Our favorites from a few days in Lisbon: We enthusiastically second the RS recommendation of Lisbon Walks guides; check online for tour themes which rotate during the week tours start near the tourist office in the Praca do Comercio. Beginning in the Baixa, we continued to Chiado, and then crammed into the #28 trolley to the Alfama. Though the tour price includes a ride up the Santa Justa lift, our guide noted the line was long, would we mind just walking on up the hill. As she was eight months pregnant and willing to hoof it, how could we demur? Several hours of history and culture-quite a pleasant introduction to Lisbon! Fado in Chaido (see tripadvisor comments) offers an native to a late-night dinner with fado singers. Though purists may fuss at a lack of authenticity, we thoroughly enjoyed the hour-long performance with a male singer seated at a tavern type table, female singer opposite at a parlor table, and excellent guitar and mandolin musicians. A screen shows pictures of art and scenery with Portuguese poetry, themes of longing and homesickness translated into many languages. The audience was as appreciative as we. Details at the tourist office, might be smart to book early as the small theater would probably fill during the height of the season. St. Vincent's Monastery Museum contains a large display of religious artifacts and an elaborate chapel. Be sure to find the massive tombs of Portuguese royalty at the far end of the cloister building; signage is minimal -ask if necessary. On the second floor-tiled halfway up the wall of the stairway- there's an impressive display of several dozen tiled panels, scenes from Aesop's Fables.
Lisbon deserved more time than we had....hopefully, another trip another year!
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