Lisbon: Baixa

Hello from Lisbon!  

Two weeks ago, we packed our bags and flew to Lisbon for a family holiday.  Just under 3 hours after departing from Schipol, we found ourselves on a nice sunny patio overlooking the rooftops of Baixa and the Tagus River in the distance.

Our late afternoon snack of octopus salad (left) and blood sausages (below extreme left).

We rented a lovely, spacious apartment in the heart of Baixa district.  3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms and plenty of space to do balloon runs.

It was well-equipped with all the comforts of home, including air-conditioning which was a great welcome in the summer heat.

Our gym instructor.  Except that he was a little excitable.

And the exercise machine was put to good use because...

.....we kept doing this - enjoying Portugal's wonderful desserts.

This is galão (essentially kopi-si or cafe latte), and fios de ovos (egg threads or 'angel hair') made of egg yolks boiled in sugar syrup.  No doubt the famed Portuguese egg tarts are very good but this has got to be my absolute favourite dessert.

If it is not sweet enough for you, this version comes caked in a hard layer of syrup.

Get your sweet fix at Confeitaria Nacional near Rossio square:
http://www.lisbonlux.com/lisbon-cafes/confeitaria-nacional.html

If you're interested in renting the same apartment we did, here is the link, and you can see my review on the page:  https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/1126009

Stay tuned for more of Lisbon and its surroundings.

(All photos except the last few courtesy of Melanie M, thank you!)

Park Clingendael

After days of super hot weather, we were happy to welcome an overcast day and walked to the Clingendael Park to say hi to the animals.

 

At noon in mid-week, the park was wonderfully quiet, green and peaceful.

New family member.

Giant mushroom.

Making a trail through the moss.

Drake and his harem.

Pine so ancient, even the branches are half-buried.

Moss-covered pond.

A watery sanctuary by the Japanese garden.

Drive NL: Kasteel Middachten

Last Sunday, we left Kevin at home with his books and drove 130km east for a picnic with some friends at a castle.

It was sweltering hot and a certain little person was in a super foul mood.  This explains the lack of photos for this post.

Walking to the castle for the indoor tour.

Kasteel Middachten is still a working estate and only open to the public at certain times of the year.  It has been kept within the family over the generations and is now managed by the 24th Lady of Middachten.  The current house was built in the late 17th century.  The interior was not large but beautifully decorated with antique pieces.  There were English speaking guides downstairs in the kitchen and they gave us some interesting anecdotes. See http://www.middachten.nl/.

We would have liked to spend more time in beautifully kept gardens but unfortunately the weather was just too hot.  A visit in spring or autumn would have been lovely.  And in winter, there is a Christmas market on the grounds, and every room of the castle would have a Christmas tree.

At 4.30pm (closing time), we bid goodbye to the castle and drove 30 minutes to Bennekom for pancake at what used to be an 80 year old farm.  De Panorama-Hoeve is a bit of an institution in this part of Netherlands, having been around for so long.  See http://www.panorama-hoeve.nl/.

At 5pm, the place was packed with locals having their dinner.  Lucas was a lot happier after running around in the playground and making friends with the pig and goats at the little petting zoo.

There was no room at the terrace so we sat in the converted farmhouse, beautifully decorated with rustic charm.  And the pancakes were delicious!

Ham, cheese and pineapple pancake. 

Remnants of the berries pancake in the foreground.

Drive FR: Nord-Pas-de-Calais (Pt. 4)

Though the region of Nord-Pas-de-Calais and its surroundings may have witnessed much war and destruction over the centuries, it is certainly not short of beautiful sights.  

We sampled only a few of these but they range in variety from a beautiful garden to a marvellous beach, to a peaceful waterside and ended with a stunning cathedral.

The beautiful gardens of Le Jardins de Valloires, located on the grounds of an 18th century abbey. 

Lucas searching for hot babes at Le Touquet.

We went in search of a steam train at Saint-Valery-Sur-Somme.

What we found instead was a quaint old town and some lovely views of the Bay of Somme.

The locals were cute too.

Cathedrale Notre-Dame d'Amiens (Cathedral of Our Lady of Amiens),
a UNESCO World Heritage Site

Breathtaking interiors.

The Weeping Angel.

Lots of space to play outside the cathedral.