I am exhausted and my entire body aches. I walked all day today with very few breaks. It was my last full day in Lisbon and really my last full day in Europe. I went a little overboard, but I had to complete the rest of the walking tours!
Walk 1: Baixa
This walk went through the part of town that I've already wandered through as my hostel is in the Baixa neighborhood. Started at the Praca do Comercio, through the Arco do Triunfo and up to the Rossio square. I stopped in the Discoteca Amália, a music shop recommended in my guidebook. I asked the kind woman to help me pick a Fado cd with various artists. Amália Rodrigues is the most famous Fadista; the store is named after her.
Walk 2: Avenida-Parque
The easiest walk by far because there were very few turns. The little maps for the walks are pretty vague so I often get lost trying to follow them. The walk starts at the Rossio square and is a straight shot up the tree-lined Avenida da Liberdade which has lots of fancy designer stores. The Parque Eduardo VII was cool, they were having their annual book fair. I was good and didn't buy one. It was a steady incline through the park and at the top is the Jardim Amália Rodrigues. From there it's a great view of the city all the way to the water.
Walk 3: Rato-Amoreiras-Estrela
Rato was free of tourists which was nice. A simple neighborhood with lots of local shops, not tourist shops. Lots of Brasil shops and restaurants all over Lisbon. It was a walk uphill to Amoreiras, named after the mulberry trees everywhere. Seeing them squished on the ground reminded me of my childhood for some reason. Today was the hottest day I've had this whole trip. I hopped into the air conditioned mall to cool off and have a little snack. Most of the slow-food restaurants were closed cause it was a weird time, and all the local pastelarias just had sweet stuff. So I got some fries at McDonalds. Once I cooled off and felt a bit refueled I headed back out and got lost for a minute trying to take the guided route from Amoreiras to Estrela. The main thing to see in Estrela was the church, but I didn't feel like going in.
Walk 4: Cais do Sodré-Chiado-Bairro Alto
I had already walked around most of these sites but it was fun to do them again. Bairro Alto is where we went to the bars both nights. Cais do Sodré is where I went to catch the train to Belém for that neighborhood walk and visit. And Chiado basically melds with Baixa.
Walk 5: The Alfama
I will admit I didn't really follow this walk because it's the neighborhood that I got a little frustrated lost in while trying to find the Feira da Ladra on Saturday. After glancing over the sites I would have visited, I just went to the two that I hadn't been to yet. One was a view of the city from the Miradouro de Santa Luzia which was cool, and then up to the Castelo de São Jorge. I got up there about 8pm and while it was still open, I wasn't feeling it. It's more about the views than the castle they say. A bracelet vendor from Senegal stopped me and I replied in Portuguese. Big mistake cause then he wouldn't stop talking to me. He was very nice but I was tired. Kept telling me how Brasilians have 'clean hearts' and then he threw a bracelet on my wrist. I told him no thank you, and he said that he insisted and that it was a gift. He wouldn't take it back, so of course on my way back down I handed him the few coins that I had. I already forget what the bracelet means but he said it's a Senegalese symbol of some kind. Friendship maybe.
At this point I tried my best to put one foot in front of the other to get back to the hostel. So tired. I'm on the third floor and this is the first time I used the elevator. Couldn't fathom using the stairs.
I probably should have taken the metro in between each walk to conserve my energy and feet. Oh well.
A few random notes:
1) I was approached by four drug dealers today. Not sure what kind of vibe I was giving off.
2) Ginjinha - I forgot to report on this cherry liqueur. We had it on our pub crawl. Not a fan.
3) Vinho verde - I tried green wine at the Fado bar last night. It was alright, just tasted like a cheap white wine. I'm sure they weren't serving the best brand there.
4) J Lo's 'On The Floor' is completely over-played, which am sure it is in the U.S. right now as well. I will admit that I'm happy she's back in the spotlight.
5) I completely forgot that I have a night layover in Dallas on the way back. Glad I checked today and wasn't surprised at the airport. Gotta love redeeming miles and taking what you can get. Will be nice to have a short and sweet visit with the family!
Flying to Madrid in the morning. It was cheaper and about 9 hours less travel time than taking the train. Easy decision taking easyJet.
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