Another day, another discovery

Friday, March 10
Just when you think you have seen all there is to see in Lisbon, you wander up a hill and, voila, here is another place you have not visited. This time it was two places - the National Pantheon of Lisbon and the Santa Apolonia Train Station.

But I digress. After our trip from Madrid we had a leisurely morning. The day was sunny and warm, so we set off to wander bit. At lunch at Paco Real - a very busy cafe frequented predominantly by locals where the food is good and the prices are low - we met a couple from Germany who had lived all over the world, including White Plains, New York and Beijing, China. But they had never traveled much in Europe and this was their first visit to Lisbon. During our conversation we told them about our favorite Lisbon restaurant, As Velhas, recommended they call for reservations and use our name.

After lunch we walked down to the river at the Praca do Commercio where we sat on the wall and listened to a wonderful combo featuring a guitarist who had played with Cesarea Evora and the singer who is so much like her. We have been entertained by this group before and even bought their CD.

While sitting there we spotted a cruise ship and set off to see what it was. Lisbon is building a new cruise ship dock - still unfinished but now able to at least allow ships to dock there amid the construction. The ship was the Norwegian Ventura.

From there we headed up the hill into the Alfama district. On the way up, just past the Fado Museum, we spotted a "memorial" photo of a now deceased resident on the wall of one of the buildings. This is common in the older sections of the city as a way for families to remember loved ones who had lived in a particular building for many years. They are more common on the other side of the hill in the Mouraria district across from our apartment.

Building memorial to a common man.

Up further we came to a lovely overlook from which we watched the cruise ship sail away.

Short rest stop on the way up the hill

Watching the cruise ship sail away

After a further climb we started back down the other side and encountered the National Pantheon of Lisbon where many notables are entombed, including Amalia - Portugal's most famous Fado singer.. We had viewed the top of this building many times from the apartment of our cousins, further up the hill, but had never been near the entire structure. Now, here we were - by accident!

And behind the building is an entire wall of modern tiles depicting scenes of Lisbon life. Beautiful!

Selfie at the National Pantheon of Lisbon

Tiled wall behind the National Pantheon

Over the hill and back down towards the river we came upon the Santa Apolonia train station. This is one of three train stations in Lisbon - the Rossio with trains to Sintra, Oriente, the newest, and Santa Apolonia where you can catch trains to such destinations as Porto, Madrid, and Fatima. There is also a metro stop and a bus station there. Built in 1865, this is the oldest railroad terminal in Lisbon. While we have mastered the Metro, bus, boat and trams, we have yet to try the trains. Maybe next year.

Next to the Santa Apolonia is the Museum of the Military with a spectacular sculpture over the main entrance. Again, a new discovery!

Military Museum entrance behind me

That evening we went to As Velhas and our usual table and guess who was there - the couple from Germany we had met at lunch. Also there was a tour group from the US. Judging from there accents they were from somewhere in the south. This table for six not only ordered separately, but insisted on separate checks. One man complained that his octopus was over-cooked, yet ate it anyway in addition to the replacement plate, thus getting two meals for the price of one. He also cut the "suckers" off of the tentacles. People like that make us embarrassed to be from America.

It was a long, and unexpectedly eventful, day.

Habla usted Espanol?

On March 6 we were reminded once again how we are ripped off in the USA when it comes to healthcare. I had the beginnings of a small issue and, since we were leaving for Madrid the next day, decided to have it looked into by a doctor. We went to the health clinic in our building. Even though I am not a Portuguese citizen and have no insurance that is valid here, I was seen by a doctor (who spoke excellent English) for the grand sum of $37. Then I had the prescription for an antibiotic filled for the grand sum of $7. BTW, this clinic is operated by the government and is free for citizens.

March 7 we took off for Madrid. The drive takes about 5 hours on excellent highways all the way. We stopped for a light lunch at a small cafe that - in season - offers camping. The server spoke enough English to overcome our weak, to non-existent, Spanish. The drive to Madrid crosses an area of olive groves, cherry orchards - in full bloom - and solar "farms". Spain and Portugal together produce the largest percentage of renewable energy in the world. The day was sunny and warm, yet across the plain we saw the snow-capped peaks of the Sierra de Gredos. Quite beautiful!

We arrived in Madrid at rush hour - glad we were going into the city instead of out. Our hotel, the Doubletree by Hilton Prado is on a side street near the Fuente de Neptune and easy walking distance to everything. Because we were tired we decided to eat at the hotel restaurant - a Japanese restaurant called Kirei. What a pleasant surprise! We got the tasting menu and enjoyed one of the finest meals we have ever had anywhere - even at Michelin star-rated restaurants! After dinner we took a walk around the area before retiring for the night.

On Wednesday, March 8, we took the City Sightseeing tour - only 10 Euros each - senior citizen rate! This being the International Women's Day, I was pleased to see a huge banner hanging on the Congreso de Diputados (House of Representatives) in recognition of the day. We were also reminded of the current direction our country is taking re refugees when we saw the Madrid city hall with a huge "Refugees Welcome" banner prominently displayed.

Refugees welcome in Madrid

Recognizing women in Spain

After a delightful lunch and people watching on Plaza Mayor, we visited the famous Prado Museum. Wow! In the course of our whirlwind tour of this massive museum I discovered a wonderful artist with whom I was not familiar, Claudio de Lorena. My favorite of his works is The Embarkation of Saint Paula.

We also enjoyed the special exhibit of works by Master Mateo. He was granted a lifetime pension by King Ferdinand II in 1168, so it is assumed he was director of work on the cathedral of Santiago de Compostela. This museum requires several days to do it justice, so we'll just have to return.

Beautiful architecture is everywhere in Madrid.
We especially liked this little church at the entrance to the Prado.

From the Prado we hopped onto the other route of the City Sightseeing bus for a look at the more modern areas of Madrid. And that's where our real adventure began. We had noticed large groups of people marching along the various streets and sidewalks with prominently displayed signs, purple flags and balloons. As we neared the end of our tour at the Fuente de Neptune, we were unable to reach the destination because the entire area was blocked to traffic and thousands were gathered, or marching toward, the demonstration for justice for women. After an extended ride through a sea of traffic, the closest our bus could get us to the hotel - which was near the fountain - was Plaza de Colon from which we walked about 20 minutes down the Paseo de Recoletos, to the Fuente de Cibeles - where we found ourselves in the middle of the demonstration! It was wonderful! 

Two views of the marchers heading for the Fuente de Cibeles

Part of the crowd at Fuente de Cibeles

From there we continued down Paseo de Prado to our hotel. 

We really liked Madrid! In fact, we like it even better than Barcelona, and plan to return again next year. 

March 9: Today we went to Toledo - one of the oldest and most important cities in Spain, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. 

"Successively a Roman municipium, the capital of the Visigothic Kingdom, a fortress of the Emirate of Cordoba, an outpost of the Christian kingdoms fighting the Moors and, in the 16th century, the temporary seat of supreme power under Charles V, Toledo is the repository of more than 2,000 years of history."

It is also near the beginning of the Tagus River, which runs from there all the way to Lisbon and is the longest river on the Iberian Peninsula. After the requisite bus tour and a nice lunch, we started to wander through the winding streets of this ancient city. And that is where our real adventure began as we were unable to find the garage where we had parked our car. After at least an hour or more of walking and asking for directions, we finally found the garage and left for "home" in Lisbon, arriving about 10:00 p.m. We'd have been home earlier except that construction and closed streets played havoc with our GPS and we found ourselves in places from which we knew how to walk home, but not drive. This seems to have been our day for being lost. 

View of Toledo from across the River Tagus

Roman bridge crossing the Tagus from Toledo

 

Another Funicular

Just when we though we had ridden all of Lisbon's funiculars, we found another! Yesterday after a delicious lunch at ToB (To Burger or not To Burger) in the Chiado, we wandered further up hill - away from the Saturday crowds - and then started down toward the river where we discovered the Acensor do Bica. This one is smaller than the Gloria and Lavra, holding about 10 people. You don't pay on the car like with the others. Instead you pay at the bottom of the hill, before exiting to the street or before boarding for the trip up.

Speaking of paying for rides on public transportation, you can keep adding money to your ticket. That way rides on the Metro, trams, funiculars and ferries are quite a bit cheaper than paying separately each time you board. So for the funicular, a single ticket is 3.90 Euros. With the ticket it's only 1.4 Euros. There is also an unlimited ticket you can get for 14 Euros (senior citizen rate), that you have to renew each month. Since we are never sure how much we will ride, the regular ticket works for us.

Next week we are driving to Madrid for a couple of nights.

Road trip!

On Monday, February 27, we set out to explore eastern and northern Portugal. Our first stop was in Evora - long a favorite city of ours with its dominant castle wall and Roman ruins. We had lunch in what is possibly the worst pastalaria we have ever encountered - just proves that not ALL Portuguese eateries are good. ;-).

Our next stop was Guardia, near the border with Spain about three hours north of Evora. Our hotel, the Vanguardia, is located on a mountaintop. We got a suite - the last available room - for the princely sum of $125 Euros. For that we had two large rooms with a huge bath! It was rainy and very windy so we dined in. Guardia is in Portugal's ski region. Although snow can be elusive, they have Teflon slopes. Ah, the ingenuity!

The next day (February 28) it was still rainy so we didn't walk into town. Instead we continued our drive north to Branganca. This is located in the extreme north east of the country, less than 5 miles from Portugal's northern border with Spain.

We followed the signs to a Pousada - former castles and/or palaces that are now hotels. Unfortunately the restaurant there did not serve lunch, but the very helpful young woman at the desk gave us a suggestion and an address. Before leaving we enjoyed the view.

View from pousada in Braganca

Unfortunately we were unable to find the recommended restaurant - even with the excellent GPS in our car. Today was the day before lent (carnival) and everything seemed to be closed. It's a strange feeling when during the lunch hour in a Portuguese city no restaurants are open. We parked the car to wander around this lovely little city and encountered an elderly gentleman who we asked about a possible place to eat. He said, "Just a minute" (in Portuguese, of course), then walked back up the hill he had just descended, checked something out, then came back to tell us about a good restaurant at the top of the hill that was open. Talk about going out of one's way to help strangers!

It seems that although it's not a official holiday, the schools and many businesses were closed. We did see evidence of carnival celebrations from the weekend, so figured everyone had simply given themselves the day off to rest. The proprietor of the restaurant seemed to confirm that theory.

After a nice lunch we wandered back down the hill, found a delightful little store selling regional products where we bought wine and cookies before stepping into the church next door. Although not on the same grand scale as most cathedrals in Portugal - or even in Europe - it was nevertheless an impressive space.

Impressive interior of the Cathedral in Braganca

We were really impressed with the beauty of Briganca, but it was time to move on down the road to Viseu - an historic city that dates back to the Visigoths! The route took us through the amazingly beautiful Alto Douro wine region. I do not have the words to describe the beauty of this region! En route we looked up hotels in Viseu and found a Palaceo with great reviews, so I called and booked a room - 69 Euros including breakfast. It's an old palace and located in the historic center of this historic city. We fell in love! Like Briganca, most businesses were closed but we found a nice restaurant less than a block away from the hotel and had a lovely dinner. The next morning we explored Viseu by foot and John thinks he'd like to live here. It is filled with churches, one of which we visited, and ancient buildings. This being Ash Wednesday, we took no pictures inside the church. Even the more modern part of the city is charming with a wonderful square.

Part of the city center in Viseu

On our way back to Lisbon we stopped in at Aviero - the Venice of Portugal. Canals run through the city and gondola-shaped boats are ready to carry tourists through them. These boats were originally built to harvest seaweed from the extensive salt marshes that surround the city. Today this is a major destination for beach goers. We had lunch at a nice little restaurant above the fish market appropriately named Mercado Peixe Restaurant. Needless to say, the fish was fresh!

Tourists or not, the buildings in Aviero are spectacular - covered with Azulejo tiles and in excellent condition. At the park next to a canal we met a man with a small goat on a leash.

Man with a goat!

On a canal in Aviero

Note the lovely building in Aviero.

We got back home about 7:00 and walked to our favorite Italian restaurant, DaVinci where we had a light dinner. All in all a nice exploration of parts of Portugal we had not previously visited.

Speaking of Italians, on Sunday we met two visitors from Italy at a pizzeria! We teased them a bit about being from Italy and visiting a pizza place in Lisbon. They said it was to try a different take on pizza - the "white" pizza with a fried egg on top.

Yesterday, March 2, we took the metro to Parque das Nacoes (the Park of Nations) and walked around checking the neighborhood as a possible place to settle more permanently. We stopped in at a real estate office and are now on the list as being potential clients. She has already sent two possible listings. This is a new section of Lisbon developed for the World's Fair hosted here in 1998. In addition to the exposition space - currently hosting an exhibit on King Tut - there is a large mall, an arena for large shows, and the famous Lisbon Oceanarium. We walked along the river, noted the large variety of restaurants and took a gondola ride along the coast above the river. We like the neighborhood and think we would enjoy living here even though it is not what one thinks of when we think of Lisbon. But the Metro ride into the city center is easy, so we would not be that far removed. Who knows!

Sailing across the river

Every day ferries run back and forth across the River Tagus to several different ports. So yesterday we decided to try one. We boarded - using our metro cards - at the terminal next to the Praca do Commercio (one of three terminals on the river) and took the ferry to Barreiro. The ride was interesting - about 30 minutes - and the views lovely. As far as Barreiro is concerned, it removes any illusions that all Portuguese towns are charming. Other than a nice, if small, park and two tile-fronted buildings the city is totally lacking in charm.

We had coffee and caught the next ferry back to Lisbon. The view of Lisbon from the water was worth the trip.

And more wanderings in an ancient city

On Tuesday we took off on foot again for parts unknown. We had lunch in a little very local restaurant a block in from the Praca do Commercio, then walked up to the Se Cathedral,, then further up toward the castle.

We passed a small palace at the bottom of a rather steep alley which is today a small hotel. Hotels - new, old and under construction, are everywhere. As we headed down we found the Fado Museum. Local museums are free on the last Sunday of the month, so this may be on the agenda this coming Sunday. From there we walked along the river between the massive construction and the small businesses and restaurants that are currently being hurt by the construction. That's where we were reminded what an ancient city this is. Among the big equipment and cranes was an area where workers were digging by hand with small trowels - an archaeological dig.

Archaeological dig site. On left wrapping small shards in plastic. Note old wall - probably Roman.

It seems that all of Lisbon is being rehabbed due to its new-found popularity among visitors from the rest of the world. This is February - the "slow" season - and yet the line for Tram 28 is long every day, and the trams are crammed. This is just going to get worse as the "in season" approaches, beginning next month. After dinner we stopped at a pastalaria on the Rossio square and asked the waiter about the large old building across the way with a roof that seems ready to collapse. He says it has been acquired and will be converted to ANOTHER hotel.

Yesterday we explored some more - up hill, of course - and spent some lovely time in the warm sun overlooking the river. Last night at dinner, in a beautiful restaurant with good food but not so good service, we met a couple from DC who were on the last night of their first visit to Portugal and love it. They are even considering moving here. We share that sentiment.

So, ho hum, another sunny day is dawning. The tai-chi guy was going through his daily routine in th square below. John is anxious to use the car we have leased and not needed, so perhaps we will go further afield today.

Wanderings

Because we "live" in Portugal now, not every day is a sightseeing or adventure day. Sometimes we don't stray far from "home" except to go out for lunch or dinner. Here are a few highlights from the past week:

Tuesday, February 14, 2017
As we meandered back to Lisbon from Porto we stopped in Leiria for a light lunch and a visit to the Monastery of Batalha (Battle). Begun in 1385 to celebrate the Portuguese victory over the Castilians, it took over 100 years to complete and, even then some of the chapels were never completed. We wondered if the feelings about the battle were still the same when the monastery was completed as they had been when it was begun.

"It took over a century to build, starting in 1386 and ending circa 1517, spanning the reign of seven kings. It took the efforts of fifteen architects (Mestre das Obras da Batalha), but for seven of them the title was no more than an honorary title bestowed on them. The construction required an enormous effort, using extraordinary resources of men and material. New techniques and artistic styles, hitherto unknown in Portugal, were deployed."

The Monastery of Batalha is massive.

Wednesday, February 15, 2017 - Another day, another funicular
Today was a go wandering day, so we decided to walk up Avenida do Liberdade. On the way we noticed the Acensor do Lavra - the oldest and steepest (a 25% grade) funicular of the three.

This one took us to a park (Jardim do Torel) with another spectacular view of the city, and near another park (Campo Mártires da Pátria) with the strangest monument we have ever seen. The monument is to a doctor - Jose Tomas de Sousa Martins - who was renowned for his work with the poor. Since his death a secular cult has arisen around him in which he is thanked for "miraculous" cures. At the base of the monument are hundreds of "tomb stones", flowers and messages of thanks. We saw a woman and man praying - seemingly to the statue - and placing flowers at its base.

View from Jardim do Torel

Monument to Dr. Jose Tomas Sousa de Martins

The nearby Campo is delightful, filled with ducks, chickens and the ubiquitous pigeons. I was almost dive bombed by pigeons when a person nearby pulled out some bread. The chickens were very entertaining as the roosters positioned themselves to show off for the few hens.

The fowl in Campo Matires da Patria

Thursday, February 16 2017
Today began with the sad news that my uncle Lingan Deitrick had passed away the day before. He was my mother's twin brother and 91 years old. He had a dissected aorta which impacted him on Monday. He was able to decide for himself that he would not have the required - rather extensive - surgery and died peacefully within 8 hours of returning home from the hospital. He lived a full and wonderful life, but I am sad that this special connection to my mother is now gone.

This was another warm, sunny day so we wandered down to the river where we enjoyed the music of a small group and the sights of boat traffic on the river.

Views of the River Tagus

Lisbon is such a musical city. Everywhere we go we see and hear many talented musicians singing and/or playing for tips. There are so many good ones we could go broke rewarding them.

A Lisbon street musician greets a young fan.

One of the strangest stores in Lisbon sells nothing but canned sardines in a variety of specially designed cans. You can buy cans that feature your birth year, or just about anything else you can think of.

Mundo Fantastico da Sardinha Portuguesa (the fantastic world of Portuguese sardines)

Friday, February 17, 2017
Today was our 38th anniversary so we celebrated with a special dinner at As Velhas. Guadalupe, the owner, again served us a "non-menu" item. Last week it was cornmeal-coated fried fish fillet accompanied by a rice with turnip greens dish. Reminded me of my southern childhood food. This week it was chicken with spaghetti served in a wonderful light sauce of olive oil, garlic, tomatoes, and coriander. Seated next to us was a couple from the Channel Islands on their first visit to Lisbon. They love the city and plan to return. It made for interesting conversation.

We ended the meal with a toast of Portuguese "champagne" shared with the staff - our Lisbon family.

Saturday and Sunday, February 18 - 19

Quiet weekend. Saturday, as our neighborhood is the China Town of Lisbon, we browsed in the notions shops nearby, went to the grocery store and ate in. Sunday was another quiet day. We walked up to the Chiado for lunch in an antique restaurant and visited the world's oldest bookstore - Bertrands - located in a blue-tiled covered building. It did not disappoint. Then we walked to Restaurant Maria Catita, an Azorean restaurant we have visited before and will visit again. We had a reservation for 7:00 - early by Lisbon standards. When we arrived the restaurant was empty. By 7:40 there was not a seat to be had and the staff was turning people away.

Did I mention that we LOVE living in Lisbon.

Happy birthday in Porto

February 13, 2017

Ah yes, officially 71 years old. Woke up this morning in the wonderful Yeatman Hotel. Located across the Douro River from Porto, this wonderful hotel provides an amazing view of the beautiful city from every room. A wine hotel, each room is "sponsored" by a regional winery and the wine list offers more than 100 brands. The restaurant boasts 2 Michelin stars. We are told that Anthony Bourdain is staying here with his crew filming a new show, but we never ran into him.

View of Porto from our room

We spent the day exploring Porto on foot. After a walk down a very steep hill paved in cobble-stones behind our hotel, we reached the river along which are the various port visiting centers - Taylor, Sandeman, Offley, Grahams, etc. We then walked across the amazing iron bridge that links the two cities, and along the river past restaurants and souvenir shops. Porto is all straight up-hill with few level places. The city is beautiful, offering lovely views in all directions. And so we walked, up and up and up. We have visited Porto several times, including this past July with our grandchildren, but this was the first time on our own - free to just wander and take in the city and its vibe. We stopped into the exposition center - Mercado Ferreira Borges,  the last tribute to the iron period in Porto. It had a wonderful photo exhibit by a number of very talented photographers.

Continuing upward we found Livraria Lello, one of the oldest bookstores in Portugal and considered one of the finest and most beautiful in the world. When JK Rowling taught English at nearby University of Porto she is said to have frequented this bookstore, which is rumored to have inspired her books. And it is indeed inspirational. Now it costs 4 Euros per person just to get in the door. So we paid and really enjoyed the beautiful architecture, only slightly marred by the hordes of other visitors. If you buy a book, your entry fee is deducted from the price.

Inside the Lavraria Lello

From Lello we walked across a relatively flat square to admire the azulejos on the side of a beautiful church - the Igreja do Carmo.

Igreja do Carmo

As mentioned earlier, Porto is a beautiful city with beautiful vistas. Look up any side street and you will see lovely building facades with balconies, flowers, and azulejos.

Lovely little side street in Porto

The weather forecast had been for rain, but we endured only a couple of short showers and an unexpected amount of sunshine. All together we walked over five miles before grabbing a taxi back to the hotel where we enjoyed a birthday celebration dinner in the Michelin-starred restaurant. What a wonderful day!.

Journey to Porto

February 12, 2017

We're leaving town for a few days in Porto. Finally using the car we've had since the 1st of this month. It's a 3.5 hour trip via highway. However, since we're in no hurry we have programmed the GPS for "Ecological" -- an alternative to "fastest" and "most direct."

Our first stop is Alcobaca, a lovely little in-land town with a famous monastery. It's about time for lunch on a Sunday afternoon so when we saw a sign that looked promisig, found a little out-of-the-way restaurant in an alley. Restaurante Antoio Padeiro, located in the basement of the building, is a treasure trove of delightfully displayed and/or utilized yard and estate sale finds. The napkin rings are curved forks and spoons. Even the appetizer tray is a slab of marble on forks and spoons used as handles and base. See photo:

Note the handles for this cute little tray.

After lunch we visited the monastery - a massive structure built between 1178 and 1223. It is the burial place of a number of Portuguese kings and other notables, including Dom Pedro and his lover Inez. Interesting story, Dom Pedro's father had Inez assassinated. When Pedro became king he had her remains moved to Alcobaca where she is interred and where he declared her queen. He is interred there as well. The interior of the church is "stark" by Portuguese standards in keeping with the tastes of St. Barnard to whom the monastery is dedicated. It is no less imposing, however, due to its sheer size.

The Monastery of Alcobaca

 When we left Alcobaca our "ecological" GPS selection took us through country roads, a national forest, and to the beautiful beaches near Nazare - known world-wide for surfing. Although the day was sunny with temps in the 50s, no hardy soles were in the water.

When we realized our "ecological" path would get us to our hotel in Porto late, we changed to "fastest" and arrived at the Yeatman by 6:00 after a rather convoluted trip through Vila Nova Gaia - the city across the Douro river from Porto.

After a delightful dinner in one of the hotel's dining rooms, we enjoyed a drink and the view of Porto and retired after a delightful day.



-

Viva Teatro!

Saturday, February 11, 2017

Last night we went to the theater. Like most everything in Lisbon, it was a short walk from our apartment.

We saw Amalia: A Musical, the life and career of Amalia - Portugal's legendary and beloved Fado star. It was wonderful! The staging was clever, the voices spectacular. Three Amalias - as a child (amazing voice in a very young girl), as a young woman and as the fully mature idol she became. It was really a Fado opera. A board above the stage gave key parts of the story line in English, Spanish and French. And, of course, John could translate some of the dialogue.

At the end the producer came on stage and made an appeal for the audience to "spread the word" as the local television and news outlets seem only to care for football. "Viva teatro!" were his parting words. This play has been performed in a number of countries and been seen by "millions".

Theater here starts at 9:30 pm, so we had time for a leisurely dinner at As Velhas. It was after midnight when we departed. It was a wonderful experience.

Waiting for the show to begin. Lovely theater.

Today we get out of the city. We plan to drive to Coimbra for an overnight, then on to the Yeatman in Porto for a couple of nights. We are finally using the car we picked up on Febrary 1 that has been sitting in the garage since. We got this car via a short term lease that keeps the cost down. However, at the rate we are using it the actually cost may be very high per kilometer! ;-)

LIsbon wanderings

Wednesday, February 8, 2017

After an early lunch at the new pastalaria down the street (Nata Fino, Desde 2017 - according to the sign), we took off in search of the best hair salon in Lisbon per Yelp. It took a bit of wandering before we realized it was in the Chiado. So we entered the H & M store on one level in Baixa and took the escalators to the 4th floor where we exited at the Chiado. These are the little energy saving things one learns by wandering!

When we got to &SoWhat (the salon) almost at the top of many more hills without benefit of escalators, it looked great and everyone spoke excellent English. I made an appointment for 5:00 this afternoon, and we set off to kill a couple of hours. We wandered back down the hill via a different street, noting new restaurants and a Municipal Theater en route. At the bottom we walked toward the Praca do Commercio past this beautiful building.

This beautiful building is just one reason we love wandering in Lisbon. 

 From the Praca we walked along the river, people watching and enjoying the scenery.

An enterprising "artist" has turned a part of the rock riverside into "sculpture".

After a coffee stop where we sat outside, enjoyed the sunshine and watched the comings and goings of the various boats that ferry people to Almada, the town on the other side of the river, we walked back up to the Chiado and my appointment. I now have VERY short hair and will probably not need another cut until we get home.

We stopped for another coffee at Bernards - presumably one of Lisbon's oldest pastalarias. Here we saw some of the grand dames that are prevalent in these types of places all over Portugal.

After an early light dinner - pizza - at Da Vinci's, we returned home and called it a night. All in all we had walked over 5 miles! What a great way to spend a sunny day in Lisbon.

Principe Real

                                                         

February 6, 2017

Today we decided to explore another Lisbon neighborhood - Principe Real. This trendy area  sits atop the Bairro Alto area. As you might guess from the "alto" it's at the top of another of Lisbon's seven hills.

We walked to the Funicular Gloria on Avenida da Liberdade. This is one of three funiculars in Lisbon, all built in the late 1800s to assist residents (and others) traverse the very steep hills. Gloria was opened in 1885 and has been a designated national monument since 2002. It took us to Miradouro de São Pedro de Alcântara, a lovely park that overlooks the city with spectacular views of the castle and the river. A large statue honors the founder of Diario de Noticias - one of the largest and most prominent newspapers in Portugal. 

At the top of the hill. Funicular Gloria heads back down. There are actually two cars, one on its way up while the other returns to the bottom.

Miradouro de São Pedro de Alcântara

 We continued walking up the hill and browsed in Principe Real. The shops were full of fashion, antiques and other interesting items. In a former palace we found a small shopping center that included a bar called Gin Lovers. They have over 80 brands of gin Who knew there were so many gins. The bartender said that gin is becoming THE drink, replacing vodka. No, we didn't sample this time.

We stopped, instead, for a cup of tea and a snack at a delightful little cafe in one of the several parks in the neighborhood.

Instead of taking the funicular back down the hill, we walked through Bairro Alto down to the Chiado neighborhood. On the way we passed my favorite chocolate shop, the Chocolateria do Equador. We had accidentally found this little jewel when we were here last April. Of course we went in and bought chocolate. ;-)

Then we continued down the hill and back to the apartment. Great day!  

A lovely Sunday

Sunday, February 5, 2017

Sunny & Mild and two new restaurants

We seem to be eating our way around Lisbon. Today was sunny and mild after several days of rainy weather. So we decided to visit the Museu Nacional De Arte Antiga (National Museum of Antique Art). Before entering the museum we had lunch at Le Chat - a lovely little restaurant overlooking the docks and the River Tagus just outside the museum entrance. Much to our pleasant surprise, the food was excellent. I say surprise because so many times places like this with such a view and location offer at best mediocre food. But not Le Chat! We recommend it highly.

We also recommend this beautiful museum. We had visited it once before with Christy & Wayne LaGue, specifically to see the Hieronymus Bosch triptych, The Temptations of St. Anthony. Since that original visit the museum has been expanded -- beautifully I might add. Because of the expansion, many of the pieces in the collection that had been in storage can now be permanently displayed.  The museum has also used crowd funding to raise the money needed to acquire new paintings.

We enjoyed a quick coffee at a small bakery just up the hill from the museum with delicious scones. The owner, Eduardo, and his staff were friendly (as are most people in Portugal) and fun. We sorta promised to adopt a young woman who works there after she graduates from university in the UK. That's in three years. We'll see. Then we rode Tram 15 back home to rest before heading out for dinner at another new, to us, restaurant. Maria Catita is tucked in on a block just behind the Praca do Commercio and near the Hotel Turim. The surroundings are cozy and the cuisine is Azorean. We have learned to share entrees because the portions are so big. Tonight we shared a marinated pork and beans dish. Delicious.

BTW, the Portuguese phrase for a shared entree is "fazer a vaquinha" which translates into "to make a little cow." No one knows how that phrase was chosen to represent a shared dish.

We love living in a city! Just as we had hoped, we simply step outside and anything we might need or want is within a short walk or metro or tram ride.

Up hill both ways

February 2, 2017

Remember the tale parents are supposed to have told children who complain about hardship - "When I was a kid I walked five miles to school every day - up-hill both ways."? Well today that's how I felt.

We took off up a narrow street to explore Mouraria, our neighborhood and one of the oldest sections of Lisbon where Fado is sung, streets are narrow and stairs seem to go on forever. And we just continued going up the winding narrow streets dotted with stairways, also going up.

We walked past the Igreja de Sao Cristovao (Church of St. Christopher), built in the 1700s and now under renovation. The interior was impressive, although too dark to really enjoy the art.

Exterior of the Church of St. Christopher

View from the top - almost

Then we continued up to the plazas that overlook the river Taugus with amazing views of the bridge - the perfect place to stop for a coffee and sweet and enjoy the view. Then, onward and upward to the gates of the castle. Now, at this point one would think that we had reached the top and could now go down. But no!

After a short down-hill section we were again going up towards the Graca Convent that sits atop another hill adjacent to the castle.

"Graça Convent is one of the oldest convents in Lisbon. According the legend, in 1362 the statue of Our Lady of Grace appeared in the network of a fisherman. The convent part is nowadays used by the army and is not open for visits, but the church is still in use.

Most of the original Graça Church collapsed in the earthquake of 1755, so what you see today is an 18th century baroque monument. Inside it is partly decorated in 16th and 17th century tiles, while outside is Sophia de Mello Belvedere (famous Portuguese poet ) which is one of the city's most popular viewpoints."

We can see both of these edifices from our apartment but never realized how close and accessible (if you don't mind walking up-hill for two miles) they are.

By the time we returned home we had traversed over three miles - up-hill. Gotta love this city! And we do.

The Women's March and a visit to the hospital

January 21, 2017

The Woman's March

For the first time in my life I participated in a protest event - the Marcha das Mulheres - a sister event in Lisbon to the Women's March in Washington. Although the crowd was relatively small, the enthusiasm was high. The march was held outside the American Embassy, which is a bit isolated from the rest of Lisbon. Our taxi driver had a hard time finding it. Among our fellow marchers were a honeymooning couple from San Francisco, and two couples from the states who now live in Portugal. I was interviewed by a reporter but I don't remember who she represented. It was still fun and we were happy to have been a part of such an important event. Of course, we may not be admitted back into the country when we try to return home in April. ;-)

A particularly relevant sign at the Marcha das Mulheres

Being interviewed at the Marcha das Mulheres

January 23, 2017

Our trip to the hospital

John's cough has gotten worse so, on the advice of our cousins Manuella and Armenio, we went to the emergency room of Hospital Luz - a private hospital about a 20-minute taxi ride from the apartment. We walked in to a modern reception area where a very professionally-dressed associate directed us to the registration area.

We had been in touch with the international rep for our insurance and knew that we are not covered, but might be able to be reimbursed once we return home. So imagine our pleasant surprise when the cost of the ER visit was only $95. Our co-pay at home would have been $75.

From there we were seen by a nurse then, after a short wait, by a doctor. Dr. Diniz, who spoke perfect English, examined John and diagnosed a viral issue complicated by John's fibrosis. He prescribed an antibiotic as a precaution against the virus becoming bacterial, as well as two other meds to treat the raw throat and help reduce the phlem production. We were VERY impressed with the service and overall quality of the care.

As we were leaving we expressed our satisfaction to the woman who had met us at reception. She asked us to write our comments in the "book of compliments" that is reviewed by management. The following day we received an email thanking us for our comments.

From the hospital we walked to the huge Colombo Mall next door. After an excellent lunch in one of the food-court restaurants (it's hard to have a bad meal in Portugal), we found a pharmacy where the prescriptions were filled. Total cost was only $18, including a package of lozenges. We are really getting ripped off by health care in the States.

January in Portugal? Why not?

We have been coming to Portugal pretty regularly since 1983, but always in the late spring or fall. During all those visits we always wondered what it might be like to live in Lisbon. So, this summer while visiting Lisbon with our grandchildren we decided that we would spend this winter in Portugal. And here we are until late April.

January 4, 2017
Our flight from Miami on Air France included a layover in Paris. A Dutch couple we met while checking in to our flight warned us that the Paris airport could be intimidating, so even though we had two hours between flights, we were just a bit nervous. However, all went well - with a little help from Air France employees. After taking the train to the next terminal and going through security again, we hit a long line at immigration where there was only a single person working. The people behind us in line had already missed their connecting flight. But we did not share that fate and boarded our flight exactly on time - only to sit at the gate for two hours waiting for the fog at the Lisbon airport to clear. We had to stay on the plane in our seats because the plane needed to be ready to fly at any moment.

We arrived in Lisbon on the afternoon of the 4th and checked into our favorite hotel - the Tivoli Lisboa. Much to our surprise, we were escorted to the 9th floor where reception is located while the first 6 floors of the hotel are undergoing a major renovation. But the service remains excellent and we were up-graded to an executive suite. That evening we had dinner at As Velhas, our favorite restaurant, with Brytta Byers - the daughter of Sherris Moireira. Brytta used to spend her after-school hours at the Herald while her mother worked, so we have watched her grow up to the beautiful young woman she is today. We thoroughly enjoyed our evening!

Lisbon is still decked out in its holiday lights and here is the view on Avenida do Liberdade - where our hotel is located.

January 5 - 19, 2017
Vale do Lobo, Almancil, Algarve
After an overnight in Lisbon we're off to Vale do Lobo for two weeks. We used to own a partial share of a villa here and visited almost every year in April/May until our unit was sold in 2013. However, over the years we accumulated "points" for those years we were unable to visit. So we used those points to spend these two weeds in January. Quite a contrast to late spring! Not much traffic and no reservations needed at our favorite restaurants. However, the sun shone every day. With temps in the 50s & 60s, the golfers were out and there were even a few beach walkers - although no swimmers. We had  a lovely reunion with Bella, the woman who was our housekeeper for all those years and is again our housekeeper. We also enjoyed reunions with the proprietors of our two favorite restaurants - Iberico and Casa dos Pinheiros.

This trip we took the time to visit the center of Quarteira - a resort town through which we usually drove en route to Villamoura. Now, in the off season, we joined the locals strolling the beach and enjoying a bica and pastry in the local pastaleiria. Even the local grande dames were gathered there every afternoon - just as the Faro ladies have been gathering is a pastalaris there for coffee, a pastry and gossip for over 40 years.

Holiday welcome to Vale do Lobo

The beach at Vale do Lobo

Vale do Lobo beach - another view

As much as we enjoyed the weather and accommodations in Vale do Lobo, we looked forward to returning to the livelier atmosphere of Lisbon and moving into our home for the next few months.

January 19, 2017

Lisbon!

So here we are, moving into 43 Praca Martim Moniz, Apt 5B - our home until April 25. The apartment is exactly as advertised - beautiful view of the castle and the square below. The building is new and the apartment beautifully decorated. According to the maitre 'd of the nearby Hotel Mondial restaurant, this area was formerly a high crime area until a few years ago when Chinese, Indian and Muslim families began moving in. Now it is a vibrant, diverse neighborhood in which we feel very safe. It is also a short walk to all of the major sights of Lisbon, lots of restaurants markets and public transportation.

Today the square is resplendent with red lanterns as preparations are underway to celebrate the Chinese New Year - the year of the rooster. This is especially appropriate in Portugal, whose national symbol is the rooster. After the parade on Saturday, we were entertained by Chinese singing and dancing performances on the large stage at one end of the square. Vendors of various merchandise set up shop all over the square.

Most mornings we see people doing Tai Chi on the square. Between that and the regular comings and goings of the trolleys, we are quite entertained.

The downside is that John has a terrible cold and very bad cough that is keeping him up at night. So we are going to take things easy for a couple of days to let him get better.

To be continued...