Lazing it in Lisbon; Notes and Rambling Thoughts from and Extended Stay
 

First there was a ‘compromise’ decision: Let’s go to Portugal! Then came the Picking of Destinations; where to stay and for how long was carefully pondered over weeks. Well, truthfully, only by me as DH was happy to go anywhere as long as it did not involve France (I know…some people!), Spain again (We’ve had 3 consecutive vacations there) or anywhere cold.

When everything was said and done we had decided (read ‘he was informed’) to stay for a month in Lisbon. Other things and places will follow but let’s just talk a bit about Lisbon as I sit in our apartment one week into our stay.

DH and I arrived from different locations to LIS and met without problems in the baggage claim. He had visited with family in Switzerland while I stayed at home for 10 more days finishing up a few important things (you know, like going out to eat with all the girlfriends that I seldom get to see in new restaurants that DH is not thrilled about, hanging out with the extended family, binge watching 5 seasons of The Walking Dead, being ignored by the cats…).

I had travelled SJU to Madrid on an AirEurope cheap flight. This meant no individual entertainment screens and a single glass of wine served with dinner. So I read a trashy romance novel (selected specifically for the occasion), knitted half a scarf, and slept enough hours to survive a 3hr layover. This was the first time I was not arriving to Barajas in the ‘new’ terminal so that was a bit of an experience reminiscent of the old dark hallways of JFK. The walking distances in Barajas are just astonishing!

Eventually (should have turned on my Garmin watch and logged in the miles walked!) I found the connecting gate which happened to be in front of a 100 Montaditos restaurant. Yay! What to eat was easy (a tortilla with aioli and a morcilla with peppers) but then I had to make a quick, foggy brained, jetlagged decision: coffee or beer? Finally decided to be sensible and had the coffee. I can safely say that anyone that know me will agree that this was a highly uncharacteristic choice, but I still had a few hours of travel ahead of me. I bought a new (actual paper) book and sat by the gate to see the boarding of the Lisbon flight which I had decided not to take because it might be too tight. What can I say? I’m a flight wimp.

Somewhere I had read that Lisbon airport was small. I disagree. First, the plane lands halfway to Porto and you taxi for at least 15 minutes, and then you walk through a veritable shopping center with all kinds of luxury stores.

After waiting a good 20 minutes for the luggage, DH proceeded to the taxi line. It was very (VERY) long but it moved quickly. We were still happily catching up with each other so it took at least 5 minutes before we realized we were going to get scammed by the driver; no counter in sight. Oh well, we would survive the loss of what turned out to be 37E.

I had flipped-flopped between apartments for days; well really between areas of the city. The Baixa had been discarded from the get go, with its rows of touristy restaurants. The Alfama was supposed to be noisy and crowded. The Chiado? I have no interest whatsoever in upscale shopping; or non-food-related shopping at all. Then I got some recommendations for the very residential Principe Real barrio which looked intriguing; a decision was finally made.

We had rented an Airbnb apartment in the general Príncipe Real area, almost across from Praça das Flores. One bedroom, small office, decent kitchen, ample living space, dishwasher, washer/dryer combo… the whole 9 yards. The minus? It is a 3rd Floor (American 4th) with no lift apartment. This seemed like a ‘no biggie’ at the time, whoever, when combined with the –ahem- verticality of Lisbon, the enthusiasm begins to lag behind.

First impression was not great, the staircase was dark and the wall paint was peeling all over, we huffed and puffed up 4 flights lugging a heavy suitcase, thank God for the gym! We reached the apartment and it seemed like the previous occupants were in the process of being evicted (their luggage stacked on the stoop) and the cleaning lady (didn’t speak a word of English) was only beginning to do her job (beds unmade, garbage in the hallway kind of state). And this even though we were at least 2 hours later than we had originally announced (this was not a problem because the key to the apartment is left in a coded box so one can enter without assistance). Not exactly the beginning I had been hoping for.

We dropped off everything and escaped across the street to have our ‘Welcome Drink’ in a covered terrace with heater… Have I mentioned that is was cloudy and cold? It was cloudy and cold. Very much so.

We stocked up on a few basic groceries for breakfast and returned to the apartment. Now that it was clean, orderly and EMPTY, it was much nicer and looking exactly as the AirBnb pictures. Insert big sigh of relief. Okay, everything would be OK!

Dinner was at <b>Cantinho Lusitano</b> selected at random from ones with the best reviews in the ‘Near Your’ filter in Trip Advisor. It was really good. REALLY good. The serve tapas/ración stlyle, though eating like this is sadly NOT a Portuguese thing! It was 7:00pm and the place was full but we were seated with the warning that we had to be done by 9:30pm, as if! LOL. We had the standard olive and bread plate, chouriço al vino (good!), Pica Pau beef (somewhat spicy – sweet – sour totally awesome sauce) with sweet potato fries, grilled octopus leg (yum!) and codfish fritters ‘Patatinas’ served with rice and beans that were good enough to come back for. So, even though I was in a jetlagged, not even showered yet, state I thoroughly enjoyed our dinner in this place and would gladly go back. Bill was under not even €40.

We went back to the apartment where I had a surprisingly almost full night of comfortable sleep. Maybe there IS something to all that hype about limiting alcohol during flights after all…

<b>Next: Actual Notes on the Lisbon Experience</b>

Following with interest. Hoping Portugal will be next year, long overdue.

Great start to your report!

Looking forward to more - Lisbon is one of my favorite cities.

That sounds like a real rip off on the taxi, but I always take the bus.

I'm here too.
I like the tantalising choice of coffee or wine. :)

Hope you continue to be happy with the advice of the Principe Real neighborhood -- and that warmer weather is headed your way!

I picked up 2 RT tickets last night to Lisbon for next month so I will be following your notes. (It was an error fare of $207 pp, BOS-LIS so i am not sure if the reservation will be cancelled or will stick.)

I'm joining you. I love gritty Lisbon.

A month in Lisbon, can't wait to read this :)

Thanks to all!

Sandralist, yes I'm very happy with Principe Real, thank you for the suggestion.

Deb, I read about it. I really hope is sticks! We are really liking it.

The problem with extended stays is that there is an underlying impression that you don’t have to rush to see things and the days slip away almost unnoticed while wandering aimlessly and sipping wine in outside cafés. Oh wait. Scratch that. Those are actually the good things. But one does risk actually not getting to see the sights.

But here are a few of my 100% biased, totally skewed, personal thoughts about Lisbon one week into our stay:

- When people say Lisbon is ‘hilly’, they are lying. Maybe not outright lying but certainly making the understatement of the year. Lisbon it is not hilly, it is VERTICAL. The only flat spaces in the city are the Praça de Comercio and a few streets in the Baixa.

- The sidewalks of Lisbon are all paved with mosaic-like small stones. They are set in beautiful patterns and are wonderful to look at however, said stones can be slippery in the rain. When combined with the vertical factor, walking around can be tricky. Shoes –sensible shoes!- are of the outmost importance. Excuse me now while I go send an email of appreciation to Sketchers regarding my not very pretty but extremely comfortable and non-slippery GoWalk2 shoes.

- The tilework in the façades…OOOHHH! I have never been a big fan of decorative arts in general and tilework in particular, but wow. That opinion was mostly based on the use of cheap tile reproductions back home. Lisbon has the real deal. Well, Lisbon is the REAL deal. The tiles are just so elegant! Most of the older buildings are tiled in shades of blue with a few greens and yellows popping around. Terracotta tiles make the perfect contrasting background. Some recently remodeled buildings are covered with gray/taupe semi translucent tiles for a very sophisticated and modern nod to tradition.

- The Portuguese seem to go for a lot of body contact. And take this from a Puerto Rican very used to touchy-feely, obviously not a problem for me but I could see a few people feeling that that their personal space has been invaded. You ask someone something on the street and they will gently yet firmly, almost intimately, place their hands on your shoulders or forearms for as long as they give you a very lengthy and detailed explanation.

- I had read in multiple places that most Portuguese are fluent English speakers. This is absolutely true. And most people in the hospitality business will also speak rudimentary French and German as well. However, as in ANY place, an introductory Bom Dia or Boa Tarde will go a long way to establish the goodwill that is indispensable for cross-language communications. Knowing Spanish will also take you very far along into understanding the conversations around.

- Vinho Verde is a good thing. Nothing else to add there. Well, just one observation: even when copious amounts of the cheap stuff have been drunk in lazy afternoons, there have been no evidence of hangover headaches. I’m sure we will further test the limits of this theory. BTW, the red wine is not bad either and better suited to this cold and wet weather we keep having.

- Why don’t we hear more about Portuguese cheese? Or maybe why have I not found out about this before? YUM.

- Tram 28 is not only used by tourists. Be prepared for feisty little old ladies to push you out of the way.


<b>Next: Stuff we have actually done between drinking and eating</b>

No mention of port? Have you discovered the Solar do Vinho do Porto yet? Also, ginjinha.

I deal with the steepness with a transport pass...

I like your style of writing, marigross ^^
Sounds like a fun trip.
I have just returned from Lisbon, you beat me to the trip report.
Looking forwards to more.
I agree about the tiles, the cheese and the wine.

Thursdaysd, I have now googled the place and will promptly get back to you with an opinion!

I need to give Port wine a chance. I haven't tried ginjinha yet, is it more like a digestif?

We have now purchased transport passes but DH has it in his brain that resorting to them is a profound betrayal of his stoic Swiss upbringing. I figured that I could burn all those calories, work on those Lisbon Legs. But I might soon just give up on that and meet him at the top. He could then blame it on me and let his mounting-climbing ancestors rest in their graves.

Saturday, April 2: What would be a First Day of Vacation without a Death March?

It started innocently enough ‘let's go for a stroll’ because, you know, we have time, no need to see all the city in a day. My infamous, record breaking, Barcelona First Day of Vacation Ultra Death March was very politely not mentioned but just barely hinted at with ‘But not too long, right?’

Our first stop was as <b>Tease</b>, a permanently full-to-capacity, small tea shop downstairs from us. We had our coffees and I had a savory pastry filled with creamed spinach. It was scrumptious, the crust was doughy enough to have bite but still a little flaky (usually indicative of massive amounts of fat, possibly even lard). Reminded me of the ones to be had in Greece, mmmm. Thank goodness I don’t have too much of a sweet tooth, I’m in trouble enough with the savory stuff!

As a random thought, it has been more than once in this week that Lisbon has made me think of Athens. I cannot quite pinpoint the similarities, but they are in there somewhere. Maybe the warmness of the people, the ups and downs, the slight grittiness of both cities…. I will continue to ponder this.

We headed out (and down) towards the river with the weak sun of early April warming the air just enough. After a lot of mapless wanderings we wound up in <b>Mercado da Ribeira</b>. This is a combination of a traditional food market (grocers, fishmongers, butchers, et al) and a Food Court on Steroids mega place.

The food market looked a little sad BUT (and this is an important qualifier) it was Saturday in the early afternoon. This means that all the early birds have taken their worms and only slim pickings are left behind. Saturday morning shopping for the full weekend and even Monday seems to be the norm in most markets as some specialty stores will not reopen until Tuesday.

I’m still trying to decide if we liked the food court experience (it is indeed an experience) or not. It was packed. Every single tourist in Lisbon seemed to be here. People were hustling for places on the communal tables and trying to get couples to scoot over two stools down so that they could fit in their parties together. The restaurant choices are extensive and go from the traditional Portuguese to Thai Woks by the way of Leitaõ (whole roasted pigs), Italian style gelatos, specialty Tartar, and ‘artisanal’ hamburgers.

We opted to have our first glasses Vinho Verde and some oysters as we were still full from our late breakfast. The glasses of wine €4 and that seemed to be the average price in the restaurants. We should have gotten a bottle, just like everyone else around us. I will give the market extra credit for the decent stemware. Oh yeah, we are in Europe! Real plates, glasses, cups and utensils everywhere! This makes me happy as I have to snobbishly admit that I extremely dislike plasticware.

Bottomline, is this an authentic Lisbon experience in the traditional way? Absolutely not. But it is quirky modern and an easy way to sample multiple dishes at the same time. And the people watching is unbeatable! Go there and have a drink.

Then we continued along the river promenade, passing a very cute café with great views of the Vasco de Gama bridge but even with windbreakers and heaters it was just too cold to sit outside. Dully noted for a warmer weather return. We reached the beautiful <b>Praça do Comércio</b>, its bright yellow walls contrasting the (briefly) bright blue sky and then wandered into the Baixa. Loved the elephant on the central statue.

We wandered through the Baixa, dodging overenthusiastic waiters annoyingly trying to get you into their restaurants. We are an odd couple –for various reasons- and it was funny watching the waiters trying to figure out in which language to address us. I also find it particularly curious that most vendors and waiters have not been able to place me correctly, addressing me in either Italian or French. I have always perceived myself as very clearly (lol!) Hispanic on the olive-whitish end of the spectrum and in Spain a lot of folks have correctly narrowed down their guessing to the Caribbean basin. DH is addressed in German most of time.

We passed the <b>Elevador de Santa Justa</b> with its long line of tourists waiting to be transported couple hundred feet into Chiado and eventually wound up in <b>Praça Rossio</b> for another round of wine and even more awesome people watching.

The entertainment on the street merits a full description just because the list of incongruences was simply mind-blowing. I mean, we are smack in the middle of Lisbon and this group of 5 guys dressed as Native American (think full feather Cheyenne Headdress but purchased in the Party City Costume Department and pleather fringed suits) start setting up their sound system. Something didn’t quite add up with them and I perked up my ear. Sure enough, they were speaking Spanish with Central American accents. Then the panflutes / windpipes came out. And what did they start playing? Well, there was Zamfir and the Flight of the Condor of course, but then it got better: Abba’s Chiquitita (to the crowds great enjoyment and sing along chorus) followed by Journey’s Open Arms. What can I say, as ridiculous as it sounds they sold quite a few CD’s. They might be on to something.

Eventually we got up and started working our way up (and up, and up) possibly through the steepest and endlessly long set of stairs in Lisbon (I’m sure that we will find worse in days to come) behind the Rossio metro station and up to the church of Saõ Roque.

I mean, really, it would not really be First Day of Vacation without visiting a church, right? I’m going to make a disclaimer here so that my enthusiasm is put into perspective: I go into churches. I go into most churches I walk by. I love old churches. I go into a LOT of churches. The only thing I love more than old churches? Cloisters. I adhere to the ‘Leave No Cloister Unseen’ travel philosophy.

<b>Igreja de Saõ Roque</b> is a 16th Century Jesuit church with a flat wooden roof painted with faux domes. The chapels are outstanding. Particularly notable are the two alcoves that flank the altar with an arrangement of reliquary sculptures and containers. In the past, I have seen these images moved to the church Treasury so I’m not quite sure if this display was common centuries ago or if it is a Portuguese thing. But truly, all the chapels are magnificent.

We were starting to wear a little thin so we started to make our way back home via the <b>Miradour de San Pedro de Alcantara</b>. A place to be greatly enjoyed on a warm sunny day, which this was most certainly not. Matter of fact, it started to pour so we ‘had’ to dodge into <b>Tapas 52</b> for a glass of wine while we waited the rain out. The music was a rather pleasant loungy jazz but people are allowed to smoke inside. Not nice. The food looked good, though.

We made it home to eat an absolutely disappointing pasta carbonara, one of my longstanding go-to dishes. I still don’t know where I went wrong with that one, it usually works well for me. Cooking can be a very humbling experience. But, it let itself be eaten with enough Alentejo wine to wash it down.

<b>Next: Skip the prose and getting down to what we did

Glad you found the Alentejo wine, one of the countries better new products. Lisbon is flat compared to Porto!

Loving your TR!

Ginjinha is more of a liqueur than a digestif. Best drunk on the way home after dinner.

Do try the port place. It sells port by the glass at reasonable prices and has extensive descriptions. If you haven't tried port before it's a good place to start. My vote is for twenty year tawny, but yours may be different. (Personally, I don't consider white port to <b>be</b> port...) It's also right by a good mirador.

Consider Lisbon's transport options as part of your sightseeing. Not just the elevator but the funiculars and some of the trams.

Do you like spicy food? For cheap, good food with a kick go to Bom Jardim. Get the chicken and fries and add the sauce to taste. No ambience - think paper table clothes - but deservedly popular. (Travessa de S. Antao 11 - I think I went three times the last time I was in Lisbon, but it's just down the street from where I stay.)

Thank you FuryFluffy

Bilbo, by the time we make it to Porto I hope to have worked up my Lisbon Legs!

Thursday, we LOVE spicy food. Matter of fact if anyone has recs for places to try ethnic food from the old colonies, we would greatly appreciate them.

The ports I have tried are bit too sweet for my taste but I can always give it another try, you know, for palate developing / educational purposes.

Sorry, confused aperitif and digestif... Port is also an after dinner drink. Ideally with cheese... Ideally with Stilton... Or nuts. Some people like it with chocolate. If you have found it too sweet you may have been drinking ruby. Try LBV and tawny, the older the better. I'd say try vintage but it's expensive and I don't think the Solar does it by the glass. Although port in Portugal is a lot cheaper than it is in the US.

If you're going to Porto the port wine lodges on the south bank have tours and tastings. Try Taylors, when I was there they had an elegant rose garden with white fluffy Japanese hens and a peacock. don't know if they still do, but they still have a restaurant. http://www.taylor.pt/en/visit-taylors/port-cellars/

In Porto, I suggest going to the Yeatman Hotel to have a port cocktail and enjoy the spectacular view. They have quite a variety, and they are wonderful. Just tell them you prefer a cocktail that isn't sweet.

I second the recommendation for Bom Jardim (although I skipped the piri-piri sauce). I had a two very nice meals at Ibo (near Cais do Sodre, with a waterfront view), which specializes in the cuisine of Mozambique, but it was aromatic, not spicy -- but maybe I just failed to order spicy dishes. If you know the website Lisbon Lux, you might try looking there for a restaurant serving recipes from Goa, or from Brazil.

Maybe this place?

https://eatingtheworld.wordpress.com.../19/goa-zuari/

<b>Sunday, April 3</b>: the weather was slightly better but far from great. These are the things we did:

- Walked up to Praça Principe Real and moseyed around the stores in there. The Embaixada group of stores looked particularly nice (and warm). In case I forget to mention this further on, there is a good weekly market on Saturdays here with food and artists.

- Visited the outside of <b>El Carmo Church</b>, need to go back in when it is open (or at least I find the correct entrance)

- Walked through Pedestrian Rua Garett (highly recommended for shoppers; something I’m not)

- Could not stop in Café A Brasileira (hey, we ARE tourists) as there was not a seat to be had

- Stepped into the Basilica Dos Martires (of course! I couldn’t get into the Loretto church across as it seemed to be closed)

- Strolled into <b>Praça Luis de Camoes</b> until we saw the line forming outside <b>Manteigaria Fábrica de Pastéis de Nata</b> and made a quick detour to partake of this quintessential Lisbon tradition. These are like individual egg custard pies with brulée tops. They come in sizes from tiny to 6” diameter and are ubiquitous through the city. However, this Fábrica seems like the place to have them and it is the only thing they make. I expected cloyingly sweet, but it was not. The custard is creamy and slightly lemony, and the purpose of the very thin pastry (I would have loved it thicker) is solely to hold the cream together while you eat it. The ones we got were still warm and were delicious, even by my savory-tooth standards.

- Detoured past the Elevador de Bica into the Miradouro de Santa Caterina for more great views of overcasted Lisbon. Funny thing, random guy hanging out before the park offered us marihuana. Really? Us? Now THAT (the being offered part!) hasn’t happened in more than 30 years, I seriously doubt we look like party people. Wondered what made him think we would want any (I know, I find weird stuff interesting!).

- Eventually, and not quite sober, we got back to the apartment and made a rather good dinner from prepackaged turkey brochettes, grilled zucchini and rice cooked with lentils all purchased from the corner mini market.

<b>Monday, April 4: </b>Weather was miserable. Alternating between misty rain and downpours. We stretched breakfast into brunch (sans mimosas) and finally ventured out in the afternoon to find a bank. Somehow we wound up in Lapa for our daily stroll. We found a bigger grocery store and purchased a few cheeses, bread, paté, a few vegetables and a very pretty bacalhao (codfish) fillet for dinner.

Even with umbrellas in hand we got drenched on our way home, so that put a quick end to our wanderings for the day. Warm showers and red wine in hand made it all so much better.

Oh, and the cleaning lady (seemingly the only person in Lisbon not to speak English) and her husband showed up by 7:00pm to come to fix the electricity that had gone out from half the apartment due to a faulty cable. And the washer was not working either, after 2 hours on the phone with tech support she finally got it going and we were free to eat.

The bacalhao fillet stewed with white beans and spinach turned out awesome, so not all was lost in the day. We are so happy that we will have ample time to see the city in the sunshine because this lousy weather was just not cutting it.

Dear Marigross
I'm loving your TR and waiting for more. Meanwhile:

Cloistres: Try to visit Convent of Christ in Tomar, unless you are affraid of a cloisters' overdose. Imagine a douzen of cloisters of several centuries and styles packed together in one place.
Spicy: After Rossio, there is a twin square named Figueira sq. A little bit north there is another square named Martim Moniz Sq. From the north eastern corner of Martim Moniz sq borns a pedestrian street named Rua do Benformoso. This street is the unofficial Bangladesh town. In Benformoso, 262 there is a restaurant called "Bismilla" offering the best Prawn Curry in town. Bismilla accepts no cards, only hard currency. Be prepaired to pay 10 euros per person.

Hi Lobo, thank you! I will (eventually) make it to Tomar, once we start the Road Trip portion of the vacation in May.


Thanks for the restaurant rec!


I think you remarked on another thread about the frequent misspelling 'Barrio' when in Portuguese it should be Bairro. I had not even noticed that I was making the mistake, lol. It is -at least for me!- a carry over from Spanish, where the correct spelling is Barrio.


Since Spanish is my first language, there might be a lot of those typos in this TR. ;-)

<b>Tuesday, April 5: </b> The sun! The SUN!!!!

Lisbon in the sun is a completely different place. The last few days some of the cafés had tables outside, mostly occupied by Danes and British and a few lucky ones that got a spot next to the heaters. We had even remarked about the lack of little ‘whole in the wall’ gritty joints that DH adores and drags me into. Well, all these places were there! They were just hibernating.

These days we seem to only get late starts in the morning. But that is the beauty of extended stays! You can sleep in, do Pilates a class from YouTube videos, write in your journal, have a third cup of coffee… And THEN go out. This would have been unheard of two years ago, when I was still a trip Nazi trying to cramp as much as possible into the 3-weeks of vacation I was able to wrestle away from my boss.

Maybe I should give some more context. DH, being significantly older than me, has been retired for over 15years. He took over managing the Kid and the house so I could slave away at a very stressful, highly demanding but decently paying job. It was a job I mostly liked, occasionally loved and seldom hated.

Then came the perfect storm:
(a) I got stuck for almost 2 years in a project that I hated, one of those ‘black hole’ things that you just know that you will never get away from.
(b) The Kid decided she was not going to college after all (with the ensuing parental re-appropriation of her college fund).
(c) Even though we had always been very conservative in our spending, I got very much involved with minimalistic living and de-cluttering. It made me take a very hard look at my spending habits and going through the ‘am I really working only to be able to afford to buy all this cr@p I’m just going to throw away / donate?’ existential crisis.
(d) DH was not getting any younger with a landmark birthday coming up and deserved to have a full time wife to go hang out with.

Just over a year ago I quit my job. Have not regretted or even missed it for a second yet.

Anyway, the sun was out so we must follow, and lo and behold! There is a butcher shop a few doors down the street (guess it was closed Sunday and Monday), the grocer across from us turned out to have a lot of nice products and vegetables. The neighborhood had come alive!!!!

After shopping for dinner we took off and retraced some of our steps back down to the Ribeira Market, the Praça de Comercio (now half occupied with tables and people!) and the Baixa. This time we continued up <b>Avenida Liberdades</b> in what is known as a falso piano; a slight incline that looks almost flat but sucks the breath away from you after the first kilometer. The walk was still pleasant in the sunny cool breeze.

The tree-lined boulevard is beautifully paved and filled with elegant buildings… and every single luxury retail chain store in the planet. A few local couture and jewelers ateliers provided an interesting break. Some people might think this is heavenly, but there is no way I’m buying a Furka bag when I could pay another month of vacation with that money. I have my priorities very clearly set!

On the way back down we took to the backstreets. Much more interesting to us! We wound up eating lunch at a small restaurants with a lot of local workers. We had a real good but slightly oily <i>Arroz con Pato</i> (Rice with Duck) and a bottle of wine. We thought we had also ordered some fish but there was a misunderstanding, and by the time we realized we were full with the rice anyway. And we had ordered the half portion of the rice!

Our wanderings took us around to the base of the <b>Elevador de Gloria</b>, which of course we did not ride up but walked on the side taking pictures and little videos. Up in the <b>Miradouro San Pedro de Alcantara</b> there was a small market and we got €1,50 plastic cups of very decent red wine (hey, I might be a glassware snob but I can curb my expectations when needed!) just for the novelty of it. We did go back to guy and bought some creamy cheese, a loaf of excellent bread and this most delicious pastry called a ‘Jesuíta’ (sp?) for the next day’s breakfast.

We got another cup of wine with the purchase. Let’s just say it was a good thing that we were not driving. We happily staggered home and even managed to cook a good dinner of chicken and pasta in our slightly (ahem!) inebriated state.

I stopped work at 50 having realised I was working to accumulate stuff. It looks like a hard question when you are on the other side, but once you "pass through the veil" it looks like a very simple question. Well done for joining the time rich.

I think Lisbon has an old triereme in the old arsenal. Worth a walk around, while the history of Portugal as told from a port basis is fascinating, for instance did you know the royal family migrated to Brazil and ran the Empire from there (a colony of a colony)

Welcome to retirement! I retired at 53, the day I hit 30 years with my megacorp, and have never regretted it. I did do part time contract work for a while, but then I decided to try living on my pension. No mortgage + no retirement savings + lower taxes + frugality makes a big difference, even though the pension was only 40% of my final salary. Of course, retiree medical made a huge difference, too. I've found it surprising how things expand to fill the time available.

Loving your trip report marigross. Having been to Spain several times but never managed to make it over to Portugal, your thoughtful reflexions are very informative and entertaining. It is definitely one country on my radar screen.

Everything being relative, I chuckled when you write about the "awful and cold weather" as qualified, I suspect, from a Puerto Rico perspective no doubt. I think I would find the same actually quite balmy by comparison since where I live, we usually have to heat our homes from September to June (NOT kidding - I wish I were believe me). In fact we are still around the freezing point with a fresh layer of snow on the ground as I write this, and it is NOT exceptional for this time of year. Fully relate to your expletive "the sun, THE SUN" as well for similar reasons.

Congrats on leaving the work world !!!! I did the same one year ago almost to the day and also have not looked back since. Slow travel is now the way to go for us as well.

I have great sympathy, too, for the need for warmth. I lived in Puerto Rico for 5 years, then moved to Montreal to be near my husband's family. Well, I lasted 2 winters, as if 1 wasn't enough, then convinced him that my California home would be perfect for us.

Thank you so much for the moral support MmePerdu :)

(Je ne vis pas très loin de Montréal, et oui, maintenant à la retraite des séjours prolongés ailleurs sont à l'ordre du jour !)

Marigross, you write so well, this is a lovely read.

And I'm enjoying everyone's personal stories, too, nice how a TR becomes even richer with other people's contributions.

<b>Wednesday, April 6: </b> Lisbon Rim to Rim…. Or we can see the castle from here

The sun was out so it was time to get going. Of course this means slow motion ‘going’ as we might have lingered a bit on the breakfast table eating a good portion of the <i>Queijo de Ovelha Curado Amanteigado</i> that we had purchased the day before. Wow. You just cut a circle through the waxy crust and spoon out delicious creaminess out on to bread. Wow^2. The bread we got from the guy made for a perfect companion. Okay, I’ll go out and admit it, it was almost noon by the time we left.

We intended to catch the Electric Tram 28 by the San Bento stop. There were around 10 people in the stop before us. First tram comes by, no space to breath inside that can of sardines! Only two local elder gentleman opt to push themselves in. Hummmm. We decide to keep walking along the tram lines and see how it goes. Another packed tram passes us by. There were at least 20 people ‘queuing’ (using the word only in the most general terms). So we keep going. By now we have gone up the hill. This time we lucked out with few people waiting and a tram with actual space in it. Within two stops we could sit down.

Tram 28 took us all the way up to the top of Graça and from there we walked first to <b>Miradouro de Graça</b> (with a stop in the beautiful church) and then further (further!) up to <b>Miradouro da Senhora do Monte</b>. The views from both were picture perfect, the second lookout gives you a better sightline to the castle. We finally were able to strip down to one layer of clothes and soaked in the warm sun.

On the way down we made a stop at <b>Saõ Vicente de Fora </b>. This church is impressive from the outside and the inside. Raising from the street in all in white, you enter up a staircase and into a majestically vaulted space. The altar has such a massive Baldachin over it that almost defeats its purpose, touching almost the ceiling.

You know that moment when having a cr@ppy map and the incorrect guide book really do you in? Well, we must have circled that castle at least two times. And it was not exactly fun, but we eventually made it to the ticket office of <b>Castelo de São Jorge</b>.

We have mixed reviews on this one. I thought it was quite impressive, DH not quite so. He said it was because he was born and raised in the shadow of a ‘real’ castle, I think it was because he was tired and a little cranky. Anyway, it is still beautiful with its ramparts and crenelated tops and the park around it quite nice. The restaurant seemed nice but the menu screamed ‘overpriced tourist trap!’. We skipped it. We also bypassed the café; DH was decidedly cranky as he did not even want to stop for a beer and admire the peacocks.

On the way down we stopped at the <b>Largo das Portas do Sol</b> lookout and the <b>Miradouro de Santa Lucia</b>. I opted to bypass all the churches along the way as our appreciation for religious architecture was inversely proportional to the tiredness of our feet.

Contrary to rational thought, we walked all the way home. The steep way. Though we did stop for a glass of wine… or two.

Thanks to all for tagging along. I love writing TRs, they have proved to be the most cherished souvenirs of all.

Bilbo, I did not know that about Brazil. I saw the trireme from far, will go back an investigate further.


Kanadajin, my tropical-born DD has moved to Maine and contrary to all expectations, is loving it. Even with the two previous record breaking winters and this schizophrenic one. She also has snow on the ground.

Yumm, breakfast sounds good!

I have to agree with DH on the castle. Finally made it up there my last trip and the views were fine but the castle wasn't worth it (but I grew up in England and I've sen a lot of castles). There are good views without paying to go in.

Saint Georges castle and Jeronimos Monastery are examples of public buildings badly damaged after the earthquake of 1755 and extensively rebuilt in the 40s of last century. I guess some or the original feeling was lost forever.
The exception is Carmo Convent which was left as it was after 1755 (with some consolidation works) as a memorial.
You might find fun (interesting?) a text of 12th century written by a crusade named Osbern who took part in the conquest of the city (http://legacy.fordham.edu/halsall/source/cap-lisbon.asp).

<b>Thursday, April 7: </b> The return of the clouds

The forecast was not great and the temperature was in the upper 40’s. One look at the overcast sky and we re-snuggled in bed. We did nothing the whole day long. We did not even go out. I started this Trip Report and DH watched the news. We drank tea in the morning and wine in the afternoon. It was blissful. With one caveat: I missed our cats, lounging without kitty purrs is never as satisfying.


<b>Friday, April 8: </b> Unfinished Business

During one of our previous wanderings we had found, under very fortuitous circumstances, a great shortcut. DH had wanted to get another USB Plug charger and the exact gadget he had in mind had failed to appear so far. So we were walking through the Baixa and suddenly I see a sign for fnac (sort of a Best Buy type of store). It is above the Baixa-Chiado metro station and we actually had to ask for directions because we just could not figure out how to get in. ‘Go to door #89, inside there is an elevator, go to the 4th floor’ said the nice lady from the café across the street, probably for the 100th time that week.

So we go up, still did not find the Perfect USB Thingie but we did find out that when you exit the store through the mall you find yourself in Almacenes Chiado and just a few steps away from the Praça Luis de Camoes and saving quite a bit of walking/climbing along the way.

Maybe I should insert here the other shortcuts we have found so far. We were in the Baixa, waiting to cross the Rua de Prata street across from the church and I see these massive amounts of people going into a building but quite few coming out. The sign said something like ‘municipal center’ and inside it looks like a gift shop. However, it has two elevators that will take you 5 stories up to Alfama, into a little square off Rua de Madalena and just at about the right elevation to see the Cathedral (which is where we were heading anyway. But let’s finish with the elevators first.

A couple days later we found out that on the other side of the street is ANOTHER elevator that will take you up to Castle level, the aptly named Elevador do Castelo. This is the one that, I believe, has the big supermarket in the basement.

Yesterday we also found that if you go into the very pretty Estacion Central, which is connected to the Rossio metro station, you can go up the escalators and exit from the top, saving yourself a few stories. However, you still have to go up the C. do Duque pedestrian street / stairway if you want to go to Barrio Alto. If you don’t need to burn all those calories acquired from drinking wine at ungodly hours, the Elevador de Gloria might be a better bet.

Now, going back to today’s meanderings we went up that magic elevator and found our way to the <b>Sé</b> Lisbon’s Cathedral. Entrance is free but they charge €5 regular and €2,50 seniors to see the Treasury and Cloister. I can see how people would be tempted to skip it, but don’t. The church has a very elegant Romanesque ‘hull’ but was rebuilt after the 1755 earthquake. It started out as a fortress and it shows. The true gem of this compound is the <b>Cloister</b>, what a beauty! Very simple Cistercian gothic. The center is excavated to show archaeological levels ranging from medieval Lisbon, the Moorish mosque, the Roman period to the Phoenician early settlers. I have warned about my love of cloisters, so I’ll shut up about it and just say thoroughly enjoyed it.

The <b>Treasury</b> is quite nice too, with its impressive setting in the old Chapterhouse rooms. It is not a huge display of objects but certainly worth a half an hour of detailed examination.

Next on the ‘agenda’ (ha! As if.) was a walk through the lower levels of the Alfama. This is area where Lisbon turns quaint and you start to taste a little of that Old European flavors. This area of the city largely survived the earthquake, so it only stands to reason.

We found a bar by the wall, just under the Casa de Janelas Geminadas and watched the world go by for a while. DH thought he might have preferred to stay in this side of town but when he saw all the fado joints and bars he retracted and said that quiet Principe Real was just fine. There are a number of guidebook ‘walks’ but this is really a neighborhood to wander, and we did so for the afternoon.

Dinner that night was at <b>In Bocca al Lupo</b> a stylish BIO (their claim) pizzeria. They advertise their thin crust pizza. We both love pizza. We both love wispy thin crust pizza. So we had put this place on the list as soon as we saw it. Well, it was thin and tasty. But it got soggy very quick. There is nothing sadder than a ‘wet’ pizza crust. But I do have to admit that mushrooms in pizzas are very treacherous as they can release a lot of water after coming out of the oven. I’m willing to give them that leeway. But at €51 for coperto, two pizzas and a bottle of wine, it was not exactly cheap either. So I guess we are not really going to be repeat customers.

I'm enjoying your report!

Another great update, thank you.

Try Pizza na Brasa (http://www.pizzanabrasa.pt/).
Unfortunately there is none in central Lisbon. The nearest is in Restelo (a short distance from Belem, if you intend to go there).