Back in Lisboa again!
For our last two nights in Portugal, we went back to Lisbon and stayed in a VRBO on Rua Nova do Almada, a few blocks from where we stayed the first time.
From there we were able to explore different parts of the City, more of the Chiado and Bairro Alto areas.
Of course, after a couple weeks, we were ready for a real burger! This seemed like a likely place.
The craft brewing tsunami has hit Portugal!
We didn't do a whole lot of sampling but it looked interesting.
I'll have a "Red Zeppelin" please! 5€ for 400ml, that's about 13.5 oz. You can get a half litre of Sagres, the popular local beer, for around 3.00€ to 3.50€.
We decided to revisit the Elevador de Santa Justa in the early evening,
We were rewarded with some beautiful views of the City.
Looking down Rua de Santa Justa
The Convento do Carmo and the ribs of the roofless church
The Castelo de São Jorge is at the top left of this photo.
This is looking north toward the Praça Dom Pedro IV.
After all that sight-seeing we tried our first Caipirinha at little kiosk bar in the Largo de Carmo.
The liquor is sugarcane based from Brazil and the drink is very much like a Margarita. Pretty good and refreshing.
This is how you make one. You can actually buy this stuff at BevMo.
I could not leave Portugal without trying the grilled sardines. I was not disappointed.
Lorri was! She politely suggested that I take my plate of the ocean's bounty and enjoy it outside, which I did. Apparently it was something about the smell that bothered her. Our kindly waiter brought me a shawl to ward off the chill outside, as well as my wine to warm my insides.
Our VRBO included a European style washer/dryer combo. Not having a degree in mechanical engineering, we opted to rinse a couple essentials in the sink and dry them in the shower.
Six-sided! This is the last one!
The Mercado Da Ribeira is Lisbon's major market for fresh fish, meat, and produce.
A view of the market from upstairs
It shares a huge iron-framed building with "Time Out", a foodie Mecca similar to an Eataly.
Some fresh fishies.
More produce.
We learned that "Time Out" is a British magazine and that there are several Time Out eateries like this around the globe, including NY and LA.
We were there in the afternoon on a Wednesday. I'm guessing the place is jammed on weekend evenings.
Chock full of shops, restaurants, bars...
There was an ongoing cooking class in the glass enclosed area on the lower right. You could look in and see what they were doing, but you could not hear the instructors.
It was an impressive place.
We walked the promenade along the river
Another, and our last, beautiful day in Portugal.
Adios, Portugal!
We made it to the Airport Thursday morning and started the long journey home. We were on American Airlines heading to Philadelphia for a five-hour layover and then on to San Diego.
Check out the crack in the Lego Liberty Bell in the Philly Airport! I wonder if it cracked when they rang it?
It was a great trip! The Portuguese are friendly and most speak English. Food, wine, beer, accommodations are all substantially less than the US. The bathrooms, public and private, were invariably clean and mostly modern. The roads, especially the toll roads were great. There are a LOT of toll roads. We did not see many homeless people at all. There were a few beggars in Lisbon and Porto but they were not aggressive. The smaller towns were a different experience than the big cities, Lisbon and Porto. If you go, be sure to experience both. If you're a fan of patterned pavers, you better get yourself to Portugal!
Thanks for visiting!
