Our first full day in Lisbon, and the best way to shake off jet-lag is to hit the ground running (or, walking slowly in our case).
There are many means of transport in Lisbon, but we have decided on Uber as it is the most economical. There are some very cool streetcars throughout the city.
Our first stop is the very popular and very busy Bario Alto neighborhood. We walked past beautiful buildings and some huge public squares. The sidewalks are very ornate with creative geometrical designs.
Along the way, we passed by the famous Santa Justa Lift, which is basically an elevator that takes you from the lower neighborhood to the upper neighborhood. The line to pay and take the elevator snaked around corners, and the wait must have been hours long. We quite happily just climbed the hills ourselves. And, along the way, we came across one of the many shops in the city selling sardines and canned fish.
On our climb up the hills, we came upon Carmo Church and Convent. The old ruins of the church soar into the blue Lisbon sky. The interior of the church had some cool historical pieces, and some slightly creepy preserved dead bodies.
As we continued our stroll, we loved passing by hilly street scenes, and homes fully decorated with beautiful tiles.
We hopped in an Uber for the drive up the steep hill that is home to the Castelo de S. Jorge. There was a very long line of tourists waiting to purchase tickets. It was worth our wait. The views of Lisbon from the castle are amazing.
The castle itself has many towers, walkways, and turrets. It was really fun to walk around the elevated stone walkways, giving a glimpse in each direction towards Lisbon.
During our visit, we kept hearing screeching noises. Not a very pleasant sound. We soon learned that it was the mating call of the peacock. They were everywhere, and were not concerned about tourists in the least.
After walking around the castle walls and exploring this hilltop area, we decided to walk down the steep hills to the main square, Praco de Comercio. It was a long walk on a beautifully sunny day. The square was humming with activity, with loads of tourists enjoying lunch at outdoor cafes.
Not far from the main square is a historic church, that was badly damaged by an earthquake. They left much of the damage in place, which gives the church an eerie, almost abandoned feeling.
Our walking brought us through several main squares, including Praca Dom Pedro IV, and Praca dos Restauradores. Here we found our new favorite restaurant: Fabrica Nata. They have simply the most delicious ham and cheese sandwich, and fresh and warm pasteis. Add in a coffee, a beer, and a glass of port wine, and we're in heaven.
Just across the square is the famous funicular on Gloria Restauradores. We had to try at least one streetcar, and this one was super steep and very short.
At the top of the hill, we found a beautiful, very ornate church.
We decided to take the very long walk back to our apartment. Along the way, we found decorated sidewalks, and the famous pink street, home to several popular restaurants and bars.
On the way back to the apartment, we stopped for a quick beer in a square, and then headed to a tapas restaurant, where we sat outdoors and enjoyed a lively conversation with a couple visiting from the UK. Today was a very fun, and very long day of exploring Lisbon.
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