Osterferien, Part III: Lovely, Lovely Lisbon

Warning: Photo-heavy post. This is because Lisbon is gorgeous.

My hands are already cramped, and we're not even halfway through. Well, after this one, we will be. Still. Ouch.

So, where were we? Ah, yes; the tearful goodbye at Gatwick, on our way to Portugal (and, consequently, our longest flight of the batch). Yes, it was wrenching to say goodbye to my family, as I felt that I hadn't had enough time with them, or to bask in the loveliness that is southern England, despite the dreary weather. But, trudge forward we did, and we made it into Lisbon around 8:00 PM because, true to Easy Jet's invisible policy, the flight was delayed. Maryle and I took the shuttle bus to the area where our hostel, Lisbon Lounge, was located, and we had no difficulties finding it and settling in.

As a brief aside, the Lisbon Lounge was the best hostel we stayed in all throughout our trip. It had a very hospitable atmosphere, the staff was friendly and obliging, the rooms were nice and secure, and the food was quite good. It was at this point, though, that Maryle and I started our descent into becoming pair of old ladies, as I had pulled a back muscle during the flight, which left me in quite a bit of pain that night and the next morning. However, when my back pain cleared up, Maryle developed some of her own, which lasted the rest of the trip. So, we pulled out our walkers and gave ourselves old lady names: Pearl (Maryle) and Vera (moi).

Just like that. Pearl and Vera.*

Vera has a great sense of style. Might want to stay away from barbers, though.**

My first good impression of Lisbon started at the hostel, as the cook offered us some dessert, even though we had arrived too late to pre-order dinner. As we ate, we struck up a brief conversation with the cook, who turned out to be a rather likable fellow; he seemed to cook solely because he liked to (and, er, because he was paid to, but that's beside the point). Because of this impression, we decided to have dinner at the hostel the two remaining nights we were there.

The next morning, we were curious about a free guided tour of Lisbon that the hostel offered. As that didn't start until 10:30 in the morning, Maryle and I wandered a bit beforehand, and we stumbled across a lovely part of the river nearby. It was a gorgeous day--warm, sunny, and blue--, and seeing the water that morning, along with feeling the watery breeze, made my soul feel just a little bit lighter. Being by the water (which may seem ridiculous, as I don't yet swim) always makes me feel at peace, as if it's a long-lost friend who is eager to see me whenever I'm in town. And it brought a smile to my face.

At that point, I knew that Lisbon was a Good Place.

We eventually returned to the hostel's lounge, waiting for the tour to start. Our company was a group of quite typical Americans, which didn't suit Maryle or me at all, and overall the tour was exactly what it was: a free tour. Though we eventually defaulted, Maryle and I did see fascinating parts of the city--but it was more because we were interested in the city itself and not because of the tour. And since pictures are sometimes worth more than words, I'll let a few speak for me.

The river.

Squinty (this time on the tour).

When we did default, Maryle and I decided to go to Belem, which was approximately fifteen minutes away by tram. It was the best decision we made that day, in my opinion, as Belem is wonderful. It is the part of the city that is home to many of Lisbon's prized attractions, such as the Jerónimos Monastery and the Belem Tower. We spent the evening walking about the area, soaking in the sun, admiring the water, and exploring some of the monuments there (though further exploration into the monastery would wait until the next day). We first approached the Monument to the Discoveries, which is in honor of Henry the Navigator. It is quite an impressive structure, and we wasted no time in being absolutely silly.

It's funny because I'm imitating the statues. Hur.

I cannot get over the blue skies. And, yes, that's an imitation of the Golden Gate Bridge, there.

We then walked to the Belem Tower, the entrance port constructed in the early 1500s that is perhaps Lisbon's most famous structure. Though small, it really is a sight to see, but that was perhaps because of the addition to the beautiful weather and the time of day. Maryle and I spent a good bit of time there, gathering seashells and taking pictures.

Purdy.

I have also forgotten to mention that since we were in a four-person mixed dorm, our roommates changed every night. This particular day, we met our new roomie, one Nate from Iowa, who had just started his bike adventure from Lisbon to Rome. He was a very nice young man, and we enjoyed having him as our roommate, as he was quiet and polite, along with providing enjoyable conversation. He maintains an active online blog over at Word Press, and here is his site. It's a rather interesting blog, so here's to hoping that he makes it to Rome in the allotted time. Good luck, Nate.

The next day saw us returning to Belem to tour the monastery, which was beautiful, if too crowded and loud for my taste. Indeed, that was quite disappointing; though I'm glad that I toured the monastery's interior, it just didn't feel right that so many people were about. It seemed, in all honesty, fake. After the monastery, Maryle and I went off to purchase pastéis de Belém, the famous custard pastries that everyone really must try. We got them at the historic pastry shop on Rua de Belem and feasted. A sugary, custardy feast. Jealous? Yeah, you should be.

We then packed up and traveled to the other end of the city to climb to St. Jorge's castle, which was a workout. In fact, just being in Lisbon is a workout, as the city is incredibly hilly. Nevertheless, the castle was peaceful, and it offered beautiful views of the city:

Like this one here.

And let's not forget this one.

Oh, and if anyone is afraid of heights, don't go there. There is also no railing whatsoever.

Afterward, Maryle and I observed a very interesting convent that had been destroyed during the 1755 earthquake (the one that Voltaire parodies in his Candide, natch), and then we called it a day and returned to the hostel area, first to shop around and then to have our last dinner at the Lisbon Lounge. It turned out to be quite a fun night, as Nate, who was supposed to have checked out that morning, had decided to stay another night at the hostel because of technical difficulties with his bike. So, with a Portuguese acquaintance we had made the night before, a Belgian family, and the receptionist on duty, we had a very pleasant meal of pork ribs, port wine, salad, and soup. Quite a nice end to a lovely stay in Lisbon.

Next up: Madrid. Oh, Madrid. However, this will be the last post of the day, as I have some lesson prepping to do. Yay, I'm a substitute teacher this week. Hopefully, though, I will continue my updating tomorrow, after work. 'Til then, duckies.

*Why, yes; that is indeed Bea Arthur and Angela Lansbury.
**Sweeney Todd reference, you fools!