After breakfast I help my Japanese room mate get a cheap flight from Lisbon to Barcelona. I then took a walk into the city. I walked through the Baixa and then up the steep hill to the Castelo Sao Jorge. The views from the castle are amazing; panoramic views right across Lisbon. I walked around the castle, and then left, walking down to the Alfama district. The Alfama has famously narrow streets, with trams rattling around. The Alfama is very old and quite run-down.
I continued back towards the city, passing the Se cathedral. I walked across the Baixa, and headed towards the Museu do Chidao. The Museu do Chidao houses Lisbon’s contemporary art, from the nineteenth century. It’s a good museum, with some good pieces, the building being an old biscuit factory.
I then head up towards the Barrio Alto. The hills are very steep. I try and find a British book shop, but I don’t find it. I head back down towards the Baixa. I have a tosta mista and a beer at a café. I head back to the hostel.
In the evening my Japanese room mate and I head to the Barrio Alto. We try a few restaurants from my guide book. We settle on the Bota Alto, where we both have the house steak, which is excellent. The Japanese guy has rarely used a knife and fork before, and I teach him about which ones to use first. Afterward he head to a bar for a drink, and then back to the hostel.
