The Psychology of Quality and More

February in Lisbon

(Also see the photos, full slideshow, or just favourites)

Half term and time to get away from the cold and 'it all'. Never been to Portugal so Lisbon sounds like a nice idea...

Thursday 16 Feb 2012

Flying from Gatwick on evening flight, parked at Cophall Farm off-airport parking. £23 for three and a bit days, inc on-demand transfers. We've used them before and it's great value. Arrived in Lisbon and headed for taxis. Read tales of tricky drivers (check the meter is running) but reassured by police controlling it all. 9 euros to hotel but with 1 euro per bag added 'This is Portugal' said the driver. Surprise = lower tip. No such charge on the way back so maybe tricky tales are true.

Hotel Real Palacio is lovely. In safe area (eg single women walking outside and look comfortable). Dark out and weary so dined there. Moderate prices, great food and excellent service (eg they pour wine). Nice big clean room too.

Friday 17 Feb

Blue skies and mid-teens temperature. Locals wore coats and scarves but light jumper was just fine and could remove that later too. This really is the best time to come if you don't like hot weather. There's also relatively few tourists. It must be hell later in the year.

Decided to walk down to centre even though there's a choice of 3 local metro stations. About 20 mins slow stroll down Eduardo VII park (named after UK prince for 1906 visit) and Avenue Liberdad, the Champs Elysees of Lisbon, complete with lots of designer shops. Tourist office in first square you meet in pink building on right. Buy Lisbon all-transport (metro, tram, bus and elevador) season ticket from Post Office on left of square (looking downhill). 5 euros per 24 hrs, starting each 24 contiguous-hour slice on first use. Didn't need Lisboa card (more expensive, gives museum discounts). just rub card on sensor in trams, metro stations etc until green light comes on.

Headed for St Justa elevador, clearly built by Eiffel student. Great views from top. Charge to get to upper platform (about 3 euros). Balked at this as it seemed like profiteering. Went over walkway to Carmo church (3.50 euros). Stunning roofless church remains (after earthquake) with soaring arches intact. Then wiggle up road to lookout point. View ok but limited by large roof area just below. Also getting dodgy (loitering, listless-looking guys).

Walked down road to Rua Garrett for coffee and famous Portuguese custard pastries at famous Brasiliera cafe (4.25 euros per person -- easily the most we paid, but hey, it's a famous caff). Then meander down to the Baixa grid, ending up strolling the Augusta pedestrianised main drag.

Jumped the classic #28 tram up towards the Castelo. Got off at the Luzia viewpoint for photo opp (also of old blue tile murals). Castelo 7 euros each for entry. Seemed steeper than the streets, so opted out and meandered the area, eventually descending in time to meet marching and banners but turned out not to be a demo but students doing carnival stuff. We mingled with them as they climbed the statue in the big square by the sea and lit bits of firelighter and excitedly chanted something. The police watched good-naturedly, eventually moving in to peel kids off the statue and help down those whose adrenaline had run out.

Then more Baixa meandering, stopping for more coffee and pastries in Confeitaria Nacional in Praca de Figueira. Eventually walked back up to hotel. We reckon we walked around 15 miles over around 12 hrs. Dinner in Thai restaurant opposite the hotel. A bit cheaper but food not as good.

Saturday 18 Feb

Belem day. No nice waterfront walk to get there and perhaps a bit far. So walked down to the big square on the front and took number 15 tram. Local transport is quite easy. Get transport map. Look for yellow stop signs or red M for metro (not always that obvious). The bus or tram numbers that ply the route are shown. Sometimes an electronic sign tells you how long you have to wait. We never waited long.

Monasteiros Jeronimos has a huge frontage and a long history. The gem is the ornate Manueline cloister. Another 7 euros entry but better to get 10 euro combined ticket with Belem tower. Cloister is two-level with carvings everywhere. You also get a great upper view of the main church (entry free below) plus detailed history timeline in English as well as, of course, Portuguese. Lots of signs, menus and things in English here and many locals speak it well. Spanish is notable by its absence, perhaps betraying a historic rivalry. Britain and Portugal have long been friendly, maybe due to common enmities.

Then down to the seafront opposite and the huge XX monument where locals are enjoying the springlike air, promenading and sailing up and down. Strolled down to tower, stopping for coffee at weird caff built of I-beam girders. Scottish influence perchance?

Belem tower is another ornate Manueline construction that once sat on an island out in the estuary. There's a low dungeon, effective cannon room, pleasant outdoors and narrow spiral stair up to rooms and top of tower (another feature that could be fun in Summer).

Then back to Belem, can't find cafe named in guide so ride stuffy tram back to centre. Well, most of the way as it stopped in Cais de Sodre station. Walked the rest just in fortuitous time to catch start of carnaval parade! Took up position on corner as drum bands, dancers and fancy dressers pass by. Camera gets hot with the snapping. Got covered with confetti which was liberally being chucked around, though sweeping up followed immediately behind the last reveller. So followed the snail's pace procession for even more pics (there must be a competition winner in there somewhere!).

More coffee and pastries. Carnival turned into rock concert in square, watched by police on Segways. Watch for a while then walk back up the hill, past derelict buildings near hotel with huge murals. Happy but very pooped so stay in hotel for another super meal.

Sunday 19 Feb

Museums and galleries free entry on Sundays 10-2, so make the most of this, starting with Contemporary art down street near Baixa-Chaido metro station and past man with head in (or as) book. Not much on display and largely pretentious twaddle (with hilarious English translations). So back on Metro to San Sebastian and Modern art museum. Not much on display here either, but far superior. Coffee and pastries in good-value cafe.

Then short walk through park to Gulbenkian museum. Amazing private collection of early 20th century oil broker, including Egyptian, Greek, Roman and later artefacts, plus artwork from Rembrandt, Van Dyck, Turner, Burn-Jones, Manet, Monet and more. Plus lots from his chum Lalique. Crikey. Real top quality in lovely modern setting.

Modern art gallery caff overflowing so wander to Eduardo park in search of sustenance. Stumble into botanical Eden built in former quarry just inside the free period. 'Cool' house with slatted roof simulating tropical canopy over waterfalls, pools and greenery. Small hotter house with huge cacti. Delightful.

Stopped at 'restaurant' in park for weak coffee and poor tourist food. Yuk. With an hour to kill we then wandered the vast El Corte Ingles department store. Like an over-sized John Lewis, it covered an entire block and about 14 floors. Cheapest coffee and pastry in town on top floor. Tasty and good service too.

Then back to nearby hotel to pick up bags and wearily off to airport. Just as well we were early as, after long zigzag to security, we were kicked back to square one as they wouldn't let me take my camera monopod on the plane. Sigh. So back to Easyjet desk where they kindly stowed a bag with it in at no cost. I must admit, we've flown Easyjet often, experienced friendly staff and never had problems. Then realized I'd left my coat back beyond security but thankfully they hadn't taken it away to blow it up and it was just sitting there so I grabbed it. Just as well we didn't call the phone in the pocket as they would probably have arrested it. Or me.

Because of a late, full flight we bought the 13 euro pp 'Speedy boarding' upgrade, so we got seats at the front, which was nice. And speedier. Slight delay in takeoff but no real problems other than the minus two temperatures and an hour's wait for luggage (!) that greeted us back in dear old blighty. Trekked around motorways to welcoming dogs and even more welcome bed.

See also the full set of Lisbon photos for more detail.