We headed back to Lisbon on a very early train to take advantage of our last day in Portugal. No rest for the weary, once we arrived we quickly headed out again. There were two more sights that I really wanted to take in before leaving – the Tower of Belem and Mosteiro dos Jeronimos – the Jeronimos Monistary.
The Belem district of west of Lisbon by about 5 miles. Since we needed to keep our track record of 10+ miles a day, we decided to hoof it there. On the way we made a quick detour to the “must-eat” Timeout market in Cais do Sodre.
The Timeout market – yes, named after the magazine – boasts stall after stall of traditional and not so traditional Portuguese food and drinks. There are 35 food and drink stalls. You can take your pick from typical bacalhau (cod), pasteis de nata, sardines or you can feast on delights from other countries – including pizza and a good old fashioned burger.
It was a madhouse in there! It was lunchtime so it makes sense but it was just packed. I am, however, glad we went. We stumbled upon Oh Prego da Peixaria – a stall that sells one of Portugal’s national sandwichies. A prego is a beef sandwich that can be served in bread (with mustard or hot sauce) or in a platte (with fries, rice and fried egg). We ordered Prego Motard – “A Kind of Burger”. It was a burger covered with chorizo and fried egg and it was oh so good. The place was cool but very, very touristy.
Again taking the road less traveled we began our trip to Belem – passing by the docks and the trains where almost no people ventured. Often we thought we were lost but as usual we found our way and ended up fighting the wind along the Tejo estuary between the unbelievable Padrão dos Descobrimentos monument and the Torre de Belem.
The Padrão dos Descobrimentos – the Monument to the Discoveries – is a massive sculpture made of limesone brought from neighboring Sintra that sits directly on the river. The sculpture depicts the front of a ship used in early Portuguese exploration with a figure of Henry the Navigator at the head. On either side are 16 figures (33 total) representing figures from the Age of Discovery. The sculpture is breathtaking – especially against the deep blue sky and deep green Tagus river.
You can see the Torre de Belem come into view as you stroll away from the monument. Another magnificent site as it beckons you down the river. The tower was built in the 16th century as both a fortress and a port from where Portuguese explorers departed. It is now classified as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Jeronimos Monastery is across the street from the Tower of Belem. I’d wanted to go into the monastery but was just too tired at that point. The early morning, the distance we’d walked and the relentless wind from the Tagus made us both want to hop on some public transport for a quick trip back to our apartment and a nap. But you can’t miss this monastery if you’re anywhere in Belem. It’s Gothic facade is absolutely awesome. It is also been classified as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. And pictures do not do it justice – it’s something you have to see to believe.
It was our last night in Lisbon 🙁 And we’d learned a lot. All we wanted was a last beautiful sunset, some gorgeous food and SOME TAWNY PORT!
We finally mastered the Miroduoro! This time we were headed way, way, way up to the highest hilltop in Lisbon – to Miradouro da Nossa Senhora do Monte.
Ok, this is the way to do a Miroduoro:
First, pack your bag with a wine bottle opener and two glasses – something bigger than demi-tasse espresso cups!
Second, stop at a wine bar on the way and pick up a huge bottle of 10-year-old tawny port. We’d passed this wine bar so many times during our visit. Cleverly, it’s called Cheap Wine Bar & Shop (clearly it struck a cord!) This time we finally went in where we chatted with the bar manager – Vera – who gave us tastes of different aged tawnys. She was super helpful and kind.
Third, stop at a mini mercado (mini market) for a delicious mix of prosciutto ham, goat cheese, fresh fruit and chocolate.
Fourth, haul your loot to the highest hilltop in the city and settle in for a lovely picnic as you wait for nature to smile down on you.
Let me just say, we had the best picnic in the park that night! I mean, meat and cheese and port – YES! The miroduoro wasn’t even crowded. And the sunset was one of the best we’d seen. There were wispy clouds in the sky to provide that additional touch of ethereal color. Unforgettable!
We were on a bit of a high, as it was our last night in Portugal and we still had some port left in our bottle so decided to go back to Vera and Cheap Wine Bar & Shop. She welcomed us back with open arms. Even brought us a free appetizer of pizza and olives. And we got to have a nice chat with a lovely woman who took the time to share part of her story with us. When we finally left, I got the traditional double-cheek kiss from Vera! It made me feel like a million bucks!
It was the perfect end to an incredible trip. The experiences, the memories, the conversations – these are what will keep me going during the stressful and complicated days of our so-called normal life. This – THIS – this is why I love to travel.
It was such a stunning day that of course we went to the riverfront for lunch – this time sitting on top of the pedestrian area and right against the wall. The view from there was not too shabby either! We were at 
Finally! Back over the Luís I Bridge to Gaia for our port wine tasting. Our Airbnb host had recommended 
Like I said earlier this was a day where things just worked out as they should. It was a wonderful, eye-opening, yet relaxing day in a beautiful town!
Walking out of the train station we were again greeted by brilliant blue skies and so many colors. It really is a feast for your senses. John’s comment was “This place has a great vibe”. Mine was more about this place being my motherland! Because everywhere you looked was wine! And Port of course. Much more to come on Port… But wine menus, wine stories, wine cellars, wine tastings. Oh, I’ve come home 🙂
We had just a small amount of time before meeting our host so stopped into the 
Back up the hill to meet our sweet Airbnb host who sat us down with a map and marked it all up. If you know me you know I like a marked-up, well-used paper map. Now we had some local recommendations and we were off to see the town.
Starving, we did the tourist thing and sat at a restaurant on the riverfront. And it was a great decision! Sometimes – I feel – doing the touristy thing is necessary. We got to sit and watch the people and the water and the stunning 
At the bottom of the hill…We really wanted to do a port wine tour but I hadn’t had the forethought to make a reservation nor check the closing times so we were out of luck. But we stumbled upon 
It had been a long day and we decided to head back to our apartment. On the way we stumbled upon a musician playing guitar and singing in the street adjacent to the Sao Bento train station. Something about her voice and the harsh way she played the guitar caused us to stop and listen. And I’m so glad we did. Her name is Susana Silva. Her voice had a strong, “see me roar” vibe and her words – because a few songs were in English – spoke to us in a profound way. It is called “
We headed down the hill toward Bairro Alto where we were scheduled to take a free walking tour of Lisbon. John and I love to do these tours. They are always run by locals and tourists get a chance to hear their stories and ask questions and get local recommendations. This time we chose 
Time for more walking and food! We headed back down the hill and decided to try another typical restaurant on Rua de Duque since every other place was packed with tourists! I don’t like it when the waiters and hosts almost accost you while walking by and I’d rather not eat with a bunch of tourists anyway…This time we ate at Duque da Rua and shared a carafe of Portuguese white and more conversation and smiles.
We headed up the hill toward Bairro Alto. In 
Castle de Chillon is a medieval fortress sitting on the shores of Lake Geneva. It is the most visited monument in Switzerland. The oldest parts of the castle haven’t been definitively dated but the first written record of the castle is 1005! It is most known for it’s use as a prison in the 16th century. It’s most famous prisoner is Francois Bonivard on whom Lord Byron’s famous poem “
