Lisbon - Day 5 - Lisboat

Just as the inside of the convent had decorative elements

so did the outside

which I got to observe as I waited for the bus.

I got off the bus again at the riverside dock. I would never have taken Lisboat except it was part of the 4 day ticket so I decided to give it a try.

Its a busy river, aside from the cargo ships that pass up and down there are 2 different ferry services. This picture is of the fastest one.

Cruise ships. This one is actually the P&O boat that I saw in Madeira.

River tours.

A sailing school

Sailboat charters. I wonder if PDYC boats should sell advertising on their sails, offset the costs a little.

On a choppy, windy river we went past dockyards,

past shipping docks,

under the big bridge and

up towards the Monument to the Discoveries.

There was some sort of military parade going on at the monument and 3 naval ships had formed a perimeter that we had to go around. The skipper thought it was something to do with the 70th Anniversary of NATO.

We could, however, get close to the Torre do Belem

We turned and headed back up river and swung by Praca do Commercio

before returning to the dock again.

I walked home through the Braixa district, the area that was rebuilt after the earthquake/fire/tsunami disaster and then headed out for supper. I went to the restaurant that the waiter had recommended to me but it wasn't open until 7pm so I had a glass of wine at his cafe and then returned.

At 7:05 it was already full but they found a spot for me. It has 6 tables of 6 and one of 8 and they couldn't fit another chair in if they tried. Dad is behind the bar, Mum in the kitchen and the daughter serves the tables. They are all run off their feet but don't seem stressed and there are lots of laughs during the process.

I ordered the Cuttlefish, fried in butter with potatoes, and a glass of wine and one of water. The place was noisy. The Portuguese are not a quiet people especially when they are eating. I sat next to a Portuguese couple who had lived in South Africa for 17 years and returned recently. They were eating out before going to a concert (A British group called James).

The decor - clocks. It was a good meal, good conversation and a great atmosphere. Cost was less than $10. Half the price I would have paid, for less of an experience, out on the main street.

Another photo for Nicola. The Nicola Cafe is the only surviving Rossio cafe from the 19th century  and was once the haunt of Lisbon's great literary figures (according to the guidebook)