I arrive at my hotel in Lisbon. Welcome to the Dom Pedro Palace.

David Batzofin

November 17, 2014

1399

Looking up…

Our home for the next two nights.

The main entrance.
The hotel could not be more centrally situated
and it is across the road from a HUGE shopping mall

An eclectic mix of art…

Reflections

Art Deco area in front of the elevators?

A view of the main seating area from the staircase

Interesting artwork on the lobby walls

The main foyer is huge and as a result,

the furniture does not seem to be overpowering

This grand staircase leads up to the conference venues

And this is what I found under the staircase.

But no Liberace.

A small but adequate bar area.
There is also a seating area here for guests to relax
and enjoy a pre or post dinner drink

The restaurant just off the foyer

After the OTT of the foyer area,

the passages are spartan by comparison.

But, then again, it is not a public area where a lot of time is spent

My room…very tidy…

And then I opened my luggage.
A very comfortable bed, but I am glad that I brought my pillow along.

I have been given 3 bottles of Port as gifts.

Many thanks to hotel management

and Insight Vacations

The bathroom is a haven of tranquility in green.

A bidet is standard in Europe, but not seen that often in South Africa

It has been a while since I have seen a tie back like this.

The airport is only a few km’s away,

hence this plane coming into to land

We were met at the airport by our IV representative and tour director, Toni and our bus driver.
Both speak better English than I speak Portuguese.
A pleasure to deal with them.

This will be our mobile “home” for the next week.

The coach has business class leg room AND Wi-Fi!

What more can a journo ask for?

And this is where we had our Welcome Reception…
Frade dos mares.
All Insight Vacation guests get a Welcome Reception in the form of a full meal,
a cocktail party, canapés etc depending on what is relevant for the area.
And it is included in the trip pricing.
It’s our way of introducing everyone to each other and getting the ball rolling
John Boulding,CEO of Insight Vacations raises a glass to toast our tour.
I had the BEST octopus I have ever eaten,
and for those who enjoy wine there was both red and white on offer.
And PLENTY of water. I never had to ask for a refill,
South African establishments take note.
You can find the restaurant details on Tripadvisor.