Sometimes the Typical Tourist Fare is Just Fine: Lisbon

We just finished up about three days in Lisbon prior to heading to Spain. Since we didn't have that much time and we aren't sure if we'll ever be back, we decided to just hit some of the major, standard stops on the Lisbon tourist circuit. More after the jump.

View from Our Table at Cafe Benard

We arrived in Lisbon very early on a Wednesday morning. The city was deserted, and we dropped off our luggage in an under renovation apartment owned by the same person whose apartment we rented while in Lisbon. That was at about 7, and we could not get into our apartment until 2 that afternoon, so we had some time to kill. With the LL along, this was a bit more stressful than usual. We're jet-lagged and so is she. We don't have a really good place for her to nap, and she is quite particular about where she naps. But, no point in worrying. We figured we'd just go for it and see what happens.

We decided, first, to find some breakfast. I'm pretty sure most every city I've been in has coffee shops and cafes open at 7 in the morning. Not Lisbon. At least not in our neighborhood, which was a very lively mix of residential, tourism, and retail. A great location to stay, but nothing open until 8. So we walked around just a bit to get our bearings and took a stab at a cafe called Cafe Benard. This place was right down the street from the most famous Cafe A Brasiliera. But I figured we'd go down the street from the place that is the tourist magnet, and I did not regret it. We ate our first Portuguese pastries, had some good coffee, and just enjoyed relaxing in an old-school Lisbon Cafe.

One of my favorite ways to overcome jet lag is to walk, and walk we did that first day in Lisbon. With phone GPS in hand, we set out for the main castle in Lisbon (São Jorge Castle) and the tile museum. We got a view of the castle and headed for the museum. We really enjoyed learning a bit about the tile work that is so common in Lisbon and the entire area that has been under Moorish influence. And, as luck would have it, the walk to and through the museum provided a  perfect opportunity for the LL to take a nice long nap.

We headed back to the apartment, stopping at a great wine bar on the way in the Alfama district (really tight, windy, hilly streets). Enjoyed two very nice white wines, perfect for a warm Lisbon day, along with a variety of Portuguese cheeses. That hit the spot and it was now late enough to get into the apartment, which was located in the Chiado neighborhood. This was a great base for exploring the city, but the quarters were tight given our massive amount of luggage and very little storage space. We had an unmemorable dinner of take-out and headed to bed early.

The LL Enjoying the Oceanarium

We had two major goals in terms of sightseeing in Lisbon, both of which are very popular tourist spots. These are not the kinds of places that make for getting to know the culture of a place all that well, but when you're only in a place for a few days, the major tourist spots are usually popular for a reason (though sometimes not). In Lisbon, we wanted to be sure to see the Oceanarium (which we thought the LL would love) and the Pena Palace in Sintra.

Don't Worry! He's Going the Other Way.

So Thursday we woke up with one basic goal: see the Oceanarium. This was located a subway ride away, so we figured out where we needed to go, got the LL into the stroller and off we went. The Oceanarium is in an area that was developed for a World's Fair. Now the area has a really shiny shopping mall and a nice waterfront park. the Oceanarium is part of that development. We paid our entry, just doing the permanent exhibit to save a few Euros and figuring that the LL would not be up for any time beyond what the permanent exhibit would take. What a great experience. The views of the marine life were fantastic. The exhibits were very well done. It was easy to navigate. And the LL did, indeed, have a fabulous time. She loved seeing the fish and other animals, especially the penguins. She also enjoyed a nice, long nap while wandering the dark halls with soothing ocean sounds being piped in over the speakers.

We hit a classic little place on the water for a lunch focused on cod, one of the national dishes of Portugal. We had a sampler with cod prepared four different ways. They say there is a cod (bacalhau) recipe for every day of the year, and I believe it. We also enjoyed some very nice green wine, which is understandably popular on a sunny day out on the patio eating delicious fish and seafood, as is so seemingly common in Lisbon. This wine is crisp, ever so slightly carbonated, and served chilled. Extremely refreshing to be sure.

The next day our target was Sintra, particularly the Pena Palace. Sintra has multiple historic sights. It really could deserve two or three days in itself. But the cannot miss attraction is the Pena Palace, a
classic castle in the hills between Lisbon and the Atlantic Ocean. One tip if you're ever headed this way. It apparently can be 10-20 degrees cooler in Sintra than in Lisbon. I wish I had brought a sweater, as it was pretty chilly and windy when we went, while it was quite warm and calm in Lisbon.

After a 40 minute train ride the LL was not in a very good mood. Turns out she was hungry. We walked to Cafe Sudade near the Sintra train station and she ate and ate. We enjoyed some coffee and sandwiches, and now fortified for the rest of the journey, we boarded a bus for a the ride up to the Pena Palace. We opted to just tour the park and the patios of the castle rather than going in the building. I had heard it was not really worth it to go in unless you're really into antique decorative arts. We sort of are, but with the LL in tow thought it would be best to enjoy the outdoor areas. I'm glad we made that choice. (By the way, the ticket options for the Pena Palace are amazingly complex. With all the add-ons and options, I bet there are 50 different combinations one could purchase. Do a little homework prior to arrival)

The palace was beautiful. We just walked around enjoying the views. When I imagine a castle, this is what I imagine. I'll just put some pictures below to give you an idea.

That night after heading back to Libson by train, we found a cool little place that specialized in food from the Douro region of Portugal: wine, cheese, bread, meats. Really a nice find. Finally, on our last day in Lisbon we had to check out of the apartment early, so we packed up our things and took them to the train station where we stored them until our late night departure by overnight train to Madrid. We grabbed lunch at a very touristy but very good place in the Alfama. Once we got that out of the way we planned to go by tram out to Belem. But the trams were overflowing and the city was packed with people for some event, so we decided to just hang out in a cafe for a while. Lisbon is very much a cafe culture. They have so many cool little cafes, and we found another one on a square in the center of the city and, as it often seems to happen to me, we were right on a parade route. That was the event everyone was in town for. We had some food and watched the parade from our cafe vantage point. Then we took the quick trip out to Belem, saw the monastery there which is impressive, and headed back to the center to catch our train.