Insight Vacations Review – Treasures of Spain, Portugal & Morocco – Fatima & Lisbon
Insight Vacations Review – Treasures of Spain, Portugal & Morocco – Fatima
WJ Tested: Insight Vacations – Day 4: Fatima & Lisbon, Portugal
Insight Vacations Review – Treasures of Spain, Portugal & Morocco – Fatima & Lisbon
16-Night Motorcoach Trip in 2011
Salamanca, Spain to Fatima in Portugal
With the 7:30 am wake-up call we were up and at it and quickly down to the breakfast buffet in the main dining room. Departure time was 9 am and as we left Salamanca and drove out of town, Javier gave us more interesting history lessons of the city and continued on with facts about the olive and acorn trees (the famous Iberian black pigs feed on the acorns) growing in the area. As we drove, huge nests housing storks could be seen perched high in just about every tree or transmission tower (electricity pylon).
Portugal
By 10:30 am we were crossing into Portugal (no stopping anymore at what was once the border crossing between the two countries) and set our watches back one hour behind Spanish time. By this time the scenery we were driving through had changed distinctly, leaving behind the wild poppies and lush green fields for a more hilly and treed landscape. Javier informed us that Portugal is big on salt cod, that we should try the Frango Piri Piri (grilled chicken with chili pepper) and the country is the largest cork producer in the world. A 30-minute service station comfort break on the highway (convenient but not scenic) broke up the drive to Fatima. As we neared Fatima, Javier explained the Legend of Our Lady of Fatima story from 1917.
Fatima
Fatima is well-known for it’s famous white Shrine of Our Lady of Fatima and by 12:50 pm we were walking with Javier to the central plaza as he briefly explained the various buildings and handed us a leaflet describing the shrine. We had 90 minutes of free time to explore the town and shrine before our departure to Lisbon. Just as we were leaving, Javier again passed out another local treat. This time it was Suspirinhos, a tiny lemon and orange-flavored meringue that is a Portuguese speciality.
Insight Vacations Review – Treasures of Spain, Portugal & Morocco – Lisbon
Lisbon
Today had been a full day of driving as there had been large distances to cover, but by 4 pm we arrived at the Marriott Lisbon, our hotel for the next two nights. The Marriott Hotel is situated close to the Lisbon International Airport and is a fair distance from downtown Lisbon and the common areas for sightseeing. Needing some exercise we made a 20-minute walk (each way) to a nearby supermarket to stock up on snacks and beer for our room (mini-bar prices were exorbitant).
Insight Vacations Review – Treasures of Spain, Portugal & Morocco – Fado & Folklore
Optional Excursion: Fado & Folklore Dinner
When we returned to the hotel, purchases in hand, we had just enough free time to freshen up and relax before meeting the group in the lobby at 7:15 pm for an optional excursion: a night of entertainment and dining at Cafe Luso. This is a typical Portuguese restaurant with Fado music and Folklore in the Bairro Alto area of Lisbon. This turned out to be an exceptionally fun night with delicious food, great wine and excellent entertainment that we enjoyed immensely.
By 10:30 pm we were back to the hotel and ready to call it a day.
If You Go:
Visit WAVEJourney’s Insight Vacations Treasures of Spain, Portugal & Morocco Review:
Overview | Itinerary | Hotels | Photos | Day 1: Madrid | Day 2: Segovia | Day 3: Toledo & Salamanca | Day 4: Fatima & Lisbon | Day 5: Lisbon & Cascais | Day 6: Sevilla | Day 7: Cordoba | Day 8: Gibraltar & Tangier | Day 9: Fes | Day 10: Fes & Meknes | Day 11: Marrakesh | Day 12: Ourika Valley & Marrakesh | Day 13: Casablanca & Rabat | Day 14: Torremolinos | Day 15: Granada | Day 16: Madrid |
