Jim Wise, an executive at Battle Creek’s FireKeepers Casino and Hotel, decided to try his luck by taking a trip with his wife Cindy to Portugal and Spain.
Wise was about to promote the opening of the new FireKeepers poker room, and he knew the events schedule was about peak season with the FireKeepers 400 NASCAR race and Epson Tour pro golf championship both concluding on June 6, so he circled his calendar carefully.
Wise, in the interest of research, could not help a stop at Casino Estoril in the Portuguese Riviera town of Cascais. The WWII gambling haven for spies was the inspiration for Ian Fleming’s 007 novel “Casino Royale.”
“Cascais was one of our favorite spots with lots of restaurants, beautiful beaches and Palacio Estoril, a beautiful hotel where one of the James Bond movies was filmed,” said Wise.
They also encountered photos commemorating celebrity visits to Pestana Palace Rua Hau outside Lisbon.
“Madonna and Prince, along with politicians like Al Gore and Madeleine Albright had been to the hotel and its gorgeous gardens which was midway to Bélem,” Wise said.
“No other hotel has such a fabulous garden,” insists Virginia Irurita, a Spaniard whose company Made for Spain & Portugal has arranged custom luxury trips for 25 years. “Guests can secure what they call ‘red level,’ which is access to a private area with complimentary food and drinks all day and a small, special part of the garden.”
Wise said they loved exploring Belem, especially a restaurant favored by locals called Associacao Regional de Vela do Centro on the Tagus River.
“We tasted Portuguese wine and ate the absolute best garlic shrimp over rice.”
In nearby Lisbon, Portugal’s capital, they tasted pastries at a very popular, lively bakery and café called Pasteis de Bélem, a major tourist tradition.
“It was a fun and delicious spot to visit, and you can tour the kitchen area,” said Wise, who also mixed with locals sipping wine at a park near the sea.
Irurita smiled in confirmation when hearing of their experience.
“We love sitting outdoors to enjoy a coffee or a glass of wine or port and people watch. It is a national sport in the Iberian Peninsula!”
Wise said next was a pilgrimage to Fátima.
“We walked through the neighborhood and saw the homes of the three children to whom the Blessed Mother appeared. The 11 a.m. Mass was perfect and the basilica was breathtaking.”
Wise confessed to finding Portugal to be a beautiful, laid back, and welcoming country that stole their hearts, but then it was on to neighboring Spain.
Their Madrid hotels included Palacio de los Duques Gran Melia; and Cuesta de Santo Domingo, with its Juliette balconies, rooftop pool and bar, and artwork throughout the property, which whetted the couple’s appetites for more.
“Madrid’s Museo Nacional del Prado is one of the best museums we have ever visited,” Wise admitted.
Made for Spain & Portugal organizes visits inside the Prado before the museum opens in the morning and after close in the evening so their clients can visit privately, according to Irurita.
“We also enjoyed exploring Madrid’s monuments, fountains, churches, and plentiful palaces and walking off the tons of tapas, empanadas, pizza and of course seafood, from the sidewalk restaurants,” said Wise.
Irurita’s company is headquartered in Madrid, where she also lives. “Madrid is one of the most fun and fabulous capital cities of Europe,” she said.
Jim and Cindy had toured Sintra’s Pena Palace back in Portugal, but in Spain, Wise recommends also seeing Alacazar of Segovia. “Disneyland used the beautiful castle as a model for their Snow White’s castle,” he said.
It was near ancient Roman aqueducts.
“What a step back in time! And the scenic, snow-capped mountains in the distance made a backdrop for perfect photos,” he said.
Irurita’s Made for Spain and Portugal company arranges for their clients to visit private palaces and gardens. “The palaces are actual, authentic family homes with outstanding works of art,” she explained.
Jim and his wife climbed to the top of the walls surrounding the city of Ávila for the best views of this historical city, where they also found what became their favorite church: the Catedral of Avila. “The inside was being meticulously restored and the church itself and ancient artwork was so beautiful.”
Irurita described Avila as a very spiritual city. “And Segovia is like walking through Spain’s history that covers all its periods,” she said.
Wise considered this epic trip a “good introduction to Spain and Portugal,” and hopes to return to visit the Mediterranean coast and Barcelona.
Contact Michael Patrick Shiels at MShiels@aol.com His new book: Travel Tattler – Not So Torrid Tales, may be purchased via Amazon.com Hear his radio talk show on WJIM AM 1240 in Lansing weekdays from 9 am – noon.
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