Tidbits from Portugal

high tide at Adraga Beach

Sintra Natural Park Coastlinehigh tide at Adraga Beach

Hello Everyone!

As has been mentioned before, Portugal has seen a  growth in vegetarian/vegan restaurants and cafes.  And of course the wonderful mild and sunny climate is perfect for growing a vast vareity of fruits and vegetables.  Many farmers/gardeners sell at farmer´s markets found in every village, town and city.  There are also many organic famrer´s markets.    www.happycow.com is the site to find locations of vegetarian eateries in Portugal and around the planet.

There are also several hotels and guesthouses throughout  which welcome vegans/vegetarians.   www.albergariadocalvario.com in Evora is a wonderful haven for vegetarians (and others)  in a beautiful medieval city.

Colina Flora www.colinaflora.com is a lovely, small, “green” country  guesthouse peacefully located in the beautiful Sintra Natural Park run by vegetarians for vegans/vegetarians (peixavores and carnivores are also welcome!!).  Colina Flora is in the heart of the Sintra Natural Park and is an ideal place for R&R but also to walk the endless walking trails of the Park, which meander along the cliff tops overlooking the gorgeous white sandy beaches and dramatic coastline, leads into the magical forest, past pre-historic ruins, an abundance of rare flora and fauna, wonderous rock formations,  awesome historical sites, quaint villages.  The Sintra Natural Park with its 14000 plus HA is a walker´s/biker´s paradise.  Walking is possible year round due to the mild and sunny climate with little rainfall.

The staff at Colina Flora customizes walking retreats for  its guests.  Besides walking on self-guided and guided tours, there are the options of yoga, chi kung, massage, art and vegetarian cooking classes, stress management sessions, acupuncture, wine tours, surfing, snorkling, swimming, riding etc. etc.  etc.  

Contact www.colinaflora.com for more information and for winter specials.  Come visit Portugal and stay a while!!

Hello Everyone!

Portugal enjoys a mild sunny climate, even during the  winter months.  With less tourists about and low season rates for accommodations, it is a great time for a fun filled, exciting and/or relaxing visit.  

Lisbon is a wonderful city and this time of year many special events are happening in various parts of the city.  There are many special Christmas concerts, ballet performances, Festival on Ice etc., and  festive lights glitter throughout  the historic center. 

Lisbon´s churches and Sao Jorge Cinema will host a series of Christmas concerts with performances of beutiful seasonal music.  These performances are a great way to experience Portugal´s artistic and religious heritage.  Christmas fairs displaying traditional crafts and gourmet items are held  all around the town.  

This year,  Lisbon´s main city square (one of the largest city squares in Europe) the Terreiro do Paço has a special sculptural Christmas tree which is also a unique technological wonder.  This large, 28 meter high, tree is designed by the Portuguese artist, Leonel Moura, and it collects images of the surrounding area for video projections in real time onto the tree.  Therefore, visitors to the square will be an integral part of  the tree  - hard to discribe, best to experience.  At the Terreiro do Paço there is  also the Lisbon Story Center.  This Center invites adults and children to experience the history of Lisbon in an interactive and educational manner. www.visitportugal.com for more information on special events in Lisbon and other cities and towns in Portugal.

This is also a great time of year to walk and/or bike through the Sintra Natural Park.  There are many hiking/biking trails through out the natural park along the dramatic coastline, incredible beautiful sandy beaches, and admidst the magical forests.  Sintra has an amazing amount of special historical and pre-historic sites and  and is an UNESCO World Heritage City  and an UNESCO Cultural Landscape. www.parquesdasintra.pt  There are also many  special concerts throughout the season in Sintra at several churches  the Olga Cadaval Culture and Art center with its modern art museum.

Until January 6th, cafes and bakeries all over Portugal compete with each other to prepare/create the most delicous Bolo Rei: Kings Cake.  The Bolo Rei is a century old Portuguese tradition.  It is a yeasted sweet bread full of nuts and crystalized fruits.  Further delicious seasonal treats are Sonhos, delicious doughnuts often filled with caramel, and Rabanadas, a special type of Portuguese French toast. 

Hello Everyone!

There are many reasons to visit Portugal, a beautiful country, with so much to see and do,  with really friendly people who take pride in keeping their country special, clean  and inviting to tourists - the hidden gem of Europe!!  And the region of Sintra and the Sintra Natural Park has been considered a special, magical area since pre-historic times.  The reasons to visit are vast.  But these are considered the top 10 by the Sintra Department of Tourism.,

1. Sintra is an UNESCO World Heritage Site and Cultural Landscape.  The dramatic and amazing rural areas surrounding Sintra which are protected in the 14 000 HA Sintra Natural Park and the wonderful, historic old City of Sintra with its many palaces,  ancient beautifully tiled buildings, winding roads, parks, churches and convents etc are truely worth seeing.

2.  The Serra da Sintra with its magic mountains, rare flora and fauna, birds, unique micro climate, lush greenery can be explored on foot , bikes, Segways etc.  There are the wonderful parks of Monserrate, Pena Park, Conventos dos Capuchos to name a few.

3.  Quinta da Regaleira is an awesome Neo-Gothic and Neo-Romantic Park and Manor house.  There are many hidden grottos, underground tunnels, chapels, towers etc waiting to be explored.  (We think Walt Disney must have been here and found inspiration for his Disney Land!!)

4.  Sintra´s natural beauty streches from the mountains, hilltops, valleys and forests down to the Atlantic coast with an incredible rugged coastline boasting some of the most beautiful beaches in Europe.  Miles of white sandy beaches beneath towering cliffs are perfect for beach combing, relaxing, surfing….and for the very brave: swimming.  The Portuguese are very proud of their  beautiful beaches and keep them clean.

5.  The  antique tram, which during the summer and early autumn travels from Sintra to Praia das Macas and back, dates back to the 1850´s and is a fun way to get to the beach town of Praia das Macas from Sintra´s historic center.

6.  The National Palace of Sintra is worth seeing. It is a monument to the interesting architectual style which combines Gothic with Manuline. It is in the middle of the historic center of Sintra.

7.  The Pena National Palace and Park is considered to be one of the 7 wonders of Portugal.

8.  O Cabo da Roca.  This  is a popular tourist spot being the western most point of continental Europe. It boasts  a lovely lighthouse and amazing vistas of the coastline.

9.  The delightful pasteries  and delicious fish served at many quaint cafes and family owned restaurants at very affordable prices.

10. The wines of Portugal  – especially Colares Wine.  The   Colares wine dates back to Roman times.  Colares wine is the oldest Portuguese wine.  Its Ramisco grape survived the European blight of the late 1800´s.  The ancient wineries host tours and winetastings.

And last but not least there is an interesting selection of unique places to stay in the Sintra area: all sorts of hotels, B&B´s, guesthouses, villas and apratments.

www.colinaflora.com is   a small, country guesthouse tucked peacefully into the hills above the Atlantic ocean.  Read our reviews on www.tripadvisor.com/colinaflora

for more information on Sintra www.sintraromantica.net

www.sintrainn.net

www.parquesdasintra.pt

Facebook www.facebook.com/sintraromantica

Hallo!

Frueher hatten           Vegetarier/Veganer Schwierigkeiten vegetarische Restaurants in Portugal zu finden.    Deshalb freuen wir uns mitteilen zu duerfen, dass es laut www.vegman.org oder www.happycow.net allein in Lisbon derzeit 24 vegetarische Restaurants/Cafes gibt.  Auch tauchen immer mehr Laeden auf die gute Bio-Kost verkaufen.  

Sogar in unserem kleinem, huebschem Dorf, Almocageme, im Herzen vom wunderschoenem Sintra Naturpark, gibt es inzwischen ein Bio-Vegan Restaurant und ein Vegetarisches Bio Cafe.  Und der Dorfladen verkauft eine riesige Auswahl von Bio Produkte: Getrede, Soya Produkte, Reismilch, Bio Schokolade, usw.  Und im naechstem Dorf, Colares, gibt es eine biologische Kooperative auf einer kleinen Farm mit Verkauf und  Permaculture Kurse.

Der Sintra Naturpark ist im Herbst und Winter auch noch ein herrliches Reiseziel.  Das milde, frostfreie Klima, ist perfekt fuer Wanderer und Radler.  Aber auch Surfer ist das ganze Jahr am tollen.  Die Straende sind wunderschoen und die landschaft ist dramatisch und abwechslungsreich.

Fuer Vegetarier/Veganer die eine nette Unterkunft suchen gibt es das Colina Flora, www.colinaflora.com , ein kleines, aber feines, Bio-Gastehaus, mit einem tollem Bio Fruehstueck.

 baking traditional portuguese breads……delicious

Das Cafe von Flores do Cabo ist derzeit unser Lieblings Cafe.  Leider ist das Cafe waehrend den Wintermonate nur Freitags, Samstags und Sonntags geoeffnet von 11 bis 19 Uhr.  Das Cafe von Flores do Cabo ist einfach SUPER.  Es ist ein renovierter, sehr alter Weinkeller schmackvoll ausgestattet mit kunst von hiesigen Handwerker, Antiquitaeten, Blumen, Naturkosmetik, Kerzen usw und das Cafe serviert jeden Tag was anders liebvoll zubereitet aus den besten bio Zutaten:Mandel-Polenta Kuchen, tolles Hummus, hausgebackenen Brote, leckere Suppen und  Hauptgerichte, tolle cocktails…..

Das Cafe ist sehr beliebt von unseren Gaeste www.colinaflora.com , von jung und alt, und allerlei Durchreisende, Einheimische…..

Hallo!

Immer mehr Reisende wollen auch im Urlaub nicht auf bewusstes Leben verzichten.  So gibt es auch in Portugal immer mehr Gasthaeuser, Restaurants und Cafes die auf  Green Travel oder Slow Travel orientiert sind .

Colina Flora www.colinaflora.com ist solch ein kleines Bio-Landgasthaus, friedlich gelegen im Herzen der Berge des herrlichen Sintra Naturpark.  Mit  blick aufs Meer und nur 3 km zum Strand, mit Wander/Radfahrwege direkt vom Haus weg, und nur 15 Minuten Autofahrt nach Sintra und Cascais, 35 Minuten nach Lissabon, ist Colina Flora in einer idealen Lage um erhohlsamen und vielfaeltigen Urlaub zu geniessen.  Die Inhaber von Colina Flora bestreben sich einen “gruenen” Zufluchtsort zu fuehren.  Die meisten Zutaten  fuer das  gute  Bio-Fruehstueck sind aus regionalen biologischen Bauernhoefen.  Alle Handtuecher und die meiste Bettwaesche sind aus  bio-Baumwolle.  Es gibt  einen biologischen Gemuesegarten.  Es wird streng recyclet und compostiert.  Und es wird auf eine Solaranlage gespart.  Yoga, Tuina Massage, Koch und Kunstkurse, vegetarische/Vegan Mahlzeiten, Wandern, Radlen usw. ergeben ein interesantes Angebot.

Der Sintra Naturpark ist eines der schoensten Gegenden in Portugal.  Dramatische Landschaft, naturbelassene bezaubernde Waelder, atemberaubende Klippen und herrliche weisse Sandstraende, tolle historisiche Bauten, pre-historische Templeruinen, viele Konzerte, Kunst und  Kultur, und eine vielzahl von Sportmoeglichkeiten  bieten dem Reisenden eine reiche Auswahl von Unternehmungsmoeglichkeiten an.

Das Klima hier ist ganz besonders angenehm.  Es ist selten sehr heiss und die Winter sind sehr mild ohne Frost.  So geniessen Urlauber Fruehlings und Sommertemperaturen von 18 bis 24 grad und Herbst/Winter temperaturen von 12 bis 18 grad.  Portugal hat die meisten Sonnenstunden von allen europaeischen Laender.  So kann man das  ganze jahr lang Wandern und Radeln……Sonnenschein geniessen.

Man braucht kein Auto um all dies zu erleben, da die oeffentliche Verkehrsmittel sehr gut sind und haeufig fahren.

Begutachtungen von ehemaligen Gaeste auf www.tripadvisor.com

Hello Everyone!

 Due to a tremendous amount of work (can hardly believe that running a small, 4  room, country guesthouse involves 15 to 17 hour days, 7 days per week – this during High Season) with our rural guesthouse www.colinaflora.com I have been MIA (missing in action…or rather missing sending our tidbits!)

Portugal already produces over 50% of its energy needs through renewable resources. And despite the lagging economy, the  Sintra Parks Committee manages to  continue with its special sustainable awareness orientation programs. A new initiative organized by the Parks of Sintra www.parquesdesintra.pt/bio+sintra is called Bio+Sintra and involves reaching out to raise awareness through workshops, talking nature trails, photography contests and exhibits, encouraging attitudes to reduce the carbon footprint, suggesting sustainable travel, and carbon sequestration programmes.

The Sintra Natural Park, which  is a UNESCO World Heritage Cultural, Site has many unique features, beyond amazing Sintra´s historical sites, which this initiative is also highlighting.  Bio+Sintra promotes active participation in protecting this wonderful and unique environment.  Bio+Sintra provides information on  all aspects of protecting biodiversity, climate change, and the casual relationship between our daily life activities. It encourages the adoption of environmentally-friendly attitudes.

Special areas in need of protection: There is a relic Forsest with the last stronghold of native forest of the Serra de Sintra.  The Romantic Landscape gardens which include many rare botanical species date back to the 1800´s.  Amphibians, which are severely threatened on a global scale, thrive here but their habitat needs to be protected etc. etc check-out their website for more informaiton www.parquesdesintra.pt