After a glorious 10 hours of sleep last night, I was ready to take on Lisbon once again. Given that the sunny weather prediction for today turned into clouds (and drizzle) with only a little sun mixed in, I decided to move some of my plans around in hopes of more sun tomorrow.
Before breakfast, I wandered, which is one of my favorite things to do in a new city. The streets in Lisbon hold so much charm and unique character that it was easy to get lost wandering the streets and hills near my hotel as I made my way in the general direction of Heim Cafe. Shortly before breakfast, the clouds turned to a light drizzle, so I was happy to take refuge in the tiny cafe with a table by the window.
Heim Cafe was on my list of places to try for breakfast and was one I did not want to miss. The awning out front proclaims, “Breakfast dreams come true”. It was obviously right up my alley, what with my propensity for sweet and fattening breakfasts. Crème Brûlée brioche with orange citrus sauce was my breakfast of choice this morning. I wouldn’t say my breakfast dreams came true, but it was good.
After breakfast, I walked back to Praça do Comércio where I started listening to and following Rick Steves’ Lisbon Walk as an audio guide on my phone. I loosely followed the recommended route as I learned about the history and culture of Lisbon. The route took me through the Baixa, Bairro Alta, and Chiado districts and visited squares, churches, and miradouros. It was alternately sunny and drizzly during my walk so I was simultaneously wishing I had grabbed my sunglasses and also grateful I had a hood on my jacket.
The walk ended near A Brasileira, a Lisbon institution since 1905, and visited by politicians, poets, and writers. I took a picture inside, then sat on the patio for my iced latte and pastel de nata. Pastel de nata is a popular egg custard tart found throughout Portugal. This was only my first one, so I have nothing to compare it to (yet), but let’s just say if this ends up being the worst one I eat this week, it will be a very good week!
I wandered through Bairro Alta some more after my snack, then made my way back to my hotel. I’m thankful I inherited my dad’s sense of direction as it makes navigating new cities pretty easy.
Dinner tonight was at Lupita Pizzaria (their spelling, not mine). I wanted to try a more traditional Portuguese meal tonight, but the places I wanted to try were either too far away or opened later than I would have preferred. I know I said the pizza I ate in Charleston a couple of weeks ago was the best I’d had in a long time, but tonight’s spicy vodka pizza just might have eclipsed that. The crust on the pizza was pillowy soft and the pepperoni crumbles added a nice kick to it. The vodka sauce was to die for. I could live on pizza, so this is high praise from someone who consumes quite a lot of it. (I accidentally took a bite of the pizza before remembering to take a picture!)
I ended my evening with a stop at Gelato Davvero in the Time Out Market. I added three scoops (stracciatella, salted caramel, and pastel de nata) to a cup and brought my gelato to the small park/garden next to the market to enjoy al fresco.
Traveling with Laura 