lisbon portugal

 day 1.friday 22 feb 2013

arrive at 11pm and drink sangria in hostel Goodnight hostel. go to bed at 2am



day 2 sat feb 23 2013

wake up way too early [7am]. leave hostel at 8am hike up hill and visit alfama castle.
hike down. hike back up with free walking tour given by marta. super interesting. end at flea market in alfamas. go to bar/restaurant on back left corner. eat tripes with bacon with chorizo and beans and cabbage and have a pint of beer. meet alessandro from brasil and he teaches me portuguese.
hike down, tourist office for info on sintra. back to hostel, yoga, back out for grinjinhja in front of fado museum in super small super dive super cheap place. then went to O JAIME on rua de GRACA for some local fado singing. drink grinjihnja, vinho verde and eat pastel de bacaloa. back to house but stopped for a free gin tonic at a store giving away for free. back to hostel for 30 min nap. dinner downstairs for bacaloa albraz. [ obasically a loose tortilla espanola with fries instead of potatoes.] went out to barrio alto. place has 300 bars on 4 streets. insane. also went to a super kitch super decked out bar. going for seafood tomorrow near fado museum.

day 3 sunday feb 24, 2013

walk from city center up river to euroexpo 98 site. super long walk in nothing but sun. industrial landscape all the way. rode bus back. went out looking for a seafood place recommended by allessandro but couldnt find it. ended up going all the way up in alfama to rua da graca and went past o jaime fado bar and on the left side there is a grilled chicken place called Tropical da Graca. bought an entire chicken and a litre beer for like 9 euros. ate it in a park in front (miradouro da graca) then hiked up to the mirador. absolutely amazing view. hiked back down from the mirador between that hill and the castle hill. it was zero tourist zone with lots of tiled houses. some in ruins. very cool. came back and the french guys in my hostel room were headed out to see the football match between beneficas and some other team in 3rd place. huge stadium allright match




Day 4 monday feb 25th 2013

completely lost my voice and probably had a fever. went out to the cristo di Rei across the river. took the boat over with a group of spanish students who came. trip was uneventful but the spanish were super nice and i had a great time going over the river on the boat and climbing to the top of Crist. made it back and went to Goodmorning Hostel (the newer hostel by the same owner). Joao Pinho the moustache guy who worked there was super nice and set me up with some lemon,honey and hot water and showed me a couch I could nap on. Super early night sleep






DAY 5 Tuesday feb 26th

Took train to SINTRA. saw acqueducto from Train. Went to the Gardens of Regiliera. The whole place was built based on Dante's Inferno. awsome. Hiked up to Moorish castle and climbed on walls. took train home When I got back to Lisboa I walked from the center of the city to Belem where I saw the tower, talked to some guitar player guy who built hand models lisbon trams. he was crazy but wanted to export to san francisco. at a Pastel de Belem









BELEM




DAY 6 wed feb 27th 2013
took train back to Sintra then bus to Cabo de Roca (continental Europes western most point and light house). It was super windy and really cold because the water is so deep in these parts of portugal. Walked north along trails on the coast and inland a little. Made it down to Praia da Adrage. The beach was amazing and empty. The only thing there was a restaurant tucked off to the left of the beach. I was the first one there for lunch but it quickly became half full of Portuguese only.(not bad for a week day in the middle of winter). the food was amazing and the wine list was impressive. Service was super great as well. I sat in the front corner with my back to the room. the entire front of the restaurant is giant bay windows. amazing view. Had a half bottle of Duoro White and ate the best shrimp and clams of my life. It was sunny all day but started to rain for 5 minutes while I was eating and watching. after lunch continued hiking north and got off track because of massive landscape damage by recent storms. ended up in a picturesque town of Almocageme White walls and old dudes chillin on the square. no need to go to greece after seeing this town.. made it all the way to Praia da Macas before taking the bus back.



 


DAY
DAY 7 Thursday
took it chill all morning. went out to lunch near the hostel and had plain grilled squid. Pretty awsome with just a little olive oil and lemon and salt. took train to Cascais up the river. walked with yolanda from the hostel and a french couple from Cascais to Praia da guincho. super cold but sunny walk. very rocky terrain but developed. walked on bike path the whole way. Could see Sintra's moorish castle from the walk. made it back then went to GoodMorning hostel for dinner with Joao Pinho and yolanda and some italian guy. had grilled chicken but nowhere near as good as the one I got in alfama.




DAY 8. Friday morning/afternoon last day

checked out. went to The Ribera Market. walked up to barrio alto. weather warmer than other days. made myself a sardine sandwich and had a beer on the park above the city. amazing last day. the front bench on the left is where I sat.