Well this morning was bitter sweet. We again indulged in fabulous breakfast then walked out to the cliff's edge for one last long look at this amazing scenery. There were fishing boats, a sail boat and even a guy fishing of a kayak this morning. A beautiful, beautiful day. Even tho the area we stayed at may have not been the coolest little town in the area, the views from the hotel were second to none and we'd recommend it. So we said goodbye to the ocean and packed up and hit the road for Lisbon.
The two and a half hour trip was pretty easy. The Interstates were not that busy and the scenery was pretty awesome. At first there were pointy little "mountains" - about Tennessee mountain size, then it got very flat, then the rolling hills started again. The speed limit was 120 kph and I stayed right at that speed. However, other people were flying by me, some so fast it made our car shake. As we got into Lisbon it was HUGE! There were cruise ships and this bridge that almost looked as big as the San Francisco bridge. We went over it but I was concentrating on driving I didn't realize it was so big until we saw it later from a distance. We took a wrong turn, but we got back on track pretty quickly. The address for the Europcar for some reason wasn't going to where Guy had it marked on the map. So we instead came upon our hotel and pulled in. Guy checked us in while I sat in the car because I wasn't in a legal spot. When he came out we carried out stuff in and got into the elevator. For those of you who know me, you know I don't do elevators and heights well. The drive in was quite taxing and when I got in the tiny elevator to go to the 14th floor and the doors closed...I was done. I got to the room and looked out the window from 18 stories and decided I couldn't do it. So with great patience, Guy got us a room on the 2nd floor, which is really the 6th floor due to 4 floors of other things before the rooms begin. They showed me where the stairs were and even though it is in a service area of the hotel, I can use them when I want. We did have a room with a great view, but now it is just the parking lot. We won't be in here much...but still it makes me feel a little bad.
Now about the rooms. We are at the Sheraton in downtown Lisbon. The location seems pretty good and the lobby is very chic. The rooms have glass bathrooms, so if we so chose to, shower time could get pretty entertaining. But not being the exhibitionist types, Guy lowered the shades so we couldn't see in. The rooms are very dark but very very modern and cool. Great hotel.
After getting the car returned and settling in the room, we decided to head out for some sight seeing and chose a restaurant for dinner down by the Castle. It is cold and as the sun goes down things are going to get a bit uncomfortable. So we chatted with the hop on hop off bus lady and she said that everything is basically closed on Sundays except the Castle and the malls. Did someone say Mall? Girl needs a jacket! So to the mall we went. Guy got some McDonalds fries while I did some shopping. I finally settled on a cheap black windbreaker at a store that was like a Sports Authority. I needed something just to cut the wind and that could be shoved in the backpack. So success, and as we walked out the door I pulled the tags off and put that baby on! NICE!
We hopped a cab to the Castle and he took us right up to the top! We bought tickets and walked around for at least an hour, getting some great shots of the city from the top. There was a small area of ruins and we went through the museum to look at the artifacts they had found. It was built by the Moors in the mid 11th century. Alfanso Henriques booted the Moors out in 1147 and became the first king of Portugal. So there is a tidbit for you. So most of the shots today are of the Castle.
We exited the Castle and hopped a cab to the restaurant we chose for dinner. It is in the top 20 of over 2000 restaurants on Trip Advisor. I know by now you are probably getting tired of hearing about Trip Advisor...but it is really such a huge help, because without it, choosing a restaurant would basically be a crapshoot. The cabbie spoke great English and was hilarious. He told us about Portugal's Independence in 1974 and some of the country's politics. He pointed out important sights and told us that last night (the crowd in for the soccer match) was "Crazy my friends". So he let us off just before the restaurant as he couldn't drive down that street (pedestrians only). He told us how safe the city was and people walk around safely all hours of the night going to bars and discos. ;) He is from Lisbon and really loves it here. The people in Portugal have been super nice. When we stopped for gas for the rental car today, Guy was having some trouble and the man getting gas next to us came over to help him. He had to go inside to talk to them to just have them turn the pump on and to let us pay inside. He literally ran back out to start the pump for Guy. The majority of people here are just wonderful!
We ate dinner at the Leitaria A Camponeza. It is a little hole in the wall that only had 12 tables. Lucky for us, there was a two by the door and we were able to take it. There was only one waitress and she was a stern gal. Sometimes sharp with the customers and other times not. She was nice to us, but we got a "no chit chat...just order" feel from her and we were ready when she came to the table. I ordered veal and Guy ordered salmon. Guy had a view of the restaurant (mine was of outside) and he pointed out that some of the meat was coming out on big skewers and she was hanging it on a hooks at their tables. When I looked around, everyone had lanterns and hooks. We had no idea how ours was going to come out, but lucky for me...mine was on a skewer! It was hilarious. It just dangled over my plate and I just pulled it off as I needed more. It came with potatoes, rice and a salad. The meat I had was above and beyond our expectations. It was grilled, but had some kind of seasoning on it that was great but not too much. It was perfect. What a special treat to a very long and exhausting day! After our main course, I ordered a piece of cheesecake and it was lemon flavored, but just a hint...nothing tangy about it, just creamy and delicious. Guy got one bite, but he wasn't fast enough to get two bites. LOL. There are also lots of pictures from the restaurant as well. It was fun.
We were tired tonight and decided to catch a cab back to the hotel instead of walking around. It was nearly dark, but the night shots would have been pretty spectacular. We'll catch them another night. So good night from Lisbon - I'm sure it is going to be quite the adventure. I already have a good feel about the city. :) Tomorrow, the "must see" town of Sintra! Stay tuned!
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