Day 2 April 9 Lisbon and Chaos

 

Day 2 April 9 Lisbon and Chaos

Despite being falling down exhausted over dinner and asleep as soon as my head hit the pillow, I woke up as usual at about 3.30. Normally I would put on a streaming service and let it read me back to sleep but the dodgy wifi at the flat put paid to that and so I got up and started editing photos for the blog. John woke up as well with a poor tummy and a powerful headache. We thought we had brought along with us all possible over the counter medicines, but it appeared that we had left the strong headache pills at home. Bugger!

By 8.30 Johnny’s head had stabilized and we could continue with our plans for the day. Wil took off for a lazy 30Km run whilst we headed off to the flea market down by the front. Of course this was a brilliant opportunity to try the famous Lisbon trams and being early meant that there was no trouble getting a seat.

The word “ amazing” is often overused and misapplied, but in this instance the tram ride totally deserved that description. It creaked and whined a serpentine path through the streets at a terrifying pace, mixing it with the pedestrians that risked life and limb to cross its tracks and the cars that tried to intimidate the driver by rushing into its path in the belief that their superior speed gave them some kind of priority. One such grey car missed a serious bingle by something less than 5 centimetres. The fierce clanging by the tram and squealing of brakes told the whole suburb that a lunatic with a death wish was behind the wheel of the car.

The market was astonishingly large, cascading in a series of terraces across the breast of the hill. We arrived early as Britt warned us that it could become quite crowded. We had not had breakfast but the plan was to start the day at the Copenhagen coffee shop first and to fortify ourselves for the hunt with something substantial. A platter was ordered with egg, cheese, ham, pastries, jam etc. Everything was fresh, healthy and interesting.

Britt was on the hunt for a particular shape of vintage wine glasses, but we must have stopped at a hundred of assorted stalls loaded with various merchandise. Did we find the glasses? No, but we almost bought jewellery and a variety of other interesting stuff. Three hours later and with the market now throbbing with people and a conga line of tuk tuks cutting a swathe through the crowd, we realized we had to make a dash back to the hotel to get our luggage out of our rooms. But almost as we had left the market we saw a great artisan pottery shop and while Britt headed for a huge grey vase, it was the pottery fish that caught my eye. Yes there were various in store consultations and even some over an international phone line…and then a decision was taken. I would buy two pink sardines for Charlie's ocean wall. 

It was over 10 mins later before the goods were packaged for transport and money was exchanged. We were really late for check out and the original plan for a slowish trip back up the hill was ditched in favour of an Uber trip back. With all the people crossing the main road near the market, the uber’s progress was slow and when he did pick us up, Google maps sent it on a long circle route that avoided the road congestion. 

Meanwhile Wil had returned to the hotel, packed and had set off for the cafe at which we were meeting him for lunch. It was a lovely lunch of pretty fancy sandwiches and then while Johnny and I set off to get our luggage out of the hotel store, Britt and Wil found the car and drove it back to the hotel to pick us up. It's amazing how britt and wil seem to know people across the world. The cafe owners were like old friends. With the car fully loaded we set off for Chaos whilst Wil met up with friends for a relaxing afternoon. There is only one way to drive around Lisbon and that is with bold, fast confidence. Britt was soon into mode and we began to belt along. 

It was 4pm by the time we got close to the Adega and it was decided to drop into a massive supermarket on the way home to do a bit of shopping and get the makings for dinner. This place was Costco big and of course we remembered lots of things that were needed beyond the 4 or 5 items we had gone to the shop for. 

We took the slower and more interesting route to Chaos to see more of the local area. Chaos appeared very much an honest rural working district. You can almost imagine the farming folk with ruddy faces from the sun and wind that is everpresent in a working life. Along our route we noticed that the Camino cut through this district too. In fact later, it was pointed out that some of the pilgrims cut through the Adega’s land on their journey to salvation. They stand at the tractor gate looking longingly at the pool just out of their reach

The Adega is so much more than a house. It’s something like a compound with two residences, farm sheds and expansive land that is under cultivation. Apparently the whole Adega property was the working farm for the big house next door. The neighbour's house looks a bit lonely and abandoned since the lady died. It would be so nice if Britt and Wil cold buy it and re-integrate the property. The next door cat already teats Wil and Britt as her new owners and lounges about the yard warming herself on the stone path.

We had a great tour of the property. and even met Theo, the white cat that sometimes visits from down the street. We did not hit it off and he left me scratched and bleeding when I tried to pet him. Ok, we know where we stand now. We took cake and tea to the garden and watched the sun as it began its journey into another part of the Earth.. sitting in the cane chairs and watching high above the tumbling olive groves beyond the pool, we felt as if we were on top of the world. A while later we swung across to chips and beer. The day had been quite warm but the setting sun was chased away by a light, cold breeze. 

Britt stoked a fire in the huge cast iron firepit before preparing potato bravas and salad to go with the roast chicken we had earlier bought. It was nice having our first dinner out there on the stone table and watching the lights come on under the trees as the sky darkened. The house glowed welcomingly with lights and we decamped inside for coffee and cake.

It had been another big, wonderful  day.