Melnq8

Thanks Karen. I'll try to wrap this up in the next few days.

geetika

Melnq8, thanks, your pictures are to die for! Our trip to Portugal has been long overdue, since 2020, maybe we’ll finally make it in 2023! But I have been following your TR with great interest, especially the culinary parts, as I am vegetarian too, though I’m fine with eggs. Will probably follow your example and drink my meals, lol 😂

Melnq8

Thanks for reading geetika. Good thing wine's a fruit, eh?

Melnq8

Tile Nirvana

This is the day I’d been looking forward to, our visit to the Museu Nacional do Azulejo.

We’d earmarked today for the museum knowing it was closed on Easter Sunday and Mondays.

We took the 759 bus to the stop nearest the tile museum, then walked the remaining short distance, arriving well before the museum opened at 10, putting us third and fourth in line (€5 each).

Wow. I loved it. Bill was lukewarm; said he’d have enjoyed it more if there was some explanation on how the tiles were made, etc, but I was in tile photo-taking heaven.


Museu Nacional do Azulejo

Grounds of Museu Nacional do Azulejo

Grounds of Museu Nacional do Azulejo

Museu Nacional do Azulejo

Museu Nacional do Azulejo

Museu Nacional do Azulejo

Museu Nacional do Azulejo

Museu Nacional do Azulejo

Museu Nacional do Azulejo

Museu Nacional do Azulejo

Museu Nacional do Azulejo

Museu Nacional do Azulejo

Museu Nacional do Azulejo

Museu Nacional do Azulejo

Museu Nacional do Azulejo

Museu Nacional do Azulejo

Museu Nacional do Azulejo

Museu Nacional do Azulejo

Museu Nacional do Azulejo

Afterwards, on a whim, we tried to figure out which bus to take to the Time Out Market. We couldn’t find the right stop, so after a bit of wandering up and down various hills, we caught a bus back to Rossio, planning to take the 732 bus to Cais do Sodré. Once at the correct bus stop, we waited...and waited...and waited... but bus 732 never turned up.

So, instead, we hopped on the 736 bus and were on our way…sort of. We were in bumper-to-bumper traffic for the entire journey, making us wonder if bus 732 was stuck in traffic.

Upon arrival at Cais do Sodré, and after asking a passerby, we were pointed in the direction of the market.

I wasn’t sure what to expect, knowing only that the Time Out Market was a popular food venue. I’d not heard of it until shortly before our trip, and because we were hungry, we decided to seek it out for lunch.

Holy smokes. The place was a complete and utter zoo, absolutely heaving. We poked our heads in, but had no interest in trying to wrangle a spot at a communal table potentially surrounded by COVID breathing strangers. Even without COVID we’d have given it a pass; crowds are just not our scene.

The market was much like the Mercado we’d enjoyed in Coimbra, but on a larger and considerably busier scale. Thanks, but no. We took a few photos and moved on.


Near the Time Out Market

Time Out Market

Time Out Market

Instead we settled in at an outdoor table at the nearby Don Costini where we had a lovely wine infused pasta lunch. I ordered the Penne Arrabiata, which was a bit plain and bland, but Bill ordered a delicious creamy, bacony, cheezy baked pasta dish that I had trouble keeping my fork out of. Unable to choose between the tiramisu and the panna cotta for dessert, we opted for both, oink, oink (€38).


Panna Cotta

Tiramisu

After lunch we sought out the stop for bus 714, which would take us to The LxFactory, which I’d read is “an array of arty retailers and unique restaurants” housed in an historical industrial complex.

We soon found ourselves in an industrial area overlooked by a massive bridge, which I now know is the Alcântara neighborhood and the 25 de Abril Bridge, which connects Lisbon to the south of Portugal and the beaches of Costa da Caparica.



Evidently, Alcântara was once a thriving port, but is now a nightlife hub, consisting of trendy eateries and clubs in the converted warehouses of Santo Amaro Docks.

Once off the bus, we fumbled around, not knowing exactly what we were looking for. I finally asked a shopkeeper and sure enough, we’d walked right past the LxFactory.

We backtracked and eventually entered a narrow alley of former factories, storerooms and workshops that now occupy an assortment of funky bars, restaurants, boutiques and art spaces.

We wandered the alley, taking in the street art (I’d expected more), and enjoying what I can only describe as the ‘hipster vibe’.


Lx Factory

Lx Factory

Lx Factory

Lx Factory

Lx Factory

Lx Factory

Lx Factory

After walking the length of the alley, we settled in at a table at Beers, where Bill tried the aptly placed Bohemia, while we watched the goings-on outside the open window (€7.20, one beer, one wine).


Beers, Lx Factory

Beers, Lx Factory

And what did I see directly across the street? Landeau! What are the chances that a rabid chocoholic would accidently stumble across The Best Chocolate Cake in the World?

I scurried across the street posthaste, surprised to find every single table occupied with customers who had taken up residence in this, a cafe that sells only a single item.

I foolishly bought a single slice of cake to take back to the apartment. A single slice. What the hell was I thinking? €3.70. Damn, that cake was good.

Later we got on a jam-packed 714 bus back to to Praça da Figueira, then walked to the Continente grocery store near the apartment, where I damn near had Panic Attack #2. The place was so busy we could barely move. I couldn’t stand it, I left Bill to make our purchases and went outside.

Just that morning I’d read that there are nine tourists for every one resident in Lisbon…and at that moment they all seemed to be in the Continente grocery store.

To be continued...

HelenaFatima

Time out market: yeah. Completely agree with you, had a meal there (before covid) and it was kind of a nightmare. So many people! I'm not that kind of person.

Continente: a few years ago I had a pannic atack there (not the one you went, but the one in Porto/Matosinhos), I froze, started crying (with real tears), didn't now what to do, fortunately my stepdaughter (she was only 9, poor thing) gave me her hand, and my stepson went looking for his Dad, and we all get out well. But it was a really bad experience. I still don't go to that supermarket. This was way long before the tourism thing.

Melnq8

Helena - was your panic attack due to the crowds too?

HelenaFatima

Yes, but it was really, really crowded, I cannot even explain how many people were there! I got dizzy, my hands started sweating, and I felt lost, like not knowing where was the door!

progol

Mel,
I’ve been following your report and am absolutely in awe of how much you and Bill do when you travel. My husband and I do and see probably half of what you’re able to do. It’s just become a fact of our lives that our travels have slowed down a lot and we seem to do only half or less of what I plan, so I’m just a bit envious of the energy you two have.

I do love your photos! There’s a wit and an edge to them and they’re a lot of fun. We did cover much of the same places and it’s fascinating to see your take on them.

Melnq8

I feel your pain Helena, I can relate.

Thank you progol - and here I thought we were slow travelers!

Ian

Ha! Not even close.

travlsolo2

Love love love your trip report, every word and every photo. Envious of your extensive walking and wine enjoying, both of which I can no longer do. Thank you for sharing it all.

Melnq8

Why thank you travlsolo2!

Having some computer problems which has slowed down the final installment.

maitaitom

"Having some computer problems which has slowed down the final installment."

Looking forward to it. I've been taking notes on all the Portugal trip reports, and I've decided I'm very confused on getting from place to place in Lisbon with the elevators and escalators and stairs and ... I see a comedy of errors ahead for us. Great report and great photos.

stokebailey

Fun report! Love the details. Some great photos, tpo.

Melnq8

Winding down

Our final day in Lisbon got off to a leisurely start; we needed to get tested for COVID before tomorrow’s flight; the free testing center, conveniently located mere meters from the front door of our apartment building, didn’t open until 9 am.

Shortly after 9 am, we rocked up, filled out the paperwork, showed our passports, got swabbed and returned to the apartment to wait out the 30 minutes needed to run the tests.

Then it was back to the testing site to claim our printed COVID results – negative!

Then back to the apartment to upload the results to the United Airlines site, which took considerably longer than the tests had.

Sorted, we took the 737 bus from Praça da Figueira up to Castelo de S. Jorge, the massive castle that overlooks Lisbon, saving our legs a rather steep climb. We were both amazed at how well the bus driver negotiated several incredibly tight turns; it reminded us of the very skilled Swiss bus drivers we’ve entrusted with our lives over the years.

But this driver had a lot more stimuli to deal with. The narrow winding streets were lined with distracted and oblivious tourists, who were looking anywhere but at vehicles. Several strolled right in front of the bus without a care in the world.

There were some pretty crazy driving antics as well; drivers maneuvering to get into tight spaces, double parked cars, vehicles blocking the road, large trucks backing up hills to let the tram and other vehicles by. The sound of honking horns filled the air. It was rather frenetic.

Before getting into the very long queue for the castle, we wandered through the narrow cobbled streets of Alfama, said to be the oldest and most characterful district of Lisbon.



Alfama

Alfama

Back at the castle, the long queue almost convinced us to give it a pass, but we bit the bullet and got in line. And a good thing too; the line went quickly and the castle was very interesting (€10 each).



The views from up here were fabulous; the peacocks fun and vocal…but the wind…we’d been warned that the nasty wind that had been howling for the past two days wasn’t going away anytime soon; it was fierce. The flags on the castle were whipping up a frenzy, the leaves on the trees and shrubs were flapping like mad; it was hard to stay upright when walking on the ramparts. That wind was something else.


Castelo de S. Jorge views

Castelo de S. Jorge

Castelo de S. Jorge

Castelo de S. Jorge

Castelo de S. Jorge

Castelo de S. Jorge

Castelo de S. Jorge

Castelo de S. Jorge

Castelo de S. Jorge

Castelo de S. Jorge

Castelo de S. Jorge

Castelo de S. Jorge

Castelo de S. Jorge

We spent a few hours up here, then took the 737 bus down that steep hill, deciding to get off mid-way and walk. We stopped for some really good gelato - lemon and passion fruit for me, pineapple for Bill, and then continued walking down those narrow streets and skinny sidewalks lined with tourist shops, trams and buses passing within inches.



Wandering

Wandering

Gelato

Wandering

Then we just wandered, looking for a promising place to eat, giving the Baixa a wide berth after seeing more massive cruise ships in port.

We walked for what felt like miles, up one narrow street and down another, somehow ending up in Chiado, at a square that was butt-to-butt people. Discouraged by the mass of humanity, we just kept walking, no idea where we were going, just knowing that we were hungry and tired of all the people.

Somehow we ended up in a neighborhood we recognized, and made a beeline for our new favorite Indian restaurant, Gandhi Palace! The same waiter was on duty, and this time, there were two other sets of diners. The waiter suggested we try a a different wine, and we continued our exploration of the restaurant’s vast menu, sharing an order of dahl, paneer, and garlic naan, the carnivore going vegetarian for the day (€24 after yet another ‘return customer discount‘ – I could get used to this - and as good as expected).

We eventually worked our way back to the apartment, walking down that steep street alongside the Elevador da Gloria one last time, its fresh yellow paint now sporting graffiti, making us wonder how much yellow paint the city of Lisbon must go through.



Wandering

Wandering

Wandering

Elevador da Gloria

Baixa

We whiled away the afternoon in our peaceful apartment, hiding from the wind and the hordes of people. We were pretty much peopled out, and ready to head home.

Impressions of Lisbon

Entirely too busy for our tastes. Yes, it was possible to flee the crowds, but never completely. Buses were packed, as were tourist attractions, monuments, popular neighborhoods, etc. It was easy enough to get around by bus and train and for the most part we were impressed with the transport system.

We weren’t crazy about the traditional Portuguese food we tried early in the trip, but there was no shortage of other options in Lisbon. We ate really well, and were pleasantly surprised at how inexpensive food and wine was in general.

Absolutely loved the wine, full stop.

Museums and attractions are reasonably priced and even more so if one qualifies for a senior discount (usually 50%), but we’re still spring chickens, so had to pay full price.

Will we be back? Probably not, but the jury’s still out. If we were to return, it would probably be in the lowest of the low season, whatever that might be.

So long, farewell

We’d heard there was a train transit strike planned for today, so we were up and out early; the Rossio metro station not yet open, the gate still down until 6:30 am. We were on the first train, which left at 6:32 am, and at the United Airlines check-in counter when it opened at 7:15.

We’d left sufficient credit on our Viva Viagem cards to get us to the airport, plus some, where an enterprising man was collecting them at the entrance to the airport, probably making a good profit in leftover credit.

We’d heard how busy the Lisbon airport was, so we’d left ourselves plenty of time, hoping for breakfast in the TAP lounge, arriving some 3.5 hours before our flight.

The airport was just as chaotic as the city itself, people in their droves in line for COVID checks, check-in, security and then finally passport control – which was insanely busy – a sea of humanity. Passport control is the last step before going to the gates and many people seemed to underestimate how long this would take.

We’d asked in the TAP lounge how much time we needed to clear passport control and were told to allow 30 minutes – which we did – but others were scrambling to get to their flights as they didn’t seem to expect long lines in passport control. There was a whole lot of panic through here.



Passport control

The US mask mandate was lifted a few days prior to our departure, so naturally we saw more people without them than with on the flights home. Passengers were told to keep their masks on until after take-off, and then all bets were off, many people removed them for the remainder of the flight.

It reminded me of our many flights into and out of the Middle East, where the Muslim women would shed their abayas the minute they sat down on the plane as suddenly the rules no longer applied. And those of us who'd order a drink the minute we were out of Arabian air space…just because we could.

Some three flights later, we were home.

--------------------------------

travlsolo2

Enjoyed your last installment, too! The chaos at the airport reminded me of one time at Schiphol, where an Indian gentleman was trying to budge in line ahead of me, and I stared him down and said quite firmly, DON'T EVEN THINK ABOUT IT! I don't know whether he understood the words, but he got the idea!

Will look forward to your next trip, and trip report.

HelenaFatima

I think you had this tryp sheduled for sometime prior than the time you did it. I'm sorry you had to postpone it. The country, and mainly Lisbon, were more interesting then. Anyway, I think that somehow you were able to take the best of it, even taking also the worst.

Anyway... concerning your liver... I must say you lost it long before Lisbon. But we found it, and we gave it a very good workshop about alcohol, wich we are very used to, and I must say we delivered your liver brand as new (if it hasn't found you yet, it's because courier in Portugal is a litle bit delayed, as other things).

If you ever return to my country, stay away from the touristic path!

Helena

Melnq8

Anyway... concerning your liver... I must say you lost it long before Lisbon.

True that Helena

KarenWoo

Enjoyed your last installment especially your "wandering" photos!

Maribel

Mel,
Sorry I'm so late to congratulate you on your terrific trip report!
I love the clever title, all the fantastic photos and the candid and very well written narrative--you have a wonderful gift--all your trip reports are so entertaining, and you have a phenomenal memory for all the fine details!

About the Tivoli--we didn't see the cover charge sign you photographed, so since we were doing "research" on Lisbon's roof top bars (visited 5, trying to lose our livers!), we went up to their SEEN restaurant for a sunset drink. We had a 7-euro wine and some free nibbles. Their new SKY BAR wasn't open. Trying to solve this mystery I've emailed the hotel 3 times about that cover charge, and they haven't understand my questions, so the mystery remains.
I too was amazed by the cruise ship traffic roaring back this spring in Lisbon and how that has really impacted the city's crowds. That and the fact that Lisbon makes the "hot European destinations" lists in so many travel magazines and newspaper travel sections. The travelers have really roared back here on the Iberian peninsula this summer!
Our next trip will be in (much quieter, I hope) Nov., and when in Porto, I'm heading straight to VinoFino, which will be a new discovery. I'll tell them that Mel and Bill sent me!

Like progol, I really admire all that you and Bill are able to accomplish, all that you manage to take in on your daily explorations. I do envy your energy!

Again, thanks so much for sharing with us your Portuguese adventure. I hope that you and your friend have another wonderful adventure (a "re-do") in Spain this fall.