Lisbon, Portugal

Lisbon with your steep and cobbled streets, bright blue tiles, and graffitied buildings, how fun you were to explore. Fairly quiet streets steeply advancing up from the waterfront were joined by streets running into them with even more cobbled roads and lined with buildings often with a few people sitting outside and chatting, but otherwise deserted. On these streets I trudged along with a walking boot that ran from my toes nearly to my knee after having fractured a bone in my foot shortly before embarking on this adventure, but long enough that I most initial pain and swelling was minimizing, although exacerbated by the miles that I walked around this city. 

On my longest day, I walked ten miles. Little cars that were clown like shot past me, as did other traffic on the streets wide enough to accommodate them. 

I spent a cursory visit to the popular Time Out Market that was bursting with tourists. I looked at all the menus and cornered an employee at a stall selling liquors and wines. He answered my every question and then continued to share his knowledge about port, Madeira, and Colares, the wine that I am still regretting not adding to my suitcase. It is rare and special, a full bodied white wine. 

After breezing through the rest of the market, I headed up a steep street, as they are were, and happened by a wine bar. The bar was not open yet, but the manager was inside with a bartender, preparing for the day. They talked with me about regional wine and insisted that I taste two and invited me to return later when they were open. Again, they had so much information to share! I began to be educated about the salinity of the wines in Portugal due to the coastal location, as well as learning that most of the wine the country produces is not exported since the Portuguese drink most of it themselves. 

I was off again. My mission was findings regional cheeses. I had a list of them that I desperately wanted to try and I stopped into numerous shops, but they all seemed to have the same few choices. The cheese shop I had been headed to was either closed or relocated. Oh, dismay! But I continued, asking in the local shops where i can find "strong" tasting cheese. They all tried to help me, but it felt like a wild goose chase, not finding what I had hoped for. Nonetheless, I did find a chocolate shop, which I found underwhelming. A friend in Los Angeles had highly recommended it as her favorite chocolate of all time. Upon looking at the ingredients, there were more than three listed, so I was not interested. For me, quality chocolate is simple to allow the taste of the cacao to shine through, similar to wine or coffee. I trudged on and ended up stumbling on a sign indicating a cheese store, Queijaria, so I entered the shop and joy of joys, this was the type of place I had been longing for!!! I real dedicated cheese store with only Portuguese sourced cheese and it smelled funky like any cheese shop aught to! 

One customer was finishing his visit as I arrived. While he was still in the shop, I took time to walk around and marvel at the choices. Then, I peppered the cheese monger with questions, he gave me lots of tastes, and I made my choices. I was thrilled. Definitely a highlight of my trip!!! 

I do not remember how many cheeses I purchased, but it was quite a few because I did not know if I would find another shop like this one after my long search all day had otherwise come up empty. 

As I made my way home, I happened upon a restaurant, Mercearia do Seculo, that I had on my to-do list. They were not open yet and I had read that you must have a reservation. Again, I popped my head in to ask if dinner for one would be possible tonight. They said that I would have about an hour to wait, but that they could seat me immediately when they opened. I agreed! 

I sat on their tiny patio and took in the beautiful scenery. I wandered across the street and looked in a tiny shop and found my "souvenir". I try to collect a Christmas tree magnet from each trip that I take, so when I put up the tree annually I can recall the places that I have been, but I do not have tchotchke eyesores out in my home all year. 

The inside of the restaurant is pictured to the right.

When I was seated in the tiny restaurant, it felt like home. I asked the owner her story and she explained that she used to just have a storefront with homemade goods, such as jams, but she gradually became more popular and ultimately opened a restaurant. She grew up in another part of the country and specialized in serving the style food from the region that she grew up in. I told her that I would order whatever she recommended as most typical and authentic to her. 

She explained that it was not the most flavorful or astounding item on the menu, but her favorite reminded her of home and, with pride, she said that I would not see a dish like it served anywhere else in the city. Shark in tomato sauce with poached egg and herbs, pictured below with the triangles of bread. 

She also brought me an appetizer that was not on the menu with Lupini beans, beets, and carrots. I loved that she was excited to share her food history with me. 

Another favorite stop was a most beautiful and quaint olive oil shop, OliStori. It was brimming with oils from Portugal, each with a story to tell. The owner takes the time to do a curated tasting unlike I have had before...and I have done many olive oil tastings. She had me taste the oil in different sequences and with special technique, all while sharing the story of the producers, whom she knew personally. This was a clear indication of the level of curation of the establishment. Selecting an oil to take with me was one of the hardest decisions that I made because the bottles were large, weighing as much as a bottle of wine. I was very mindful of luggage weight limits, but moreover my own limits due to having a fractured foot with a walking boot. I recommend this as a stop if you are in the city! 

Lisbon was a lovely visit not to be missed if you are anywhere nearby!