June 18, 2015 - Last Day in Lisbon

So many choices so little time.

So we will take one of each please.  Sorry we were to hungry to take a picture before we ate. This is just what was left after 7 pastries.....but it was both breakfast and lunch.

Really the pigeons ate most of it.

There are several pedestrian only lanes through the Baixa area of town and most are filled with outdoor seating areas for all the restaurants that line the lane.  We are convinced that back behind the stores and shops is a big kitchen that supplies all of the restaurants because they almost all serve the same food even though they serve a wide selection of food.  They are all encompassing, what you think is an ice-cream shop can also be a bar, a restaurant & a pastry shop and it is just a hole in the wall because the seating is all outside.

Since today is our last day in Lisbon and the next couple of weeks there will be not time to rest, we used today as just that, a day to rest, and get laundry done.  Elaine and I did take a little walk about while the boys went back to the apartment after brunch.  

We saw a church and of course we had to take a quick peek.

The last few days the human mannequins have been out.  I can't even imagine how you could move after being in this pose all day.  I say all day because when we went by later in the day we still saw him or someone just like him in the same pose.

I just love the architecture.

 Elaine's fish dinner.

Roger's fish dinner.

We saw another metro stop on our walk home from dinner, well really our walk around to the ice-cream shop then home.  What we found when we walked over was this sign and the gates locked. Uh-Oh! What we found out is that the metro staff are on strike.  So now do we take a taxi to the train station?  Is the train staff also on strike?  Well when we got back to the apartment we got on the internet and we are hoping that it was just for 24 hours and that the metro will be working normally tomorrow morning.  Also it looks like the strike was just with the metro staff and did not affect the long distance trains.  Thank goodness we went to Sintra yesterday.  Well I will let you know tomorrow how things worked out.

So just some info on our time in Lisbon:

Where did we find our apartment? http://www.cross-pollinate.com

You could I am sure contact him directly - Armendo Carnapete           

                                                                             a.carnapete@gmail.com

Communication was excellent and we would highly recommend the apartment.  Just understand that it is on the 3rd floor by American standards (2nd floor European) with no lift.  It is within easy walking distance of where you would catch any tour type transportation.  There is a washer and a dryer, 2 bedrooms with queen size beds & 2 bathrooms with showers no bath tub.

Getting to the apartment: We were glad that we took the taxi just because we were unfamiliar to where we were staying.  Cost for 4 people in a van was 38 Euros.  But you could easily take public transportation, either the Arobus or the metro, for a lot less.  If you asked anyone for direction to the Justa Santa Lift they would be able to get you there.  From the steps that are right in front of the lift you would turn away from the lift and cross the street and go straight.  The clear glass door that leads to the apartment is just after a little souvenir shop on the right ( about the middle of the little block.  It is a corner apartment with balconies from every window/door so it is very bright and airy.

English is widely spoken and if not, most understood and they would try to help you by pointing.  

Credit cards are not taken at a lot of places, so you will need cash.

Monday most sightseeing places are closed.

It is very affordable to eat out in Lisbon.