Trekcapri's 2014 Portugal Adventures: Coming to you Live!

The flight over was well . . . . LONG! But I’m here in Lisbon and have hit the ground running as I usually do.  I think the jet lag has finally caught up with me and I’m ready for a very slow morning which is great because I can now update my blog.

My apartment is wonderful. It’s located in the trendy and vibrant neighborhood in Chiado. There are several cafes and many shops around and it is with walking distance to public transport.  The owners of the apartment are so nice. The apartment is on the corner so it’s pretty cool. The size is perfect for me.  I love staying in apartments versus hotel rooms. There’s so much more room and you have cooking and laundry facilities. So much better that having to rely on cafes for that must have morning wake up coffee.  After showing me how things worked, I paid the balance owed, unpacked then went to explore around. I found a nearby small café and had my first egg tart desert. 

After a nice goodnight sleep, I woke up to some sunny weather. I planned to visit Belem to hit the three biggies.  First I stopped at the Mosteiro dos Jeronimos which was built by Manuel I to commemorate Vasco da Gama’s voyage to India and to give thanks to the Virgin Mary for its success.  The architecture with its Gothic and Moorish influences is amazing.  You have to pay to enter the Cloisters and it is completely worth the entrance fee.

Next I walked over to the Monument to the Discoveries which was built to commemorate the Portuguese Age of Discovery. It is built where the Tagus meets the sea and is the point from which maritime explorers set fort in their sailing ships to discover the world.  It is very cool!  I love this monument a lot because it is dedicated to explorers.  Suddenly dark clouds and a downpour had a bunch of us tourists rushing inside the Monument’s lobby. When the downpour stopped we make a mad dash over to the Belem Tower.

There is a nice walkway that runs along the Tagus river to the Tower of Belem which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.  It is one of Lisbon’s most photographed landmarks.  It was built in the 16^th century to serve as a fortress in the middle of the River Tagus.  You have go walk on this wooden plank then cross this small but very cool drawer bridge.

I had intended to go to the Pastry shop and the museum of maritime and coaches, but with the weather and a bit of jetlag kicking in I headed back.  One of the greatest  benefits to takig independent slow travel is you have the time and flexibility to change your itinerary at any moment. I'll be back to visit Belem again. :)  

I had a wonderful dinner at a nearby café enjoying this very delicious Portuguese wine, called Green Wine. It is a sparkling wine very similar to Italy’s Prosseco. Yum!  

And here's the hottie that poured my wine for me and who recommended this delicious wine. 

I am really enjoying Lisbon so far!  More to come.

And the Dream lives on . . . .