May 27, 2011
Day 13 Lisbon
We woke up without an alarm, which was a lovely treat although I didn’t sleep that well anyway because my legs were so stiff. We had our last breakfast with that gorgeous view and then packed up to drive back to Lisbon. We were not looking forward to 4 hours in the car. But it was mostly freeway and it was easy. Even getting into Lisbon center was painless and we found a parking spot right near the hotel, where we checked in and the concierge took the car keys and called the rental agency to pick the car up. Our two car rentals of the trip were both handled by hotels and went so smoothly that I will try to arrange that again on future trips.
So we dumped our bags and headed out to see just a few more sights in Lisbon.
One of our first stops was a little wine bar near the Castle of Sao Jorge. And I’m so glad we found it because next door was an artist’s co-op that featured tiles by an artist whose work we saw in Obidos. While there we had gone back and forth about a particular piece but didn’t manage to pull the trigger, figuring we might see something we wanted more. I was so happy to find her work again.
From there we headed down to the waterfront to check out the restaurant partially owned by John Malkovich. Do I look tired? I am so whooped.
We went back to the hotel to freshen up, then wandered back up to the Barrio Alto to hit a favorite wine bar. We were sitting on stools in the street when this Hummer drove through. The funny owner said, “Perhaps not so appropriate for the city center,” as we all scrunched our knees in to make room.
Also in the Barrio Alto, we purchased our last souvenir of the trip. When shopping for souvenirs I seek out individual local artists, and we found this ceramics studio with the most insane sculptures you could imagine. They were all made of clay but with intricate carving and bright colors. I loved meeting the sculptor in his apron with his kiln behind him. I could have spent days studying these pieces. There was one tea pot with a lion that I really wanted but it was a bajillion Euros.
But there was a hand-made bowl that caught my eye. He wrapped it very well and we took it on our way. He told me this story about a couple from LA who purchased one of his floor lamps and carried it home on the airplane. I asked him if they bought a seat for it.
From there we walked back to the Chiado and ate dinner at Sacramento. It was our last meal in Portugal. So what do you think I ordered? That’s right. Octopus.
