We set our alarm for 8am this morning, planning to have breakfast at 9am. I was awake before then and watching as a group of Indian people prepared to leave in a huge coach. They were obviously on some special break (a wedding?) as the women looked gorgeous in beautiful saris, and the men wore suits and bow ties. They were prancing about all over the street and taking lots of photographs. It was only about 7.30am so heaven knows what time they were all up to get ready! A man on the balcony opposite was watching them and having a cigarette in his underpants and tee-shirt... brilliant!
I fell asleep again and Sophie woke me at 8am. We both showered and dressed and went down to the breakfast room to have something to eat. It was busy with guests wandering about looking at all the different choices on offer - fruit, ham, cheeses, a variety of bread, cakes, including the classic Pastel de Nata, hot options such as scrambled eggs, bacon, sausages, mushrooms and hash browns. The coffee was excellent and I had three cups, more than enough to set me up for the day! There were also bottles of fizz and fruit juices, and Sophie said she saw a bottle of Vodka!
Once we had enjoyed the first meal of the day, we made our way back upstairs and got ready to go out. We had decided to take the Metro and visit the Time Out Market. Outside, it was cloudy and there'd been some drizzle, but it was warm.
We walked the short distance to the Metro - we had three to choose from - but we went to Sao Sebastiao, where we bought 24-hour tickets, which included the Metro, buses and trams. It took us a while to work out but buying them was a good choice and they were brilliant value for money.
We took the blue line to Baixa-Chiado and then changed onto the green line to Apolonia. It was very simple and we soon got the hang of the different lines and where they went. Emerging from the station, it was busy with trams, buses and cars, with lots of people mingling about. We crossed the road and were soon outside the beautiful market building.
A foodie paradise!
We chose to have a look around the traditional market first and here, people were selling fruit and vegetables, flowers and fish. We saw some very strange species!
It was lovely to wander about and look at all the different things for sale. I'm sure a lot of the restaurant owners had been out early to get the best of the catch!
Next door, was the Time Out market where you could get a huge variety of food and drink. The different stands lined the outside of the market, while long wooden benches were placed in the middle. As we were early, it wasn't busy but I'd read reviews saying it can get hectic and crowded at lunchtime and in the evening.
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| Port tasting |
We wandered about looking at the different foods on offer and found a delightful little shop selling items for the home, soaps, ceramics, tinned fish, postcards and gifts. I treated myself to a soap and Sophie bought some gorgeous perfume.
By now, I was thirsty (probably because of the bacon I'd eaten for breakfast) and fancied a chilled beer!
We found a bar and ordered two glasses of Super Bock Stout. Super Bock is a Portuguese beer and is found everywhere!
We took our beers to a long bench and relaxed for half an hour, watching all the people around us and chatting.
The Stout was delicious and definitely slated my thirst!
Chatted up by an American?
Sophie went to the loo while I sat and sipped the rest of my beer. Suddenly, a man appeared at the table and asked if I'd take a photo of him! I was surprised, but I agreed and suggested he stand under the Time Out sign. I took a couple of photos and asked if he wanted to look at them but he said he never looked good in photos anyway! He was about my age, American, with grey hair and was smiley and friendly! We said goodbye before he walked off. Sophie had texted me to say there was a queue for the loos, and I texted back to say that I'd been chatting to a dishy American! Fortunately, she saw my message only when she got back!
A steep ride
After our drinks, we wandered outside and found a little market. Sophie saw a lovely tee shirt with a picture of a sleeping cat on it and bought socks for Vikesh. The sun was shining, it was a lovely day and the whole area was full of people enjoying the outdoors and mingling about. We walked past the market and decided to head into the maze of streets nearby. Somehow, we stumbled upon the Ascenseur de Bica, a funicular tram that shoots you up a steep hill where you can gaze out at the views of the river. We joined the short queue and we were delighted to find that our Metro tickets covered the ticket price.
The interior of the tram was cosy and six of us were squashed onto bench seats. As we climbed up the steep hill, people walking past waved and smiled at us. We were so close to the people walking, that we could have reached out and touched them!
We joined the throngs of people at the top of the steep hill and we saw another tram go past. Travelling on the trams was one of the things we wanted to do, but first, we decided to have a drink in the sunshine! We wandered along the streets and spotted a souvenir shop. These are everywhere in Lisbon and sell all the usual tourist tat, but they do have some authentic tiles, cork handbags, postcards and little treasures to take home. I was delighted to spot a rack of sunglasses and immediately bought a pair for around 8 euros! Perfect! The owner of the shop kept trying to get us to buy things and we said we'd be back as Sophie wanted a tile for her bedroom!
Opposite was a tiny bistro with seats outside under umbrellas. It looked the perfect place for a cold drink!
Lunchtime delights!
There was a table free by the door so we grabbed it and looked at the menu. We weren't that hungry, so we ordered drinks first - a glass of wine for Sophie and a small beer for me. The prices were very reasonable and my beer was 2 euros! We've found that wine by the glass is much cheaper than at home, and Sophie's Vinho Verde was 3 euros for a good measure.
As you can imagine, it was heaven to sit in the sunshine, on a Thursday lunchtime and just soak up the atmosphere. It was quite a busy street so there was always something to look at as people - both tourists and locals - wandered by.
After a while, we decided to have something to eat and ordered a portion of French fries, salad and bread. I indulged in another beer. Perfect!
Some French women arrived and knew the customers sitting in front of us, and there was a lot of twittering and French kisses as they settled themselves down in their seats at the next table. I really love just watching people and wondering what they do, where they live and what their lives are like!
After we'd finished eating and drinking we paid the modest bill and walked further along the street up to a viewpoint. Below us, we could see the Tagus River and another restaurant full of people enjoying the views. Behind us was a pharmacy museum (!) and a beautiful hotel.
We walked back the way we'd come and I was fascinated by the tiles covering some of the buildings. They were beautiful!
Before catching the tram, Sophie did indeed go back into the souvenir shop as she'd promised and bought a lovely tile for her room.
Back on the main thoroughfare we sat and waited for a tram and took the 28 to Prazeres, the end of the line. There are many comparisons between Lisbon and San Francisco... both cities have steep streets, both are built on seven hills and have ancient tramcars running, both suffered devastating earthquakes, and both have suspension bridges (both cities also have their fair share of loonies as well, but that's another matter!).
The tram was full so we had to stand as it weaved its way up and down the streets. We clung on and all too soon we came to the end of the line where we had to get off.
Another food market!
We wanted to find somewhere to have ice cream, so Sophie consulted Google and we set off. Again, we stumbled upon another food market and found an outlet selling gorgeous, gooey cakes.
Once we'd enjoyed the cake, we wandered around the market and Sopihe bought some tinned fish to take home.
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| The tins are so colourful and beautiful! |
We walked back to the main street, passing a gorgeous church on the way. We waited for a tram again and this time it was very crowded. As we made our way back to the Ascenseur de Bica, more and more people boarded the tram so we were now packed in like the sardines we'd seen everywhere! However, it stopped being funny and soon became very uncomfortable, because we needed to make our way to the back of the tram and get off. We had to virtually push our way to the end and it wasn't a pleasant experience! There was a mixture of locals and tourists on the tram and heaven only knows what it's like at the height of the season!
We waited for the funicular again and it was a lot quieter than the journey up.
We took our seats, hoping that the vehicle wouldn't plunge down the steep hill and waited. A mother and her son boarded and he proceeded to eat a bread roll with his mouth open, which was a delightful sight, as well as pick his nose and stare at us malevolently...
Back down the steep hill, we retraced our steps from this morning and walked back to Cais de Sodre station where we took the Metro. Sophie freaked out a bit as a man was walking close behind us that she didn't like the look of. She slowed me down so he could walk ahead and she saw him get very close to a woman as she was going through the ticket barrier, in effect, using her card to access the trains...
Sophie made sure we were well away from him on the platform and we didn't see him again, but it made us aware that Lisbon, a beautiful European city, is not without its problems.
A date with Suzana
Back at Sao Sebastiao, we walked to the hotel and relaxed for a couple of hours before showering and going down to the Sports Bar. There must have been a big game of football on this evening as the bar was far busier than it had been last night. We managed to find a seat in the pretty courtyard and chatted for an hour.
We decided to try a restaurant opposite called Suzana, and Sophie had looked at their good reviews. It was a plain restaurant with nothing fancy about it, but we were warmly welcomed and seated by the window. We were the first to arrive so we had fantastic and very attentive service.
The young staff were exceptionally friendly and knowledgeable, and we were allowed to try two wines before selecting one. We chose a Portuguese white, which the waiter had recommended after I'd chosen another, and it was delicious and fruity. I doubt I'd be able to find it in the UK!
When we ordered the food, the waiter again advised us. We chose green beans in tempura batter and cod croquettes to start, while Sophie had Hake cheek curry for her main course. I was advised to try the cod in an olive oil sauce. Before the starters arrived, we feasted on bread, butter, olives and a gooey sheep's cheese.
We loved the starters - the green beans were sublime and so tender! - and Sophie's curry was gorgeous. I wish I'd had that! My cod was fine, if a little salty. By now, the restaurant had filled up and more and more people were arriving, which was great as the place deserved to do well.
We found room for desserts - a beautiful, dense, chocolate mousse for Sophie and cold rice pudding for me, sprinkled with cinnamon. Again, I wish I'd had Sophie's pud but mine was delicious as well, if not a little odd because it was cold!
We paid the 80 euro bill and strolled back across the street to the Sports Bar (which was still busy) where we indulged in a glass of Port before bed!
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