Lisbon
Lisbon, or Lisboa in Portuguese, is the largest city in Portugal and is also it's capital. Approximately 3 million people live in the metropolitan area of Lisbon. It is located where the Tagus River empties into the Atlantic Ocean.
I stayed at the Tivoli Jardim Hotel, a comfortable hotel in downtown Lisbon. My room had a very nice balcony overlooking downtown.
The city was leveled by an earthquake in 1755 and had to be rebuilt. The man in charge of the rebuilding was the Marques de Pombal -- and he directed that all sidewalks by made of white and black tiles. They are very ornate and beautiful.
I met up with my colleague, Doug at the hotel (he had arrived a couple of days earlier). We went out to a great dinner at a seafood restaurant called Gambrinus. It is supposed to be one of the best seafood restaurants in Portugal (reviewed below). After dinner, we walked up Avenida de Libertade. It was very reminiscent of Las Ramblas in Barcelona. I did have to stop at the Hard Rock Cafe to get my sons some Lisbon t-shirts plus a shotglass for me!
The service was impeccable. Both the experience and the food were superb here.
