Lisbon

For some reason we were expecting Lisbon to be more cosmopolitan, but it is incredibly beautiful. We were slightly underwhelmed by the food though, and we blame Dias Tavern for raising expectations – especially since locals were very boastful of their cuisine (one night we scoured the streets of Baixa in search of a particular cod-with-cream dish which was, frankly, underwhelming). The Portuguese rolls were a treat, however. We spent Saturday on a great walking tour with an unofficial guide who showed us the ‘unscripted’ version of Lisbon, lunch in the charming backstreets of Alfama, then caught a tram to see the Torre de Belém – the symbol of Lisbon’s maritime glory. We ambled along the Rua Augusta boulevard countless times and stopped at various cafes to sample one of Lisbon’s highly rated custard tarts (we felt melktert was better). We would have liked to take a train to nearby towns Sintra or fishing village of Cascais but sadly didn’t have enough time. With Phil being pregnant we didn’t really experience the nightlife, but can say that the local plum brandy ginjinha is highly recommended!