First Impressions of Lisbon

We flew from Las Vegas to Toronto and then on to Lisbon, leaving St. George about 8am and arriving about noon the next day.  We exchanged money at the airport ATM, bought a SIM card for Roger’s phone, and then struggled to find the Metro station which as it turned out was right out the door.  We considered taking Uber into town (we understand it is very inexpensive) but we had a few hours to spare before we could check into our BnB, so we decided to take the Metro. Riders can buy a rechargeable card that allows travel on the Metro, trolleys, buses and some trains.  Each ride is only $1.50, so it’s very reasonable.  We had to switch once from the “red” line to the “blue”, but those two rides got us to within a few blocks of our BnB.  

As we excited the below-ground Metro station, we entered another world: sunshine and comfortable temperatures greeted us; traditional “fado” (sad) songs were being sung at the top of the stairs while people sat listening in outdoor cafes, sipping beer or coffee.  Traffic was minimal.  The streets are so narrow—most are one way—that only a few cars can get through at a time.  Trolley cars (ala San Francisco) barely edged past parked cars leaving only inches to spare.  The buildings are old, but colorful, with romantic ironwork balconies.  The city is very clean.  People seemed relaxed and really friendly.

When we arrived at our apartment in Barrio Alto, we tried the key pad to open the door at the street and it didn’t work.  Meanwhile another couple and a young man walked up and also tried the key pad unsuccessfully.  We all called our respective BnB hosts who sent someone over to let us in.  It took a half an hour or so, but we were not in a hurry.  Once inside, our apartment was wonderful.  Ground floor had an open kitchen, dining and living area.  Up a few stairs was our bedroom and bath.  The weather is perfect—mid-70s, so we left the windows open.  After getting settled, we walked to a nearby grocery to pick up supplies and then returned to the apartment for pizza with wine (the latter compliments of our hosts).  As neither of us slept well on the “red eye”, we watched a movie in order to stay up until 9 pm local time, and then went to bed.  

It had been a very easy transition from St. George to Lisbon.  Lisbon feels like a small town even though it has a population of 500,000.  Today we took the trolley from one end of town to the other.  It is very hilly, very walkable, very San Francisco-esque.  We love it so far.