Sintra

I think I love Lisbon more today than I did yesterday. Too bad I am leaving tomorrow, but I am also ready to go, and come back! I want to study Portuguese, come back when it is cooler with appropriate clothes, walking shoes and a guide book! I came on the fly with no knowledge other than a little information a friend sent me, and I still had a great time. In fact, I had the best time here of any country I have ever visited (maybe.... I need to think about that when the wine wears off).

Well, today I woke up early, around 7:10, because I went to bed early last night, and also we are two hours behind Madrid, so it was really 9:10. It's really only one hour difference, but we fell behind on Saturday night. Also, the bathroom fans in my hotel are very noisy and someone on my floor was up bright and early and woke me up.

It was all good. Breakfast starts at 7:30. I was there when they turned the lights on, ate my breakfast and headed out.

I walked to a big square (I don't know the name) where I bought pao de chorizo com queijo yesterday - bread with chorizo and cheese - it was a good snack to have in my bag. Since I was going to Sintra and my friend Yaari told me there wasn't anything good to eat there, I wanted to be prepared.

But, I could not for the life of me find the bakery. I walked around the square three times and I could not find it. I was sure the bakery was on that square yesterday! Frustrated, I decided to head to the train station hoping there would be a place to buy the same thing in the station. I walked down a street behind the square. I passed an open door and looked inside and it was the bakery I had been looking for. So I went around front and there it was. I had missed it three times!
Maybe I should start drinking coffee again!!

This time I knew where and how to order. I like the system. You order, and they put this little plastic card in a machine and add your items, then if you go to a different counter ( I guess they have a counter for sweet and a counter for savory and maybe another one for coffee) they add all of your purchases, then you go to the cashier and she totals it up and you pay!

So I went to the savory counter and asked for two chorizo breads and a bottle of water. There was a new cashier, but like the one yesterday, she was extremly cheery and helpful! Unbelievable after the sourpusses in Seville! I was holding a 10 euro note ready to pay and she (speaking to me in Portuguese) said, "Oh, no, put that away, it is not going to be that much" (rough translation). She told me it was three euros. I obediently put away the 10 euro note and pulled out the change I had in my pocket. I gave her three euros, but she wanted more. She wanted another five euros in change (of course she was going to give me a bill), but I didn't have it. She was so cute though. She thanked me profusely, and then when she gave me my chorizo bread and water, she went over to the napkin holder and pulled out a bunch of napkins, thanking me again. I swear, she thanked me more in the one transaction than I was thanked in a month and a half in Seville!

I walked to the train station, a short walk, and it looked like there was a train to Sintra every 10 minutes. I bought my ticket (3.40 euros round-trip), climbed aboard and off we went. It was so easy.

Upon arriving in Sintra, I did not know what to do. I had read that I should go left and left, but a sign pointed right. I followed the sign. I arrived at a big beautiful palace that looked like it was the town hall. I thought there might be a tourist information center, but there wasn't, so I kept on walking.

Sintra was so green and lush and the air felt so fresh, cool and clean. I walked along, allowing the others who got off the train with me to move ahead of me, so that I had the street pretty much to myself other than the occassional car. I passed some really beautiful sculptures (public art project) and a lovely little arabic pavilion that had a spigot with water coming out. People were filling up water bottles. I walked over to get a better look and a woman who was filling up lots of jugs with water asked me if I wanted a drink. I pulled out my half empty water bottle and filled it up. I sure hope that water was safe to drink!

I continued walking. The hills were dotted with beautiful storybook castles and palaces and the sky was speckled with little dots of clouds. It could not have been a more perfect day and I was overwhelmed with the beauty of the place.

I knew I could not walk all the way up to the castle, so when I came across the tourist information center I asked if there was a tourist bus. I was informed that there was a public bus that would take me to the top and I could hop on and off at different stops all day. The ticket was 4.50 euros.

The bus came and on our way up these amazingly narrow winding roads (for such a big bus) we passed a really beautiful moss covered gate with a sign that said "dos lagos" (the lakes) - when the bus stopped everyone went up the hill but I didn't know where they were going. I went down, thinking how cool I was for taking the road less traveled.

I snapped a picture of the moss covered entryway and peeked inside. There was a sign that said "saida" (exit), but there was no one there, so I went inside. There was a beautiful little lake with a castle turret inside and a few ducks and an amazing black swan. I was snapping pictures when out of nowhere a man came and asked me for my ticket. I told him I did not have one. He told me I had to go up the hill and buy one and that I came in the exit. I still was not sure where the entrance was. He got inside of this little booth and struggled to open the window. I waited, thinking he would sell me a ticket. It was very Wizard of Oz. He opened the little window and then sort of yelled at me that he was not selling tickets. I had to go up the hill. Go get the broom of the wicked witch of the west was what I heard.

I went up the hill, not intending to return to the lakes, and got a combination ticket. I was not sure what it was for. I was at the Moorish palace.

I entered and found a beautiful green path with big moss covered rocks leading to a big fortres wall with an incredible view of Sintra and the hills below. I didn't explore too much because my legs and feet were telling me not to over do it.

I left, returning to the bus stop and went up to the next palace. I forget the name - Pena or something like that. It was a true Cinderella castle with all kinds of fun stuff going on in the design. I unfortunately got stuck inside, not knowing what I was doing, I entered and found myself in the little stuffy rooms filled with all kinds of old junk, I mean antiques, but I wanted to get out and see the outside of the castle, which I found more interesting. So I pushed past groups of little kids and French and German tourists who were taking their good old time reading all of the signs and discussing every piece of furniture until finally I was back in the fresh air.

I had a great time actually, and really loved seeing these castles.

I hopped on the bus and the next stop was a palace I had already seen from the outside and I thought I would end up in more stuffy rooms, so I just stayed on the bus and went to the train station.

I got on the train and was back in Lisbon in time for lunch.

Today is Monday and the city was so much different from yesterday and also from this morning. It seemed so vibrant and so diverse. Lots of Africans hung around the big square where I went to the bakery this morning. People were hanging out in cafes and traffic was buzzing about. I wanted to find a good restaurant that served piri piri chicken that was away from the tourist traps.

I walked into the old Moorish neighborhood, thinking that would be the place to find traditional food and get away from the other tourists. I walked up a little winding cobblestone street. The layout of this neighborhood was the same as the Albaicyn in Granada, and Santa Cruz in Seville. It was clear the Arabs had built it.

But as I climbed the hill it didn't look like I was going to find piri piri chicken. More likely I would get mugged or lost, so I came back down, passing lovely scenes of Lisboans chatting, resting, living their lives beyond the view of most tourists. I could not believe the old people coming down that hill, which was difficult for me!

Finally I did find a restaurant that served piri piri chicken. Piri piri is this oil with hot peppers in it. I had it in Brazil and loved it. I got my chicken, which was just grilled chicken and a bottle of piri piri. I thought it would be something different, but it was still good. It was a huge meal. Chicken, french fries, rice and a salad, and water, all for under 10 euros. And it was good. Only complaint - I was sitting outside and people would come out for a smoke, right next to me. But I am loving Lisbon so much I am even starting to like the smoke! Weird!

I walked to the Plaça do comercio and got on the little tourist tram for one last ride. It went up the winding hills through the old Moorish neighborhood where Fado was born up and down hills through the Alfama, another neighborhood I am drawn to and finally to Porto do Sol, a big plaza with an amazing view of the city below. I got off, took a few photos and started walking, following the tram tracks, thinking I would get on again and get off at another stop.

Instead I walked down the hill and found myself in the Baixa, the downtown area where I started off. I decided it was time to head back to my hotel for a nap.

But then I remembered the elevator. There is this big metal tower thing in the downtown that they call the Santa Justa elevator. I guess that is what it is, a big outdoor elevator. My tour ticket enabled me a free ride. So I walked over only to find a big line and two people behind me who had no sense of personal space, and no matter how many times I moved forward to avoid touching them (because I was really hot), they continued to press themselves against me (I think they were Russian).

When I saw it was going to take a while for me to get on the elevator, I changed my mind and walked up the stairs to get another look at it, and then walked down a different street, passing a little bakery with a few tables outside. I saw they had port, and decided I would try a glass of white port, which I did.

It was very nice and a nice thing to do in the middle of the afternoon.

Finally, I made my way back to my hotel, took a shower and a nap.

I asked the clerk at the hotel for a recommendation for dinner. I told him I was looking for a place that served typical Portuguese food and was nearby.

He fished around and pulled out a little map and told me it was his favorite restaurant. They had grilled seafood, meat, etc, and there were many Portuguese there.

So after my nap and watching a little MTV, I headed off.

It was near, and I liked the little neighborhood. There were no Portuguese, just two men, maybe dad and son, most likely German (they looked).

I was ready for a feast though, and it looked like this place could supply it. I asked the waiter for a recommendation. I saw they had porco a aletejano, a dish Yaari recommended that I had last night and liked, but could see how it could be REALY good if done right, but I went with the waiter's suggestion, which was seafood. I got grilled swordfish and an appetizer of octupus salad.

The octopus was good. I have decided I really like octopus, especially when it is in little pieces and marinated. The swordfish was okay but it came with vegetables and potatoes. I think it was the first broccoli I have had in over two months. It felt healthy.

For desert I had flan and got a free glass of port because I had a little map/coupon from my hotel. As I was finishing my meal two groups came in - both French. I was beginning to think there were no Portuguese who ate here. But the port was superb. Tawny. I have to remember that kind of port. Fruity but not too sweet. I really liked it to finish the meal.

And so now I am in this tourist information center because it is the only place that I have found that has internet. I had to walk past the restaurant I almost ate at last night, but changed my mind at the last minute. I walked up to look at the menu and asked if they had porco a aletejano and the woman who was trying to lure customers said yes. She seemed Russian, not Portuguese, but I sat down anyway. Then a waiter came to take my drink order. I told him I needed a minute. He also seemed Russian. I began thinking it was weird to eat in a Russian run restaurant when I was looking for traditional Portuguese food. Also, their restaurant was empty while others were doing good business. Finally I got up and told the woman I was going to walk around a little. She made a face that definitely told me she was Russian, because when I went to the Cervejaria Trinidade because Yaari recommended it for the porco and saw they didn't have it on the menu, the Portuguese waiter smiled very understandingly when I told him I thought I had the wrong place. This Russian woman did not smile. I think she silently put a curse on me.

But back to this tourist information place. I was so full I had to walk off some of my dinner before returning to my hotel, and also I am loving Lisbon so much I wanted to write about it while it is still fresh.

And that is it. I will be back. Tomorrow I return to Madrid.