Lisbon, Beautiful Lisbon! I'm in love...

Back to Lisbon, and a few days exploring by ourselves before the wirlwind Claudia arrives and shows us how it's really supposed to be done... Again. We meet her good friends Hugo and Helena, and make some friends for life. This city is stunning, from the buildings, to the streets, to the nightlife. Friendly and awesome. Nuff said...

Smiths in Lisbon in front of the 25 de April Bridge

11/03 First proper fight since we arrived in Europe. Had to happen eventually… Had to happen as we try to see as much of Lisbon on cheap Sunday too. Still, we made up and went to the awesome Hieryonimites Monastary, the pretty average Belem Tower, the cool Coach Museum, and finally the Statue of JC overlooking the city. 





Belem Tower

The Belem tower has only one tiny spiral staircase going up and down, so you have to squeeze past a million stupid tourists to get to the top and back. Purdy nearly snapped and killed some poor French bird. Hell hath no fury…

Hieronymites Monastery

The inside of the Monastery

 She did the good Catholic thing and attended the service in the amazing Chapel at the Monastary, and neither of us burst into flames...



Monument to the Discoveries

Christ the redeemer. We went up a lift in his trouser leg to the top...

 Tried the famous custard pastries with cinnamon and icing sugar on top from Belem Pastries. They are pretty good, but not sure if I’d line up down the street again…



Amazing coach museum in Lisbon. Check out my ride baby!

  12/03 Up at 0830 as usual. Utilising the serviced pitch and doing all our washing too. My twin tub washing machine is a cracker, and other travellers have washing machine envy, you can see it... Unlimited water and power is good every once in a while.

Stru doing the washing. Takes 6 hours in the little twin tub, so beers and tunes and a magazine...

 

13/03 Head back to Leiria to catch up with Claudia agiain. It's only been 3 weeks and we miss her! A little shopping at Continente and I lose 40 Euro out of my pocket. Bugger…

14/03 The 911 is washed, serviced and the warranty inspection completed. Purdy toys with the idea of getting those eyebrows waxed, and she is now paying the price for too many years of overplucking… The Porsche is ready and we go back to pick it up. Except the lazy b___s are at lunch! We go and get a gas bottle and park in the shade until they are finally ready. Load the 911 onto the trailer and fit the car cover. It is a perfect fit as you would expect for $750 Aus, and it looks pretty cool. Still can tell it’s a 911 though, no mistake! Find a Jager supplier for final supplies before starting dinner for Claudia and Joao. They arrive and the drinking starts in earnest. By midnight we are all well drunk, the sushi got demolished and Joao and I are watering the neighbors fence. Love it! Head spins and I’m not even in bed yet! Finally hit the sack about 0300 I think. Good night.

Today after the warranty has been sorted we decide that the track day at Estoril is a chance. I ring the numbers and get put onto a different crew. By the time Claudia gets here she beside herself in excitement. Turns out that she has already sorted it all out just in case we were keen! So it is with her help that we get organized and pay the 120 Euro and it’s all booked in for Sunday! Super excited…

15/03 Awoke with a decent little hangover, not surprising really. Still, dishes done, van clean and on the road by 1030. Drove from Leiria to Nazare. Parked on the cliff tops in Nazare initially for a nanny nap, and watched the huge waves roll in from an otherwise flat ocean. Pretty cool. Park up in the Motorhome area in the middle of the city. Enough room for us to park along the fence, taking up 3 spots, but doesn’t look too busy. MASSIVE waffles and a nice walk down to the marina and we get back to a motorhome park full, and some across the road. Looks like we got here just in time. The car cover may be causing more problems than it is solving, as groups of people stand around trying to work out what sort of car it is under there…

 

Back to Lisbon with Crazy Claudia...

 

Skyline of stunning Lisbon

 

Delicious Ginjinha bar in the city

One of the crazy rooms at the Chinese Pavillion

This on of the cities most exceptional bars. A true collectors museum, it’s completely decorated from floor to ceiling with various objects of Luís Pinto Coelho’s (toy soldiers, hats, helmets from the Great World Wars, etc…). This museum of kitsch isn’t cheap, but it’s well worth a visit, it has some of the best teas and cocktails in town.

Another fun fact is you cant just walk in. First you have to ring the door bell on the street and wait for the door to be answered. IF they can fit you in, a waiter takes you to your own table and gets you the extensive and expensive wine list. Amazing place...

16/03 Head out with Claudia, exploring Lisbon with drinks at a cool bar restaurant (where the circus school is), Carmo ginginha bar, Korean sushi buffet (OMG), Chinese pavilion where we met Hugo and Lena then onto Bairro Alto and drank with 1000 young crazy street drinkers on what was apparently a quiet night for this part of town! Finished with a race home between the boys and girls in the 2 VWs, and me and Hugo trying to communicate with drunken hand signals… Great kids.

Bairro Alto. A street party every night of the year. This was a quiet night, but bigger than NYE in Northbridge...

Dont park your car here unless it's very thirsty.

 Thanks Lisbon, you are amazing. Thanks to the best tour guide in the World, Miss Portugal you rock. Much love to our new friends Hugo & Lena, we miss you already!