Portugal - Lisbon - Day 2

Backblip

Good nights sleep and up early to pop over the road and through the Square to the Pastry shop, which opens at 7, and was busy at 8.30. Was fascinated when opened the shutters at the front of the flat to see a Japanese gentleman performing Tai Chi, or some other discipline for over an hour some of it with his long shiny sword! Can't imagine that happening in George square or any square for that matter in the U.K. After finishing he then was teaching a man and woman the moves. In another part of the square the Ladies of the Fan (Chinese) had music playing and doing a dance number with their fans. Brilliant!

After breakfast we were all out by 945 as we were catching the tram from Cais do Sodre, walking along the riverside, as had a Hippo Bus Trip arranged for 12. Nice saunter down the Rua da Augusta through the archway onto Commercio and join the walkway by the river along to get the tram. We walked a short distance from the tram to the docks as this is an amphibian vehicle with open sides where you tour the city with a very entertaining guide and after an hour doing that end up at Belem down the steep ramp to the Jaws theme tune entering the water. So much fun. We went as far as the explorers monument and then back along past the Belem tower where we came back on land. We hadn't done this before but it's a top trip for tourists I would say. Loved seeing that the boys enjoyed it as much as the adults did, or maybe it's the other way around....

Another hot day in Lisbon so we decided refreshment in order and the guide had told us about the LX Factory a 10 minute walk away which is lots of little individual restaurants/cafes/craft/vintage shops and art spaces and a massive bookshop set in a former industrial complex. Again, not been here before but it's a place to return too in May. We found a really nice Cafe for lunch and the best coffee I had on the whole trip.

Wandered up to a tram stop which took us to Commercio and then we sauntered home to MMoniz. The water fountains on the square come on every half hour for a half hour and the boys were desperate to play in them. Well, get soaked and run around so they did that for half an hour - great fun for them.

When we were here in May staying in Alfama there was a good restaurant called burgers and wine that we thought would be good for the gang so we walked uphill to there only finding as it was Monday they were closed!! So we went to another one we had been to before but wouldn't rate it this time.

Home downhill this time and chilling before bed