We woke up this morning in the clouds and to rain. On the one hand, I very much welcomed it for the garden, but I did wonder whether we would be able to push through with our plans. Nevertheless, with the clouds on this Saturday morning came the padeiro, the every faithful baker who hurtles up to the Shire to his loyal customers. Every once in a while I indulge in some croissants and a chorizo bread when I am on my own, but when Maike is here I load up on them, as well as a few pasteis de nata. I simply adore these cozy breakfast mornings with my daughter, it is as if we turned back the magical clock and everything is right in the world again.
The rain stopped late morning and we made our way into Lisbon, mainly the Principe Real area. I wanted to show Maike this side of Lisbon, which always reminds me of Paris, the area around the Sacré-Coer basilica, full of quaint cafes, restaurants and shops. The atmosphere is vibrant, though definitely not the place to be if you are bargain hunting. Oh no, this is like the Ku’dam in Berlin, very high-end, including the artisan booths in the park. The workmanship of the items for sale was exquisite, and if you have money to burn, you can easily leave a trail of a couple hundred Euros.
After strolling through the open air market we headed into EmbaiXada, a small but architecturally interesting shopping building. I’m not really sure how to even classify this place, it is too small to be a mall, definitely not a department store, but more like a very exclusive shopping arcade. The exterior design is described as “neo-Arab palace” that sticks out like a sore thumb among the the rest of the buildings in the neighbourhood. The main attraction here is the cafe / restaurant located on the ground floor called the Gin Lounge, which is in what would be the courtyard. It just takes your breath away!
Of course, divas that we are, what better way to soak in the atmosphere and architecture than to have a bite to eat there. The kitchen was closed, as our very tired albeit good-natured waiter informed us, but snacks and appetisers were available, and the full array of drinks from the bar. We had a Portuguese cheese platter and an order of sea bass ceviche with mango foam, which I paired with a mojito with a peach or grenadine syrup (jury is still out on that one). Maike had a vinho verde (young sparkling white wine), but when the waiter poured it into the glass, it did not quite reach a full portion, much to his embarrassment. So he returned with a fresh bottle and a second glass, which he filled properly, resulting in Maike having two glasses to work through (horrible task, I know) but considering the sharpness of the cheeses, it was just as well. One of them tasted like old socks, but went rather well with the exquisite pumpkin jelly. I don’t think I have ever welcomed the acidity or the fishiness of ceviche more than this afternoon.
From there we did a bit of window shopping and worked our way towards the Miradouro de São Pedro de Alcantara, a park and viewing platform that offers a spectacular view of Lisbon. I last visited this miradouro in December, so it was lovely to see the summer vibe that pulsates through it. There were two musicians that added to the magical feeling to it all, one of them being Kyler Mackenzie and the other Marino, a Croatian violinist and busker, and suddenly it was just me and the camera, the rest of the world around faded out.
For dinner we made our way down into Chiado and ended up in Pan-Asian restaurant (though predominantly Vietnamese), Boa-Bao, with some absolutely gorgeous food. The prices are, well, typical for this part of Lisbon, which means the are on the steep end by Portuguese standards, but still lower than Central European prices. Once we were able to re-attach body and soul through some culinary glue, we started walking in the general direction of the Praça do Comércio, but I caught sight of a church. I cannot fathom what or why, but I was overcome by a strong feeling of having to head towards that it. As we entered, mass has barely just begun, so we stayed and attended. It was a lovely respite from all the activity on the streets, and an opportunity to recharge the spirit. It was after mass that I figured out we had entered the Igreja do Nossa Senhora da Encarnacão (Church of Our Lady of the Incarnation). What a strange coincidence it was, since we had once lived on a street called Encarnacion in Manila.
Another day, another adventure! It was an absolute treat to explore Lisbon as a tourist again, and to be able to share these moments with Maike, not just send her photos over messenger.
FrogDiva Thoughts 