----- Original Message ----- From: csmjd To: Sent: Saturday, April 01, 2000 9:35 PM Subject: Portugal Vacation

My husband &I just returned from our Portugal vacation and had to pass on information regarding the 3 star hotel where we stayed.

Please recommend to your readers the Hotel Arribas in Praia Grande (on the beach outside of Sintra). It is beautiful. 4 floors --- the top two floors (where the majority of the rooms are located) is only 3 years old. Right on a spectacular beach. Has an olympic sized salt-water pool and a regular sized pool. Excellent restaurant takes up an entire second floor. All this plus breakfast for about $50. per night for a double. I think it goes up to about $85. in the summer months.

If one goes, be sure to go to the far end of the beach from the hotel. There, where the water meets the cliffs, you will find interesting caves created by years of wind swept water. Then turning left from facing the caves, backtrack about 100' along the cliffs until you find a few concrete steps. They are partially hidden but once found they will lead you up a few hundred feet to the top of the cliffs where the views are spectacular. We were told by the locals it was a good place to find fossils --- we didn't find fossils but did find an interesting stone wall that appeared to be ancient as well as other interesting rock formations.

Never did find shops specializing in pewter and no one on your list ever responded to my question. Did find Atlantis crystal factory and outlet --- prices are bargain basement! Also understand there is a porcelain factory just across the street from Atlantis with a bargain outlet also. But after Atlantis we had no more empty space in the suitcase and Atlantis does not ship (although they are one of the few that completed the VAT forms for us). Love the Thursday flea market you told me about --- I think you said it was Thursday morning but it was actually all day. Also, on the 2nd and 4th Sundays of each month there is a flea market in Sintra. If you make it past all the chickens and vegetables it is a great place to find antiques. Found several great bargains

Thanks for the information you gave me prior to our departure.

Cynthia Munkittrick