I am back home in Akron. This was the trip I didn’t know I needed. To be away, away from everything, has been so refreshing. I enjoyed the time away.

The liberation I felt in Spain and Portugal is still present. As I sit on my couch, writing this last post, I still feel as if I’m away.

The purpose of this post is to tie things up. My hope is to provide useful insight for anyone reading this if visiting Spain or Portugal. I loved both Madrid and Lisbon. I wished I had split my time equally, and I wished I’d stayed three more days (10 days would have been a better stay). Taking travel days into consideration, 12 days would have been perfect. My preference would be to spend more time in Lisbon. Other than museums and tours of the city, we did not explore anything outside where we were staying. I do regret not going to the Strait of Gibraltar. There was so much more to see.

My time with my brother was great. It was good for both of us to spend that time together. Fifteen years from now, we’ll be able to remember that time fondly. We now have another historical entry, as I’m sure we’ll retell the story over and over again the same way we retell other stories of our lives together as if one of us never experienced it.

That said, here are my thoughts:

It was a good idea to use a travel agency. I scheduled everything through Chima Travel, in Fairlawn. It was a good choice. There was a flight cancellation and a few delays. But things were automatically being corrected. As an example, on the day of my departure, my flight out of Cleveland was cancelled; As soon as I received the flight cancellation, I received a text notification that the rebooking of my flight was in the works. In the event of such situation, I called the toll-free number provided to me. While on the phone with an agent, I received a second text notification that my flight had been rebooked. I was given a paper copy and an electronic copy of my full/daily itinerary. Transfer rides built into my package that would take me from the airport to the hotel on arrival and from hotel to the airport on departure. That was awesome. Ask for Allyssa at Chima.

Street names:

You will not find signs designating the name of a street in Madrid or Lisbon at street corners or major intersections. If you want to find the street’s name, you will find it on a nearby building/structure. I don’t know if this is for all of Spain or Portugal, but it was true for both Madrid and Lisbon.

Hotel ranking:

We stayed at the Petit Palace Triball Madrid, in Madrid, and the Heritage Avenida Liberdade, in Lisbon. Both hotels offered free wi-fi, excellent complimentary breakfast, and nice size lobbies to hang out in to relax. At Petit Palace Triball, Laura, the receptionist, was excellent. She helped with directions and helped with making restaurant choices.

However, the Heritage Avenida Liberdade in Lisbon ranks higher. The room was far larger than the room at Petit Palace. In addition, a complimentary and fully stocked refrigerator, access to Port wine in the lobby, as well as my room, was a nice addition. Finally, and not that it matters to me, to have someone greet you at the curb on arrival, carry your luggage to your room, and someone to open the door to the hotel every time you would leave or arrive put a perfect touch on the whole experience.

Ride share ranking:

Madrid: You will not have to look for a taxi in Madrid. The white vehicles with the diagonal ride stripe are easy to identify. They are everywhere. So, getting a ride is not a problem. However, getting an Uber is more economical. And getting from point A to point B seemed to be mor direct. The Uber app that’s already on your phone works great. There were a few times I cancelled the request for a ride because the driver was going away from our location, they were getting farther away.

Based on cost, and the duration of the ride time, Uber ranks higher.

Restaurant ranking:

Since breakfast was provided by both hotels, and we rarely had time to stop for lunch, I’m only ranking our dinner experience. We had dinner at five restaurants, one of them twice: La Mi Venta, El Sur de Moratin, Rossio, LaMucca del Carmen, and Cork Kitchen. All of them are great. If you’re visiting Spain and Portugal, I highly recommend them all. My two highest ranking restaurants are both in Lisbon. I’ll only give the reason for number one choice. Here is my ranking, one through five.

1. Rossio: (Lisbon) the creativity of Chef Joáo Correia in both preparation and presentation. He personally delivered entrées to multiple tables, as well as hours. He provided an explanation for the use of capers on my dish, as well as why he sliced the aged cheese. His involvement completed my dining experience.

2. Cork Kitchen (Lisbon)

3. La Mi Venta (Madrid)

4. LaMucca del Carmen (Madrid)

5. El Sur de Moratin (Madrid)

City ranking:

Both cities are rich in history and great architecture. I did not get to explore much of either city. If I did this again, explored more, the ranking could change. But based on my limited time at each, here’s what I think: although I enjoyed touring the Royal Palace of Madrid and the Prado Museum, the streets of Madrid were too crowded for me. It’s a great city and I’m sure this works for some people, but based on authenticity, charm, smaller crowds, and the availability of so many restaurants, Lisbon ranks higher.

Well, that’s it. I hope this helps you if you find yourself in Madrid or Lisbon. Thank you all for coming on this journey with me.

finis.

thursday, july 31