Sherrie's Travel Blog

Day 4 May 31 Lisbon

  • After the dramatic time at the airport terminal, it's a pretty uneventful flight, phew

  • We are served our second dinner of the day about 11:00pm EST (A hobbit thing)

  • I read

  • I watch 2 movies (actually 3 but I slept so much during 1 I don't count it)

  • I walk down to visit Shaina and Mo

  • I wait in line for the toilet just so I can stand up more

  • There is a large open area so I take advantage and do my stretches while waiting

  • Back to my seat

  • Meanwhile, Shaina and Mo watch part of a Good Omens episode. It is excellent but they promptly fall asleep until breakfast (good thing they downloaded all the episodes for the plane ride)

  • Breakfast is served - I pass - no more airplane food

  • We arrive early

  • We walk 5 miles to immigration

  • Short EU line

  • Very long 'All Others' Line

  • We follow the snaking line up and back, up and back....

  • It's our turn

  • The official tells Ernie he likes his beard so Stamp Stamp we are in

  • No one says anything to Shaina and Mo and Stamp Stamp they are in

  • So much for the beard theory

  • Walk 6 miles to baggage claim

  • Lucky us - our microscopic bag was already there waiting for us

  • Use Ernie's T-Mobile free data phone to call for an Uber (9 Euros for 4 of us, what a deal!)

  • 10 minutes later we are on own way into Lisbon

  • 30 minutes later we are at our Airbnb

  • We meet Enrique and he lets us in

  • Full flight of stairs up with a landing halfway with an elevator

  • So we could walk halfway up, take the elevator up a floor then walk down a half flight

  • Or we can just walk

  • He explains the apartment

    • Three remotes for 3 a/c units, mix and match
    • 3 trash bins to separate garbage - from left to right: yellow, green, brown, no instructions necessary as he says the garbage separation happens after collection so just leave the bags at the curb when we leave (Thank goodness)
    • There's a patio
    • Dishwasher, stove, oven... nice place!

  • He leaves

  • We exhaustedly collapse

  • We regroup

  • We eat a Pastel de Nata (famous local custard tart) from bakery next door (Yummy)

  • We decide to walk to Time Out Market (famous place with lots of food options)

  • All downhill on Portuguese version of cobblestone walks: beautiful inlaid square stones, some in patterns, all of which look really slippery if wet. They aren't wet.

  • The market is amazing with all kinds of wonderful looking food but very crowded, noisy and hot so we opt for a restaurant instead

  • We find a not crowded, quiet, hot restaurant instead, Otto

  • They seat us in the hidden garden which is shaded

  • First a cup of Cafe com Cream (which is whipped cream) to keep my face from falling into my food

  • Shaina eats almost a whole pizza and falls asleep in the rest

  • Ernie eats a whole pizza

  • Sherrie and Mo eat salads

  • Head back up, up and up, passing beautiful tile on most buildings and inlaid stone side walks

  • Should have hired a Tuk Tuk for the uphill

  • Nap time

  • Shaina, Mo and I head to grocery store

  • First a fruit and vegetable shop with delicious strawberries and fresh squeezed OJ, be careful not to hold the tap down too long and overflow your bottle

  • The mini market isn't great but did the job for some essentials

  • Walk back, unload groceries

  • Then it happens, just like at home

  • Mo says, 'Sherrie, I think we have ants or termites'

  • Did they follow me here from home? Where's my Terro when I need it!

  • Lots of ants in one doorway to the patio. Winged ones too! Hopefully not termites but it isn't my house. Search the house and patio and locate Ant Killer spray - it will have to do.

  • Instant death - not the nest, wherever that is, but good enough for 3-day protection. Sherrie the Ant Hunter strikes again.

  • Ernie decides to relax

  • Shaina, Mo and Sherrie head out to dinner - we haven't eaten in a few hours.

  • There is no light in the stairwell.

  • I insist it should come on automatically.

  • We search for a switch.

  • No luck.

  • We descend in the dark.

  • I miss the last step and think my ankle is twisted but I recover after a minute of swearing

  • Swearing really works

  • The automatic light comes on

  • We head out for a walkabout investigating places for dinner tonight

  • We stop to get Pasteis de Nata at what is supposed to be the best in the area - Manteigaria - (save for dessert later)

  • That and cafe is all they sell all day long and there is always a line

  • We walk a big loop, get harassed by restaurant hosts trying to pull in tourists, and just end up back in the restaurant next door to our apartment

  • We ask if we can get take out (the staple of tired Americans everywhere)

  • Waitress is very confused but willing to ask the kitchen.

  • We feel bad and decide to just eat there.

  • Mo eats octopus salad. Shaina and Sherrie eat delicious Caesar salad with fried chicken

  • We bring Ernie bacalao pastel (codfish cake)

  • We enter the hallway and the light comes on automatically

  • So it works from the bottom but not in the other direction

  • We walk up and I don't trip

  • After entering apartment, I search for the light switch I know must exist

  • And there it is - right next to the door - inside not outside!

  • Shaina finds a washer/dryer hidden behind a kitchen cabinet door near the refrigerator

    1. Mo and I load up the washer
    2. I get out my powder detergent that I brought with me and decide it should be good for 3 loads
    3. I get out 3 shot glasses and pour the soap into all 3 to divvy it up evenly
    4. We pull out the detergent drawer and freak
    5. There are 3 slots and we have no idea which one to use
    6. Mo googles where to put the soap in this brand machine
    7. He decides on slot 2, so 2 it is
    8. The soap says to dissolve it in water so I add water to the shot glass and pour it in
    9. 1/2 the soap is still in the glass
    10. I add more water and pour again
    11. 1/4 the soap is still in the glass
    12. I repeat the process until all soap is gone
    13. Next, we have to decipher the buttons
    14. We ignore what we think is the delay button
    15. We choose 30 for water temperature and hope it isn't Fahrenheit
    16. We choose Rapido
    17. We think we choose to not dry
    18. We press start
    19. Nothing happens
    20. We open the door
    21. We close the door
    22. We press start
    23. Nothing happens
    24. We shove the soap drawer in all the way
    25. The machine starts with a lot of noise but no water
    26. We wait and wait and finally water appears

  • I suggest we use the three garbage cans left to right so maybe we don't have to empty all three

  • Mo is a right to left guy so we start on our separate ways and meet in the middle

  • We eat dessert, it's a good bake - no soggy bottom

  • I read the NY Times article I brought with me on the search for the best Pastel de Nata

  • I throw the article out

  • No reason to search anymore after eating the one from Manteigaria

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