When planning our 4th annual Thanksgiving trip with my good friend Michelle, I told her I just wanted to rent an apartment some place and immerse my self in a city. We chose Lisbon for the moderate temperature and what promised to be enough stuff to hold our attention for a week. And Lisbon delivered with its charming people, extremely accessible city, and rich cultural sites - with a few of the best museums we both have ever been to. My highlights:
THE WINE
Dare I say it? Portuguese wine is better than Italian wine. Or at least that’s what my palette says. I drank some of the best wine of my life in Lisbon - all at this wonderfully amazing wine bar near St. George’s Castle called of all things: Wine Bar do Castelo. It’s no surprise that this lovely little bar is ranked the #1 restaurant in Lisbon on TripAdvisor. My advice (if you don’t mind splurging a bit) is to release control to the incredibly knowledgable staff and let them select a flight of wines for you. If they offer you the 80 year old Madeira, take it and savor every sweet sip. And to balance out the vino, order the olives and jams and small plate of meats and cheeses. We enjoyed this wine bar so much that we made a point to come back on our last night.
THE ARCHITECTURE
Lisbon is incredibly romantic; not romantic in polished Parisian way, or even an old-world Venetian sense. Lisbon has a gritty romanticism that makes you feel sultry just by walking the cobblestone streets. Perhaps it’s because of it’s sea-side location, or it’s mixture of architectural types from Gothic to Manueline to Baroque and modern. Or maybe its because the buildings seem to tell the story of a beautiful, hard-working and humble people. The hillside homes are simply designed with red tile roofs and intimate courtyards. Even the cathedrals are ornate in a simple way, made of intricately carved stone and wood. While the palaces we visited were lavish, there was still a modesty about them that set them apart from the grand British or French palaces of the same era. It was the comfortable architecture in Portugal that helped me slow down and feel connected to the city.
THE MUSEUMS
The Museo do Oriente and the Museo Calouste Gulbenkian are arguably among the best museums in the world. When you go, don’t go expecting to see the Mona Lisa or a great work by Picasso. While many of the works of art are notable, they aren’t quite that notable. What you will find are magnificently curated collections of art and artifacts on simple and modern backdrops that allow the works to shine. While I don’t normally go for religious art, the Gods of Asia exhibit at the Museo do Oriente showcased beautiful religious objects encompassing Taoist, Buddhist, Hindu, and Shinto traditions from Gods across all of Asia. And the rugs and tiles in the Islam room at the Gulbenkian collection seemed to instantly transport me to Turkey. This museum should not be missed. And while it isn’t quite a museum, the aquarium was one of the best I’ve ever been too - and incredibly peaceful.
THE SHOPS
We were hard pressed to find great shopping in Barrio Alto and Chiado. But we did happen to stumble across a wonderful little gourmet shop called Goodies in Chiado. If you’re looking for specialty gourmet items from Portugal and other notable international brands then Goodies is your stop. What made the experience better were the incredibly lovely owners. We talked about the best New York eats with them for almost an hour. We also did some heavy shopping in Alfama at the Portuguese handcraft shops near Se cathedral.
THE FLAT
I would be remiss not to mention our magical little apartment in the heart of Lisbon. Having a comfortable place like this to come home to made the trip. Everything about booking this apartment was easy. So if you’re looking for an inexpensive and centrally located rental, I highly recommend our charming little apartment on Rua Do Telhal. You can check it out here on HomeAway.com.