We’re in Lisbon, where the skies are blue, the sun is bright, and the cool air is perfumed with the scent of fresh-baked bread and egg-custard pastries. Around every corner, there’s a stunning vista: a sun-drenched castle, tiled roofs descending to the riverfront, a row of vendors roasting chestnuts in the center of a busy shopping street.
Monday, we strolled the Alfama district, visiting St. George’s Castle. Under the stone fortifications, we had a gourmet lunch: piles of prosciutto, fresh olives, six kinds of fresh local cheeses, and samples of four excellent Portuguese wines. (My favorite was the port — made only here in PORT-ugal, get it? — that was cold and sweet, like a kiss from a frozen grape.) Afterward, as the sun set, we wandered the narrow, twisting streets of the Alfama, watching the white domes of the churches go from orange to rose to rust in the fading light.
Tuesday, we saw more of Lisbon’s historical district, from the Santa Justa elevator (designed to lift turn-of-the-century shoppers from one district to the next) to the burned-out, but oddly beautiful interior of the Sao Domingo Church. My favorite stop, though, was the roofless Convento de Carmo, the ruins of a mighty church destroyed in the earthquake of 1755. Now it’s home to a collection of bizarre antiques, from preserved mummies under glass to relics from the various secret societies that once called Lisbon home.
We snagged lunch at a family-owned shop in business since the 1950’s, where the owners served us grilled octopus, shrimp in garlic butter, potatoes, and vegetable soup with greens. And dinner, at Senhora Mae — a few blocks uphill from our apartment — was one of our best meals so far, with spaghetti carbonara, tortellini in walnut sauce, and hot chocolate mousse with house-made vanilla ice cream.
The adults staggered home, exhausted … but the kids headed out again, spending the night at a local blues bar, schmoozing with locals and soaking up late-night Lisbon (with copious amounts of alcohol, judging by their dispositions this morning!).
Today, it’s off to Sintra, the esoteric heart of Portugal, where secret societies inducted new members and guarded their mysteries from prying eyes.
Oh, and there’s a photo album of Day 2 here, if you’re interested:
https://picasaweb.google.com/100165444562403253362/LisbonDay2
Happy New Year to all of you in Lisbon! We are all dressing up as Portuguese here in North Georgia and celebrating at 7:00 PM EST so we can go to bed early. See you in 2012! XXOO J&J