On the first of our two “free” days before the rest of our group arrived, we decided to take kind of an overview of Lisbon. Just exploring. The city is known for its cobblestone streets and sidewalks. They are gorgeous. And we were very glad we had good shoes with thick soles because they are very uneven.
In many areas of the cobblestone, the patterns are beautiful (more on that later).
We had heard through Rick Steves that you had to take the Tram 28 through town and especially through some of the older areas of Lisbon. So we did that. It was a popular tram and we waited in line about 30 minutes to ride. While it was nice, we later found just wandering around Lisbon was more satisfying.
We visited Rue Nova do Carvalho, also know as Pink Street. It is a hub of nightlife and popular for photos because of its vibrant colors. It was revitalized in 2013 with an urban renewal project that painted the street pink.
Another area that was highly recommended was Time Out, a massive, indoor food court. A large number of eateries run by local foodie chefs. It has 26 restaurants, 8 bars and a dozen shops. Opened in Lisbon in 2014, it became the first of many Time Out Markets worldwide. We had a seafood pasta that was, frankly just OK. Our family had some smash burgers they said were awesome. And it was here that I discovered Portugal has virtually any beer you like, as long as it’s a Pilsner.
Later that day, Brenda and I just wandered around town on our own. We went down to the water and the Arco da Rua Augusta. In the Baroque Revival style, it dates to 1755. That was right after the earthquake that took out a good share of Lisbon. It was built in memory of the earthquake and subsequent tsunami that killed 30 to 40,000 people. Construction was started in 1755 and completed 118 years later in 1873!
After that, we took an Uber back to our hotel. Our second “free” day would be a trip to Òbidos and Nazaré.