Lisbon


Do make it on your list. Assuming you like live music or blues especially.
Lisbon is great for walking or for its trams. One of the biggest tourist traps is Tram 28. Nearly every guide book says one should take it (along with 12). And that is the problem. I had to queue for over an hour. Yes it is an experience, it goes through lovely streets and past buildings you walk through anyway. It is not expensive. But it’s crowded and it took over an hour to board although I was travelling at off peak times. If one is short in time then it may be best to observe from outside. The trams with their lights have a charm at night, in fog it would be more so but you are likely to get clear sunny weather in Lisbon. The city is suited for walking but like San Francisco it can be an uphill task although more moderate than the US coastal city.
Walking is a delight and I met kind Beatriz, as we walked within the city out of the tourist areas. Occasionally entering a grand church along the way and park. What makes Lisbon special though is like Rome it is situated on 7 hills. And in the case of Lisbon it has so many outstanding views called Miradouro. I vested several and so should anyone in the city. The views are beautiful from each. The view from Castelo de Sao Jorge is beautiful but arguably not even the best. The castle which is free for residents was € 8 but it did not turn out to be a tourist trap. The walks and views from the walls are pleasant. And if views from these sites are not enough there are elevators which at a cost can provide another beautiful view.
Portuguese food can be the subject of high praise from … Portuguese. Using a 19th century example
Without a shadow of a doubt the Portuguese is the most refined, the most voluptuous and succulent cuisine in the world..We did acquire – thanks to the spices of the Orient, the tangy bits from Brazil and the art of using sugar from sweet-toothed countries, Turkey, India and the Moors of northern Africa – culinary skills, foods, delicacies, recipes, which turned us into a foremost gastronomic people. There is no other country that can boast such an array of national dishes..Fialho de Almieda – Os gatos (1893) – translation as in Lonely Planet May 2003

Another reason the streets of Lisbon and not just Lisbon but Porto and other Portuguese cities I assume is the azulejos tiles as well as the Manueline architecture. This is what gives Lisbon its charm and along with Spain and Italy some of the friendliest people in Western Europe. In fact this is what I like about Portugal the most. The tiles and architecture were great but second.

For the last day of my trip I went to Belem. Considered a must see for many it is not my favourite of Lisbon. I rather preferred Alfama and the city centre region. Belem Tower is famous but many tourists have expressed a dissatisfaction of inside. I did not enter. But I did the Padrao dos Descobrimentos. Inaugurated during the 500th anniversary of Henry the Navigator, great Portuguese heroes such as Vasco da Gama, Diogo Cao, Magalhaes and others are represented. The view is not outstanding (you are spoilt for choice in Lisbon which has many outstanding views!) but the monument is very nice.
A few museums are in the area as well as the almost mandatory Casa Pasteis de Belem (see Portuguese cuisine) and the expensive but extremely popular Jerónimos Monastery, built in memory of Vasco da Gama, and does have a pretty cloister.