Lisbon - Moving and washing day

By 9.30 am after a big breakfast (to make up for the cost of the rooms at Hotel Barcelona) we are on the metro with our bags in peak hour. Our new accommodation is a complete contrast. We are in a youth hostel, the four of us sharing a room with six bunk beds. The walls of our dorm are decorated with painted tiles. We are however right in the centre of the action in Alfama, the old part of the city.


Next on the agenda - off to a laundromat. We find Lavandaria Lava Neve in Rua Algeria 37 in Sao Jose, a stone's throw from Avenida metro stop. The lovely French woman slaving over an ironing board tells us she will put our clothes in the dryer after they are finished in the washing machines. When we return she is folding my undies very nicely.

We spend the afternoon wandering through Lisbon central area and looking in many shops. We go on a venicular up to a lookout and take the number 28 tram to the castle. As we have seen so many castles on this trip we don't actually go inside but wander down the hill to a little restaurant for some sardines and sangria - as you do in Lisbon.

It is a late lunch at 4 pm. We also try a caprihinia cocktail which is delicious - rum and limes and sugar. Quite potent.


Being in the fado district (fado being Portugese traditional music) we decide to find a restaurant with fado around 9pm.

The setting is fabulous, the music is wonderful and the food so woeful it is not worth writing about.

Typical Lisbon street scene (minus the grafitti)

Relief - a laundromat at last!

Our new accommodation - Guesthouse Beira Mar- our room is the middle
 balcony on the second floor