Like a beautiful painting or a classic film, Lisbon bears repeated viewings. Since our first visit in 2011 we have returned again and again, each time finding new sights and flavors.
This time we saw the elegant interior of the Igreja Fátima, the City Museum with its terrific model of pre-1755 earthquake Lisbon, and the Pinheiro Museum. We happily discovered the work of Amadeo de Souza-Cardoso (1887-1918) at a special exhibit at the Gulbenkian. A train ride to Queluz to see the National Palace was enjoyable but ultimately in vain: a bunch of Very Important Men in Suits were holding a meeting and police kept us humble tourists away at a distance, so we had to settle for a walk in the park.
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The Rua Augusta Arch was open after a recent restoration, so we rode an elevator to the top for fine vistas of the city and the river.
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I got hooked on bitoque (a thin beefsteak topped with a runny fried egg), a standard Portuguese dish I had inexplicably overlooked before. In between these new experiences we made time for frango assado (roasted chicken brushed with spicy piri-piri sauce) at Bonjardim and a tram ride to Belém for pasteis.
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Best of all, we got to visit with friends. One day we took the tram to Graça to say hello to António and the rest of the folks at A Cabreira. I met António when we rented an apartment across the street and Terri and I would walk over for pasteis de nata or codfish balls. This time we enjoyed a fine lunch of grilled fish and afterwards were treated to glasses of beirão, a potent Portuguese liqueur. (A Cabreira is one of those places you find in almost every block in Portugal: café, bar, diner, pastry shop, savory and sweet snacks, and community center, open from early in the morning to late at night.)
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Friday was a special treat. Our friends Manuel and Ana picked us up at our hotel for a drive to São Martinho do Porto, a small coastal village about 100 km north of Lisbon. The waves of the Atlantic boom at the entrance to a quiet, protected bay lined with wide sandy beaches; three- and four-story apartment buildings face the water with street-level shops and restaurants. We walked along the shore until the rains came, when we retreated to A Casa for an incredibly delicious lunch: fish soup, grilled shrimp, then a main course of caldeirada made with fish freshly caught that morning. The rains let up and the sun came out just as we finished lunch, so we enjoyed another walk with our friends before driving back to Lisbon through the lovely Portuguese countryside.
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After five nights in Lisbon it was time to head to Évora, capital of the Alentejo region, home to great food and fine wines. Our time there deserves another blog post -- stay tuned.
All the photos are on Flickr.
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