Blue skies and a belting sun greeted us this morning. We had breakfast at Copenhagen Coffee Lab again as there was lots of variety. From here we took a wander across to the main riverfront palace and the triumphal arch. Though I had given my knee a good rest, it had just begun to grumble. The fabulous Britt found a chemist shop and got me some Voltarin Extra. I rubbed it in but was a little dubious. After half an hour the pain had gone and I tied up my hiking stick as I didn't need it. Oh the relief!
Britt took us past an open air market on the front and then to the Time Out Market nearby. This was a working market for locals but there was also a pretty amazing food hall. Forty little restaurant stalls were already preparing food, and each stall took on its own specialty cuisine. It was a feast for the eyes. From here we took a slow walk back to the main riverfront square. It must have been an amazing sight for sailors who had spent months at sea, to sail back to their home port and to be met by such magnificence.
We left Britt to make a few last minute purchases and we returned to the apartment. The plan was for Britt to leave for the airport at 12.30. The bags were packed and the Uber at the door bang on time. We went downstairs to see our shining star off for the flight to London, to meet up with Wil and cheer him on in the marathon, and to meet up with his sister, Alison and her family.
We were out again soon after and found a shop to buy lovely, fresh sandwiches, chicken pie and drinks to take with us. It was back down the hill to the main riverfront square, but this time as we descended the hill we were checking for a good restaurant for dinner tonight. We need not have worried as it was restaurant central where Britt had booked the apartment.
We sat on the stone wall next to the river and really enjoyed our picnic. then it was a walk along the riverfront. We found a wonderful, elegant building totally given over to the booking of all the different river cruises available. We opted for a traditional, open Portuguese sailboat. The next cruise was fully booked, so we filled in the hour and a half till the following cruise by buying ice cream and eating it as we walked through the galleries of what was once a riverfront royal palace.
When we reached the front there were some artists earning a living from their constructions. One guy was attracting a lot of attention for the curious towers and scenes he was creating from balancing huge chunks of rock on top of one another. Two others were in full construction mode, building a huge sand metropolis.
We had been asked to get ready to board ten minutes before the departure time, but with the tide and the wind against it, the boat was a bit late. It was a great trip down the river and back and the guide did a good job of pointing out some key features. Apparently all the grand architecture we were seeing was a result of the massive rebuilding project embarked upon after a hugely destructive earthquake in 1755 and following tsunami. As we passed the huge statue of Jesus on the opposite shore, Britt's plane flew overhead. Safe journey my love.
From the boat we had noticed the twin towers of the Lisbon Cathedral, so when we disembarked we headed for it. It was a steep climb and google maps was not exactly accurate. After a few blind alleys we found it. The knee was holding up really well.
From here it was a tangled meander back to the apartment and we came across an area where police were letting through pedestrians but diverting car traffic. Apparently under the Lisbon streets there are Roman caverns that were built to aid the construction of surface buildings in areas where the land was steep and unstable. A few times a year, the water is flushed out of the caverns, the traffic is stopped and a limited number of tourists are taken through a raised manhole cover to inspect the sights. We tried to get tickets but the experience was totally booked out. Maybe on our next visit. But we did get a chance to see the astonishing sight of people emerging from a hole in the middle of the road.
There was enough time to return to the apartment to update the blog and polish off the last of the Rose port and tonic, which Britt had thoughtfully left behind, before we launched out for dinner.
Dinner was at the nearby Cafe No Chiado. It was an elegant place with dark green interior and sparkling lights. The vibe was of a lovely French restaurant. By the time we left all the tables inside and out were full. A noisy, happy group of twelve were celebrating something significant. We started off with stuffed artichoke flowers. Then John and I both had cod, but cooked in very different ways. John's was presented as a sort of lasagne tower (confit cod fish flakes with turnip greens and chick peas). I had cod fish a bras (cod flakes cooked with scrambled eggs and potato flakes). It was a lovely meal in a lovely place. Home to Nespresso and a biscuit. As we opened the balcony windows to hear the music below, the sky was a dusty velvet. A crescent moon hung over the square and the glorious, glittering planet Venus hung behind its shoulder. A low flying aircraft cut across the sky taking its passengers on to future adventures. Goodnight.
