Cernache do Bom Jardim, Portugal

Cernache do Bom Jardim, a wonderfull place located in the interior of Portugal close to Castelo Branco that can match the paradisiac islands of the pacific or the quiet lakes of America.

In there, you can do everything, from boatrips in the lake, kayaking, sunbathing, nightlife, relax and eat great food for great prices.

I've went with two friends and we only spent three days there but trust me, it is definitly worth to stay longer. 

Cernache do Bom Jardim is located close to Zêzere river and between two dams, so the waters are very calm, warm and full of things to do.

It is great for kids, familys, romantic trips, relaxing ones or even for adventurous people. You'll never get bored there. 

The climate is good in the summer, it is the best time to visit as the winters are a little bit harsh on this side, very cold and you cannot enjoy anything from the river. But during the summer, temperatures can go up to 30 something and it is very cool to wake up in the morning and feel the sun on your face toghether with the smell of the river and it's surroundings.

The locals are the most wonderful people, they will recieve you with open arms and show you everything, give you the best tips about the region, where to go, what to see, where to eat etc.

The region is marvelous as well, lots of small villages around the river with a special word for Dornes, a typical village where people go and don't wanna leave anymore. It was also where a portuguese movie was filmed, based on the village and portuguese typicall things.

This is a region that was once dominated by the Templar Knights, very close to Tomar, one of the main Templar "bases", and so full of Templar trace elements such as the 6 side templar tower in Dornes village. If you like history, specially Templar history, this is a place to visit!

We got luky because when we went to visit Cernache do Bom Jardim, there was a food festival, more specifically a snail festival. There were all types of snails, a huge amount of recipes, delicious wines and dishes. And there are throught the year severall of this festivals, such as the beer mug festival, where you can buy a local beer mug and enjoy yourself through the day/night.

To get there it is not easy, the best thing to do is to fly either to Lisbon or Porto and rent a car. The trip there is wonderful through the mountains and the pinewoods. If you canot rent a car you can allways take a train or bus to Entroncamento, Sertã or Castelo Branco and from there try to get a connection to Cernache do Bom Jardim, but i think it will cost you a little bit more.

But this is a wonderfull place, definitly worth a visit, everyone will love it!! Either with friends, familly or in a romantic trip, you will not regret it!!

I'll leave you with some more of my photos, hope it will give you the feelings to go and visit.

See you next time bye!

Até á próxima, adeus!

Sintra's old village

Sintra's old village, a magic and wonderfull place just in the outskirts of Lisbon, just a 20/30 mins drive from Lisbon's city center. 

To be honest, it is one of my favorite places, from the ones i've visited, both in Portugal and through Europe, this place never ceases to amaze me.

It has plenty of things to do and beautifull places to see.

Go back to the medieval ages and visit the "Palácio da Pena", one of the portuguese most beautiful monuments!

It is a palace where kings lived, King Carlos I of Portugal and his wife Queen D. Amelia often used it and in fact this became her favourite residence. It is located on top of an hill with tremendous views over the surrounding forest, the not so far away sea and the portuguese capital.

Inside you can visit all the rooms which are decorated with the same objects and furniture used by the royal families.

It really does take you back in time and gives you another perspective about how royalty lived in that period.

 

 Adventure yourself in the forest surrounding the palace, it is great for family picnics, excellent for photography lovers and amazingly attractive for the most adventurous and curious ones, specially  during the night when story tells that some mysteries happen!

You can also visit the "Quinta da Regaleira" with its gardens and caves that you can explore at your own risk!

Trust me, it is definitly worth it, but do remember yourself to take some light or lantern as there is no artificial nor natural light inside.

And if you like Dante's most famous book, the Divine Comedy, you can look for the 9 circles of hell, purgatory and paradise which are represented in the "initiation well". This well was never used as water source, it was instead used for cerimonial purposes and initiation rites by the Masons. This well contains a 27 metres spiral staircase that you can use to get to the conecting caves.

 Sintra is also famous for its gastronomy, do try the "Queijadas de Sintra", a mix of sweet dessert and pastry, you'll definitly love and cry for more. Try the local restaurants, ask for a fish plate or a traditional meat one and you'll not regret it!

You can visit the village which have plenty of good spots to eat, local shops to see and buy some souvenirs, and lovely places to take some photos.

 There is a very good and regular transport system conecting Sintra and Lisbon, buses, trains, private companies or tours, so there is no excuses not to visit, it is a wonderful place to loose yourself into, check the medieval markets that are often made there, try the local shopping and be marveled by the history and the athmosphere of this place. IT IS DEFINITLY WORTH IT!!!
I'll leave you with some more photos of my visit, see you next time.
Até á próxima obrigado!!

 

Iceland land of the fire and ice

Iceland, land of fire and ice with beautiful landscapes covered by snow and vulcanoes is an extremely peaceful place where you can find both contact with nature and the movement of the cities. Iceland is an island located north of United Kingdom, and although bigger than for example Portugal or Ireland, it only has around 300 thousand inhabitants of which 200 thousand live in the capital Reykjavik. The interior of the island has very harsh conditions to live, specially during the winter time, so people tend to stay along the coast. 

If you are planning to travel to Iceland, the first advice i can give you is to be aware that most of the flights go to the country's main airport which is located in Keflavik and not in the capital. Take this in consideration as you would still have a 45 min trip from Keflavik to Reykjavik. As for me i used the company "Flybus" which dropped me directly at my hotel and during the trip it gives some explanations about the country to the tourists.

Iceland is an expensive country, don't let yourself be fooled by the looks of the conversion rates as 1 euro is approximately 140 Icelandic Krowns, but in the end everything costs not hundreds of krowns but thousands. Nonetheless it is a beautiful place to visit and definitely worth to spend some money to go there.

Reykjavik city center is relatively small and we saw it in one day, so my advice is, if you do not have the time or opportunity to rent a car (as i didn't), check some of the excursions that are available in the tourism posts or some private companies, that take you a little bit into the interior of the island and let you see the wonders of the Icelandic landscapes, the touristic sites such as the Geyser or the Gulfoss cataracts or even try to look for the northern lights. The best one is the Golden Circle as it takes you to three of the most important sites of the Island.

Gulfoss Cataracts is one of the most beautiful and amazing places i've ever been. With a height of 32 meters and a strength equal to the Niagara Falls, this place shows you both the peaceful way of Iceland together with the strength of mother nature. 

If you go to Iceland don't miss the opportunity to check as well the Pingvellir National Park as it has a big historical meaning to the country and is also the place were you can observe the tectonic plates  of North America and Euro-Asia moving away from each other. There is already a distance of 8km between them in some point of the park and there are places as well were you can touch both of them simultaneously. 

I didn't got the chance, as i was there for only 3 days, but if you go to Iceland, don't miss the opportunity to take a bath on the Blue Lagoon, it is a natural pool with hot water in the open with the marvelous mountains and Icelandic landscape surrounding you.

Although Reykjavik's city center is quite small, it has plenty of stuff to see. There is the main church of Iceland, the Halgrimskirkja, which is the largest church of the country and it's tower goes as far as 73 meters high. There you can observe an amazing pipe organ and a panoramic view of the city. Thought the inside of the church is, in my opinion, very poor as there are almost no statues or paintings, it's dimension will amaze you anyway, definitely worth a visit, specially as it is free. 

Another of the Reykjavik's main attractions is the  Icelandic Phallological Museum. It is an odd museum due to it's thematic but it is something new and different. It has the worlds largest display of penises and penile arts. The collection of 280 specimens from 93 species of animals includes penises taken from whales, seals and other mammals.

If you go to Iceland, don't miss the chance to visit, and if possible to see a show, on the Harp, a n amazing concert hall located in the middle of the city with a view to the ocean and the mountains.

Other things as the Gate of the lonely gloves or the Perlan are very interesting places to visit.

The main street of Reykjavik, where you can find more movement and shops is the Laugavegur street. There should be the starting point of your trip as it is very central and of easy access. Look for hotels close to that area as it it the one with the best location. In the city you can find a very peaceful environment and a mix of colors and designs that will fascinate you. 

As i said before, i found Iceland a very expensive country, so what i did and my advice to you, is to buy some things at the local supermarket and make some sandwiches or snacks for the day to avoid spending a lot of money in food. Though let yourself a day to experiment the local food such as the salmon or the shark meat. 

One of the things i disliked, but after informed myself and got to know it is a normal thing, is the smell. As we know, Iceland is a volcanic country, with some volcanoes recently active, and so the water is naturally filtrated between these rocks, providing quality water but smelly one as well due to the sulfur present in these rocks. So be aware that when you visit Iceland, you will have to get used to take a shower or wash your teeth with water smelling like rotten eggs. I was there for 3 days only and didn't got used to it, but the Icelandic people say that once you spend some time there you don't even notice it anymore.

Iceland is a wonderful country, one of the most beautiful places i've ever had the pleasure to visit and i definitely recommend people to go there and taste the magic of the mother nature. 

I'll leave you with some more photos of my trip.

See you soon

Bless Pakka Pér

~