January 23, 2026
Despite the Weather
A Cultural Crawl
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A good traveller has no fixed plans and is not intent on arriving.
Lau Tzu
It was wet on Thursday but a moderate temperature. Yesterday it was even wetter and colder as there was wind. I guess we could say hola to Storm Ingrid.
I am reading the blog of a couple from Cobble Hill, Steve and Dodie who are currently cycling in the Yucatan and thinking hmmm, maybe that would be the place to be right now. A few years ago, we did have a fantastic winter vacation in Merida and on the island of Cozumel for a month where we day-cycled the entire time, in between lying on lounges in beach clubs and dipping into the lovely warm sea every hour or so. Well, we could have done that again, but hey, where’s the fun in that?
Instead we hoofed it over 17 km through Lisbon streets and over hill and dale, much of it in pouring rain. Thank goodness we had rain gear in our now-found luggage. Otherwise, we would have been lying on lounges eating custard tarts in the hotel all day! After breakfast - and it’s so easy to get used to wandering in for a full-on breakfast buffet with all the coffee you can drink - we headed for the bus station north of the river. We had to wear off that breakfast. And we like to see a bus or a train station before our departure so we know what to expect.
We know it would be a bit of a trek - 5 km each way - and we could have taken the metro, bus or streetcar but we like to see the non-touristy areas and you really only see them by biking or walking, enabling you, well me that is, to peer into shop windows and people’s home to see how they live. I like the details of new surroundings.
Fortunately we were armed with Google Maps as there was a remarkable absence of any bus station signs. Actually the only sign we ever saw for Sete Rios, the name of the bus station, was this one in the photo below, when we were almost there. I thought it was odd that the graphic symbol on the this sign was an elephant, not a bus, until we realized that that was indicating the Sete Rio metro station which is by the zoo, as is the bus station. But the bus station appeared to merit not one sign.
It was pretty much what a bus station usually is, utilitarian architecture, taxis hovering nervously and a lot of people dispiritedly dragging luggage around. Train stations I find uplifting - charged with a feeling of adventure, quite often beautiful architecture, and even appealing looking cafes. Bus stations generally look utilitarian at best, uncared for at worst, shoved off in a corner of the city, just kind of down and out in character. We could see green hills just beyond it so we seemed to be in the outskirts of Lisbon. We successfully bought our tickets, €34 for us and for the bikes, to Évora on Monday.
It was still pouring rain, so we did opt for the Metro back - a direct shot to our familiar neighbourhood. The Apolonia metro station we arrived at was quite beautiful with high curved white tile walls and not at all crowded but we were surprised on disembarking, just how far underground we had been. The first escalator was broken but the others were working thankfully and we kept going up and up and up, like little moles seeking air and light.
We emerged into the Chiado neighbourhood and descended the hill back to the river. Wet rats that we were, we decided it was just the right time for those elaborately decorated donuts at Time Out. It was packed with people having Friday lunch but we found room at one of the big wooden tables in the middle and enjoyed our coffee and caloric OD.
We nipped back to the phone store to pick up another European charging cable for my phone. We find it takes a couple of days to get all one’s communication systems organized, but I think we are done - new SIMS in both our phones, Portugal phone #s registered with our bank and credit cards for text verification and with What’s App. Also did the online check-in for our accommodation in Évora and will be sent the access code for our arrival time.
I am seeing substantial discounts on accommodation prices again through Bookings.com. I am now at a Genius 3 level, which I am quite sure means greater things than having spent a lot of $$$ on travel accommodation the last few years!
Having been in the lovely gift store of MUDE, the Design Museum the other day, located on the huge square near the Arco da Rua Augusta, we went back to see the exhibits. The building itself is worth the visit. It’s so gorgeous - a huge former bank with many Art Deco period embellishments. The black marble counters surround the main floor and the gift shop and look like they were installed yesterday. Everywhere there is marble - on the floors, walls and stairs.
We were directed downstairs first past a beautiful mosaic mural depicting Portugal’s seafaring days, through an enormous bank vault and into the safety deposit rooms, all as they were when it was a bank, where a photography exhibit was hung. They apparently made coins here too, explaining the size of the vault.
The photographs were all of a Portuguese musician, António Variacões who according to Wikipedia “was one of the most culturally significant performing artists of recent Portuguese history. His recorded works blended contemporary music genres with traditional Portuguese rhythms and melodies, creating music which for many is symbolic of the liberalization that occurred in Portuguese society after the Carnation Revolution of 1974. The original and provocative nature of his recorded works has led to him being widely recognized as one of the most innovative artists in the recent history of Portuguese popular music.” He clearly was an unusual guy, from a poor family and had little education, including musical education but had a creative, theatrical drive. Sadly he died young ay 39, it seems of AIDS though his family has never acknowledged his homosexuality or cause of death.
There were several other terrific exhibits - an extensive one on the work of graphic designer João Machado. Mainly posters for different events and causes, and I thought his work was very impressive.
Another exhibit from the MUDE permanent collection was called “What are things for?” It is basically a walk through the history of design from the early 20th C - some clothing but mainly furniture, lamps and other household objects. Fascinating.
Returning to the hotel we had some recovery time while it poured yet again, and in a break, ventured out again for dinner to our neighbourhood discovery, Honest Greens. We couldn’t face too much more walking and decision-making for another restaurant.
It is such a wonderful place - I wish we had one in Victoria - uncrowded seating, huge windows onto the street, nice lighting, a big open kitchen. You order at the counter and they bring it to your table. It was started by 3 French guys who had all worked in Michelin star restaurants but wanted to do something different - mostly fresh plant-based food, (though they have a little sustainably/ethically produced fish, chicken and beef), reasonable prices and food quickly delivered.
We had a delicious shared dinner of sweet potatoe fries with beetroot ketchup and aoli, grilled chicken, great salad and sourdough bread with a glass of wine and beer for € 27, and a short walk there and back. They have several restaurants in Barcelona too.
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2 days ago
So in spite of the weather, a very satisfying and full day in Lisbon.
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2 days ago
2 days ago
Could use some of your rain, 40+ here today 😵
J x
2 days ago