Tag Archive: Lisbon

1. Day 13 Lisbon

   May 27, 2011 11:36 AM Comments Off on Day 13 Lisbon

   We woke up without an alarm, which was a lovely treat although I didn’t sleep that well anyway because my legs were so stiff. We had our last breakfast with that gorgeous view and then packed up to drive back to Lisbon. We were not looking forward to 4 hours in the car. But it was mostly freeway and it was easy. Even getting into Lisbon center was painless and we found a parking spot right near the hotel, where we checked in and the concierge took the car keys and called the rental agency to pick the car up. Our two car rentals of the trip were both handled by hotels and went so smoothly that I will try to arrange that again on future trips.

   So we dumped our bags and headed out to see just a few more sights in Lisbon.

   

   One of our first stops was a little wine bar near the Castle of Sao Jorge. And I’m so glad we found it because next door was an artist’s co-op that featured tiles by an artist whose work we saw in Obidos. While there we had gone back and forth about a particular piece but didn’t manage to pull the trigger, figuring we might see something we wanted more. I was so happy to find her work again.

   

   From there we headed down to the waterfront to check out the restaurant partially owned by John Malkovich. Do I look tired? I am so whooped.

   

   We went back to the hotel to freshen up, then wandered back up to the Barrio Alto to hit a favorite wine bar. We were sitting on stools in the street when this Hummer drove through. The funny owner said, “Perhaps not so appropriate for the city center,” as we all scrunched our knees in to make room.

   Also in the Barrio Alto, we purchased our last souvenir of the trip. When shopping for souvenirs I seek out individual local artists, and we found this ceramics studio with the most insane sculptures you could imagine. They were all made of clay but with intricate carving and bright colors. I loved meeting the sculptor in his apron with his kiln behind him. I could have spent days studying these pieces. There was one tea pot with a lion that I really wanted but it was a bajillion Euros.

   

   But there was a hand-made bowl that caught my eye. He wrapped it very well and we took it on our way. He told me this story about a couple from LA who purchased one of his floor lamps and carried it home on the airplane. I asked him if they bought a seat for it.

   From there we walked back to the Chiado and ate dinner at Sacramento. It was our last meal in Portugal. So what do you think I ordered? That’s right. Octopus.

   

    

2. Day 1 Lisbon

   May 13, 2011 5:47 PM Comments Off on Day 1 Lisbon

   Our journey to Portugal from Phoenix started with a ride to the airport with dear friends at 8:30 am on Tuesday May 10. Trips are always better when you have a send-off from people you love. From there we had a 4 hour flight to Philly, a 2 hour layover, then a 7 hour flight to Lisbon. We grabbed a taxi and arrived to the Lx Boutique Hotel by 9 am Wednesday. Lisbon is 8 hours ahead, so door to door the trip took 12 hours. The hotel has a tiny lobby, but it is in a great location. The staff stored our luggage so John and I could begin wandering right away. This day was a “bonus” day in Lisbon, a way to get our bearings before our 7:30 am flight to Madeira on Thursday. We will be coming back to do Lisbon “properly” after our stay and race in Madeira.

   We started by walking down to the square for a look at the government center and the river. Sky, who knew you could be so blue? What a lovely contrast between the pastel colored buildings. There is a lot of construction in Lisbon, and the city prides itself on the combination of old and new.

   

   From there we took a walking tour through the area known as the Alfama. We saw several beautiful churches, some antique stores, and more beautiful pastel buildings with orange tile roofs as far as the eye could see.

   

   We walked until around noon, when we stopped for a Plate do Dia back at the square.

   

   After a well earned nap at the hotel, that we struggled to end since we could have slept for just about forever, we took off up the steep hill to the Barrio Alto to scout a few dinner spots. While there, we ran across a lovely wine bar and decided we must have a taste.

   

   Although we had planned to eat dinner at a spot in Barrio Alto, we ended up going to a quiet, newer restaurant in nearby Chiado called Clara Chiado that John read about on Trip Advisor. We chose it because we must be getting old. The hawkers in Barrio Alto were too much for me. I don’t want to eat at a place where someone stands at the door and yells at me to come in.

   

   This little restaurant turned out to be just the spot. They had a wall of shelves stocked with wine all with price tags, and you get to “shop” for your bottle. We chose a white from the Douro Valley.

   

   Dinner was lovely. What did we eat? Well, Pulpo of course. My favorite.

   

   After a wandering walk back to the hotel, we enjoyed a few minutes of Internet surfing before falling straight to sleep. Their wifi is heavenly.

3. Some Restaurants

   April 25, 2011 11:09 AM Comments Off on Some Restaurants

   You already know we will be running two races in Portugal, a 25K trail run and a Half Marathon. So I’m sure you understand that we will need to make up for that calorie deficit with some fine dining.  In fact, my mouth is already watering over these dinner reservations:

   May 12 Tea at Reid’s Palace Tea Terrace will include delicious cakes and finger sandwiches.

   May 14 also at Reid’s Palace we will enjoy a Gala Champagne Dinner at the Main Dining Room.

   May 17 we will walk up the hill from our hotel in Lisbon to experience a 7 course tasting at 100 Maneiras.

   We’re still working on the rest of our choices for dinners and lunches in Funchal, Lisbon, and Porto. Any recommendations?