The City of Explorers: Lisbon! (Feb 2012)

My friends and Ihave planned for our 1st 2012 getaway at sunny Lisbon. Lisbon did notdisappoint us at all. The people are warm and always helpful though they maysound intimidating; food is superdelicious and cheap; and a perfect vacation to relax with this laid-back city.

Here are the top 10highlights of my Lisbon Trip!

Highlight #1: Thered roofs. Welcome to Lisbon. While still on the plane, you can already catch a glimpse of the red roofs. In a number of the touristic sites around the city, you would be able to enjoy this wonderful view.

Highlight #2: Blok,blok fishes. The city is alsofamous for its variety of fishes and the most famous one: Bacalhau. You shoulddefinitely not miss enjoying the fresh fish while in the city. Here are some ofthe fishy dishes I've tried.

Bacalhau à Brás is a must try. It is one of the most popularways to prepare codfish in Portugal. Made from shreds of salted cod,onions, thinly chopped fried potation, and scrambled eggs and served withblack olives and fresh parsley as garnishing.

Pastéis de bacalhau or cod fish pastry is a deep fried salty pastry withmashed potatoes, bacalhau, eggs, parsley and other ingredients. Oftenserved as an appetizer in the restaurants, it is normal for restaurants toserve this in your table even without ordering it. Don't be fooled, thisdoesn't mean that it's complementary and normally you have to pay for it whenthe bill arrives.

I was not able toget the name but the other fish dish was served in a lunch menu near Castel de Sao Jorge and it is freshbacalhau cooked with some bell peppers, onions, and tomatoes. It has a refreshing taste and is accompanied with boiled potatoes on the side.

Highlight #3: Mode of Transportation.You'll be surprised that their metro orthe infamous tram 28 is one of the touristic sites in Lisbon when you do yourresearch.

Tram28was made during 1930s-1940s and is one of the traditional tram lines inPortugal. This is the ultimate transportation as it can bring you to almost allof the touristic places in Lisbon. Watch-out though, it is not the only yellowtram in Lisbon. Also, we had some difficulties finding thetram and we were brought to bus stop #28 when we asked the locals. If you see astop for 28E, then that's the Tram! I'm posting the stops of the tram asapparently, I don't find it in any travel sites.

Their Metro Station is a free art gallery as they would have different art created by contemporary artists which makes an enjoyable ride. I would recommend to buy the 24h Carris/Metro Card that costs Eur 4.60. The ticket allows access to metro, trams, buses, and some of the finiculars (elevators). Below is a picture of Marques de Pombal Station.

Highlight #4: HillyCity, you definitely need to ride an elevator! Be prepared toclimb! This city is hilly enough that they have elevators in the middle of thestreet to bring you up or specific tram lines specific for that purpose. Youcan use your metro card as a pass for these elevators and tram lines as theyare owned by the same company.

Santa Justa's Elevator which connects the downtown to Trindade is a verticallift that has been made available since 1902. Amazing view when you get to the top.

The tram line(Sentados) near Restauradores Metro Station also has the same purpose ofconnecting downtown to another street. We rode this the 2nd time we went to Solar do Vinho doPorto (Port Wine House). Don't even think of climbing the hill, it's tooexhausting (based from experience!)

Highlight #5:Port Wine House. Although not a fan of sweet wines myself, I'd still recommend that you visit Solar do Vinho do Porto. Located at 45 Rua de Sao Pedro de Alcantara, this chic place does not only have a wide variety of Port Wines but also a good ambiance to enjoy with friends. You can buy the bottle of wines here or enjoy each glass at a cost of around Eur 2-7 (depending on the type and year). My favorite wine is Hutcherson 1975 (Eur 6.6).

Highlight #6:There's the beach! Belem Tower & Jeronimo's Monastery. Travel a bit south and you would find a beach. It is where Belem Tower is located and 2kms away is where Jeronimo's Monastery is situated. Both of them are listed by UNESCO as World Heritage Sites. I was giddy to see a beach with light brown fine sand and the sound of waves splashing.... awww it reminds me of the Philippines!

Highlight #7: Simply Lisbon. Colorful buildings, tiled buildings,gothic printed cobbled-stone streets, statues (a lot of them), or musician in the side street. You can enjoy the city bysimply having a good stroll around.

Highlight #8: An Eleven experience. It was a delectable dinner experiencing a Michelin starrestaurant in Lisbon. Thanks to my friend who has reserved the place ahead oftime! Wait for my succeeding posts for a detailed review.

Highlight #9: Tasting the original EggTart. If you are a fan of Lord Stow's EggTart, then it may serve as a good trivia for you to know that it is not aChinese dessert. This tart originated from Portugal. Even if I'm not a fan ofsweets, I always enjoy eating egg tarts. Thus, this is simply a no MISS for me!

Beside Jeronimo's Monastery is the famous Pasteis de Belem (Pastéis de Belém)where this confection originated from. The egg tart referred to as Pasteis deBelem in Portugal is named after the restaurant itself. This restaurant has been opensince the 18th century! They serve the tart with cinnamon and powderedsugar. We have tried the egg tarts inother cafes and they are not as good as the ones from this place.

Weenjoyed the tarts too much that we also bought some for take-away and enjoyedit over breakfast the next day at Starbucks.

Highlight #10: Food, Food, and Food! I love this city for having very affordable, large portion,and delicious foods! I have tried several of the local dishes and nonedisappointed my palette. Wait for my next posts for the detailed review of thefood I've tasted.

We stayed in Hotel Fenix Garden and I'm very satisfied with its service. A good hotel with Eur 50/night and breakfast costing Eur 3.9. Thehotel is right in front of Marques de Pombal Metro Station.