My last walk in old Lisbon for this year

It was raining when I woke up and went to breakfast. I went to the gym after breakfast -- still raining -- did some packing -- still raining. Finally, around 1:30, it stopped. I hurried out to the metro and went to the Rato stop where my favorite walk around Lisbon begins. I had all these great little stops along the route I could take to duck out of the rain -- pastelarias, churches, an archaeological museum, cafes with views, but at 4:00 when I descended from the castle to Rossio, it was still clear!

So I just kept walking, all the way back to my hotel. I picked up some takeout at the Corte Inglés for dinner-in-the-room, and then slogged up Combatentes for the last time this year. I arrived at the Marriott about 5:45, and the rain began about 20 minutes later.

There are more cranes around the city than I’ve seen in years. Lots of the little old holes in the wall are being replaced by trendy shops and cafes. The most creative was a shoe store/bar combo. The sign advertized shoes & booze.

5:00 am departure from the hotel tomorrow. LIS-MAD-ORD-CMI. It will be a long day but oh well.もっと詳しく