Belem tower

What with the time difference and all, I was up (comparatively speaking) with the larks this morning.  Heading out to forage for breakfast goodies, I realised I had forgotten to look up any words in Portuguese (apart from thank you).  Needn't have worried - our nearest morning pastries shop was a proper French boulangerie, with proper French folk so I was unexpectedly able to cope.

Once all had had their fill of pastries, coffee and semi-seedless grapes on the sunny roof terrace, we girded our loins to start climbing some hills (slowly, with shop pauses, of course).  Today's business was to go to Belem, along the banks of the river on the outskirts of Lisbon proper.  Here there's a tower, a big monastery (I think - we didn't go in) and a pastry shop.  Also many fine restaurants, one of which was lucky enough to have us join them for lunch (ceviche, then shrimp and lime risotto - oh my).

After some jumping on bollards, a quick church wander (including Vasco de Gama's tomb - wonder what he would have made of the folk doing thumbs up selfies in front of it?) pasteis shopping in the famous pastry shop and the hottest tram in the world home.  So hot and crowded was it, that we gave up and got off early, spilled out onto a six lane motorway.  Still, nothing ventured and all that, so we sprinted (ok, maybe scuttled is more accurate) across and began a slightly longer than planned walk home.  Very hot. 

Dinner was in the famous Clubbe de Fado and we were seated very close to the fado group (double bass, guitar, mandolin and rotating collection of singers).  Cabs then to the recommended cocktail bar - on top of a car park - which had a certain grungy charm and great views over the river.  Glad I didn't have to fight my way to the bar though.  Home for a gin liqueur or two and a collapse into bed.