Day 3 April 21 Lisbon EASTER MONDAY
Steps 8,000
CLICK ON PHOTOS TO ENLARGE.
We are still on our own for the day.
Breakfast is included. We both had scrambled eggs, I had bacon and John had beans and bacon. We each had a pastry (or two).
It was a very rainy morning so we again relaxed and finally headed out at 3 PM. We decided to Uber today, the tiled streets are just too slippery to take a chance on.
We headed to LX Factory area.
The Ubers were very busy, ours dropped someone off at our hotel then he picked us up. When he dropped us off at LX Factory he immediately got another ride.
Why LX? Lisbon is commonly abbreviated as “LX.” This is a throwback to the antiquated spelling of Lisbon as ”Lixbõa.” BTW, you will see Lisbon often as Lisboa, the Portuguese name, not the Anglicized version.
LX Factory Back in 2008, a huge mid-19th-century textiles factory was reborn into a hip creative precinct filled with start-ups, shops, restaurants, cafes and bars. It has two streets, which are lined with restaurants and cafes with terraces spilling out onto the sidewalk alongside fantastic gift stores. In the main factory building you can also explore upstairs where you’ll find small makers, artisans, and creatives who rent studios.
The outside walls of many buildings and walls are covered in awesome street art.
There are murals by some of Portugal’s top street artists, including a giant bee made by Bordalo II, who famously crafts 3D pieces using trash. Other artworks in the factory seem to change from time-to-time so there’s always something new to look at.
We wandered for a bit, then had two non-events for beers before settling on an Argentino place. Munching on peanuts, we decided to head back to Augusta St. for our very late/early lupper (lunch/supper).
We wandered a little more but it was really starting to spit rain, so much for the weather guessers who said the sun would come out.
Sardines!
This Uber driver took a very different route back into town and we passed by the viaduct that I had taken a photo of when we were landing!
Still sprinkling as we strolled over to Augusta St. when the skies suddenly opened as we huddled under some umbrellas. We were definitely not dining outside.
We decided we may as well eat, while it rained. We decided on Goodfellas and had roasted suckling pig with wrinkle potatoes. It was a shared plate for 45€ with a bottle wine.
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Finally the rain stopped as we made out way back to the hotel. We did buy a bottle of port on the way, 18€ compared to last night's silly prices a glass, in the hotel.
When visiting Lisbon (especially for the first time) it’s a must to have Pastéis de Nata (or Pastel de Nata for singular) for breakfast! These small, round, custard-filled pastries with a flaky, crispy crust that is filled with a custard filling known as "creme" are the most popular pastry in all of Portugal for good reason!
We have a strong Portuguese community in Toronto so these are not new to us.
Pastéis de Nata sound awfully like Portuguese tarts to me and Lisbon tarts were the best.
ReplyDeleteYes, it is the same thing.
DeleteI love to visit LX Factory. Didn't visit it this March, just no time, there are so many murals and other quirky things to see. Glad you are enjoying your trip, pity about the rain.
ReplyDeleteWe were dressed for rain, so all was good.
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