Wandering around Lisbon

While it didn't involve loud celebrations, there were nonetheless unanticipated events today that brightened our day.

I had identified about five things that I was interested in seeing in the Graca, Castelo and Alfama neighborhoods, but the real objective of the day was to just wander around and explore, stopping when and where the urge hit us.

We set out from the hotel and walked down Avenida Liberdade. I was pleasantly surprised by two things. First, all the revelry that had taken place the night before had been cleaned up without a trace. Impressive, particularly given how late/early the celebration had gone. The second thing was the beautifully patterned boulevard walkway (calling it a "sidewalk" seems way too, well, pedestrian). As we continued throughout the day, I saw variations of patterns wherever we walked and it was interesting to note the differences. I've included a few of the patterns in an attached photo.

As we wandered down towards the water's edge, we stopped by the Convento do Carmo. While it was not open while we were there, it is fascinating as it was severely damaged by an earthquake in 1755. The arches and pillars and some side walls remain, creating a sort of skeleton of what once was. I can only imagine how amazing it must look from within.

We proceeded on to our first scheduled stop -- Praca de Comercio. This plaza is Europe's largest square and was indeed impressive. As we approached, I thought I heard a band playing. Not a rock band or local music, but an actual symphonic band. Hmmm. As we drew closer, we saw that indeed there was a band and we had stumbled across a small parade in progress that also featured those marching in traditional Portuguese attire and accessorized, if you will, with old pitchforks and other tools, baskets, bundles on the heads of women and often wearing shoes that seemed lke a cross between a Dutch wooden clog and a cowboy boot -- wooden soles with leather uppers and a very pointing toe. What I didn't quite understand were the two guys who were dressed in some sort of straw ensemble. I will have to look into this.

This was all happening right by the shore, where in the distance we could see sailboats and ships as well as some guys apparently digging for clams or mussels in the rocks on the shore after the tide had gone out. Nice to have a band play while you harvest dinner, right?

Our next destination was Castelo de Sao Jorge, a famous castle set high up on a hill, so we started climbing. We stopped along the way for some beautiful spots overlooking the sea and also at the Se de Lisboa (Lisbon Cathedral). The cathedral and its location have an interesting history as it was built on the site of a mosque after Christians recaptured the area from the Moors. The cathedral area also includes gothic cloisters that are supposed to be interesting but which are, alas, closed on Sundays.

We continued up the hill, passing the ruins of an old Roman theater that is under excavation and appears to have basically been paved over through the years. We finally arrived at the castle entrance to find a really, really long line just to buy tickets. Um, pass. We have both seen castles before and while I have no doubt I would have found this interesting, we were both more interested in wandering.

We decided to stop for an espresso. While it was still somewhat early in the day, we were surprised that in such a touristy area there were no outdoor cafes. A block or two away, we saw a small little cafe and ducked inside. There was a woman seated at one of the tables enjoying an espresso of her own, but no staff seemed to be there and the woman noted that they had stepped out. We sat down and waited for their return and ended up striking up a conversation with the woman. She was visiting from Amsterdam for about a week and had already learned to navigate the tram system and other things, not to mention we had many other travels in common. Lovely lady, traveling solo, likely interested in talking to someone, and who had successfully lost 140 pounds on the keto diet. Impressive. While I tend to keep to myself, I always enjoy random encounters like this. The staff did finally return and we had our espresso. Cost? EUR 1, 50/each. Well, don't mind if I do have another....

Our next step is perhaps not a popular tourist destination, but made sense after the aborted castle trip. Jardim da Cerca da Graca is said to be Lisbon's second largest park, though it is tucked away in between the Graca and Mouraria neighborhoods and you have to hike uphill quite a ways to get to it. But that's what gives you some great views of the castle as well as the sea in the distance. Nice place to take a seat, watch the dogs and kids running around, and perhaps have a nice picnic, though we didn't have the latter with us.

We stopped for lunch later at the restaurant located at the Fado Museum so somewhat upscale and were surprised when two large salads, a large bottle of water, the bread and spreads (they offer them but you are charged for them) and two espressos came to a whopping EUR 25,50. The starter things alone cost EUR 7, which shows how inexpensive the rest was. All that, plus excellent service and a fresh strawberry for each of us from -- one assumes -- the large planters near the tables that were full of strawberry plants in various states of production. Yum!

The last stop of the day was the Panteao Nacional or National Pantheon. It required going back up another hill and this large domed building was at the top. It was apparently originally designed as a church but then became the pantheon. It wasn't a large building and from the outside not much to look at and not very well maintained -- lots of weeds etc. Given that, we didn't feel like paying EUR 4/ea to peek inside and decided to head back to the hotel on foot, which included -- you guessed it -- more hills. I was really quite surprised at how hilly the city is. I guess it explains why people were positively packed on the trams that went up to certain areas (though perhaps it was also the charm of riding on one of the older trams) and there are also a bunch of little tuk-tuk vehicles that'll take you around for a fee.

At the end of the day, we only walked about 20,000 steps (compared with the death march in Paris where Kimberley thought it would be fun to exceed 35,000 steps and we nearly cleared 40,000), but with all the hill climbing and descents it felt like a lot more.

One of the highlights through the day were the variety of animals we say. Kimberley has a gift for finding any friendly black cat and she found one near the castle. I am perpetually fascinated by birds and, while I couldn't get close enough with my phone camera, I was absolutely charmed and enchanted by birds that had nested in openings in the castle walls and saw a little baby bird with beak wide open demanding food from its cooperative parent. So sweet. There was a mutt dog that apparently belonged to someone but was just hanging outside a house unleashed that reminded us of our dog, Beau -- not least because he was fine for a while and then barked at us like we were axe murderers, just as Beau does to me. There was also a tiny "working dog" whose owner -- a guy playing accordion for tips -- had perched him on his shoulder and outfitted him with a tiny pail for tips that the dog held in his mouth. Perhaps the most surprising, though, were the gorgeous roosters that were hanging around one of the parks.

Another highlight, of course, are the variety of patterns on the tile-clad buildings. The collages here are just a sampling of the over 30 that I took, ranging in size, brilliance, complexity and condition. No doubt there will be many more to see in the remainder of this trip.

Arriving in Lisbon

Our trip started out on a fun note. We were flying with British Airways via LHR. As we were boarding the flight to London, I noted the flight attendant scribbling something on the tags that are attached to the hangers for coats and jackets et cetera in business class. She was scribbling so much (turns out the pen just wasn't working) that I asked what all they wrote on those tags. For example, did they write (for their own knowledge or for crew members) helpful or warning information on passengers, such as "Ornery," "Bad attitude," "Ignorant American," or "Already overserved?" She  just laughed.

Before take-off, I had put my own jacket on the footrest and she asked if I'd like her to hang it up. "Yes, please. And I hope my note is good."  She laughed again.

Just before landing at Heathrow, she returned my jacket and  noted there might be a note in the pocket if I could read her handwriting. And here it is.  

Love the sense of playfulness. And the entire flight crew was extremely efficient as well. Very good in flight experience.

Unfortunately, we had a rather long six hour layover in London. I actually wish it had been even an hour or two longer as it would have allowed us time to get into the city and do something. Alas, no. But we were fortunate to have access to the BA lounge and hung out there, watching as breakfast fare turned into lunch and then snacks and beverages other than coffee were consumed in large amounts (though after only a few hours of sleep on the flight, we were certainly of the coffee quaffing group).

The flight to Lisbon was uneventful, other than the couple sitting ahead of us. British Airways his business class in Europe that is like Lufthansa -- same seats as economy and same legroom, just a guaranteed empty middle seat and, in this case, a meal served.  After our boarding passes were scanned, we were in a sort of holding area waiting room before boarding. The first row near the jetway was reserved for those requiring special assistance. We were amused when a woman I will refer to simply as Princess and her sugar daddy walked up to those seats. He was wrangling all of the luggage while she, wearing dark black Louis Vuitton sunglasses, was hobbling along in high heeled knee high black leather boots and wrapped up in a Louis Vuitton logo-covered trench coat.  She took a look at the seats and the writing and symbols on them, paused, and sat down. 

Kim:  Perhaps she thinks "special assistance" means VIP?

Apparently.

The two of them ended up being directly ahead of us on the flight. There was some confusion as Princess wanted to order something from the on-board purchased food menu while the flight attendant kept trying to explain that there was a full meal served in business class, but if they really wanted to pay for something from the Marks & Spencer On Board menu....  There was also some drama when she was flinging her long hair around and managed to lose a grip on her hair clip that went underneath the seat in front of her.  She turned to sugar daddy and apparently asked him to help her get it back, so he's talking over the seat directly in front of her to the gentleman ahead who managed to retrieve the item. I don't think she even gave him an "obrigada." Anyway, she made the flight a bit more eventful. As we were getting off the plane and onto our bus on the tarmac (something of Europe I have definitely NOT missed), I noted that she had Louis Vuitton luggage while sugar daddy had the good sense to have the matte black Rimowa case. I was going to comment to Kim that I was surprised that the camel-colored wool coat she was carrying wasn't carrying the LV logos. But then I realized that the pattern was on the inside....  And there's my cattiness for the day.

I had researched in advance transport options from the airport to our hotel and it looked like one of the easiest and cheapest (I AM a tight-fisted accountant, after all) was the Metro which would, with one connection, get us to within a few hundred meters of our hotel for about EUR 1,50 and which would take about 20 minutes.  Sweet.

I was confused, though, when the train slowed but didn't stop at our station (Praca Marques de Pombal -- apologies for this and other names, but don't have a Portuguese keyboard installed on my app to provide the correct characters) but went on to the last and final stop of the line. Okay, maybe it was just an express train? So we crossed over to get the next train back. Same thing -- skipped our stop. I sighed loudly in exasperation and a young woman explained that the stop was closed off because the local football had won a big match and there would be a celebration in the area of the skipped stop. Which meant right around our hotel. Hmmm.... So we got off and started walking. There were quite a few places where the streets were blocked off and we even had to ask the police to let us through the gates set up outside our hotel so we could check in.

After we got settled, we decided to head out to grab some water and snacks and see what all the hubbub was all about.  I really enjoy grocery stores in other countries -- to see the types of food that are popular, whether there are unique offerings, what is available as prepared/take-out foods, etc. And, of course, what the level of pricing is.  

So here's a quiz for you.

How much would you expect to pay at a convenience store for all of the following items in Lisbon at a convenience store:

• Three gala apples
• One banana
• One package of chocolate covered cookie sticks (like Pocky from Japan, but a local brand)
• 1.5 liter of water
• One package of rice cakes
• About a liter of beer (in a giant glass bottle - classy)

A. EUR 5
B. EUR 10
C. EUR 15
D. More than EUR 15

For extra credit, which was the most expensive of the six items?

Think about that and I'll share the answers below.

We dropped off our bag of goodies at the hotel -- going through the police barrier again -- and headed out to follow the crowds. We weren't able to go directly into the main area where the celebration -- St. Benfica had won the Liga Nos championship -- would be held. But we followed the crowd and found a really , really long queue on Avenida Liberdade to go through security and bag checks and then get into the area. We decided it wasn't necessary for us to do that since we could clearly HEAR everything from our hotel room and could probably watch the whole thing on TV. Instead, we hung out in the queuing area, grabbed some beers from a little outside cafe/bar and watched some of the proceedings and awards ceremony that were still going on at the stadium on television. Quite fun.

There is a large fire department adjacent to our hotel and one can see the various vehicles outside of our room window. Last night there were a lot of their crew outside, likely in preparation for anything that might happen related to the celebration. But what I enjoyed most was that they were outside and grilling a bunch of chicken on a grill made out of a 50 gallon metal drum. There was a LOT of chicken so I guess they were planning on a long night or there were more firefighters inside than I had thought.

I think we were back in our hotel room by about 10:30. The celebration was clearly just getting underway and there was a lot of noise. We were both glad to have saved our earplugs from the flight, though after a long day and a short night on the flight, I don't think anything could have come between me and sleep.

Quiz Answers:

It would be an understatement to say that I am amazed at how low some prices are here. The answer to the grocery store total question is EUR 5,37. WHAT?! Yeah.  

And the most expensive item? The off-brand Pocky at EUR 1,67.

A sober reminder

In my last few hours in Lithuania, I set out to the KGB Museum/Museum of Occupations and Freedom Fighters. It was, like the Ninth Fort in Kaunas, very sobering. Exhibits covered the occupation by Nazis as well as the Russians on both sides of World War 2. It covered the relocations, exiles, labour camps and related conditions, killings and deaths as well as a brief exhibit on the fate of Jews. And then the entire lower level was devoted to the KGB operations in Lithuania, its prison and the execution chamber.

I think this wall of artwork by mostly 11 and 12 year olds on the outside of the museum summarizes it best. Zoom in on a few and just take it all in. What an incredible story of a resilient people who have endured much to once again re-establish a democracy. A reminder to us all.

Wandering around Trakai Island Castle and Vilnius

I woke up in Kaunas to another rainy morning. Ugh. And turned over and slept in for once. Which, of course, I regretted later as the weather cleared up a bit and I might have been able to get to the Jewish Museum that unfortunately closes early on Fridays and is closed on Saturday. But I got on a train and was back in Vilnius by 11, figured out how to use the left luggage lockers to save time, and grabbed a bus to Trakai.

Trakai is the site of the Trakai Island Castle that goes back ages. It was really falling into the status of ruins in the early 1900s but fortunately individuals banded together to start to restore it and it is really quite fascinating. At EUR 8, I think it's a bit overpriced relative to other museums in the area and the types of exhibits available (a bunch of things about beadwork, ivory, glasswork and other things rather than deep dives on history and the castle itself). They also wanted another EUR 1.50 for the privilege of taking pictures. But it was nice to wander around in different parts of the castle and the setting was lovely.

The trip back was a little more interesting. I wasn't able to buy the bus ticket online as I had with the one out there (even though it was for the same company) and there wasn't a ticket agent on duty in Trakai. So I found where the next bus/van would be loading and went there. And was turned away. Unlike the driver in the morning, this driver wouldn't allow any standees. Not even a SanDee standee. So I had to wait another half hour and be first in line to make sure I got a seat on the next bus out.

Unfortunately, this meant that I didn't arrive back at Vilnius until after 2:45 PM, so no chance to get into the Jewish Museum before they closed. But after picking up my bag and checking into the hotel, I did have time to wander around Vilnius a bit more before a dinner appointment. Highlights include spotting a sculpture of Frank Zappa (no idea why), the Cat Cafe which was too busy/full to allow entry to the likes of me, and a yarn and knitting store with a super huge knitted work.

Sad that my time here is coming to an end. Will wander around Vilnius tomorrow morning one last time and hopefully hit the KGB Museum. Until then, checked into my cell at the converted convent. Perhaps the only way I'll find religion. ;-)

Why we should all know about Kaunas

The second Klaipeda hotel was very sweet this morning -- I had mentioned yesterday when checking in that I wouldn't be able to have the breakfast at 7 AM because I would be leaving. So imagine my surprise when I checked out and they presented me with a take-away bag of a packed breakfast of yogurt, a sandwich, orange, bottled water and some cookies. Very sweet. And with no prompting by me. When was the last time a Westin took that initiative for me? How about never? The clerk also confirmed that it was totally safe to walk to the train station ("But it is still cold and windy outside, madame" -- noted, though at least it had stopped raining overnight) so off I set, snapping a few pics of things I had missed before.

As I was traveling between Klaipeda (the third largest city in Lithuania) and Kaunas (second largest city), I had assumed there would be a direct train. Nope. The trip required a connection in a place called Kaisiadorys that seemed rather, er, rural. Okay.... I had about 25 minutes between the arrival of my train and the departure of the second to Kaunas, so I was hanging out on the platform, since there was only one, and just stretching my legs, when I saw the train whiz by. Wait, what?! Well, turns out there IS another platform, but it wasn't at the train station itself. You had to go about 1/8th of a mile down by the tracks, take a stairway up and over the tracks and down into the center (like the Blue Line El in Chicago by UIC, for my Chicago friends). Ummm..... [And behold, there was swearing....]

Now when I had booked my train, there was the now-typical scenario of a train around 5 AM another at 6 AM, and then the next one was around 4 PM. I had zero interest in hanging out in Kaisiadorys for six hours. But there also weren't any taxis hanging around. What to do, what to do? So I went into the train station and the first ticket agent said she didn't understand English (let alone speak it) BUT there was another employee there and, thank goodness, she both understood and spoke English. I explained the situation and she was TERRIFIC. She immediately put my mind at ease, noting that the next train was in another half hour (it's apparently the higher speed trains that run less frequently), notified me that I'd need another ticket (it's not like Deutsche Bahn where you can just take the next train -- you buy a ticket for a specific train), sold me that ticket, told me not to worry, and then came out from behind their desk/counter area and walked me outside to show me exactly where to catch the train. So helpful. I am so grateful she was there.

This was another 25,000+ step kind of day. In addition to the hike to the train station in Klaipeda at the crack of dawn, I also walked several kilometers to the hotel in Kaunas; I'm not sure I want to do that again tomorrow because parts of it were kinda ghetto and not something I'd want to do if I ended up taking an early train. I dropped off my bag at the hotel (too early to check in) and then continued to wander around Old Town, taking in the historic Town Hall Square, the gorgeous Cathedral of Saints Peter and Paul and Kaunas Castle. It was still too early to check into my hotel and I had heard great things about Ninth Fort, but it was also a couple of miles out of town. Now, again, I'm not averse to walking, but over 80 minutes each way in a strange city operating GPS that would quickly drain the battery on my phone didn't sound like a good plan.

So I had an immersion experience and decided to take the bus. GPS had told me which bus to take and where to catch it, but it didn't say anything about what kind of bus it would be, how much the fare would be, how one buys tickets or anything like that. So I show up at the bus stop and start asking young-looking people if they speak English and they're too shy to try and speak it. I finally asked a young woman who must've still been in high school, "Tru puty[sp?]?" as in, maybe you understand a little? She shyly nodded and then we had a bit of a conversation based on which I determined that I could pay on the bus and it was likely under EUR 2. Okay, then! Ended up being only EUR 1 and the bus wasn't initially crowded, but then we went past what must have been a Catholic elementary school and all of these adorable kids in their uniforms invaded, I mean "boarded," the bus. I had this one girl who couldn't have been more than 6 or so as she was looking at me at eye level while she stood and I was seated, and she was just staring at me. Um? Apparently my attempts to not look like a tourist were not fooling her. She didn't say anything, just stared. Until what could only be her brother started kicking her. Ah, siblings, the world over....

If you are ever in Kaunas, you should go to the Ninth Fort. Not for the bus experience, but for all that you can learn about Lithuania and its tragic history that all comes together there. The Ninth Fort was originally designed for defensive measures, but is much more well known for its role in holding individuals against their wills. Specifically, it was a holding area by the Soviets for individuals before they were transported to labor camps. That was both before and after WW2. But during WW2 when Lithuania was occupied by the Nazis, the fort was used as a place to execute over 30,000 Jews as well as captured Soviets and others. The museum contains a lot of details on Lithuanian history and the occupation by Russia before and after WW2 and all of the displacements of Lithuanians to parts of Russians as well as to labor camps. The Fort part of the site goes into more detail of what happened with the prisoners, their housing, and courageous people who sheltered Jews or others. In a nutshell, it is very sobering. I teared up more than once. It is a reminder of the courage of the Lithuanian people and their struggles against invading countries. And that, beyond all the niceties of Kaunas, is why everyone should know about Kaunas.

Shelter in place

The weather forecast called for rain starting at around 11 AM today, so I headed out around 9 to walk across the island to get to the Baltic Sea. Predictably, it started drizzling, though was better once I was in the woods. And then I noticed the winds were picking up. By the time I got to the coast, the rain had paused but the wind gusts were so hard I could hardly stand up at some points on the slippery boardwalk through the dunes as I headed down. Some say you can find bits of amber washed up on the shore. I didn't have time (or sufficient hair controlling devices) to allow for that, though I did pick up a souvenir seashell that probably won't make it home.

As I was heading out of the woods (a national park, I should note), past the signs to the women's nude beach and an odd one with must mean a dog beach or dog swimming or something, I noticed I'd just missed the ferry that would take me to the mainland for sightseeing. Doh! Well, that doh was premature, as what I learned when I consulted the ferry schedule was not only that the next ferry wouldn't arrive for another hour, but also that the first ferry of the morning doesn't depart until 7:15 AM. That's a problem since my target train to Kaunas leaves around 6:30 AM and the next one isn't until around 5 PM and the journey takes at least four hours. DOH!

Soooo..... I checked out of my hotel (unclear whether I will be charged for the second night) and got onto the next ferry to the mainland and checked into another hotel, The Old Mill, which I knew because it was right near the ferry. While I was early, they gave me a really large and bright room with a nice seating area and slanted skylights and a sink capable of washing more than one sock at a time. I hung out here for about an hour just drying out and recovering from the rain and wind I had already experienced before heading out to explore. In the rain. Without a hat or umbrella (the latter would have been useless in these winds). It's currently 53 F with winds at 30 mph, for those interested.


I hit the old town, grabbed some snacks when I stumbled upon a small grocery store, and will spend the rest of the day doing laundry, reading a book, and drinking my EUR 0.34 for 20 bags peppermint tea. While not planned, this downtime is exactly what I needed. (Full disclosure: snacks also included a wedge of brie -- for only EUR 1.49 -- some seed crackers and a half bottle of Spanish red, so there may be a happy hour before I head to dinner at the restaurant.)

So I am over half way through this adventure and no comments from readers. Is this helpful? Do you prefer history, statistics et cetera or more the experience of being here? How can I make the posts more useful?

Why it takes 52 minutes to walk three kilometers

When I arrived at the Klaipeda train station this morning after a very nice trip from SIauliai, I put my hotel into maps and asked it to calculate a route for me to walk the approximately three kilometers to my hotel. Wait, what, 52 minutes? I walk slowly, but not THAT slowly. What was going on? Well, the hotel is on the other side of what they call the lagoon and the bridge I saw on the map was actually a ferry line! Yes, I needed to take a ferry (for only EUR 1 round trip) to reach my hotel. Kinda cool. Also kind of a hassle because all of the museums and things are on the mainland. But also conveniently located to explore the Curonian Spit.

The challenges continued once I got off the ferry as maps thought it would be great to have me walk along a highway without a shoulder or sidewalk. Um.... I selected a slower route that ended up being on paths through the woods. Yes, with my rollaboard, which admittedly can be converted to a backpack, but I was thinking of that more for urban settings like the post-papal human traffic jam situation. But it was a rather nice path, so off I went.

The hotel is truly minimalist, but is part of a yacht club (that's the name, but not like what you'd expect of a yacht club in the US with fancy people dressed well and calling each other Buffy and Chuck). So the view outside my door/window is of both boats here in the marina as well as large ships in the lagoon. Super cool.

Docked outside my hotel room

It's supposed to rain tomorrow, so a slight change in plans. As I disembarked from the ferry, I saw a bus parked there that indicated it was bound for Nida and other places. When I checked in at the hotel, I asked if that was for a tour group or if it ran on a regular basis so I could perhaps fit in the Curonian Spit (a UNESCO world heritage site since 2000). It does indeed run regularly and is only EUR 4 for the approximately 55 kilometers down to Nida, which takes about an hour and seems like a deal.

Nida is a delightful and often-picturesque little fishing town. The spit is approximately a mile wide with the Baltic Sea on one side and the lagoon on the other side and the Parnidis dunes in between. I hiked around the rather fragile dunes (you're to stay on the established boardwalks and trails to protect them), being careful to also stay on the boardwalks as that's one of the ways to ensure you do not casually wander into Kaliningrad! (No joke, it was just a kilometer or two further as they own part of the spit as well.) Also hiked up to the rather smart-looking lighthouse in the other direction. Alas, didn't have time to actually make it to the Baltic Sea. Maybe tomorrow if the weather cooperates (I can actually take a trail here by the hotel that goes across the entire island).

Panoramic view from top of the spit

View at sea level

The candy striped lighthouse

Overall, another great 20,000+ step day with some beautiful scenery.