A photo of my first meal in Lisbon - late lunch at a cozy wine bar:
So, what to do with one gloriously unscheduled day in an unfamiliar city? I decided to do something I've never done before and signed up for a walking tour of Hidden Lisbon.
We started out at 9:30 for what was scheduled to be a three hour walk but our little group of five Americans (an older couple from New York and a mother/daughter pair - daughter lives in Holland and mom was visiting from Michigan) ambled around the city with our fantastic guide until nearly 2:00, then doubled back to a small family restaurant for a delicious meal.
The history lesson we soaked up over the course of the morning was vibrant and truly captivating - if only the courses I took in high school were similar.
We started at the port area of the city.
Then wandered up to the São Domingos church with its charred interior....
....which was also the site of the massacre of New Christians in 1506:
It was a bit chilly, so we stopped for a drink of Ginjinha, a syrupy sour cherry liqueur:
There was beautiful architecture throughout the city including azulejos, traditional painted ceramic tiles:
...or this way:
Cable car ride up a hill:
A peaceful retreat at the Carmo Convent and Church, which has remained without a roof since an earthquake devastated Lisbon in 1755:
Inside what used to be the main altar area of the church is a small and eclectic collection of archeological artifacts. The carvings on this decorative stone slab are like those found around Europe:
But when it fell off a house in the Lisbon area, images from its country of origin were discovered on the other side. The weight of this stone was probably used for ballast during the spice trade with India, taken from a temple there and transported to Portugal.
Later, I got talked into doing what "all" tourists do: pose with a statue of Portugal's famous poet, Fernando Pessoa:
And after all that walking and learning, the afternoon ended with a great meal:
Thanks for a great day, Lisbon!
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