Lisbon - Portugal
Flight path Milan to Lisbon
After a rather cramped flight from Milan to Lisbon we arrived to cooler weather which was a welcome relief. Simon had done some googling and sussed out the public transport relatively easily.
After sorting out and booking seat reservations to our trip to Porto on Firday ( We were unable to do this online ARRGGGHHH), we grabbed a coffee and a ‘Pastel de nata’ which is a Portuguese egg custard tart. Served slightly warm it was devoured in less than 2 minutes! In our defence they are also small, no bigger than a mince pie. Oliver had raved about them and so had some work colleagues so they were on the ‘must sample one' list.
After adding some money to our travel cards, we set off for the charming old part of Lisbon. Much like many of the other places we’ve explored, the buildings there were stunningly beautiful, showcasing classic architecture. Although there were quite a few people around, the area didn’t feel crowded or overwhelming at all. We ambled our way around taking in the scenery and found our way to a restuaratn that had been recommend to us called Tu & Eu, click here for more. The restaurant is up a steep hill tucked away from the glare of the hot sun. The food was delicious and super fresh. Simon opted for the prawns while I dined on sardines and suddenly remembered how bony there actually are!
Visited a Tourist info place and while Simon catnapped under a tree I looked through some info that I had gathered to see what would be worth a visit to discuss with Simon later.
Infortunatley our idea to do a walking tour was thwarted by a train strike that was in palce until 10:30 am….the starting time of the walk. We did attempt to get a bus BUT humans were crammed onto the buses tighter than the Portuguese cram sardines into tins. We bailed, deciding that we did NOT have to travel and also for fear of either getting squished as humans just kept pushing their way on, or not being able to get off!!!
So later that afternoon we headed off to a photography spot Simon had wanted to visit and also to an Art gallery that had caught his eye. The art gallery was OK, but neither of us really understand modern art and so most of it was lost on us to be honest. Apparently Art does not need to look like anything… I can just be an idea.
A super long bus ride of an hour took us past Jeronimos Monastery that had a mahusive long queue. The monastery is a national treasure for Porugal and was recognised in 1983 as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. We did not have time to visit this but maybe on another visit one day.
The day ended with us thoroughly enjoying our Christmas present from Oliver. He had booked and paid for us to dine at a resturant named ‘Belcanto’. It is ranked 42 in the world, Oliver himself ate here back in 2022. (See also in the Michelin guide). It was an experience we will never forget and may never experience again. 10 courses all paired with various wines from the region.
We had hoped to engage more in some museums and history surrounding Lisbon, but some were closed due to upgrades and others just a bit too busy. Next time maybe.
Tomorrow we head off to Porto to see what hidden gems it has to offer. We are hoping to get in a wine tour that includes a scenic views via rail and boat.