How appropriate the name of our hotel in Lisbon was “Lisbon Short Stay” because it was indeed kind of a short stay, with a ton of adventure packed into two days.
“Short Stay” did not disappoint. A hostel – like establishment running at the top of their game. Unusual in their art, excellent in their apartments (kitchen, bedroom, private bath) and tasty in their restaurant and café. Staff more than helpful and welcoming.
Lisbon is amazing. The city is divided into neighborhoods or Barrios. We stayed in Baixa which is known for it’s promenades, restaurants and tourism. It’s a hot spot and you can defiantly feel the heat.
The neighborhood is especially recognized for the “Elevator de Santa Justa” which is a neo-gothic (fancy) lanky wrought-iron elevator designed by Raul Mesnier who was apprentice to Gustav Eiffel (as in the tower). It’s an amazing structure to behold, rising straight up in a small ally close to our hotel. I got a pretty good picture from the roof top terrace of Short Stay.
On our second day we knew enough to book a private tour. Tuk tuk’s are a bit controversial in these parts but they are electrically powered and make the hop-on, hop-off bus look like a joke.
Our rig was driven by a local guy, Daniel and if he didn’t have a history degree, I was going to give him one. He was a wealth of information both old and new, who drove us all around the city.
We went to the big sites as well as the smaller neighborhoods. His grasp of daily life, politics and easy going personality made the 3 hour tour fly by. We met the old, we met the new, he talked about safety and moving around the city on our own. All good to know. Here are a few of the stops:
The Cathedral – A must stop just to soak in the Catholic majesty. The Cathedral part is free but for a small amount you can tour the Gothic Cloister which is a “still in progress” excavation of Roman times, 2000 years back. It takes a little imagination but you can see the Roman street and shop fronts, Islamic house and medieval cistern and water works. Really amazing.
Igreja de Sao Vicente de Fora – a serine and gorgeous church and monastery (1147) Suffered major damage in the 1755 earth quake and is a revered place for the loss of life of the faithful.
Panteao Nacional is kind of a museum. It used to be a church. It’s baroque beauty now pays homage to Portugal’s heroes (including Vasco da Gama) and heroines and the wealthy who built Lisbon.
Castillo de Sao Jorge- Every castle we go to is different, but with some consistent characteristics. They are usually on a hill to protect, or a shore to defend. Restoration efforts vary; some complete, some remaining in ruins. The castle often reveals the grandeur of the people who conquered and those that remain. They leave their mark in the blood lines; the architecture, the style, the food and the customs. For Lisbon and Castillo de San Jorge it’s quite a recipe; the Visigoths in the 5th century, the Moors in the 9th century, the Christians in the 12th century and the royals form the 14th to the 16th century. The castle is amazing with a huge snaking rampart, where you can see all of Lisbon, lots of tree shaded court yards, stunning walls and a great tower.
After several hours of touring Daniel brings us to a local neighborhood he is familiar with. We have lunch at a mom and pop place (mom makes the ham sandwiches, dad waits on table). We finish with a sour cherry liquor. Very homey.