We moved around a lot on this vacation.  (The ultimate ‘I need a vacation from my vacation’ type of trip.)  In addition to the standard ‘trains, planes and automobiles’ we also traveled via tram, bus, metro, funicular, boat, cable car, taxi and uber.

We also stayed in four accommodations, and since I love hotels, I have to comment on them.

First was Santiago de Alfama in the older part of Lisbon, high on a hill near Sao Jorge castle. It’s a cool, boutique hotel that was originally a 15th century palacio. The included breakfast was delicious, as was the dinner we ate there. The staff were very friendly and accommodating. Below is a picture of the view from the rooftop terrace. I can’t believe we were always the only people there. I guess not everyone is as obsessed with views as I am!

Next was Fortaleza de Guincho on Guincho Beach about an hour outside of Lisbon. This hotel began life as a fort and is now a Relais & Chateau property. It was our splurge of the trip, and unfortunately it was the hotel we enjoyed the least. The staff wasn’t very helpful, service was spotty, and there was no coffee maker in the room. Happily, the view from our window was beautiful.

Next up – Porto. As Jim already noted, this was our first AirBnB experience, and it was a good one. Although I opined earlier about locals being outplaced as owners turn their apartments into AirBnB’s, it is fun to feel like a local, even for a few days. We had a view of the Porto cathedral, which looked especially cool at night. We also got a kick out of the old-fashioned elevator in the building.

We ended our trip with one last night in Lisbon so we could fly home direct to Philadelphia. (Porto to Philadelphia goes through Spain.) Le Consulat was another great boutique hotel. In this case, it was formerly the Brazilian consulate.  The view is on Praca de Camoes, which includes a status of Luis Camoes, Portugal’s most famous poet. In addition to spacious and well-equipped rooms, the hotel is very art-focused. Each room has local art, as do all the common areas. I wish we had another night in Lisbon to explore this part of the city in more depth.