Lisbon, The First Day - Europe 2023
Our plane got in around noon local time and it took awhile to get the luggage, find the metro queue to get tickets and then to actually ride the metro. After getting off the metro, we began the long walk to our apartment home for the next four days.
Ricardo, the owner had said, “Please note that we have a line cut on the subway and it’s quite difficult to carry luggage on the historic center (the street are made of big stones). It’s much easier to taxi or Uber and the price will be around 16 / 18€ total. Just a suggestion :)”
We, of course, rebuffed this suggestion and walked from the metro stop.
It would have been much easier physically to have trusted Ricardo’s advice, but now nothing the hills of Lisbon throw at us will stop us because we’ve hiked them carrying luggage!
Lisbon: city of hills.
And lots and lots of stairs.
Check in at the apartment was easy and after catching our breath and drinking some water, we were off to the grocery store for supplies.
You choose your groceries a little more selectively when you know you’ll be hiking them home…up hills. Two bottles of wine, not worth it; one bottle of wine and two cans of cold drinks, totally worth it.
Some folks had showers, Buds played with his new camera, and we learned a new card game.
Our dinner choice didn’t open until 6:30 so Yessa and I headed out for an exploration walk while the other three explored by going to some vintage clothing stores.
Yessa led us to a beautiful community park that had vendors with jewelry and clothing and art that we wandered through, but even better was this amazing tree that shades and protects with its trained canopy.
I loved walking around and seeing people of all ages and types reading, picnicing, playing, and chatting.
We were also impressed by this monument from 2017. The US is moving backwards in its treatment of people, but hopefully the rest of the world stands firm as we fight to elect people who aren’t hateful homophobes.
It was a beautiful outing and Yessa led us with ease.
You can see a huge jacaranda tree behind us. They are a little past peak bloom, but still so beautiful.
We headed home to meet up with our compatriots and then out for dinner at “The Botanical Den.” We thought it was a burgers and cocktails restaurant with the option of vegan burgers, but it turned out to be a vegan burger and cocktail place without the option of non-vegan burgers. The non-vegans took that in stride and we all enjoyed the food.
It’s a tiny little place and we took up 2/3rds of the tables, so it was good we were there early.
A final walk home in time for Buds to set up the camera for a sunset time lapse; a little discussion about plans for the next day; and Day #1 drew to a comfortable close.
And a sweet short video from Buds at day’s end.
