Near the Castello, Lisbon

Taking trip on the No. 28 tram is itself considered one of the sightseeing attractions of Lisbon. The route winds its way through steep, narrow, winding streets and passes most of the main sights of the city. We'd heard of this before we left home, and our choice of accommodation was made easier by the fact that the tram literally stops outside the door. So 'doing the number twenty-eight' was our main aim today.

It had rained overnight, dried up by mid morning, but remained a bit dull and overcast. That wasn't enough to dampen our spirits, though. Our first stop was at Praça do Comércio, down at the bottom of the Baixa area. Unfortunately, the middle of the square is a bit like a building site right now, so even though the architecture is impressive and the grand arch is mighty in scale, it didn't really ring our bell. Hunger was setting in by this stage too, so we finally settled for a tiny place with tables almost touching, popular with the locals, madly busy, but all a bit intimidating for us tourists.

Back on the tram we made our way right up to the viewing point beyond the cathedral and at the foot of the Castello which commands this part of the city. We intended originally to head down and around the winding streets of Alfama, but instead took courage and went up to the Castello itself. The narrow streets outside and around the castle were so fascinating that we actually considered not bothering with the fortress itself, but finally thought better of it and are glad we did. We made the decision over coffee and pastries and some port in Mercearia Castello, a really nice little café which was well advertised on most street corners.

Today's blip was taken back down at the foot of the street which leads up to the Castello, not far from the viewing point over the Alfama below. It sums up a lot of what Lisbon's about. Choosing it wasn't easy, and ended up as a joint decision between Carl and me.

It was a good day despite the rather disappointing weather, but tiring, so there was a definite need for a siesta when we got home, all of which meant that we were later than intended going out for our evening meal. Our chosen place was tiny and cheap, and my starter was bread soup (complete with as much garlic as I'd eat in a few months at home). We didn't even stop off in a bar afterwards, tired and satisfied as we were after yet another great day.