lisbon

I am sure that you and I are probably interested in different things but directly across from the main Lisbon Train Station is the Military Museum of Portugal. For three Euros it is well worth a visit. Even of you are not interested in military history the museum offers plenty of comfortable chairs and sofas, it is quiet and relaxing, they will check small bags and the toilets are absolutely spotless! If you are waiting for a train in Lisbon then an hour spent waiting in the museum is much better then spending it sitting in the train station!

Cafe Brassilera for expresso, terrific w/ the historic interior wow.

Port tastings. While not cheap, it's very reasonable compared to buying it in the US and a way to try something different. There's a great tasting bar at the top of the incline. Something fun to do after dinner.

You must have pasteis de Belem at the cafe in Belem (which is a must visit).

While simple, I really liked the roast chicken with spicy piri-piri sauce brushed over it. And of course there is lots of roasted fish and seafood stews to be had. The RS guide gives some good recommendations for restaurants to try these.

We were recently in Lisbon for three days. There is a long portico/covered walkway near the waterfront and lots of craft items are sold--reasonable and many are quite nice--handmade jewelry, knitted items, etc. Take the trolley (more like an escalator) up to the shopping area. There is a tile museum but we missed it since it was closed the day we could work it into our sightseeing. The Gulbenkian Museum is definitely worth seeing and is surrounded by gardens. Sintra was a day trip out and Palacio Pena near Sintra was a must see. Two places that we had dinner (we stayed in the Biaxa area) and liked were Bon Jardim and Ghandi Palace--good food at both.

I agree with the above recommendations. But I would also add the Castelo de Sao Jorge. It's a castle set high on a hill and overlooks the city of Lisbon. It's easy to access by bus. The views are incredible and it's a fun place to just hike around for a while.

Personally, we were not impressed by the castle. Thought it was overpriced for what it was. If you have time, we really liked Sintra and it is nor far away. The castle was much more then the one in Lisbon and it is a nice break from the city. I would do the Fado music one night, RS has some good suggestions. The Saturday flea market was interesting as well.

Lisbon is a very underrated and enjoyable city. We were there in September 2008, and it's a great time of the year to go. I highly recommend the Gulbenkian museum. Belem is good for a full day. Get a transit pass and ride the trams as Rick recommends. The pass also includes the Santa Justa elevator to the upper town. We found just walking around the neighborhoods to be very interesting. Sintra is a wonderful day trip, but you can fill up three days and more just in Lisbon.