Tramming to a Castle

 Bom Dia,

When I visit Europe there is nothing I like better than visiting a castle.  I'm talking about true fortress, which may or may not be in various states of ruin.  I spotted Castelo Sao Jorge on one of my walks and instantly said to myself, "I have to go there."  So I did.  Now theoretically it is possible to walk to said castle, but let's be real here.  Serious castles are built on hilltops for surveillance and defense.  Walking miles up hill is not fun, especially when there is an alternative mode of transport that is fun.

Lisbon is famous for its trams. Some are modern and sleek like those in other European cities like Nice and Munich, but the trams that ply the steep narrow streets in Central Lisbon are small and look like antiques.  The most well known route is Tram 28E, but it's always packed with tourists and reportedly infested with pickpockets, so I opted for Tram 12 E which takes the same route.  But it's pretty well known, too, so I had to wait because the first tram got filled up.  Quite a few people put on masks for the public transport.

But first I had to provide myself with a ticket.  One can buy a ticket (for a higher price) on board, but I did not want to do this.  I walked over to my local metro stop.  Now when I bought my metro ticket on first arrival I took an option I did not understand, which turned out to be the right one.  My ticket can be topped up, and it's laughably easy to do using the machine.  I just need to find one that takes cash.

The tram ride is justly considered an experience in itself.  The streets are so narrow and steep!  And the tram is a rattletrap, but it's a great way to see new Lisbon neighborhoods.  I got off at the correct stop and admired the view, then headed up hill.   In true Pil fashion I got turned around and took the long way up.  There was a long line to get a ticket, but that was Ok because I could catch my breath.  I also scored a senior discount, which I take advantage of when one is on offer.

The hill top was originally fortified by the Moors, but I am convinced that the Lusitanians had a hilltop fort there first.  The Kings of Portugal made the castle their royal seat and remodeled it.  The place was abandoned as a royal residence after the Great Earthquake.  Very little remains of the past splendor, but there's plenty to see in one's wanderings.  For one thing the views over the city are spectacular!  The curtain wall and the inner keep are in good shape.  You could climb some towers and walk on the walls.  You can encounter peacocks and stroll among olive trees.  It was cool and breezy, and I was delighted by my choice.

I walked down hill to get the tram back.  My legs are going to ache tomorrow, but it was worth it.

I really went to town on that Portuguese ham yesterday, so I'm going to cut back on the saturated fat today.  I hard boiled some eggs this morning and had one as my apero with the addictive Ginjia, which apparently pronounced Zhinzha.  I fear Portuguese pronunciation will defeat me.  This stuff is Very Very Tasty, but best consumed in small doses.

What's for dinner, Pil?

I brought some linguine with me, and I thought it would go well with some of that superior canned tuna I got.  The tuna is packed in olive oil to begin with, and I can doctor it up with some garlic powder and crushed red pepper flakes that I packed.  I'll wash it down with that nice white wine I got yesterday.

Bye for now

Down to the River

 Bom Dia,

Could this be any more perfect? I had an interesting day out and walked home in the gentle rain.  And I am about to have apero.  I do not know the Portuguese word for apero, but I'm guessing they use tapas for the concept as the Spanish do.  When I got here I saw numerous approving references to Ginja, which turns out to be a cherry liqueur wildly popular in the city.  The story is it's drunk from morning until night--something I tend to doubt, but let's have a sip.  Ooooh.  This is nice.  I'm not going to drink too much although I am tempted.  It's sweet and very fruity.  Not everyone would like it, but I do.

I went to the grocery store again to pick up things I was too jet lagged to remember yesterday.  Among the items I chose was a package of Portuguese ham. I rarely eat pork at home.  Most of the ham in the United States is an industrial product, and, although I reject being a food fanatic, I do object to inhumane treatment of animals.  They have better rules in the EU, and Iberia is famous for its fine ham, which is expensive because it comes from pigs allowed to range pretty freely.  I'm having some now, and it's very tasty and nice and salty.  Mmm.  There's nothing like European saturated fat! 

I wandered down Rue Augusta, this time going in the direction of the river. I passed under the arch into the grand plaza called Praca de Comercio surrounded by arcaded buildings.  Some are restaurants, and some government offices.  In the middle of the plaza is a monumental statue of King Joseph.  There are great views of the River Tagus and the city on the hills beyond.  In fact this was once the landing spot of foreign visitors and traders, and Lisbon would certainly have made a suitably grand impression.  What I enjoyed was the fresh air off the water.

I was there for the Lisbon Story Center.  It's a multimedia introduction to the history of the city.  I had trouble getting my earphones to fit and work, but I finally managed and made my way through the narrative.  We start with the Phoenicians and proceed from there with animations and models to illustrate, the Roman Period, the Moors and Crusades.  Most of the attention is given to Portugal's Age of Exploration, and (ahem) there is exactly zero mention of the evils of the colonial past and much glorification of the gifts of spice and knowledge Portugal gave to the world.  For my part the most vivid and interesting section was that dealing with the Great Earthquake of 1755 and its aftermath as the traumatized population struggled to comprehend what had happened to them.  The king was of no use.  He cowered in a luxurious tent he had erected, so the Marquis de Pombal stepped up, lead the recovery, and conceived of the new, modern (i.e. Enlightenment Rococo) Lisbon.

From there I went to the National Museum of Contemporary Art.  The museum owns a notable collection of European Twentieth Century Art, but choses to exhibit only Portuguese artists on a regular basis.  To be frank I had never heard of any of these artists, but I liked quite a bit of their art.  I especially liked the series of water colors of domestic interiors given a fanciful twist.

When I got out of the museum it had begun to rain, so up went my umbrella, and I trod warily.  Lisbon's sidewalks are all tiled, and I was afraid they'd be slick.  I was going down a pretty steep hill.  I'm getting to know my neighborhood, so I had no trouble finding my way home.

It's cooled down a lot and raining hard (I love it!), so I decided to have a hot meal of some tortellini I got at the store.  Yes, it's not Portuguese, but if anything is a universal European cuisine, Italian is.  The wine to go with it is Portuguese though--a white from Alentejo.  I don't buy expensive wine, but I never get a dud bottle.  I look for the protected denomination, which is a guarantee of quality.  It's nice and a bit off dry with a smooth taste and will go very well with food.

Bye for now

Primeiro Dia em Lisboa

Bom Dia!

I got a few hours sleep wearing the swank new pyjamas I got for my Paris trip--you know the ones on back order that didn't arrive in time.  I was too worn out yesterday to find a grocery store and food, but I did this morning and strolled around my neighborhood, Baxia, which is in the heart of the historic city.   

There were some things I forgot to mention yesterday.  Almost the first thing I do when flying internationally is find out the local time and then set my watch.  This time my watch refused to be set, and I broke several finger nails trying.  I'll just rely on my phone when I need to know the time.  The good news is that the USA is on the good list and a United States passport gets in the same line as European Union in Portugal and the Commonwealth in the UK.  Nice, what?

My apartment is very spacious.  I have a separate bedroom and here and there are traditional Portugese blue and white tile, which are original to the building, which dates from the Eighteenth Century.  The owners managed to put in a lift, so that's good.

There is a lot to see in Lisbon, and it's just fun to walk around.  I wondered if the city would remind me a bit of Vienna as both were once Imperial Capitals whose global reach has diminished drastically.  I visited a Museum of Antiquities located in the former Convent of Carmo.  One can get there by paying to take an elevator, but some of us use trips to Europe as our fitness plan so I walked uphill.  The church was devastated in the great earthquake of 1755.  One enters the museum through the roofless nave that now forms. courtyard sculpture garden.  The exhibits are labeled in English and range from prehistory up to the Renaissance.  Most of the exhibits are in the gothic chapels which survived the collapse.

I went on to see a church--the only one in Lisbon--that did survive the quake. Lisbon is hilly and to get there I walked down five flights of stairs.  I have a feeling I'm going to be going up and down a lot while I'm here. I crossed the plaza where I expected to arrive by the airport bus.  The church of Igreja San Roque is Iberian Renaissance style with an impressive vault and a glittering altarpiece.  The museum next door exhibits the art work from the church as well as relics.

I'm still jet lagged so this was about as much as I was good for.  I headed for home following Rua de Augusta from the Place do Dom Pedro V.  It's pedestrianized and provides much opportunity for window licking.

You got groceries, Pil.  What are we having for dinner?  And by the way, you don't speak Portuguese so how are you coping with the language?

Muy facile, amigos mios.  For one thing a lot of folks in Lisbon speak excellent English.  I cannot understand a word of spoken Portuguese, but I can read Spanish reasonably well, and so written Portuguese is pretty easy to figure out.  I had no trouble with the grocery store. I grabbed a bottle of red from the shelves.  It's vinho tinto from the Duoro Valley and is a protected denomination.  It's a pretty ruby color and smells nice. Sip. Very tasty, and not at all expensive.  Pro tip.  Always pack wine stoppers if you travel like I do.  I got some canned tuna, and before you turn up your nose and mutter Starkist at me, you need to know that Iberia is famous for its canned fish, and there are fancy shops in Lisbon that sell nothing else.  The quality is very high even for the grocery store stuff, but I am sure going to attend a fancy shop with vintage tins.  I got some Portuguese white cheese, which I semi melted on some toasted bread.  The bread is terrific by the way.  This improvised open face sandwich is lovely with the red wine.

Bye for now

Delays and Detours

 I got here, and I'm showered and rehydrating with some decaf green tea.  But boy this was a hard one.

The smoothest part of the trip was my pick up to the airport.  I woke up feeling lousy, but not actually sick, and all I had to do was sit in vehicles.  I completed my organizing and packing.  When I was picked up I asked the driver how hot it was.  It was 90F.  I felt glad I was going to a cooler place

I checked in, found my gate.  Then came the first delay.  The flight crew was caught behind a traffic accident, so the flight left about 45 minutes late.  No biggie.  The flight was pleasant.  My seat mate was quiet and wore a mask as did I.  The in flight meals were even good.  I am not in to hard liquor but one of my travel rituals is when I fly a British company to have a gin and tonic before dinner.  Very refreshing.

We arrived at Heathrow.  I like to snoop around duty free, but I was concerned about my connection.  I was rather forcibly directed to a certain area.  Ok. Passport control.  I'm used to this.  Only it wasn't for connecting travelers as I found once I got through.  This path led to baggage claim and the exit.  I asked and was told to go to departures up stairs.  An airline employee thought I was ok and just to go through security.  She was right, but security was backed up.  It made me wonder if there was an intelligence warning because I got searched and wanded (I tend to think sort of thing is funny) and a lot of people had their carry on luggage pulled aside for searches.  I also learned that one is allowed only one baggie full of TSA compliant toiletries and watched as women tried stuffing everything in one bag.  Not all succeeded.

I didn't have a lot of time left, but the gate wasn't showing so I sat down with my computer.  This place does not have 24 hour reception and I doubted I'd arrive when they were open, so I reviewed and wrote down instructions and directions.  I figured I take the airport bus.  We boarded.  Then there was some kind of toxic waste accident near the plane, and we couldn't move until it was cleaned up.  This delayed the flight for an hour, but once we got underway it was fine.  We just had to park in the middle of nowhere and have a mobil deplaning device and shuttle buses.  I got my luggage was was off.

I found the airport bus stop but no way to buy a ticket so I went as asked at Tourist Information, and I'm glad I did because the airport bus was not running at all.  I went and found the metro and got a ticket from the machine, and found the train.  European metro systems are easy to use unless one is burdened with luggage, and the reason the metro was not my first choice is that I had to change trains and not all the stations have escalators or elevators, so I struggled on the stairs.  A couple of very kind people took pity on me and helped out.  I was so grateful!

But at my destination, I was lost.  I'd written down directions from the bus, and I got really turned around with the metro.  After wandering futilely I asked at a news stand.  The lady didn't know where the street was but kindly figured it out from my map, and here I am.

But the saga does not end there.  I used the entry code to enter and then proceeded to automatic check in, but my credit card was rejected!  That was kind of the last straw.  I did have and use my debit card, and the machine liked that better.

Despite all this I liked what I saw of Lisbon so far, and now that I'm well settled in I can begin to enjoy the city.