There was a flurry of activity as soon as we woke. Beds stripped. Car moved. Pools stairs fished out and pool cover installed. Rubbish removed. gardening tools and car locked up. Firepit locked away. Breakfast, Showers and hauling luggage to driveway. Oh yes, and search for misplaced keys. We finished everything with nearly an hour to spare and there was enough time for a small tour around the property and a family photo on the terrace.
Pick up in a very smart Merc was by Nunio. A gentle giant of a chauffer that swung our luggage in as if it were confetti. First stop was Lisbon airport as Wil was to fly to London for the marathon. It should be a very nice trip now that the boy flies first class everywhere. It was a very relaxed and pleasant drive back to Lisbon, but once we got there, construction diversions, blocked streets and half hearted signals by the police on duty made the last part of the journey frustrating. Nunio was a picture of calm as he negotiated the chaos and delivered us to our apartment. We were on the fourth floor of a brilliant apartment hanging over an incredible central square. This was luxury. Huge modern apartment, two bedrooms and two bathrooms, a massive lounge and a fully appointed kitchen.. we had it all. with the balcony doors open we could take in the whole scene, up and down several streets that converged at the square. we realized that we were in the same general area as on our previous Lisbon stay, but that this time we were in the swish and expensive part. It was probably the difference between flinders lane and Collins St Paris end.. It was a quick walk to the front where we bought tickets to the ferry that would take us to the other side.
We dropped our bags off and quickly got out. It was a short walk down to the river. The river front was vast and wide and there was something of the feeling of the Venice lagoon. it was a rapid walk of about 500 metres down past the old unused dock buildings and towards the bridge crossing the river. Britt had booked us into a fantastic restaurant for lunch at 1pm and we were already a bit late when we arrived. The restaurant hung over the water and turquoise tables lined the edge. Lunch was magnificent. Britt began with a fig salad sprinkled with balsamic vinegar, toasted almond and shreds of parmesan cheese. Johnny and i shared a shrimp entrée. Then i had ink linguini with brawns and chilli, Johnny had swordfish with smashed potatoes. Britt has salad and grilled octopus. it was a memorable lunch in a magic location. Thank you Britt.
Of course by the time we -Re- crossed the river by ferry we were ready for a coffee and yes, you guessed it, Britt knew the groovy place to go. At the Copenhagen coffee lab, it was all cool glasses, headphones and earnest young people tapping away on their computers. We blended in as best we could, staring intently at our phones and earnestly tapping out messages to the folk at home.
We then followed our guide Britt through a range of interesting shops, and ducked into a few churched in our vicinity. there was an astonishing church in each of the four sides of the nearby square. There must have been an absolute battle for the souls of the believers. we went up a street lined with antiquarian and rare books and prints and then into a very special shop that sells only the best of Portuguese products. Footsore and begging for a rest we sent Britt off on her tour of must see shops whilst we went back to our apartment and a big glass of port and tonic (which I'd had the foresight to put in the freezer). Outside a large crowd was gathering in the square to enjoy the hip hop buskers. Then there was a man playing the most delightful classical guitar. the concierge explained that we are in the epicentre of nightlife, and he wasn't wrong. They put on quite a show. In this gorgeous apartment, the entertainment comes to you and when you have had enough you shut the balcony doors and you are in your own quiet haven.
Dinner, dinner, dinner... where shall we go? We made a booking but as we walked out we decided that we wanted something more casual. By a circuitous route we walked up the hill to an area we had previously passed through to get a view across the Lisbon skyline. Suddenly a black Merc sports pulled up and called out to Britt. I thought maybe they were telling us we could cross or something like that. It was the editor of Vogue magazine Middle East. He often worked with Britt and recognized her. a brief chat and we continued.
Our restaurant was a Mexican place called Coyo Taco. Again it was one of those noisy hip joints. We arrived just as a table was vacated. Talk about good luck as when we looked outside later, there were several people lining up, ordering drinks and settling in for a long wait for a table. Tonight it was HUGE margaritas, gazpacho, corn chips and tacos.Ai caramba!
The street entertainment was still happening as we returned to the apartment. It was hip hop, drummers and vocalists. Britt and I had a race as to who could get into their jarmies fastest. Britt won, but John and I were close behind her. An amazing day and an amazing evening!
