I LOVE Lisbon!

Where has Lisbon been all my life?!! Who knew??

I loved it from the moment I got off the plane. Getting to my hotel from the airport was super easy and cheap, by a nice airport bus. My hotel is located on a beautiful avenue that has these amazing black and white cobblestoned mosaic sidewalks (they are all over the city), the architecture is amazing, the food is great and the people are friendly! What more could you ask for? Maybe fewer smoking tourists, but if I knew the city better, I would be able to get away from them. What I know is that Lisbon has at times reminded me of my favorite cities - Buenos Aires in the granduer of the buildings, plazas, etc., San Francisco with the hills and the views, Rome with the monuments, Miami Beach with the amazing art deco buildings (that I think have not yet been appreciated here), plus so much more.

Yesterday after checking into my hotel, I immediately went out again. I waited for the red hop on/hop off sightseeing bus that I've been taking in different places, but it didn't come, so I walked a little and found a tourist information center. They told me about the yellow bus. I had a ticket from my airport bus that said I would get a 25% discount, so I went for that.

They had a deal where you could get a ticket for 48 hours that included 3 different tours. Last night I took one, the blue tour. It took us around parts of the historic center and then we went west to Belem, a pretty little neighborhood with an amazing monastery and famous pastries. It was dark by the time we got there, but I decided I would go back today and get off, which I did.

The monastery was very beautiful and the pastries were really yummy. They were these little egg tarts that you can get in Chinatown, but they were so much better. Instead of a pie crust they were made with filo dough pastry that was buttery and crispy. I got four of them because I had to wait in line and figured I would regret it if they were good and I only had one. I ate the first one which was still warm and really yummy. As I walked to the monastery I ate another. It was really good.

After the monastery, I was waiting for the bus and ate the third. It was still good. Then I saw I had a little packet of cinnamon and powdered sugar, so I tried the fourth one with that. I enjoyed that as well.

Oh, in the middle of this egg tart feast, I stopped and had sardines for lunch. I got 5 big sardines that were grilled and salted. They came with four small potatoes and a nice mixed salad. I had a small bottle of vinho verde (green wine) and it all came to only 12 euros. That is the cheapest meal I have had since I've been in Europe (if you don't count a slice of pizza as a meal).

After returning from Belem, I got on another bus that went east. We went to some new area with big shiny buildings that was built for some expo or something. There was an aquarium, a mall, some apartment buildings, a really fancy bus or train terminal, all very impressive.

And finally, I went and got on the third tour, a little tram that went up and down the hills through all of the hilly neighborhoods. I read that Lisbon has 7 hills, like Rome, San Francisco, Istanbul and several other famous cities, but on the tram they said that was a myth. It actually has more than 7 hills.

Well, this little taste of Lisbon has me really wanting more. It is the feeling I wanted in all of the cities I have visited so far, and so far only Lisbon has given it to me. I was looking for the feeling of getting off the plane and knowing immediately that I was in the right place. Lisbon is that place.

Who knows, if I stay longer, I might not like it as much, but rather than grow to like it after a week, like Madrid, or appreciate it after leaving, like Seville, Lisbon threw all of its charm at me as soon as I stepped off the airport bus, and today it has continued to throw its charm at me, around every turn, all day long.

My plan is to come back during Christmas holidays in 2010 (since this year I will be in Asia) and also visit Morocco again (this time on my own). Then if I still like it, I will plan for my next sabbatical to come and spend more time. Who knows, I might retire in Lisbon!