Lisboa

April 14, 2014

Lisboa

As I shared in my last post, Alex and I traveled to Portugal this past weekend. Specifically, we visited the capital city, Lisbon, or Lisboa as spelled and pronounced in Portuguese and Spanish. The trip only lasted about 72 hours; but in true Butler style, we packed loads of experiences into the short hours.

On Friday evening, we boarded a large bus and settled in for the 9-hour overnight trip. We both attempted to rest on Friday in anticipation of a sleepless night. And the bus delivered. But the transport was cheap and efficient, and we were headed to Portugal!

We arrived at the Lisboa bus station around 6 AM on Saturday morning, slightly groggy, but quickly boarded a Metro and headed downtown. Similar to Spanish culture, the Portuguese people are not early risers. In fact, as we walked downtown, people were obviously just finishing their Friday night activities. Craziness!

We spend the morning walking the ancient streets of Alfama and touring the Castle of St. George, which towers above the city. The castle included a small archeological museum, which is a no-brainer for my nerdy husband. It was jam-packed with interesting information about the region. Did you know that Lisboa is the oldest city in Western Europe? Many of the original buildings and walls still stand, and many were rebuilt after a devastating earthquake in the eighteenth century.

In the afternoon, after touring a few ancient cathedrals and downing meals at a local traverna, we checked into our accommodations for the night. We reserved an apartment in Barrio Alto, a historic neighborhood in central Lisboa. (At this time, we took the opportunity to nap and relax for a bit, as sleep deprivation was beginning to kick in.)

To close an already full day, we purchased tickets to the Lisboa Fish and Flavors Festival. Alex read about the festival in a magazine earlier this year, and it is the main reason we chose this weekend. And wow, what a find! The festival was amazing! Think Taste of Chicago for an entire country that specializes in fish products, cheeses, breads, olive oils and wines! We spent hours talking with vendors, sampling delicacies, watching cooking demos, and finally settling on our evening meal.

Future food anthropologist heaven!

On Sunday, we rose early-ish and took the tram west to the Monastery of Jeronimos. It is a huge monastery, located in the Belem neighborhood of Lisboa. It was built around 1500 by an early navigator in Portugal. It is also a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

We attended Mass at the monastery, and although the language was Portuguese, we were able to distinguish the familiar rhythm of the liturgy and recognize the gospel reading. We also participated in a Palm Sunday celebration, where we carried greenery (palms, olive branches, and rosemary stems) around the monastery behind the cross. Again, we could not comprehend the words spoken, but were moved nonetheless.

Palm Sunday is so very bittersweet. Jesus is welcomed to Jerusalem with celebration, but a few days later, hangs on a cross. As I reflected on Jesus’ passion, I was moved to tears. It didn’t help that a choir decided to provide an impromptu performance inside the monastery during the Palm Sunday march.

The good news, Easter is next week. Which is all sweet, without the bitter!

We ended the trip in Belem by viewing the Tower of Belem, another UNESCO World Heritage Site, and dining on seafood along the Tagus River. All I can say is, these people do not play around with their seafood. Our favorite dish of the weekend was moqueca, a fish stew, similar to paella.

With a bus schedule to follow, we quickly headed back downtown and checked out of our apartment. We spend the rest of our Sunday exploring ancient churches, watching street performers in the Baixa neighborhood, and browsing shops.

For our first getaway while living in Madrid, I would say Lisboa was a success. We are thoroughly exhausted (the bus ride home was overnight), but would love to go back to Portugal. Next time, we hope to visit some of the famed wine regions, as well as bask in the sun along Portugal’s acclaimed beaches.

Abregado, Lisboa!