Sunday, June 1st 

Mark didn’t want to take too much vacation time after just being out for Charlotte’s graduation, so he decided to mostly skip Lisbon because we’d already been there in 1997. Charlotte and I got up bright and early to get the Lyft at 4:30am. Yikes! We got checked in to the airport, leaving from a domestic terminal because we were flying into JFK. Found a decent enough place to eat, and then boarded the plane. The flight was uneventful enough, there were two children from two different families who pretty much took turns the whole flight crying.  I felt really bad for their parents who did seem to be trying everything they could think of to get them to stop. The pilot was really funny, and the International leg on Delta had more legroom than the domestic flight, thank goodness.

Monday, June 2nd

We landed in Lisbon at 8am local time. By now my eyes were really starting to hurt from eye strain from not wearing my contacts. We weren’t able to check into our Airbnb for hours so I needed to put the contacts in at the airport, but all the sinks were those trough sinks. Just what I needed: to wash a $2,000 contact down the drain on the first day of vacation. Eventually, we got creative and used the family restroom, where we blocked off the trough with toilet paper. With my contacts in, not only could I see, but my eyes slowly stopped hurting.

We ordered a Bolt to take us to the city center where we were staying. Lots of very large kind of isolated high-rise apartments near the airport, which was a bit strange. We had the Bolt drop us off at the train station near our AirBnB, where we put our stuff in a locker, then headed out to breakfast. Charlotte had done her research, and so we went to a cool place called Dear Breakfast. We went up this one steep hill and then down the other side, only to find the restaurant only a little bit up. Google doesn’t understand hills! We would have been better off to go around.

After breakfast, we followed a bit of Rick Steve’s guide to Portugal, walking around Baixa-Chiado.  We also had to find sunscreen. The first pharmacy we went to was very bougie and thus too expensive, but we found some at the next pharmacy. The pharmacist there gave us a lecture about needing to reapply every few hours because it was only SPF 30. Hey babe, you think this is my first time using sunscreen? Although to be fair there were many cruise ship passengers in town and British tourists are really bad about using sunscreen.

We continued our tour, now safe from sunburn. We walked to the top of the Convento do Carmo and over to the San Justo lift, a striking elevator built in the 19th century. The views up there are stunning! At the base of the elevator there is a Normal store, a super cool store that’s like a hybrid between Flying Tiger and a Grocery Outlet. We got all our basics for the apartment there. We walked some more, along the Rossio Square and then over to Santo Antonio where we had the option to take the funicular up the steep hill but no. Apparently for Charlotte it was leg day and we were walking up. Fortunately, at the top is the Miradouro de Sao Pedro de Alcantara, which not only has a great view but also a pop-up wine festival  (okay maybe they had food too but who cares?!) where we had our first sangria of the trip. Mine was even spiked with Ginjinha!

Now in a much better mood we walked slowly back towards the train station, stopping in a few churches and squares along the way. Once at the station, we discovered we needed cash to retrieve our luggage. So I went over to the store in the train station and went to buy a couple of sodas and to ask for change. The woman very rudely told me no. So I went over the smaller gift store and the proprietor there was much nicer. Retrieved the luggage and then followed the directions to our Airbnb. Now I get what they mean when they say you have to enter through the gift shop! The apartment was very cute even if it was up five flights of stairs!! And the air conditioner works. After unpacking and settling in and resting a bit, we headed out to get yogurt etc. for breakfast the next day. Back up the stairs to the apartment but without luggage it’s much easier. We got freshened up for dinner and went to the nearby craft beer place, Brew, where we were happy to see some US favorites like the Bistro series from Energy City Brewing, Anderson Valley Brewing and Modern Times. In a complete surprise, there was a stout from Bottle Logic that cost 75 euros for the bottle! Now it’s a pricey beer in the US too, about $28 but 75 euros? Wow. I had a pineapple sour that was very foamy but good and Charlotte had a lemongrass Berliner weiss that she enjoyed.

Next we went over to Time Out Market for dinner, where we ate at an Italian restaurant. Very nice market, there are Time Out’s in reclaimed buildings in other cities.  I very dramatically stubbed my toe and nearly fell coming into the restaurant, which was embarrassing. This was such a long day, what a relief to go back to the apartment. By this time the shop was closed but the guy had just left so he was there to rush back and help me when I couldn’t get the lock to work!

Tuesday, June 3rd

Charlotte and I woke up early and had a good breakfast of yogurt and strawberries in the AirBnB, after which we headed over to the closest good coffee place, Copenhagen coffee, because all they had in the apartment was instant coffee and we are not about that life. Charlotte, realizing that our ability to walk needed to be rationed, had us take a bus to the Feira de Lada flea market in the Almafa district which was up a big hill. Unfortunately the bus took forever to arrive but it did go where we wanted so there’s that. It was my first exposure to all of the things made from cork so I paid too much for a cork sunglass case but at least it was cute. And I made up for it later by bargaining for a cheaper one another stall. We went into the cool arts building and got a very good iced tea. We left the flea market and started to walk down the hill passing some cute craft stores. I picked up really cute frog earrings as well as a pair of blue and white earrings for Genevieve.

Next we went to the Castel de Sao Jorge where there was a huge line for the ticket booth but we were able to hop online and buy tickets there saving us about a half hour. The castle has panoramic views of the city as well as lots of peacocks and baby peacocks. The entry price of 20 euro was a bit expensive for what you get but whatever. We had lunch at a delightful little pizza place that had suppli, so we were happy. After lunch we finished the Rick Steve’s walking tour we’d started the day before, got another coffee (still dealing with jet lag) and then returned to the apartment for a little nap (coffee apparently can’t work magic). Got up and freshened up and went to a nice bougie dinner at the Java rooftop bar.

 

Wednesday, June 4th

Today Charlotte and I woke up early to take the train to Sintra, which went very smoothly. Once we arrived in Sintra, though, it was a different story. A bus was blocking the loop road to the castle as well as all the stuff at the top and they weren’t sure when it would be open. We took a van up on their offer to take us to the back of the hill and we’d walk down to the Palacio de Pena which maybe would have worked well if we had any idea which direction we were supposed to go in. It was foggy and lush up there and reminded us of Costa Rica. The path was very nice and well-maintained, and I don’t know if the driver of the van lied to us or we took a wrong road, but we went down maybe too far and then went back up some really steep steps, and I had such a workout I had to stop and catch my breath so I didn’t pass out. Charlotte was worried because our ticket time was fast approaching but they were on delay because of the blocked road so it was fine.We arrived in a sweaty mess (and we’d both worn long dresses that day!) however, we were doing better than one of the guys from the van, who really looked in bad shape when we saw him across the road. The castle is nice but so so crowded. We took all of the obligatory photos including this one. Spectacular isn’t it? Usually you’d see the valley below but, well, that’s not the view we had.

 

We then followed the advice to go down on the trail and man, more of the same. Costa Rica-level trail with boulders and downed trees and everything. My knee was not happy with me at all.

Once we got closer to the town the trail got really cute past other little historic buildings and arbors etc. We saw some tourists starting out to go up and thought maybe we should warn them that it gets a bit nasty the farther up you get but they looked young and strong so we left them to it.

We did have a delightful Indian lunch in the town, and then headed to Quinta da Regalaria. We bought our tickets and then had to wait for our entry. Obviously, we’d have been better off buying the tickets and then heading to lunch but live and learn. We just sat and rested until it was our entry time. The Quinta was a lot of fun, they had a lot of “follies” from the late 1800s like medieval towers and a labyrinthe grotto as well as an Initiation Well that led to a waterfall (also manmade, although you couldn’t tell_. The grounds were so beautiful and the vibe was so much better than Palacio de Pena. There were a lot of other open historic houses to tour and if I had it to do again I’d skip the Palacio and concentrate on some of the other places.

 

 

 

 

 

 

After we’d had our fill of the grounds (really they were so pretty) we headed back into town and straight to Villa Craft beer. I got a mint cinnamon stout and Charlotte a pineapple mint sour. We’d earned it.  After our beer we walked back to the train station, took the train to Lisbon and walked straight to Honest Greens for a truly amazing salad. This is a chain we need to bring to the US. By the time we got back to the AirBnB my feet were so sore, my knee was hurting, we’d walked 26k steps and I really hoped I would wake up the next day and feel fine.

Thursday, June 5th

We got up a bit later, did a load of laundry, hung it to dry in the apartment, then headed out for coffee. We were supposed to order from the screen, and the barista was a bit salty when we tried to order in person, but we figured it out, and the coffee was fine. Didn’t realize the outsourcing of customer service had spread to Portugal too!   We took the train to Cascais and it was such a beautiful day for it! We walked down to the beach, and the water was as cold as Northern California. We took some obligatory photos and then had lunch at the very nice restaurant, Taberna Clandestina,  that Charlotte had (of course) thought ahead and made reservations for. Next, we went to the house museum Condes de Castro Guimares, which was very nice, they just let you walk around, and what a spectacular house and view! I know we read one person’s review of Cascais, and they were like “yeah there are houses you can tour but who would tour a house when you can lay on the beach?” Hmmm (raises hand). After that tour, we noticed the house across the street, Casa de Santa Maria was also open for touring, so we did that one next. It wasn’t as nice as the first, donated in the early 2000s, and it had had some renovations that weren’t that historically sensitive, and a lot of rooms were closed, but we’re still glad we saw it. We got some coffee and then went to the train station just as the train was about to pull out, but we weren’t the only people racing to get on it and a guy held open the doors so the train couldn’t leave. Whew! The train was super crowded and hot, however the coast was beautiful. Once back in Lisbon we picked up more yogurt for breakfast the next day from the store conveniently located in the station.

We had dinner at what turned out to be a marginal Indian restaurant Cinnamon. It had gotten good reviews, but it was kind of strange we were the only people in there for dinner, and the service was odd. I think maybe they’re more a nightclub? It was on the “pink street” Calle Rosa de Lisboa, which is the bar street behind our apartment so everything is a party there. Who knows. It was still early, so we went to an Irish Pub for a Guinness and then a baby Guinness. There was a soccer match, so there were lots of people in the pub.

Friday, June 6th

After our yogurt breakfast, we went to Copenhagen Coffee Lab again for coffee. We went to Flying Tiger and Normal for a little bit of shopping, then we met Mark at the train station and took him to the apartment. After he’d unpacked, we went back to Honest Greens for lunch, and then Mark returned to the apartment to nap while Charlotte and I went to Belem.

When Mark and I went to Portugal 25 years ago, he had insisted we visit the Museu de Marinha, and it stuck with me all these years. I tried to get Charlotte interested in visiting it, but she was having none of it, although she did agree to go to the Museu Nacional Dos Coches instead. Once we got there, she was initially disappointed as the photos she’d seen online had been of a historic building, and the museum is now housed in an ultra-modern building. But once we started seeing the old coaches, coach attendant uniforms, historic clothing, and horse costumes, she was all in. It really is an impressive museum. And now we know more about the evolution of the coach to the car than anyone should!

Once we left the museum, we walked through the Jardim da Praca do Imperio to get to the monastery. On the way, we passed by Pasteis de Belem, and got a couple of pasteis de nata (egg tarts). Very cute building. We then took a moment in a Starbucks to enjoy our desserts with a little coffee. They were good, but I must admit I’m not a fan of the pastel de nata. We then visited the Jerónimos Monastery and the church using our timed tickets bought in advance (always planning ahead, that Charlotte). We walked to the Monument of the Discoveries.

We were an awkward distance from our next destination, the LX Factory, where we were supposed to meet Mark. Too far to walk, and too close to take an Uber. Fortunately, there were rental scooters as well as a nice, safe bike path to ride them on, so we did that! So cool. Went under their Golden Gate Bridge clone, the Ponte 25 de Abril. After our fun little ride, we left the scooters in the designated parking area (we’re so good…) and walked the rest of the way. We did some shopping at all of the unique stores, and had an aperol spritz. Mark then met us, and we went to dinner at the Lebanese restaurant, Barouk, where Charlotte had reserved a table. We took the Portuguese version of the Irish Luas back to the center of Lisbon and walked to the Praca do Comercio before calling it a night.

 

 

 

Saturday, June 7th

Charlotte and I had yogurt in the apartment, and then all three of us went to Copenhagen for coffee and in Mark’s case, breakfast. We walked to a resale market that Charlotte had wanted to visit, Dona Ajuda, which was in a slightly different area of Lisbon. We had acai bowls at Oatberry, and then walked over to the Amalia Rodrigues house museum that Mark had found. While we were buying tickets for the house tour, the woman asked if we were fans of Amalia, and we had to admit we had no idea who she was. Turns out she was a famous Fado singer in the 20th century. One other woman arrived to take a tour with us, and when she was asked if she knew who Amalia was, she said “of course”! Okay then. The house was nice, not as fancy as I would have thought, but a nice normal house that a person would live in. No photos allowed on the tour so you’ll have to take my word for it. The sad thing is her parrot is still in the house (which was her wish). I don’t think she really thought that through. It’s been over 20 years, and that poor bird is alone most of the time. Oh well.

Next, we walked to Misericordia for our food tour. This area was not very touristy, but it’s where a lot of expats live, including our tour guide Carlos, who was from Costa Rica of all places. Also on our tour were a pair of British women and a couple from Taiwan/Canada. We had some really good food and good wine and good conversation with our fellow tour goers. After the tour we walked around along the water and had an ice cream at the Praca do Comercio.

 

 

 

 

 

Sunday, June 8th

Charlotte, Mark and I all got ready in time to go to breakfast at Copenhagen (of course).  We went back to the apartment to grab our stuff and do a quick clean of the apartment. We had assumed we could get a Bolt or a taxi to get to the train station as it was a bit far to walk with our bags but they kept cancelling. We were debating taking the bus (which also wasn’t coming) but then a Tuk Tuk drove by and we flagged him down and asked how much it would cost for him to take us to the train station and he said 30 euros, clearly expecting us to say no. But of course we said yes. He was really a tour guide not a taxi so we got a lot of facts about the city on our drive. Turns out we were missing one of the biggest festivals of the year, The San Antonio Festival, where anyone who lives in the city, including foreigners, can enter a lottery to have their wedding paid for as part of the celebration. They pick 16 couples and everything is included. It apparently goes on all night and that’s what all of the decorations around the city were for. We also found out why the taxis weren’t coming to get us–the road through the downtown area is closed on the weekends so it was nearly impossible for anyone to get through (including buses). Good to know.

The train to Porto was fine but it went half speed part of the way for some reason so we arrived an hour later than we were supposed to. The woman next to me was friendly, an American around the girls’ age who was just beginning to travel.  Once we arrived in Porto it was really easy to get a cab and then go to our apartment which was in a former industrial building and very modern, so a good contrast to the historic apartment in Lisbon. By now we were pretty hungry so we wound up at a mall close by where we had poke (this is what happens when we’re all hungry and can’t agree where to go!) We met Genevieve at the apartment–she had taken public transport from the station, obviously more of a trooper than Mark and I! For dinner we went to the very hipster restauarant Flow where we had a huge cheese plate and then I had beet ravioli.

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