On day 5, Z and I got our first day out without the kids thanks to Z's mother and her partner - we thank you!! The outing was just the four of us - me, Z, Nan (Z's oldest brother), and Audrey (his wife). This was our chance to explore Lisbon as much as possible, so we started our day early around 7:30 am.
As usual, I cannot take any credit for this itinerary because I just pretty much followed around. Maybe it's just me, but planning any detailed travel itinerary (except for birthday parties) has completely left my orbit since having kids, so I have to thank Nan and Audrey for taking over that role during this whole trip.
We drove to Lisbon and parked on the street near Parque das Nacoes so we could take the subway. Finding street parking early Sunday morning was very easy and free. Our subway stopped at Alameda and started our journey from there. On our way to the subway, we made a quick stop to look at the Marvel wall art by a hotel.
Once we got to Lisbon, we had breakfast at Dear Breakfast -Chiado - a popular, modern breakfast place with a waiting line when we got there. FYI, restaurants don't open very early here in Portugal (or maybe it's a European thing?); this place opened at 9am when we were there on Sunday. The portion and overall definitely favored the younger crowd and tourists (aka Americans) - the portion was quite large and everything was delicious. I couldn't help but order the pink latte; it was beet-flavored and quite good.
Everyone else, but me, mapped out for the rest of the day. Our first official stop was at Terreiro do Paco where Estatua Equestre de Dom Jose I is located. A beautiful, wide-open plaza with lots of vendors trying to sell sunglasses (LOL) because it gets sunny! The sun reflects very strongly out there and without sunglasses, you end up walking around with squinty eyes most of the time. We walked over to a nearby cathedral afterward, but it was closed to the tourists due to Sunday service.
Our next stop, where we ended up spending the most time, was Castelo de S. Jorge. It's a beautiful castle that sits on the highest elevation in the city. No princesses lived there (haha) as it was more of a military base serving as the last line of defense for the city. All the uneven steps and the hills did not disappoint my assumption about Europe. I particularly enjoyed the normalcy of clothes hanging outside (because dryers are not common in old European households) and the aged but still beautifully maintained buildings. Once we got there, it had a beautiful overview of Lisbon; we spent quite some time admiring the sea of red roofs and white walls.
The ticket is 15 euros (essentially $15) for adults. Despite being off-season, the line was still considerably long so I would recommend buying the ticket online in advance. Granted, we tried to buy it online with our phone while waiting in line but ended up getting an error message, so I'm not sure how entirely reliable the online ticketing site is.
This place has a lot. of. steps. While I missed our girls, I was relieved that this was an adult-only outing because it would have been tough for both the girls and us (Z&I). I could vividly picture Zoe commenting how tired her legs were and Zaylee would have been strapped on me the whole time - not ideal. I did see some families with little kids in a stroller, but I observed always having one adult just hanging out on ground level due to stroller accessibility. Verdict: NOT kid-friendly but worth it for the adults.
Being in a heavy tourist spot, finding a good restaurant is hit-or-miss. Many places might have the view but not the flavor, etc. We were feeling famished by the end of the castle tour, so we picked a place that seemed decent, and it was. Some fish was a bit overcooked but the overall service was good. We relied on Google reviews to pick a place.
The rest of the afternoon was spent walking around the city. We made a brief stop at Igreja da Graca, and then started heading back to our car. Most architecture visits end at 5pm.
Overall, it was a very fulfilling day. For me and Z, it was nice to take a break from being parents/wrangling our little girls - we love our girls, but it felt nice eating at our own pace (and what we like) and visiting places where the girls would have some trouble getting through. I absolutely recommend checking out Lisbon. There are lots of beautiful views and a fascinating history to learn from. For us, we felt that a full-day itinerary gave us a good experience in the city.
