Another gorgeous day, and a beautiful sail in. The city could not have been lit better, and as we are getting in rather late at 10am, it is easy to hang out on the balcony and take pictures of the Lisbon coast.
Today is another day without specific plans. We had originally thought about taking the ferry across to Cacilhas to go up to the Christo Rei statue and then have lunch over there. But it is a short port visit and we really aren’t all that keen on trying to make the ferry timing work, so we decide instead to just hang out in Lisbon with only one goal in mind: mail Richard Beckstoffer’s birthday card. We eschew the 8 Euro shuttle, because we can walk to town quicker than they can drive, and head out through the new terminal (so new in fact, that they are holding the inauguration ceremony today!) and onto the street heading toward the center of town along the water walkway.
It’s only about a 10 to 15 minute walk to get to the Arco da Rua Augusta at the beginning of the main city center. There is an information center here, but it isn’t open yet, so take some pictures of the square, noting the Beer Museum for later…
…and head into the city. We wander through the pedestrian streets, perusing the cafes and pastry stores, before ending up on Praca Rossio where the information center is open, and the tour information gal gives us a map and directions to the post office. It’s right up the street. Perfect planning! But before we go up there, we need to stop for our traditional morning cappuccino. There is a very busy place right on the corner, cafe Nicola, where we find a nice table with some sun (it is still chilly) and plop ourselves down. The waiter is crazy busy, but in traditional European style, totally efficient. He throws menus at us and rushes inside for another order. We know what we want, but also decide to be bad and order a croissant filled with almond spread. Why not? He comes back, we order, and darn it, the almond croissant is finished. My hips are thanking you, my stomach, not so much.
45 minutes later, this guy is seriously busy, we finally pay our check, leaving him a tip (which we normally never would) and head off to the post office. It is easy to find, a block behind the theater, just as the info gal promised. We walk in, and go up to the counters, but realize that there are numbers being called, just like at the DMV. Ok, but where is the ticket machine? We have to explore the area a bit to find the machine, then pray we push the right button when we choose Global (we’re tourists – I’m sure they’ve had to deal with it before), but finally we have our ticket. So we go back to wait our turn, which doesn’t take too terribly long, and the postal attendant takes our card and stamps it for us- then shows it to us and says “pretty, I stamped too.” It is a gorgeous Lisbon postage stamp, and a “seal” sort of stamp – that was so nice. We thank her profusely, pay our 85 Euro cents (cheap!) and head back out into town – our one goal successfully accomplished. Now its up to the postal system to complete our task – we’ll see if the card makes its little way back to RVA in time.
Now, we truly are rudderless. With no place to go and nothing to do, we just wander through the plazas, taking photos along the way…
including this awesome shot Ed got with the moon and the bird and the building parapet…
…eventually heading back down to the water…but not before passing the cafe with my name on it!
At the waters’ edge, we find a whole field of cairns, some natural rock, some painted to resemble a shark or a parrot or colorful fruits. These are great.
We continue on down to the ferry station because I have read about a market that combines the traditional fruit/seafood/meat market on one side with a restaurant food court on the other. I had thought I read it was started by a team of chefs to give smaller places and entrepreneurs somewhere to work on their craft before moving out and up into their own restaurant, but upon doing more research Ed found that it is owned by some big English conglomerate and there are multiple locations across the world. Well, pooh. At least it might be an option for lunch. But sadly, that is not to be. It’s an overpriced, overly done food court. No ambiance, and nothing really all that attractive to us. Well, it was an idea at least – and we’re getting in our mileage for our step counting.
Ditching this place, we turn back toward town, passing gorgeous architecture and squares on the way.
Back in the main pedestrian area, restaurants are just beginning to open – we start to go off on the side streets perusing menus – none of which can be called cheap, but still, we are here. We walk into a little crossroads where a bunch of hawkers are standing and we are corralled by one guy (who sort of reminds us of Jerome Bettis) who takes us down the block to his restaurant in the sun. The guy is gregarious and funny, we are his only customers and he makes us feel right at home.
First 2 glasses of port, then we order wine and beer – which for me is a very good pour.
As we sit, we watch the other hawkers try to entice patrons, the guy at the restaurant next store reminds us so much of the mafia, it isn’t even funny.
This is all the entertainment we need. We order the Chorizo starter for me and pulpo for Ed. The chorizo comes out on the cutest little ceramic pig holder – I wish I had taken a picture with the chorizo from the front, and the octopus is gigantic and Ed says very well prepared.
Another waiter seats a trio of women, French, who at the outset had issues making a decision. They aren’t seated more than 2 minutes, when they get up saying something and leave. We are laughing and shrugging our shoulders, so the other waiter strikes up a conversation with us explaining the French are such snobs, etc., etc., and on he goes talking about customers, the French and how they offer people smok-ed (its the way he says it) ham and cheese with their drinks, then they don’t want to pay for it. Why would it be free? Nothing is free, maybe little bits of nuts or olives, but smok-ed ham and cheese? No, that would not be free in their countries either. Oh my God, it is too true, and too much. We have the best time sitting there at that restaurant. Forget about the food – the company and entertainment are enough.
As we hang out with another beer and wine, Hannah, one of the cruise staff, comes up with another cruise staff girl (who speaks Portuguese) and is talking to Jerome Bettis about the place. She sees us, and we of course give her the thumbs up, and tell her its a great place, good food, yada yada. You’d think we were now part of the family. This makes Jerome so happy he ends up giving us some liquor shot – that I make Ed drink this time – no where near as good as Azz!
But still, what a great experience. And they don’t even charge us for the bread! Happy times all around!
We finally pry ourselves away from the table in search of Belem tarts for the staff. Hannah has been to what is supposed to be the most authentic bakery, Fabrika Nata, and shows us her bag and where to find the shop. We’ve seen it, so we go off in search of sweets for our sweet cruise staff who have been so wonderful to us.
On the way, the buskers have all appeared, and we are astonished by the Paul McCartney statue guy (girl?) who lip syncs to Beatles songs from his bench. Is he fabulous or what?
We find the tart store, buy our 6 tarts, then make our way back to the Terreiro do Paco for the Beer Museum. As we reach the square, we cross in front of the typical Lisbon trolley, but also, parked on near the sidewalk is an electric Tuk Tuk. What? Apparently this is the new rage here? We’ve been noticing lots of these little electric vehicles around available for tours (electric can’t be qualified as tuk tuks in our opinion – not after all the time we’ve spent in SE Asia!).
Onward to the Beer Museum, a 10 Euro entrance fee (5 Euro each) gets a visit to the museum and a whole pint of beer, in these really, totally cool upside down glasses. Can’t beat that! So, off we go into the museum, which is really small, but neat. There is a history of beer production in Lisbon explaining (in English, thank you) how the wine makers did not want the beer producers to prosper, claiming they would ruin the wine market. In 1689 the King proclaimed beer making and drinking forbidden except for foreigners, and then in 1710 outlawed the importation of beer as hazardous to the economy. Obviously, this all got worked out somehow in the 1800s and breweries begin springing up all over the country. The brewers started hiring teachers and foreigners to teach them how to make the best beer, and their product improved over the decades to become just as popular, if not more than wine.
The museum displays visualize the history and production of beer with examples of old containers, lists of Portuguese breweries and showcases full of each breweries beer bottles and glassware.
There is also this cool little dark area where they depict an old monk writing out recipes
and an old kettle for brewing.
Since we are on the 2nd floor, there is also a great overhead view of the neat dining spaces below.
And a good view of the beer wall, a wall full of the “upside down” beer glasses with the flag of every nation imprinted on them.
Done with the museum, we head back downstairs to finish our beers and order more (and wine for me) at the bar.
Now, it’s back to the ship with our presents. Walking down the seafront promenade, we continue to snap pictures of all the cool buildings.
Then we go on a fools errand, trying to find the little street side cafe where we had the Caracois last year (which are out of season now). We’ll never find it, and we end up just walking more than necessary and feeling irritated. Back to the ship we go!
From aboard, we have an excellent view of one of the large cathedrals, of which Ed snaps a photo while I wrap up the little tarts in napkins and a roll of ribbon the guest relations desk let us borrow.
And just like that, we are off to our final port of Ponta Delgada.
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