Writes of Passage

LIS

… more pix on Google

They’re on the upper floor, before the Duty Free shop. The process is smooth and rather quick. The vendors I purchased from all furnished me with ready-to-file documents. But they still needed to be stamped, which is across the hall. Purchases from Portugal can use the kiosk; those from other countries need to have the documents stamped in person.

I mailed more than two weeks ago, and I still haven’t gotten my refund.

Lisbon→Newark

… more pix on Google, Insta

· A321neo
· 2E, 5F

Transportes Aéreos Portugueses / Air Portugal is the main carrier of Portugal, Lisbon Airport is its hub. It has been a member of Star Alliance since 2005.

This is the first time that I’ll have to take a bus to board a transatlantic flight. And TAP made it worse by disorganizing the process.

They let nearly everyone come downstairs with the “Premium” group waited for the bus. The line became so zigzagged that the later comers ended up boarding the bus first, which wasn’t their fault.

After a long wait, the buses began to circulate the airport, from our Gate 45A back to 45A: WHAT’s the heck?

“The cleaning isn’t done.” They explained.

Then have us wait by the gate. This was the most ridiculous process I’ve encountered.

Our seats were 2 H and K at booking on the A330-900. They changed the aircraft to A321neo, without the K column. We ended up with 2F and 5F in separate rows. The configuration is: Rows 1, 3, and 5 each have 4 seats (2, 2), and rows 2 and 4 each have 2 seats (1 and 1). On this flight, Row 5 is empty except for one of us. No drinks offered before taking off. Wines are ok, wine glasses are awful, food is so so, except the breads and desserts.

Alameda das Comunidades Portuguesas,
1700-111 Lisboa, Portugal

… more pix on Google NOT posted, Yelp*, reddit

Humberto Delgado Airport, or Lisbon Airport, is TAP‘s hub. it’s raltively close to the Old Town, 4.7 miles  (7.7km) from Palace Ludovice in less than 30 minutes, $10.59 on Uber. It’s an orderly and modern airport.

The rating for this airport is poor, but I got through it in a breeze:

• Drop-off: the Uber driver has to take a ticket and park in a parking space to let us off. We then walk the short distance to the Terminal 1, which shares the road with cars.
• We’ve no check in luggage, and  downloaded the boarding passes the previous day.
• Fast Track is empty, and it works well for us, which took us 6 minutes, to get to Global Blue. Not sure this is enabled by Clear or TSA Precheck.
• VAT refund in 13 minutes: Global Blue is efficient. Purchases made in Portugal can be dropped in the mailbox, and purchases made in Spain require a stamp from the office.
• We tried two TAP Premium Lounges, one before passport control and one after. There are some public seats on the second floor.
• Passport Control: is by the McDonald’s, which is a breeze; it took us 14 minutes from the McD to the TAP AirPortugal lounge, which is smaller.

The TAP air is somewhat ridiculous.

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Doca de Alcantara Norte, Av. Brasília 352,
1350-352 Lisboa, Portugal

… more pix on Google,

An average museum. I found the information I needed, and my lost visor from their security office: thanks.

Exhibits are decent. Low ceiling. The second and third floors are dark.

Two of their exhibits, the blue bidet and the set of twelve zodiac

Japan has the biggest exhibit area: the entire top floor.

It’s the first time that I found at least two similar exhibits in two musseums, in less a mile (1.5 km) apart: zodiac and blue porcelain bidet.

R. de São Pedro de Alcântara 39,
1250-237 Lisboa, Portugal

… more pix on Google, Yelp*, TA

Palácio Ludovice Wine Experience Hotel, Lisbon (opened 2022) is abeautifully restored mansion-turned-hotel, thoughtfully designed and generally excellent. I would have rated it 5/5 overall, except for a notably poor breakfast experience on one morning.

Ratings
Location: 5/5
Amenities: 5/5
Lobby: 4/5
Room: 4/5
Bed & pillows: 5/5
Bathroom: 4/5
Toiletries: Portus Cale
Towels: 5/5
Shower pressure: 5/5
Breakfast: 1/5 (inconsistent experience)
Restaurant: 5/5

The hotel sits right next to the Miradouro de São Pedro de Alcântara. It occupies an entire block, with the surrounding streets—especially Travessa da Cara—coming alive at night.

Our second-floor room featured high ceilings and overlooked the atrium, where the restaurant sits below. The long hanging lights and greenery create a warm, open atmosphere. The room door is heavy and solid, adding to the sense of restoration.

The bathroom is well-finished but slightly limited in counter space. Shower pressure from the handheld unit is excellent, almost strong to a fault. Small details—like the slightly short toilet seat and occasional lingering drip from the faucet—are noticeable but minor.

The gym has a striking vaulted ceiling, though I didn’t use the facilities.

A 5:30pm wine tasting led by a licensed sommelier (limited to 12 guests) was a highlight—informative, intimate, and well-run.

Breakfast is generally very good: buffet selection plus made-to-order eggs. Cappuccinos are served in thick cups or tall glasses, and items like the honeycomb and chia seed pudding stand out.

However, service during our last breakfast on a Saturday fell far below standard—slow, disorganized, and inattentive, with significant delays in both ordering and clearing tables, which detracted sharply from the experience.

Dinner (steelite tableware) and the bar (Riedel stems) were both excellent and consistently well-executed.

Thanks for the afternoon egg tarts!

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20 6 Duplo Pequeno
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https://www.bonvoyage.ireneeng.com/?p=98468

Av. Alfredo Coelho 28,
2705-329 Colares, Portugal

… more pix n videos on Google, Yelp, TA, Insta

We enjoyed a couple of drinks after a thrilling swim in the 100-meter pool. The café is airy and offers a great view of the pool, ocean, and cliff. The service is good. The young woman brought two wines to try: both are good, thanks!