Portugal: Day 1

by Kathy 21. March 2011 20:58

Day 2: Lisbon: Alfama, Castelo de São Jorge, & Fado >>

Arrival in Lisbon

Getting our body clocks adjusted to local time can be one of the most challenging aspects of traveling to the other side of the world. Lisbon is 8 hours ahead of California. However, we found that we only had to shift our internal time forward by about half that amount in order to slip into the daily rhythm of Portuguese life—i.e., staying up very late, and then sleeping in. The first day is the most difficult.

We arrived in Lisbon mid-morning, but our bodies still thought it was the wee hours of the night, especially after very little sleep on the plane. Genevieve experienced motion sickness from the jostling shuttle ride between the plane and the customs area. Inside the airport, we were just about to join a very long line of people when we found ourselves frantically searching for tissues or a clean-up towel. Instantly, the Portuguese airport angels descended. They whisked us to the front of the line with great compassion and concern for Genevieve’s well-being, waving away our repeated apologies, and assuring us “no problem, no problem.” We would find this same warmth from many people throughout our journey in Portugal.

For our three-night stay in Lisbon, we had found a charming little apartment on the border of the Bairro Alto and Chiado districts. This area was a wonderful place to stay, with many restaurants and local shops nearby. Even better was the trolley stop right in front of our apartment building, next to the Praça de Camões (Camoes Plaza).

Here is a photo of the plaza from our 4th story front window:

From the kitchen, we overlooked some private courtyards and the River Tejo (Tagus):

A 3-hour nap was just what we all needed. Ahhh, bliss. We woke ready to go exploring!

Praça de Camões, at street level:

A few blocks from our apartment was the top stopping point of the Bico Funicular, which runs down (and back up) a stair-stepped street.

Here are Sebastian and Genevieve (then, ages 5 and 8) waiting for the funicular car to arrive:

All aboard!

This funicular began operating in 1892, carrying people up and down a short stretch of track that was about 1/6 of a mile long.

The decline wasn’t that steep at the beginning, but we could see what appeared to be a drop-off in the distance:

At the bottom of the tracks, we were deposited into an area lined with apartments and businesses. We were closer to the river, and the air was cold and windy. Sebastian was still feeling tired from the long plane trip and wanted to be carried--I didn't mind:

In light of the chilly winds, and Sebastian’s lack of energy, we reassessed our plans to walk down to the river. Instead, we chose to hike back up the hill and check out the neighborhood.

I loved the old buildings, with their balconies, soft colors, and peeling paint:

Heading up, we found this pedestrian street with stairs:

On the side streets, every parking spot had a tiny car in it.

I wonder if the car owners are ever reluctant to drive anywhere for fear of not finding an available space upon their return home. (This had actually been my mindset at times when I lived in an area of San Francisco with minimal street parking.)

Eventually we ended back on the funicular street, which had dual cars running. Genevieve was leading the way, and she heeded my request to “stay against the building” when the cars rolled near:

Ben had a firm grip on Sebastian’s hand, both to keep him safe and to help hoist him up the stairs:

For dinner this evening, we took a taxi to another plaza—Praça dos Restauradores (Restorer’s Plaza). Here is a postcard photo of the plaza:

The tall obelisk is a memorial that celebrates the restoration of Portugal’s independence from Spain in 1640.

We found a simple chicken rotisserie restaurant called “Bonjardim” on a side street near the plaza. We sat upstairs and munched happily on moist, spit-roasted chicken, shrimp, salad and fries. Here are Sebastian and Genevieve in front after dinner:

We had heard that the place is usually packed with locals and tourists, but you can see all of the empty tables out front in the above photo. That is because we ate so "early," around 6:30 p.m., our usual dinner time. The prime dinnertime is usually after 8 or 9 in Lisbon!

After dinner, we wandered over to the middle of Praça dos Restauradores, where the moon was shining brightly overhead (competing with the street light):

Sebastian and Genevieve played at the base of the obelisk and statues. Sebastian’s energy had been replenished by all the good food, and he was ready for some climbing: