Have you ever returned to a city that you enjoyed visiting in the past and it feels like reconnecting with an old friend. That’s exactly how Lisbon feels to me today. This is a good way to start a scouting trip to see if this is a place that I would like to live when my working days are done.
The flight here on Tap Air Portugal was a little bumpy, but no serious turbulance. I wasn’t able to sleep, so I have been up for almost 30 hours at this point. That is not a complaint.
Getting through customs was easy and my bag was on the carousel when I got to the pick up point. The Vodafone store was also open so I was able to get a SIM card and 10 GB of data which is good for 30 days for only €20, about $26 Canadian. Compare that to the $12/day that Rogers charges for Roam Like Home.
Check-in for my AirBnB wasn’t for several hours so I used Luggage Hero to find a place to check my bag. There was a bit of a hiccup with the app when it was time to pay, but it was a good deal to pay €5 and not have to drag my suitcase with me. So it was off to start my day.
Because it was so early and nothing was open, I headed down to the Praça do Comércio. It was a great time to go because there were only a hand full of people there, including a couple using the early light to take their wedding photos. It was also great to walk along the water with only the company of joggers and some people who were still on their way home from the night before.
As things started to open up, I was able to get a coffee and check out the sights of downtown. I have always been surprised by how compact the downtown of Lisbon is for a capital city. Then again, Portugal is a small country and I really like that everything is so close together.
After a coffee and pastéis de nata at Aloca it was time to go to the LX Factory Sunday Market. This is one of my favourite things to do at this form fabric production plant in the Alcântara neighbourhood. There are so many artisans, restaurants. and people from all over the world just having a great time in what turned out to be 30° toay.
To get out of the heat I headed to the Time Out Market Lisbon. There are so many phenomenal food options here. Not suprisingly it was insanely packed. I went back to one of my favourits, Henrique Sá Pessoa – a two star Michelin chef who makes his food accessible in this upscale foodcourt. The lunch special is just €17.50 and include a main course, glass of wine or beer and dessert.
So now settled into my AirBNB, showered and a glass of Vinho Verde (or two), it’s time to relax and enjoy the evening. Big plans ahead for tomorrow.
