Portugal

Lisbon, We Have a Problem: About This Blog Entry
It’s hard for even me to believe that there was a time in my life when travel didn’t excite me. But there was.

There was actually a period of my life, when I would travel–mostly cruises, with my family–that I didn’t have that travel “bug;” that unquenchable thirst for exploration, to see it all, as much as I could. I didn’t dislike traveling, but I think I didn’t carry even ten percent of the enthusiasm I have today, because the travel was simply too organized. Piling off a cruise ship with 1,000 other American tourists and getting on a bus to see the main square for three hours never really did it for me. Of course, I’d soon discover my true passion for travel: going solo to off-the-beaten-track places to see things most have never even dreamed of…and well, you know the rest of the story.

Anyway, my trip to Lisbon in 2010 was one of those “hop off the cruise ship and take a tour” visits. I had a lovely time because I was with my dear mother, and I certainly didn’t dislike my stop here…but this was well before my real passion for travel was conceived, hence the reason I don’t have much of a “story.” I did take a few photographs though, so I hope you enjoy.

View from our cruise ship as we pulled into Lisbon.

Statue of King John I, Praça da Figueira.

I’m a sucker for antique elevators! We took a ride on the Elevador de Santa Justa.

Lisbon reminded me of San Francisco in so many ways!

Stunning architecture and those beautiful tiled sidewalks everywhere!

Time to eat! I chose the typical local fare: Bacalhau, or Portuguese cod.

There are numerous bacalhau recipe variations, depending on region and tradition. In Portugal, it is said there are more than 365 ways to cook bacalhau, one for every day of the year; others say there are 1,001 ways.

And for dessert, a visit to the world famous Pastéis de Belém!

How I could I not visit the most famous Portuguese bakery in the world?

Pastel de nata, also known as Portuguese custard tart, is a Portuguese egg tart pastry dusted with cinnamon.

I ate healthy fish for lunch, so bring on the pasteis!

I’ll be Back
Portugal was such a treat for me, for many reasons. I’ve had a fascination with Brasil for many, many years (see my Brasil blog). In fact, I was so infatuated with Brasil, I ended up moving there in 2007. So I was excited to see Portugal, as it is “the mother” of my dear Brasil. Brasil‘s language, architecture, food and much of its culture derived from Portugal. I enjoyed seeing where so many of the things I adored in Brasil came from, and got a kick out of being in a foreign country whose language I could actually speak. It was all so very educational for me. It was just too bad I was only in Lisbon for a matter of hours before having to get back on the boat. Portugal is definitely a country I will make my way back to soon, for some quality time. Ate mais galera.