I lost internet @ my hotel on Tuesday afternoon for some reason. That pissed me off. *sigh* Anywho, here are the deets for the rest of my trip on Tuesday & Wednesday and my trip home on Thursday.
Tuesday was an “I need a vacay from my vacay” day. I didn’t set my alarm and just woke up when I felt like it. Which was 11:00 am. Yah, I can’t tell you how much I needed that! Then it was off to the Alfama district where the Se Cathedral and Castelo Sao Jorge are located. Those were really the only things I had left to see. This is the hilliest part of the city. Its as steep as San Francisco. so I trekked up to the Se. Which was sort of disappointing after all the other things I’d seen over my time in Portugal. lol. Note to self, save excursions for later next time. There was just so much to take in that I think my brain was on overload. But it was still beautiful even though I was kinda tired of the pretty by then. lol!
Its like when I went on a European tour in 1998. When we first got to Germany (our 1st destination), there were castles and waterfalls every couple of miles. When we saw them, we were soooo excited and kept snapping pics like crazy! Turns out they were all over Europe. Just everywhere, and while we appreciated the beauty, by the end of 3 weeks, when we passed them we’d be like. Ok, nother castle, nother waterfall. In a very bored tone. lol. Its kind of the same thing. I’ve seen a lot. And it has been amazing. And I have loved every moment in each place.
On the way up from the Se, I saw a couple of local artists and got a nice piece for my collection from my travels. :) Its a watercolor, very simple, but I really like it. I can’t wait to put it up!
The Castelo was not what I expected at all. It is beautiful. But I don’t know, I thought it would be different. Its history is interesting, it survived the legendary earthquake they had here. But it has been restored so many times that most of the original has been re-built or built up. But it still has much of its majesty looking over all of lisbon on top of the hill of Alfama. The view of the city from there is incredible. And the air is cool and feels so good. I just sat there for a while enjoying the wind when it was so very hot while I was there. And that was one hell of a climb uphill, so it was a welcome respite.
After all of the walking and sight-seeing, I decided to go back to my room and take a break as I wanted to see if I could find another Fado club. I saw a few on my way up to the castle and after packing up a little, I went to check them out. Bad idea. They were all full and kinda laughed at me when I told them I didn’t have reservations. Jerks. It was the first time anyone’s been mean to me this whole trip. *sigh* So needless to say, I was pissed. lol. I did manage to find a little hole in the wall place. But it was crappy and obviously a tourist trap. The singers were not good at all. It was disappointing.
I’ve said it before. I don’t like eating dinner alone. It just bugs me. And people always stare @ you like there is something wrong with you. You can’t say that you don’t wonder why someone is alone when you see them @ dinner by themselves. I do. And I don’t like the scrutiny or the looks of pity in people’s eyes. But anyway, I had dinner at the Fado place. The food here is mostly delicious. It is all really fresh and good. The problem is most of it, especially fish, has salt as a primary ingredient. I am not a salt person. And my blood pressure likes it even less. lol. So, needless to say, my evening was disappointing. Add to that the fact that my internet stopped working and I was ready to throw my hands up in defeat. Hey - not everyday can be perfect, right??
My last day in Lisboa and in Portugal was spent in the sea-side city of Cascais. Seeing it the other day on my trip to Sintra, I had to go back. God I love it there. I am not a beach person, but I loved it there. The beaches were small but beautiful and the shops on every street were quaint but stylish. It is almost like Nice in some ways. Same kind of style but on a smaller scale. It is considered to be an excellent vacay destination. I would love to come back there and spend a week there alone. I didn’t spend much time on the beach itselt, only an hour and 1/2. I was afraid of sun-burn. I burn like crazy. Luckily, I avoided it, but I did get some nice color and no longer look like a honk-ass white bitch! LOL!!! I’m not dark, but I’m dark for me. Trust. ;) I am so glad I went. I was able to relax and just chill out and not worry about anything. Which is the whole reason for a vacay.
However, I’m not one to sit around and do nothing, so I took the train back to Lisbon around 3:30. There is a great thing for tourists called the Lisboa Card which you pay a certain amount of euros for and you get unlimited travel on the metro, trams, buses and trains out of the city like to Cascais, free access to museums and discounts on food all over the city. Its totally worth the price, I used the metro endlessly. I went back the hotel and chilled out for a while. There was one last thing I had to do, which is eat a pastry called pasteis de Belem which is a very famous pastry made only at a pastry shop located next to the Belem monastery. I had planned to go there the day before, but I just didn’t have the energy. It was so hot. It took me 2 hours to get there and back. Wow. 2 hours for some pastry. And ya know what? It was totally worth it! :) They were delicious, and I’m not a sweets girl. They are a pastry shell filled with a kind of custard and sprinled with confectioner’s sugar. They only make them @ Antiga Casa dos Pasties de Belem. Everyone here says that it is an essential part of a trip to Lisbon. I have to agree. 2 hours for pastries...its nuts. ha!
So, that’s about it. I’m done with my trip and ready to be home. Which, when you read this, I will be. I’ve loved my time here. This city is so diverse and kind of crazy. Would I come back here? Yes, but not just to be here, I’d make it part of another trip somehow. Lisbon is lovely in places, but not so much in others. But the history and culture is interesting and worth exploring. The people are awesome and so kind and welcoming. such a difference from other parts of Europe. I definitely recommend coming here. There is much to see and experience.
The Return Trip -
11 hours and 2 flights and I’m home. It was an adventure, that’s for damn sure. lol. I woke up and got a cab from the hotel to the airport in Lisboa. It is INSANE @ that airport. INSANE! They don’t have specific places for all of the airlines, they have over 150 counters for checking in they are different each day. In order to get to that counter, you have to walk like a mile and go through one set of security. Then you go through security again when you get to the check-in counter. Then you check your bags and they tell you, oh, make sure you have 40 minutes to get to the gate cuz it takes at least a 1/2 an hour to walk there. Yup. No shuttles no fast-moving things on the floor (whatever the hell they are called) to help you. You have to walk, and this is without going through the main security part and passport control. Its nuts. lol. AND the gates are like 3 miles away and there is like no food or anything. So by the time I got through everything, I was hotter than hell and thirsty and starved. lol.
The flight was fine. We left a little late. But not a whole lot of turbulence. A little bit over 8 hours. Unfortunately, we got there 35 mins late. And then when we taxid to the gate, we stood there as no one came to guide the gate to the plane and we couldn’t open the door. That took another 25 mins. At this point, I was panicking cuz my flight was leaving in 45 mins. AND I still had to go through cutoms, pick up my bags, go through immigration, re-check my bag, go through security again and run to my gate which was on the other side of the friggin aiport! Those Zumba classes came in handy as I ran the whole way. It was actually funny though. The guys @ passport control were like what’s the matter? I said I have 45 mins till my plane leaves. He said what’s the matter? What was that? Your plane leaves when? He was teasing me. ;) Then he asked me all the standard questions to which I said “no”. And then he was like no? Are you gonna say yes at all? no. DO you know any other word? no. So he laughed and said welcome home and good luck.
Then I had to grab my bags and go to immigration. The guy saw me running and was like WHOA! Where you goin? Home! I have 30 mins till my plane leaves! HE was like welcome home! Go! lol. Then I got to security which had the longest friggin line ever and was moving @ a snail’s pace. So naturally, I was bouncing with anxiety like a mad person. The guy who checked my ticket just laughed and said don’t worry hun - I’ll go stand in front of the plane and make sure they hold it for you. Then I got through security and as I put my laptop in the bin to go through scanning the guy said WHAT? Team Edward? Are you serious? And I was like HELLS YAH! If you’re Team Jacob you can just stay over there, I got nothin to say to you. He laughed. Hee hee.
I ran through an endless maze of hallways and made it with 5 mins to spare. PHEW!!!! I was so lucky that I had people with such great senses of humor help me out. Cuz sometimes those border patrol people can be assholes. And they have a right to be. But they could clearly see that I was distressed and were really sweet. Thank god.
