The weather was supposed to be rainy all week. We thought the best way to see the city was to take a covered, double decker bus. It was a two-day, hop on, hop off pass. This ended up being one of the best decisions we made. We were given headphones when we purchased the tickets, and a narrator explained the historical significance behind every building and street that we passed. The bus took us to the "must see" spots in Lisbon. We saw the Tower Belèm, the April 25th Bridge (almost identical to the Golden Gate Bridge), the monastery, the basilica, the prison and so much more. More importantly than the specific sights, the bus dropped us off in some of the most authentic neighborhoods of Lisbon, which we had read about in all of the guide books. My brother and I were able to get off in an area that we wanted to further explore, and then get back on the bus when we were done.
For lunch, we got off near the basilica and found this hole in the wall tavern. The menu was completely in portuguese, making it a surprise meal because we pointed to an item and told the waiter to bring it. Portuguese is a mixture of French, Italian and Spanish, but sounds like Polish. We were completely lost, and it was so much fun. A few minutes later the waiter comes to our table with two plates. He put the fish and vegetables in front of me and the fried egg, french fries and sausage in front of Tommy. Anyone who knows us can see how I felt as if the chef personally knew what each of us liked. It was a great first impression of Lisbon.
At 3:00, we went back to the hotel to get our room and nap after a long morning of travel. I walked into the room, expecting a typical Marriott room. I almost fell on the floor when I saw this room at FonteCruz. The bathroom alone was bigger than my dorm room in Rome, the shower head was as big as a 12-inch pizza and the beds felt like clouds. The room alone was an experience.
After a great nap and a long (extremely long) shower, my brother and I got ready and went to find a place for dinner. We walked down to the square closest to our hotel and found a little restaurant with no name on the outside. This is how we knew it was going to be good. We walked in to an ice bar with fish that was caught that day. We shared clams, fresh salad and octopus for dinner. Restaurant Leòn was the perfect way to end our first day in Lisbon.
The next day, we woke up to the sun shining. This was so exciting, as it was supposed to rain the entire time we were going to be there. We quickly went to Starbucks (have to get it where I can) and then got on the bus. We saw the remaining sites and then hopped off to get on the cable car. The cable car is another way to see the city, but it takes you up on the hill of Alfama the Castel de San Jorge is. My brother and I got off in Alfama and walked to the Castelo. The castle seemed like nothing compared to the view it offered. From inside the castle's walls, we had the best view of the city. Lisbon is right on the water, and its buildings are all different colors, ranging from yellow to pale pink. I felt like I was in the Bahamas.
After walking around the castle and taking 500 pictures, trying to capture the view, we went to find lunch. Our lunch experience was one of my favorite parts of the trip. My brother found this little restaurant on the hill that served grilled sardines, so of course he said we had to go. We shared a chickpea and cod fish salad and grilled sardines. We also met two couples from Ireland, who were curious to know what we were doing in Lisbon. We talked with them for a while, and then went on our way to continue exploring the shops and sights of Alfama.
The next day, we walked around on our own. Tommy found a little place for lunch, so we ate there and then continued shopping. For dinner, all of the guide books recommend seeing a fado show, which is Portugal's version of belly dancing. It is a live music show with dancers and singers. So, we decided to go and experience it.
The fado restaurant was in Baixa, the downtown area of Lisbon. While we were eating, performers were doing traditional dances and singing. After we finished our food, one of the performers came to our table and pulled my brother and I on stage! I was laughing so hard I was crying, and I'm sure all of the other people eating dinner thought I was insane. I will never forget that night!
In the morning, we said goodbye to Lisbon and returned to Rome. For the next four days, my bother and I explored the city that we have been living in for the past three months. We saw museums that we would have not seen otherwise, had a picnic in Circus Maximus and had wonderful meals in new restaurants. After a spring break like the one I had, I realized how truly lucky I am to be traveling the world and experiencing all that I am. And for that, I am thankful.
Baci,
Nikki
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