Strolling the Streets of Lisbon...

Lisbon, Portugal

November 24, 2007
N38°42.460
W009°08.203

The city of Lisbon is very manageable on foot if you don’t mind humping up a few hills. We headed out on a self-guided walking tour this morning that included a short ride on the local tram. The tour touted excellent views of the city and bay, intimate excursions along cobble stone streets through colorful neighborhoods, a stroll past the Saturday market (we actually timed it right), and ending with excellent views of Rio Tejo.

The tram, similar to the San Francisco cable car, runs on tracks, but gets its energy from an overhead electrical line, not a cable. The price is reasonable at only 1.30€ per passenger—much more reasonable then the $5 price tag of the San Francisco cable car these days. The tram rattled up narrow alleys giving us a view of neighborhoods that we probably wouldn’t have seen if we weren’t on the line.

We jumped off the tram at the top of a hill boasting two different miradouros, or lookout points, where we started our actual walking tour. The lookout points didn’t disappoint; providing sweeping views of the red rooftops and crystal blue bay of Lisbon. Also visible from the miradouros was a mirror image of the Golden Gate Bridge, the Ponte 25 de Abril links Lisbon to the southern peninsula of Portugal.

After we admired the views from above we headed to the local Saturday market known as the Feira da Ladra, or “thieves’ market.” We weren’t sure if the name came from the thieves roaming the market, but after arrival, it appeared the market was more of a flea market and what appeared to be “appropriated” merchandise. Well, maybe not everything.

The walking tour continued down the narrow cobbled streets of Lisbon with continuous views of the city below. Marc snapped pictures of the colorful buildings and tile covered houses as we squeezed our way along the castle wall and down the little streets. The fall sun reflected off the artistic tiles and provided the perfect amount of light in the alleys.

After walking for a few hours and covering a good amount of ground, we stumbled upon a patio café and paused for a bowl of soup and a local beer. The area is known for their tasty soups and you can’t go wrong by ordering the Sopa do dia, which was bean soup, and it didn’t disappoint. The snack would hold us over until dinner.

We still haven’t tried the local specialty, pork—they use ever piece of the pig, including blood. Maybe the dish will be on the menu for dinner tonight!