Epic Honeymoon - Day 18 & 19 - Lisbon

Praça do Comércio, Lisbon

Our next stop along the Epic Honeymoon trail was actually a noteworthy one for me: it was a new country to add to my list. With all the travel in my job, I have racked up a nice list of countries, but my recent years had seen me lacking any new places. Part 6 of our journey, though, brought my age and number of countries back to even: 33 countries at age 33. And while my list of countries will surpass my age later in the trip, for now, we explore Lisbon, Portugal.

Waiting for the train at Lisbon airport.

Arriving just after 7pm, we followed the signs for the Metro. The ticket machines are fairly simple, but you will need to have small enough notes or coins, as they are limited in the amount of change given. A single metro trip, which lasts 1 hour from validation, only costs €1.45, so it’s quite a bit cheaper than other Euro cities. Having consulted Google Maps, we needed to get to Martim Moniz, requiring one line change at Alameda. From here, it was a hell of a walk up to our AirBnB, situated on Calçada Santana, which is a lovely steep hill up which to pull 50kg of luggage! But, we got there, and dripping with sweat, I found that I still had several flights of stairs to go! Not only was the apartment on the 3^rd floor, but our room was on the second floor of the apartment. I certainly got my workout that day!

The start of a long walk up into the hills.

Feel the burn, glutes!

As if staring into the face of the beast; Calçada Santana awaits me and our 50kg of luggage!!

Check-in was all done ourselves – we never actually met the host, Fernandes, but he communicated with me as required by the AirBnB app. Apart from the stairs, it was all very simple. Our room was under the roof slope, so it was a bit troublesome for me, being 6’4”, but it just meant I had to look before I moved anywhere!

The kitchen at our AirBnB.

After settling in and getting my breath back, we walked down into town to find a late night meal – I needed some protein and carbs. We found a place called Tabuas and went in. The waitress who attended to us was very friendly and helpful, even though she couldn’t speak much English. I tucked into some delicious peri-peri chicken, while Avy had veal steak, Portuguese style (fried egg on top), both served with chips and rice which seems to be the Portuguese way. We washed it all down with a jug of Sangria Branco for a very nice dinner. Before the bill came, the waitress brought us two shot glasses and filled them with a cherry liqueur – super sweet, sticky and delicious. We weren’t sure if this was a treat because we were tourists or if it’s just the way to finish a meal, but it didn’t appear on the bill – and the Sangria was also free for some reason! Of course, we left a small tip to show our appreciation before heading back up the hill for the night.

The next morning, we walked into the centre of town to find some breakfast – but it was almost lunch time, so we just went with that. After going up and down one of the main pedestrian streets between Praça Rossio and Praça do Comércio, we sat down on the esplanade at a restaurant whose name evades me (no big loss – read on!) and ordered what turned out to be a very similar meal to last night’s dinner – Avy with the chicken this time. We did precede it with soup, so I got to try the local favourite of Caldo Verde, a green vegetable broth. It was nice; a little oily, and not a huge amount of flavour, but overall okay. I wouldn’t rush out to have it again, though. The meal, overall, turned out to be a bit average, especially for the price paid. We were no more than a few hundred metres from last night’s restaurant, but the price was more than double. I guess that’s what happens in the city / tourist areas. On top of this, bread was brought to the table and we were told “don’t eat, don’t pay”. However, on the bill, there was listed “Entrada”. When I tried to ask one of the waiters about it, he explained it away – dismissing me quite abruptly – as “Service” charge. Given that entrada translates to entry, I knew he was making shit up. Automatically included service charges annoy me on the best of days (I will decide how good your service was, thanks!), but when they try to use it to overcharge... well, needless to say, we do not highly recommend this place.

We proceeded to go for a wander around the city area, catching site of various landmarks around the place such as the Santa Justa Elevator and Praça do Comércio, proceeding down Rua do Arsenal. We came across another local delicacy which seems to be called Bacalhau. Now, I’ve seen it on the menus and guidebooks, but haven’t looked into what it is. But it appears to be dehydrated, heavily salted fish. And boy, do you know when it is nearby!!

Santa Justa Elevator.

Praça do Comércio.

Praça do Municipio.

Bacalhau - dried, salted, stinky fish!

We also happened across craft shops selling cork items; I did not realise that Portugal was known for cork production. Some of the items they make – including backpacks and glasses cases – are actually really cool. And they will leave a nice dent in your wallet, too. Along with this, you can also get all kinds of canned fish, but most famously are the sardines.

Cork craft work.

A sample of cork tree.

All kinds of canned fish!

Returning to the Square and admiring Arco da Rua Augusta, we proceeded up the other direction and stopped at a coffee shop called Brunch Cafe for a rest. They invite you to draw a picture and stick it on the wall, so of course I doodled an Australia-Taiwan fusion to leave behind!

Arco da Rua Augusta.

If you see this one at Brunch Cafe, it was me!

Heading up towards the Lisbon Cathedral, we noticed Lisbon Duck Store, which has a huge range of rubber ducks in costumes – what an interesting idea for a business! Nearby was Figaro’s Barbershop; decorated in a traditional barbershop style, you can sit and have a beer while your hair is being tended to. I’m sure I need a trim!

We had a look inside the Cathedral, which is a beautiful old building but with an unassuming feel to it, and is free to enter. Delicate stained glass windows bring light into the intricately carved naves and over the delightful artworks. Certainly worth a visit when you’re in Lisbon – I’ve paid to visit less impressive places!

Lisbon Cathedral.

Inside Lisbon Cathedral.

Inside Lisbon Cathedral.

In the evening, we ventured up a different one of Lisbon’s hills and explored the lower Chiado shopping area. After getting over the shock that Burger King serves beer (!!), we worked out our glutes while browsing some high end fashion, and then stopped for a fancy icecream at Amorino. While I’m sure they aren’t the only place doing this, it’s the first one I’ve seen that arranges the gelato into a rose. The other nice thing about Amorino is that you can have as many flavours as you like, rather than the standard 2, 3, 4 scoops as per the size you choose. The flavours are good, but probably nothing super special over other ones we have tasted. It’s really all about the cool presentation. Prices are pretty reasonable, too.

Beer at Burger King?! Spot the foreigner who's getting excited!

Amorino's various flavours.

A slightly messy, but delicious rose!

We walked up to Praça Luís de Camões before taking a right and plunging into the Barrio Alta district. Of course, we were really just walking through residential areas, but this district has a reputation of being a bit unsafe at night. We were there before sundown, so it was generally okay. We walked down the very steep Calçada da Gloria, avoiding the oddly half-levitating tram, to get back to Praça dos Restauradores.

Praça Luís de Camões.

Heading into Barrio Alta.

Some nice murals in Barrio Alta.

This tram up/down the steep slope appears to levitate at the downhill end.

Along the way, I had my first encounter with Lisbon’s infamous drug dealers, with a guy offering me hash. When I told him it wasn’t my thing, he proceeded to offer me cocaine! I had heard a bit about this before we arrived, and the important thing to remember – even if you are into this stuff – is that what they will actually deal you is most-likely fake. The hash is typically chopped up bay leaves, so you won’t really get the kick you are seeking. After this incident, it was almost impossible to walk 50 metres around Praça do Rossio and nearby without being offered more. Seriously guys, leave me alone! We learned from a local waiter that it’s a big scam to dupe tourists (especially party-hard Australians) out of some cash; they won’t even try to sell to locals. So yes, keep this in mind!

Some more cool artwork - right near here was where i was offered my first hash!

Praça dos Restauradores.

Making our way back to our room, we stopped off at a quaint local restaurant called O Canastro for some delicious local fare. While Avy dived head first into a seafood soup, I tackled the traditional Porto dish of Francesinha. It’s essentially an open steak burger with sausage, ham and all covered in a gloriously artery-filling cheesy beer sauce. I whole heartedly recommend trying this dish at least once, as it was absolutely delicious... but once is probably enough if you enjoy your health!

O Canastro restaurant, not far from our AirBnB. Delicious local cuisine!

A traditional Portuguese Francesinha; over the lips and straight to the arteries!!

Avy's seafood soup.


Grab yourself a tasty tart on Day 20!