Our first full day in Lisbon we took it pretty easy. We managed to sleep in a little bit and drive out to Evora to see the Capella des Ossos (Chapel of Bones). It is important to note that the whole time we were in Lisbon the highs never dipped below 100 degrees so the heat is absolutely insane. The Chapel of Bones is exactly what the name implies. It looks a little disturbing - and i think it does this by design. Over the entrance to the chapel there is a sign that states "Our Bones are Here Waiting for Yours". The Chapel was made this way to remind people of their own mortality and the transience of life (and perhaps to scare them into being good Christians???) The weirdest part of the whole experience was that there seems to be a school right outside the walls of the chapel so as you are inside, you hear voices if little kids playing and yelling.
On our way back from Evora it was really hot so instead of going right back to Lisbon we went to the beach. It was very nice and relaxing. Because it was around 5 pm we got to sit in the shade without paying for it, and both Yan and Jessica went for a dip in the very cold ocean. I read in the shade and am happy to continue with my non burned status. After a couple of hours and feeling refreshed we drove back to Lisbon and checked in to our apartment. The parking situation is very difficult here but we parked our car surrounded by other cars so we thought we would be OK. (WE THOUGHT WRONG)
Jessica was starving by this point so our first order of business was to find dinner. This wasn't as easy as one might think since she was a little sick of Portuguese fast food, but after about 20 minutes we happened upon a restaurant that looked promising and had great views of the river. We came in and asked to be seated, but they told us that they were booked solid. After making it clear to them that we had a hunger emergency they were willing to seat us in the children's area at a very low children's table - but we were just grateful we were seated at all. The place was very posh and the food was excellent. Honeymooners 1 - cool hip restaurant 0. Once we ate the Pritzkers went to a jazz show and Mike and I walked around Lisbon at night.
Lisbon has a great night life. There are people of all ages out and about till he wee hours of the morning. The bars are full and there are people all over the streets chatting and drinking. Kiosks are open in the parks and it really feels like people are enjoying themselves. They work to play and it shows. Several times Mike and I lamented about the fact that the US does not seem to have this scene. Here even families with young children go out until all hours. (I think the afternoon siesta really does people a favor) Which senator do I need to contact to get this in Illinois? :)
The next morning in Lisbon started out with a mini adventure that we will call the case of the missing car. We were towed and at first Yan - who was supposed to move the car and put money into the meter located it across town. They would not let him take it back because he didn't have his passport and rental contract on him. Apparently the fact that he had a key to the car was not enough. He came to the apartment , and got Mike to go retrieve that car with him. In the mean time Jessya and I went to the super marked and bought breakfast items. Everyone was back home at around the same time so we had our breakfast and hightailed it to our walking tour of Alfama. (An old neighborhood of Lisbon)
Our guide was really cool and we really enjoyed our tour. He told us that Portugal was formed in a family feud. The king of Spain owned Portugal and gave it to his daughter. The daughter had a son that was born and raised in Lisbon. Once the king died his daughter took over in Spain but her son remained in Lisbon. He loved the land and wanted to rule locally. The people supported him and he fought his own mother for the land. He became the first king of Portugal.
Apparently we just missed a month long celebration in Lisbon. June is a month to party in the streets (its a month when all of the saints are celebrated). One of the most beloved saints is St. Anthony - the saint of weddings and for this reason 20 couples get they entire wedding and honeymoon paid for by the city on June 13. They all get married simultaneously in a big old cathedral. During the month of June neighbors in Alfama get together, decorate their courtyard, buy and gill sardines and blast music. They sell the food and split the profits between the neighbors. It looks like a block party everywhere you look.
At the end of our tour our guide also told us the legend of Lisboa. When Ulysses came to Portugal the princess of Portugal fell in love with him. They were very happy in their love, but the sailors that were on Ulysses' ship got homesick and wanted to leave. Ulysses and the princess didn't want to her anything about this, so one day the sailors got Ulysses very very drunk, put him on the boat and set sail. When the princess found out she turned herself into a snake so that she could get to the water and pull the ship back, but the ship was too far away. The grief turned the princess (in snake form) into stone. This is why Lisbon is so hilly.
After out tour the Pritzkers went home for a couple of hours to take a nap, but Mike and I stayed out more and walked around Alfama on our own for a while. Mike wanted to eat at one of the hole in the wall places that we passed by on our tour so we did that and drank some beer. We met up with the Pritzkers again at the Fado show that we all went to see. Fado is a Portuguese type of music that is sad and melancholy. It was born when women and children would stay in Lisbon and wait for sailors to return back to the city. Sometimes they never returned. The show was pretty good. I liked the guitar players and the female singer. The male was not very exciting. After the show we had dinner and Mike and I walked around a bit more. We all ended up in a bar that is in a circus school and has amazing views of Lisbon. It was a great way to spend our last night.
In the morning we went to Sintra and it was beautiful. We started with the caves and the well that goes down 60 kilometers into the ground. It was the perfect thing to do , as it was very very hot outside (It might have been the hottest day yet) The views were amazing and we splashed at each other and took in the nice cool caves. After lunch we went to see the Sinta castle but I got so car sick on the bus that instead Mike and I went all the way down by foot and the Pritzkers went to the castle and took the shuttle back to town. We only had to wait for them for 10 minutes so it worked out pretty well. The plan was to try and make a wine tour in Oporto, but somehow we got confused about how long it takes to get from Sintra to Oporto, so we missed it. The evening was pleasant anyway with good food and a lot of walking by the river. Today we will try to get through the walking city tour that I have planned and hopefully finally try some port at a winery on our way out of town. Jessya will be our designated driver :)
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