necessarily the most common ones used on the internet. Anyone visiting should expect the prices to reflect the food and the historic area they are in. Complaining about prices, when you probably should be eating street pizza, is just a waste of your time and money.
Il Salumaio Di Montenapoleone
Though it receives only a mid four star rating on one site in the internet, that should not deter anyone from visiting. Keep in mind, that if you are from a country like the U.S. or one similar to it from Europe, service times are not the same in Italy and may not match your expectations. Service usually takes around two hours, especially if you order wine and any other extras, but it is first rate. Dress is casual and the food and service are excellent.
Milan – Ristorante Il Salumaio Di Montenapoleone
Milan – Ristorante Il Salumaio Di Montenapoleone – Tristan and Dana
Milan – Ristorante Il Salumaio Di Montenapoleone – Courtyard
Ristorante Bice
Also known as Da Gino e Bice (from Gino and Beatrice) or just Bice, this Tuscan inspired restaurant has been a mainstay of Milan cuisine for more than a century. The restaurant’s upscale interior matches its food. It is also situated in Montanapoleone on Via Borgospesso and a short walk from our hotel.
Milan – Ristorante Bice
Milan – Ristorante Bice – Tristan and Patti
Milan – Ristorante Bice – Dana and Tristan
Milan – Ristorante Bice – A Very Good Gaja from Montalcino
This restaurant has an excellent menu and wine list, though upon further inspection I found the wine list needing a bit of an update in the Barolo section. But we found an acceptable one nonetheless. Again, being in a very trendy area where Fendi, Prada and other stores are located, the prices reflect the location and the menu’s quality.
