Why Blog About Lisbon Now?
Our visits to Lisbon were in 2017 and 2019 so Why now? is a fair question. Or rather, two questions:
Why not until now? -- That's not clear to us, honestly. Our 2020 was spend in only two places, so travel events from 2019 often seem to have happened "just last year" and sometimes we want to think about a trip for a while before blogging about it. But we also recognize that even if 2019 was "just last year" in travel terms, 2017 would still be several years ago. So - not clear.
Why finally now? -- Friends recently celebrated being vaccinated by booking a Fall trip to Lisbon, Sentra, Coimbra, Porto and the Douro River Valley. We applauded their travel optimism, enthused about Portugal and promised to send links to relevant Travels on Abracadabra posts. At which point we found we had exactly zero posts about those places; we had spent almost four months in Portugal and created only one post about a 2017 walking holiday in the Alentejo region and another about our time on the island of Madeira in 2019.
We Were There -- We Have Pictures!
Small loss to the Greater Blogosphere or our friends -- the Internet offers a lot of information about Portugal -- but we use this blog for what attorneys call "refreshing one's recollection" and our recollections need a lot of refreshing these days. See above re: 2019 having become "last year" for 2021!
So, this is our first attempt to address our Embarrassing Portuguese Blogging Failures - a post about Lisbon.
A Brief Summary
We won't be hurt if you skip this, but we needed to reach agreement on the order of our travels. And, this might help explain why we occasionally enjoyed days "at home", avoided restaurants or sought out Portuguese cuisine alternatives.
October / November, 2017: flight on TAP from the UK to Porto; train to the Douro River Valley; train to Coimbra; train to Lisbon for a eight-night apartment stay; train to Sintra, bus to the start of our Alentejo walk and bus/train trip back north for a nine-night apartment stay in Cascais.
October / November, 2019: flight from France to Lisbon; train to Cascais for another nine-night apartment stay; train to Silvas to begin a walking holiday; short stay in Tavira; train to Lisbon, a stay in Madeira related to a cancelled Atlantic crossing; flight back to Lisbon to wait for the successful trans-Atlantic cruise.
Now, Lisbon:
First, A Covid Warning Label: Our memories and information are pre-pandemic. We hope Lisbon is as lively and fun as we remember it when we are able to visit again.
The biggest challenge to independent travelers to Lisbon is not finding things to do or see, but editing Lisbon into a trip-sized experience. The editing process becomes easier with each visit; once the Most Important Sites are ticked off, a traveler can focus on their particular interest: architecture or food or music or even -- tile! After four trips, we're almost ready for a themed visit.
A Best Thing To Do:
Our personal Best Thing To Do In Lisbon is to just - wander. It's beautiful - lovely architecture and views everywhere one looks, a lively street scene and great food and wine. One favorite day was spent walking to the top of the city to the São Jorge Castle. The castle was fine, but the walk was better. We saw:
Photo-Worthy Lisbon Scenes
Two People Creating A Best Memory Ever
A Sign Announcing A
British Girl's School Choral Concert
Another great walk was an afternoon spent bushwhacking across the city towards our apartment; heading west -- up and down and up and down -- but always west.
Bryce, The Navigator
(Unlike Henry, He Had Google Maps!)
Among the things we saw, we photographed:
Wall Art On Vineyard Street
The "There's Fish In Here" Restaurant
Pescatarians Will Love Lisbon
Another good walk is along the banks of the Tagus River. This area is popular with lisboetas so it's a good place to watch city dwellers taking a day off and there are several nice river walk restaurants. Better yet -- it's flat!
Praça do Comercio (And The Ever-Present Henry The Navigator)
Lisbon is open late into the night, so keep on the lookout for something interesting as you walk back from dinner. One night we came upon a station of bombeiros (fire fighters) polishing their dress uniform helmets.
Alcohol May Have Been Involved
Another Best Thing To Do:
In 2019 our friend Jodi joined us in Cascais and she and Molly took a day trip to Lisbon, leaving Bryce to enjoy a day "at home". Molly's favorite part of that day was a trip on the Tagus River in a small (four passenger) tour boat. A river trip is a crowd-free way to get some great views of the city's impressive Age of Discovery monuments.
Praça do Comércio (And Henry) To The Right
Monument To The Discoveries
April 25th Bridge and Cristo Rei Monument
Of Many Museums, Four:
There are museums all over Lisbon and the nearby suburb of Belém; they focus on Fado music, royal coaches, archaeology, decorative art, modern art - even pharmacy. We went to several of them and particularly liked the following:
Museu de Marinha (Maritime Museum): A must for students of the Age of Discovery, sailors and seaplane enthusiasts. There is a good cafe.
Astrolabe
1917 Seaplane
Museu Nacional do Azulejo (National Tile Museum): Housed in a former convent, this museum offers an overview of an important Portuguese art form:
Restorers At Work
A Tapestry In Tile
The Gulbenkian Museum: This museum is an example of what an individual with good taste and a whole bunch of money could acquire in the late 18th- early 19th-Century. Fortunately the foundation controlling the private collection of British-Armenian oil magnate Calouste Sarkis Gulbenkian built a museum to house and expand his collection in Lisbon (that story is an interesting one).
One Of Many Beautiful Things
The museum also has a very nice theater offering a classical music concert series. Music concerts are a great way to observe a non-tourist crowd in any city, and can be enjoyed by those with minimal local language skills.
Museu do Aljube: This former prison for Salazar Dictatorship era (1932 - 1974) political prisoners is now dedicated to preserving the memory of those who suffered during that time. To put this museum's mission in perspective, as recently as 2019 (just last year, as we have said) a group sought funding for a museum honoring the Salazar regime. The Portuguese parliament denounced the plan -- but apparently the dictatorship still has supporters.
Visitors to this museum do not leave feeling uplifted, necessarily - but do leave with a better understanding of Portugal and the control mechanisms used by dictators everywhere.
Looking Out From The Aljube
Mosteiro dos Jerónimos (The Former Monastery of the Order of Saint Jerome): This site, located in Belèm, is a secularized monastery that is near many of the famous Age of Discovery monuments. It's one of the most visited places in Lisbon; there is a lot of information on it elsewhere so we will stick with our big take-away: book ahead. It is a very popular site. The building is spectacular, but every bus tour in town will stop there. You have been warned.
That Vasco da Gama Guy Is A Big Draw
Manueline Architectural Style
(Not For Minimalists)
Belém is also home to a famous pastel de nata bakery. A pastel de nata is a mini custard tart -- spectacular when good but also available wrapped in plastic, sitting on the shelf at a mini-mart. Hold out for a good one - it will be worth the hunt. Day Trips:
There are several day trips that can be taken from Lisbon (it's a small country) but because we visited several of the popular locations (Sintra, Cascais and Évora) for longer term stays and Cabo da Roca from Cascais rather than Lisbon, we won't write about them here.
One day trip we did take was a ferry ride across the Tagus River to Cacilhas for a nice fish lunch and a tour of the Fragata Dom Fernando II e Glòria. A perfect outing for frigate fans and a chance to try the Tagus River ferry system.
Wonder If I Could Get One Of These
Babies Shipped To Panama?
Sleeping (and Doing Laundry):
Because we shuttled in and out of Lisbon for three short visits in 2019 we had a chance to stay in three different hotels and get an idea of which parts of the city we might want to return to in the future. One area we will not return to is the "famous" Pink Street in the Cais do Sodre area. The Pink Street is "famous" for night life. We are not. Should have done more research before booking.
Our other two hotels introduced us to the joys of staying away from the hottest tourist spots. The Hilton DoubleTree Fontana Park is in a busy area but is within walking distance of an El Corte Ingles department store and movie theater as well as the Gulbenkian Museum. The location didn't quite make up for the hotel's weird black, minimalist hallways -- except when the idea of being in a 1960's television show about a futuristic high-tech thought-control security prison struck us as funny . . .
"The Prisoner" -- Or Bryce Trying To
Figure Out Which Door Is To His Room?
Our favorite was the Vincci Liberdade around the corner from Avenida da Liberdade, a wide boulevard with a central pedestrian strolling area (outdoor cafes, benches for sitting -- very charming). The hotel was pleasant when the construction next door would quit for the evening (that should be resolved by now!) and we found several non-Portuguese cuisine restaurants nearby. After almost two months in Portugal finding Vietnamese food was a cause for celebration.
Our week-plus stay in 2017 was in an apartment in the Bairro Alto area, very near the Palácio de São Bento (St. Benedict's Palace), the seat of the Portuguese parliament and popular protest spot. The apartment is on Travessa da Piexiera (Fish Platter), a pedestrian alley of tiny apartments once occupied by the working class, now busily being gentrified for the tourist market. The location is great - lots of restaurants and coffee shops nearby. A stop on the famous Tram 28 line is only a short walk away, and this stop is far enough out that a tourist can sometimes actually get a seat!
The apartment is still available on Airbnb and is still inexpensive. Its quirks suggest that "you get what you pay for" has some truth to it. The kitchen sink is tucked underneath a cabinet so the longest-arm guest must be in charge of doing dishes. Seriously, a short armed person can only reach the faucet by mashing her face against the upper cabinet. The apartment's most charming quirk was the clothes drying rack above the one eating space (we hesitate to call it a dining table).
Your Jeans -- You Sit Under Them . . .
Current pictures of the listing don't show this charming clothes rack feature, so don't book just for that good story.
We are getting better at reading Airbnb listings -- and with time, more willing to pay for space.
Getting Around:
We often enjoy walking to a tourist site as much as we enjoy the site itself. But at some point every visitor to Lisbon comes to the realization that holy crow there are a lot of hills in Lisbon!
The other thing your feet will tell you (sooner, perhaps, than later) is that Lisbon's walkways are frequently made from cut stones. Hard stones; stones which get slippery when wet. We assume municipal liability is limited in Portugal.
Street Repair In Lisbon
You may enjoy walking in Lisbon more if you try the following:
- Wear comfortable walking shoes with slip-proofed soles. And if you plan to walk a lot: not darling white tennies that match your outfit -- something closer to thick soled orthotic / hiking shoe things. You're welcome.
- Don't forget there's always a place to stop, sit and get a café, a soda or even a glass of vinho verde - Portugal's light, almost effervescent young white wine. Uma taça de vinho verde (pron: oomah tasha da veen -- or something similar) - a glass of vinho verde -- may not make climbing hills easier, but it may make it seem more like fun.
- Do some pre-outing planning:
- Get a Via Viagem card, a reloadable card that works on the metro, trams, buses, trains and ferries. There are options for short-term visitors and for long-term visitors who may be traveling outside of the central tourist zone. The website has route maps and a "plan a journey" link.
- Research the locations of Lisbon's public elevators and funiculars. Some cost quite a bit and are frequently very crowded - but that may seem a small matter by day three. Give particular consideration to taking the Chão Loureiro and Castelo lifts to get to the São Jorge Castle -- castles were often built on defensible heights.
Not All The Elevator Entrances Are Obvious
- Or take one of the hop-on hop-off bus tours -- this is a great way to pack a lot of "must sees" into a short period of time!
Eating:
It's not hard to find good restaurants in Lisbon, and Portuguese food is great -- a pescatarian's delight. Here are a couple of food options we enjoyed, inexpensive and not a Michelin Star in sight:
Churrasqueira da Paz: A local grilled food place (churrasqueira means bar-b-que, but don't look for any bar-b-que sauce -- it's grilled meat) on Rua Paz in the Bairro Alto neighborhood -- within walking distance of the apartment we rented. Simple, very tasty meals for about Є13 (including a glass of very basic wine) served at closely packed tables where one might meet and buy dinner for a guy in Lisbon to take the police academy entrance exam or talk to a French woman immigrating to Portugal.
Churrasqueira da Paz -- Up And To The Left
Bambu Restaurante Vietnamita: When you have had your fill of Portuguese food (which is very good, but variety is the spice as they say . . . ) try this little place on Rua do Salitre near the Vincci Liberdade hotel. Not the only Vietnamese restaurant in town, just the one we found.
Time Out Market: For sampling from a variety of restaurants, try wandering the Time Out Market in the Cais do Sodré area.
Super Touristy, But Fun
Pingo Doce: The ubiquitous Portuguese grocery chain with a decent take-out section for those nights yet another restaurant experience seems just too much. The larger stores include a staggering selection of salted cod which will give you a good insight into Portuguese cuisine. You don't have to take home cod - there are many options.
Who Knew There Were Different Types of Cod?
Some Random Background Information / Thoughts About Traveling In Portugal
Some Portuguese History:
A little basic research (Wikipedia, perhaps?) on the following events and individuals will not make anyone an expert on Portuguese history, but will make a visit to Portugal more interesting.
- The Age of Discovery (15th - 18th Centuries): The Portuguese were big players and are proud of their contributions even today; see, in particular:
- Prince Henry the Navigator (1394 - 1460): His statues and portraits are everywhere.
- Vasco da Gama (1460 -1524): He was a big-deal explorer (made it all the way to India by sea) and is buried in Belèm.
- The Treaty of Tordesillas (1494) and the preceding Papal Bulls: The "New World" was divided between Spain and Portugal, with repercussions throughout history -- why Brazilians speak Portuguese and various African nations took so long to become independent.
- The Earthquake of 1755: When much of the city was left in rubble the Marquis de Pombal took charge of the reconstruction and established the wide boulevards and beautiful plazas and parks that grace parts of Lisbon.
- King Carlos I, assassinated in 1908: Carlos was the monarch who made our favorite little town, Cascais, a popular seaside resort. He was a sailor and sportsman and by some reports a nice guy, even if not liked by everyone as a king.
- António de Oliveira Salazar: Salazar was head of the Estado Novo (New State) political party from 1932-1974. He served as the Prime Minister of Portugal from 1931 - 1968, as well as, at various times concurrently holding the offices of Minister for Defense, Minister for Finances and Minister for War. Portugal is still trying to come to grips with the results of his long hold over the country.
- The Overseas War (1961 - 1974): Also called The Portuguese Colonial War or the War of Liberation depending on who one talks to, is the war Portugal fought to maintain its African colonies. The ruling Estado Novo did not give up power graciously.
- April 25, 1974: The day the Carnation Revolution overthrowing the Estado Novo is celebrated. Note: Many streets, bridges and buildings now called "The April 25th ____" were once called "The Salazar ____".
This should get a first-time visitor started, though we confess to doing most of our research while in Portugal. A phone data plan is not only essential for maps and restaurant reviews!
Not Speaking Portuguese:
English: Almost everyone in the Portuguese travel industry speaks good Travel English, and those that don't have a friend that does. In general, well-educated Portuguese recognize that their charming language is ridiculously difficult for visitors to speak or understand (to us it sounds like the result of an undercover relationship between Spanish and Russian!) and, like other well-educated Europeans speak at least two languages; English is almost always one of them.
Spanish: Knowing Spanish helps. Written Portuguese is close enough to written Spanish for Spanish readers to follow signs, buy things and order in restaurants. Our experience is that many Portuguese who don't understand English do understand spoken Spanish. But be careful trying to use Spanish. First, just because they may understand your Spanish question, it doesn't mean you will understand their Portuguese response! Also, if their second (or third or . . . ) language is English, they will probably prefer to use English. The relationship between Portugal and Spain has been complicated since they split up the New World between themselves in 1494. E.g.: Bryce was told by one shop owner, "I will speak Portuguese or English. Not Spanish. You Choose."
Trains:
Once in Portugal there's no need to use the many short-hop airlines Europe is famous for -- the trains in Portugal go most everywhere. The train system is fairly easy to understand and inexpensive.
Trains; Plentiful, Inexpensive And Great People Watching
Apartment Rentals:
We have used Airbnb three times in Portugal - twice in Cascais and once in Lisbon. As always with vacation rental web-sites, read the listings carefully and look closely at the pictures.
A Portuguese quirk we didn't expect: Check out whether the rental listing shows or mentions a coffee making system of some sort; two of our three rentals didn't have a way to make anything other than instant coffee. The Portuguese love cafè but they often go out for it. The North-American big pot of breakfast coffee -- not always a thing there.
Also, while clothes washers are not uncommon, they are often very tiny and in the kitchen. Clothes dryers are rare; see above re: drying rack in the kitchen. Pack with quick-drying in mind.
Finally, in Lisbon, as in other major European cities, space comes at a price. If it's inexpensive it will very likely be SMALL.
So That's What We Remember About Lisbon. See You There In The Future, We Hope!
Why Blog About Lisbon Now?
Our visits to Lisbon were in 2017 and 2019 so Why now? is a fair question. Or rather, two questions:Why not until now? -- That's not clear to us, honestly. Our 2020 was spend in only two places, so travel events from 2019 often seem to have happened "just last year" and sometimes we want to think about a trip for a while before blogging about it. But we also recognize that even if 2019 was "just last year" in travel terms, 2017 would still be several years ago. So - not clear.
Why finally now? -- Friends recently celebrated being vaccinated by booking a Fall trip to Lisbon, Sentra, Coimbra, Porto and the Douro River Valley. We applauded their travel optimism, enthused about Portugal and promised to send links to relevant Travels on Abracadabra posts. At which point we found we had exactly zero posts about those places; we had spent almost four months in Portugal and created only one post about a 2017 walking holiday in the Alentejo region and another about our time on the island of Madeira in 2019.
|
| We Were There -- We Have Pictures! |
Small loss to the Greater Blogosphere or our friends -- the Internet offers a lot of information about Portugal -- but we use this blog for what attorneys call "refreshing one's recollection" and our recollections need a lot of refreshing these days. See above re: 2019 having become "last year" for 2021!
So, this is our first attempt to address our Embarrassing Portuguese Blogging Failures - a post about Lisbon.
A Brief Summary
We won't be hurt if you skip this, but we needed to reach agreement on the order of our travels. And, this might help explain why we occasionally enjoyed days "at home", avoided restaurants or sought out Portuguese cuisine alternatives.October / November, 2017: flight on TAP from the UK to Porto; train to the Douro River Valley; train to Coimbra; train to Lisbon for a eight-night apartment stay; train to Sintra, bus to the start of our Alentejo walk and bus/train trip back north for a nine-night apartment stay in Cascais.
October / November, 2019: flight from France to Lisbon; train to Cascais for another nine-night apartment stay; train to Silvas to begin a walking holiday; short stay in Tavira; train to Lisbon, a stay in Madeira related to a cancelled Atlantic crossing; flight back to Lisbon to wait for the successful trans-Atlantic cruise.
Now, Lisbon:
First, A Covid Warning Label: Our memories and information are pre-pandemic. We hope Lisbon is as lively and fun as we remember it when we are able to visit again.The biggest challenge to independent travelers to Lisbon is not finding things to do or see, but editing Lisbon into a trip-sized experience. The editing process becomes easier with each visit; once the Most Important Sites are ticked off, a traveler can focus on their particular interest: architecture or food or music or even -- tile! After four trips, we're almost ready for a themed visit.
A Best Thing To Do:
Our personal Best Thing To Do In Lisbon is to just - wander. It's beautiful - lovely architecture and views everywhere one looks, a lively street scene and great food and wine. One favorite day was spent walking to the top of the city to the São Jorge Castle. The castle was fine, but the walk was better. We saw: |
| Photo-Worthy Lisbon Scenes |
|
| Two People Creating A Best Memory Ever |
|
| A Sign Announcing A British Girl's School Choral Concert |
Another great walk was an afternoon spent bushwhacking across the city towards our apartment; heading west -- up and down and up and down -- but always west.
|
| Bryce, The Navigator (Unlike Henry, He Had Google Maps!) |
Among the things we saw, we photographed:
|
| Wall Art On Vineyard Street |
|
| The "There's Fish In Here" Restaurant Pescatarians Will Love Lisbon |
Another good walk is along the banks of the Tagus River. This area is popular with lisboetas so it's a good place to watch city dwellers taking a day off and there are several nice river walk restaurants. Better yet -- it's flat!
|
| Praça do Comercio (And The Ever-Present Henry The Navigator) |
Lisbon is open late into the night, so keep on the lookout for something interesting as you walk back from dinner. One night we came upon a station of bombeiros (fire fighters) polishing their dress uniform helmets.
|
| Alcohol May Have Been Involved |
Another Best Thing To Do:
In 2019 our friend Jodi joined us in Cascais and she and Molly took a day trip to Lisbon, leaving Bryce to enjoy a day "at home". Molly's favorite part of that day was a trip on the Tagus River in a small (four passenger) tour boat. A river trip is a crowd-free way to get some great views of the city's impressive Age of Discovery monuments. |
| Praça do Comércio (And Henry) To The Right |
|
| Monument To The Discoveries |
|
| April 25th Bridge and Cristo Rei Monument |
Of Many Museums, Four:
There are museums all over Lisbon and the nearby suburb of Belém; they focus on Fado music, royal coaches, archaeology, decorative art, modern art - even pharmacy. We went to several of them and particularly liked the following:Museu de Marinha (Maritime Museum): A must for students of the Age of Discovery, sailors and seaplane enthusiasts. There is a good cafe.
|
| Astrolabe |
|
| 1917 Seaplane |
Museu Nacional do Azulejo (National Tile Museum): Housed in a former convent, this museum offers an overview of an important Portuguese art form:
|
| Restorers At Work |
|
| A Tapestry In Tile |
The Gulbenkian Museum: This museum is an example of what an individual with good taste and a whole bunch of money could acquire in the late 18th- early 19th-Century. Fortunately the foundation controlling the private collection of British-Armenian oil magnate Calouste Sarkis Gulbenkian built a museum to house and expand his collection in Lisbon (that story is an interesting one).
|
| One Of Many Beautiful Things |
The museum also has a very nice theater offering a classical music concert series. Music concerts are a great way to observe a non-tourist crowd in any city, and can be enjoyed by those with minimal local language skills.
Museu do Aljube: This former prison for Salazar Dictatorship era (1932 - 1974) political prisoners is now dedicated to preserving the memory of those who suffered during that time. To put this museum's mission in perspective, as recently as 2019 (just last year, as we have said) a group sought funding for a museum honoring the Salazar regime. The Portuguese parliament denounced the plan -- but apparently the dictatorship still has supporters.
Visitors to this museum do not leave feeling uplifted, necessarily - but do leave with a better understanding of Portugal and the control mechanisms used by dictators everywhere.
|
| Looking Out From The Aljube |
Mosteiro dos Jerónimos (The Former Monastery of the Order of Saint Jerome): This site, located in Belèm, is a secularized monastery that is near many of the famous Age of Discovery monuments. It's one of the most visited places in Lisbon; there is a lot of information on it elsewhere so we will stick with our big take-away: book ahead. It is a very popular site. The building is spectacular, but every bus tour in town will stop there. You have been warned.
|
| That Vasco da Gama Guy Is A Big Draw |
|
| Manueline Architectural Style (Not For Minimalists) |
Belém is also home to a famous pastel de nata bakery. A pastel de nata is a mini custard tart -- spectacular when good but also available wrapped in plastic, sitting on the shelf at a mini-mart. Hold out for a good one - it will be worth the hunt.
Day Trips:
There are several day trips that can be taken from Lisbon (it's a small country) but because we visited several of the popular locations (Sintra, Cascais and Évora) for longer term stays and Cabo da Roca from Cascais rather than Lisbon, we won't write about them here.One day trip we did take was a ferry ride across the Tagus River to Cacilhas for a nice fish lunch and a tour of the Fragata Dom Fernando II e Glòria. A perfect outing for frigate fans and a chance to try the Tagus River ferry system.
|
| Wonder If I Could Get One Of These Babies Shipped To Panama? |
Sleeping (and Doing Laundry):
Because we shuttled in and out of Lisbon for three short visits in 2019 we had a chance to stay in three different hotels and get an idea of which parts of the city we might want to return to in the future. One area we will not return to is the "famous" Pink Street in the Cais do Sodre area. The Pink Street is "famous" for night life. We are not. Should have done more research before booking.Our other two hotels introduced us to the joys of staying away from the hottest tourist spots. The Hilton DoubleTree Fontana Park is in a busy area but is within walking distance of an El Corte Ingles department store and movie theater as well as the Gulbenkian Museum. The location didn't quite make up for the hotel's weird black, minimalist hallways -- except when the idea of being in a 1960's television show about a futuristic high-tech thought-control security prison struck us as funny . . .
|
| "The Prisoner" -- Or Bryce Trying To Figure Out Which Door Is To His Room? |
Our favorite was the Vincci Liberdade around the corner from Avenida da Liberdade, a wide boulevard with a central pedestrian strolling area (outdoor cafes, benches for sitting -- very charming). The hotel was pleasant when the construction next door would quit for the evening (that should be resolved by now!) and we found several non-Portuguese cuisine restaurants nearby. After almost two months in Portugal finding Vietnamese food was a cause for celebration.
Our week-plus stay in 2017 was in an apartment in the Bairro Alto area, very near the Palácio de São Bento (St. Benedict's Palace), the seat of the Portuguese parliament and popular protest spot. The apartment is on Travessa da Piexiera (Fish Platter), a pedestrian alley of tiny apartments once occupied by the working class, now busily being gentrified for the tourist market. The location is great - lots of restaurants and coffee shops nearby. A stop on the famous Tram 28 line is only a short walk away, and this stop is far enough out that a tourist can sometimes actually get a seat!
The apartment is still available on Airbnb and is still inexpensive. Its quirks suggest that "you get what you pay for" has some truth to it. The kitchen sink is tucked underneath a cabinet so the longest-arm guest must be in charge of doing dishes. Seriously, a short armed person can only reach the faucet by mashing her face against the upper cabinet. The apartment's most charming quirk was the clothes drying rack above the one eating space (we hesitate to call it a dining table).
|
| Your Jeans -- You Sit Under Them . . . |
Current pictures of the listing don't show this charming clothes rack feature, so don't book just for that good story.
We are getting better at reading Airbnb listings -- and with time, more willing to pay for space.
Getting Around:
We often enjoy walking to a tourist site as much as we enjoy the site itself. But at some point every visitor to Lisbon comes to the realization that holy crow there are a lot of hills in Lisbon!The other thing your feet will tell you (sooner, perhaps, than later) is that Lisbon's walkways are frequently made from cut stones. Hard stones; stones which get slippery when wet. We assume municipal liability is limited in Portugal.
|
| Street Repair In Lisbon |
You may enjoy walking in Lisbon more if you try the following:
- Wear comfortable walking shoes with slip-proofed soles. And if you plan to walk a lot: not darling white tennies that match your outfit -- something closer to thick soled orthotic / hiking shoe things. You're welcome.
- Don't forget there's always a place to stop, sit and get a café, a soda or even a glass of vinho verde - Portugal's light, almost effervescent young white wine. Uma taça de vinho verde (pron: oomah tasha da veen -- or something similar) - a glass of vinho verde -- may not make climbing hills easier, but it may make it seem more like fun.
- Do some pre-outing planning:
- Get a Via Viagem card, a reloadable card that works on the metro, trams, buses, trains and ferries. There are options for short-term visitors and for long-term visitors who may be traveling outside of the central tourist zone. The website has route maps and a "plan a journey" link.
- Research the locations of Lisbon's public elevators and funiculars. Some cost quite a bit and are frequently very crowded - but that may seem a small matter by day three. Give particular consideration to taking the Chão Loureiro and Castelo lifts to get to the São Jorge Castle -- castles were often built on defensible heights.
|
| Not All The Elevator Entrances Are Obvious |
- Or take one of the hop-on hop-off bus tours -- this is a great way to pack a lot of "must sees" into a short period of time!
Eating:
It's not hard to find good restaurants in Lisbon, and Portuguese food is great -- a pescatarian's delight. Here are a couple of food options we enjoyed, inexpensive and not a Michelin Star in sight:
Churrasqueira da Paz: A local grilled food place (churrasqueira means bar-b-que, but don't look for any bar-b-que sauce -- it's grilled meat) on Rua Paz in the Bairro Alto neighborhood -- within walking distance of the apartment we rented. Simple, very tasty meals for about Є13 (including a glass of very basic wine) served at closely packed tables where one might meet and buy dinner for a guy in Lisbon to take the police academy entrance exam or talk to a French woman immigrating to Portugal.
Churrasqueira da Paz: A local grilled food place (churrasqueira means bar-b-que, but don't look for any bar-b-que sauce -- it's grilled meat) on Rua Paz in the Bairro Alto neighborhood -- within walking distance of the apartment we rented. Simple, very tasty meals for about Є13 (including a glass of very basic wine) served at closely packed tables where one might meet and buy dinner for a guy in Lisbon to take the police academy entrance exam or talk to a French woman immigrating to Portugal.
|
| Churrasqueira da Paz -- Up And To The Left |
Bambu Restaurante Vietnamita: When you have had your fill of Portuguese food (which is very good, but variety is the spice as they say . . . ) try this little place on Rua do Salitre near the Vincci Liberdade hotel. Not the only Vietnamese restaurant in town, just the one we found.
Time Out Market: For sampling from a variety of restaurants, try wandering the Time Out Market in the Cais do Sodré area.
Time Out Market: For sampling from a variety of restaurants, try wandering the Time Out Market in the Cais do Sodré area.
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| Super Touristy, But Fun |
Pingo Doce: The ubiquitous Portuguese grocery chain with a decent take-out section for those nights yet another restaurant experience seems just too much. The larger stores include a staggering selection of salted cod which will give you a good insight into Portuguese cuisine. You don't have to take home cod - there are many options.
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| Who Knew There Were Different Types of Cod? |
Some Random Background Information / Thoughts About Traveling In Portugal
Some Portuguese History:
A little basic research (Wikipedia, perhaps?) on the following events and individuals will not make anyone an expert on Portuguese history, but will make a visit to Portugal more interesting.- The Age of Discovery (15th - 18th Centuries): The Portuguese were big players and are proud of their contributions even today; see, in particular:
- Prince Henry the Navigator (1394 - 1460): His statues and portraits are everywhere.
- Vasco da Gama (1460 -1524): He was a big-deal explorer (made it all the way to India by sea) and is buried in Belèm.
- The Treaty of Tordesillas (1494) and the preceding Papal Bulls: The "New World" was divided between Spain and Portugal, with repercussions throughout history -- why Brazilians speak Portuguese and various African nations took so long to become independent.
- The Earthquake of 1755: When much of the city was left in rubble the Marquis de Pombal took charge of the reconstruction and established the wide boulevards and beautiful plazas and parks that grace parts of Lisbon.
- King Carlos I, assassinated in 1908: Carlos was the monarch who made our favorite little town, Cascais, a popular seaside resort. He was a sailor and sportsman and by some reports a nice guy, even if not liked by everyone as a king.
- António de Oliveira Salazar: Salazar was head of the Estado Novo (New State) political party from 1932-1974. He served as the Prime Minister of Portugal from 1931 - 1968, as well as, at various times concurrently holding the offices of Minister for Defense, Minister for Finances and Minister for War. Portugal is still trying to come to grips with the results of his long hold over the country.
- The Overseas War (1961 - 1974): Also called The Portuguese Colonial War or the War of Liberation depending on who one talks to, is the war Portugal fought to maintain its African colonies. The ruling Estado Novo did not give up power graciously.
- April 25, 1974: The day the Carnation Revolution overthrowing the Estado Novo is celebrated. Note: Many streets, bridges and buildings now called "The April 25th ____" were once called "The Salazar ____".
Not Speaking Portuguese:
English: Almost everyone in the Portuguese travel industry speaks good Travel English, and those that don't have a friend that does. In general, well-educated Portuguese recognize that their charming language is ridiculously difficult for visitors to speak or understand (to us it sounds like the result of an undercover relationship between Spanish and Russian!) and, like other well-educated Europeans speak at least two languages; English is almost always one of them.Spanish: Knowing Spanish helps. Written Portuguese is close enough to written Spanish for Spanish readers to follow signs, buy things and order in restaurants. Our experience is that many Portuguese who don't understand English do understand spoken Spanish. But be careful trying to use Spanish. First, just because they may understand your Spanish question, it doesn't mean you will understand their Portuguese response! Also, if their second (or third or . . . ) language is English, they will probably prefer to use English. The relationship between Portugal and Spain has been complicated since they split up the New World between themselves in 1494. E.g.: Bryce was told by one shop owner, "I will speak Portuguese or English. Not Spanish. You Choose."
Trains:
Once in Portugal there's no need to use the many short-hop airlines Europe is famous for -- the trains in Portugal go most everywhere. The train system is fairly easy to understand and inexpensive. |
| Trains; Plentiful, Inexpensive And Great People Watching |
Apartment Rentals:
We have used Airbnb three times in Portugal - twice in Cascais and once in Lisbon. As always with vacation rental web-sites, read the listings carefully and look closely at the pictures.A Portuguese quirk we didn't expect: Check out whether the rental listing shows or mentions a coffee making system of some sort; two of our three rentals didn't have a way to make anything other than instant coffee. The Portuguese love cafè but they often go out for it. The North-American big pot of breakfast coffee -- not always a thing there.
Also, while clothes washers are not uncommon, they are often very tiny and in the kitchen. Clothes dryers are rare; see above re: drying rack in the kitchen. Pack with quick-drying in mind.
Finally, in Lisbon, as in other major European cities, space comes at a price. If it's inexpensive it will very likely be SMALL.
So That's What We Remember About Lisbon. See You There In The Future, We Hope!
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