Finally a break from work and school and the everyday errands of life. Where to go? Well when miss Elisa told me she was headed to Portugal I hopped on board not knowing at all what it would bring. We found a few couches to surf and I flew into Porto early on a Friday morning. I had time to kill before the girls' flight got in so I dropped my luggage off at one of those train station lockers (can anyone say Madonna in "Desperately Seeking Susan") and trekked out into the city. The weather was sunny and beautiful and the city was so picturesque with tiles and cobblestone streets covering the hilly streets. After wandering up the funicular and picnic-ing next to the river I met the girls at the train station just as the rain began to fall. Our adventure to Lisbon could not have been complete without three bottles of champagne and a feast of prosciutto and cheese...we made our way to our couch surfers house and were greeted by Bruno and Sushi...his amazingly energetic puppy. The apartment was gorgeous but we weren't there to relax. First thing we headed out to downtown Lisbon for some Amendoa Amarga (almond liqueur with fresh lemon juice) and to meet some fellow couchsurfers...stop one included an underground dance club with couples twisting and tangoing and i-don't-know-what all over the dance floor. After a few more shots and a drunk blanket of confidence I took my turn on the dance floor and learned a thing or two about Portuguese dancing. Let me just add that my calves were sore for two days after. After we'd had enough dancing...and a few more tequila shots...we headed up to Barrio Alto to explore some of the gay clubs. We met some gorgeous men with some fabulous coats and did a little outfit trading before heading to a fun little club with good music and drinks...if I could remember the name I would tell you but it was getting difficult at this point. Alas! We were headed to LUX. Lux is one of the most famous clubs in Lisbon and equally hard to get into. Elisa and I knew we'd have NO problem getting in...much to our dismay when we reached the door the bouncer said "No." A little too wasted? Indeed...Oh well, after Elisa proceeded to call him "a ginger" we whined and wheeled back to yet another club. Another drink and a little dancing was abruptly stopped when what looked like a SWAT team burst through the doors. The DJ went running and the police with their face masks and giant guns stopped everyone on their way out. Elisa and I were not really in a position for bargaining so Bruno stepped in and told them he had recommended we leave our passports at his house as they would be safer. Thank goodness...two little Californians in Portuguese jail, no thanks! Turns out the cops busted into every club in that area so we skipped out and to a disco where the dancing was good and everyone was singing along to the Portuguese tunes. A little worse for ware it was time to re-up with some grub and head back for a little shut-eye. What did we find on our way to the taxi? A huge stand making fresh hot dogs and hamburgers with crunchy wontons, corn, and amazing sauce. 4 please! After our bellies were full, our clothes stained with alcohol, and our feet sore from dancing in heels we made our way back up the million flights of stairs and into bed with the heater Sushi (miss that dog) until the hangover set in.
After a night like that there's only one thing to get you through the next day...espresso please. Elisa and I headed out into the Lisbon sunshine to wander around downtown and attempt to find the flea market. Of course being hungover did not help our sense of direction and we got on the wrong bus that took us into the "industrial" part of town before we realized we should probably turn back. An hour later and at the same spot we began we finally found our way with the help of a tram driver and worked our way through the hills of Lisbon to a fabulous little flea market with music, clothes, jewelry, and pretty much anything else you can imagine including a man trying to sell a pair of roller skates to everyone at eh market. We shopped, bargained, and snapped photos working our way back down to the main square for a pitcher of sangria. As much fun as the previous night had been, we were in need of a chill night and Bruno offered to cook us dinner. This was not just your average dinner...when we returned to the apartment we were greeted by spot shrimp, mussels, clams, asparagus, and peppers. I almost forgot to mention the green wine, Mimosa, and port. Our chef prepared a masterpiece as we had a little blanket picnic on the living room floor. The full bellies were just what we needed for a night of rehabilitation from Barrio Alto.
The next morning we headed to Belhem to Pasteis for some egg custard pastries and port. Ohhhhh port how I love thee :)
