Hello, dear Lisbon.. it's me again
I'm so glad I got to see Lisbon again. I was there for the first time in 2002, and I fell in love with the whole city. The seven (?) hills, the pretty houses, the fado, the seafood, the views.. Being there in November was a wonderful experience, because it was still so warm, the hibiscus bushes were blooming their heads off! In the botanical garden, which I visited in 2002 as well, everything was blooming like it was in the middle of summer. You could see little bits of pretty portuguese tile sticking up in the gravel paths after the heavy rains a few days earlier. Apparently, the Botanical garden is built on a scrapheap, so if you want tiles to bring home, just get digging (but please, do it discreetly..) I picked up a small piece and brought home.
I got to visit the Castel San Jorge again, with its breathtaking view over the city. This time, there was no time to return to Sintra, or to take the bus from Sintra to Cascais, passing the westernmost point of the European continent on the way. But instead, I got an excellent restaurant tip from one of the employees at the five star hotel I was staying at - and there, I had the most heavenly, delicious, amazingly cheap lobster. Which restaurant? My lips are sealed.... Okay then, I'll tell you. The restaurant is called Ramiro and can be found on Avenida Almirante Reis.
I am happy to report that Portugal is a civilized country, for they served me hot milk with my coffee.
