Lisbon.

I have picked up a cool trick since moving here: when I travel I now make sure to read before and/or during my travel a historical fiction novel set in the location which I am visiting. I highly reccomend it; you come to associate elements of your story's plot with what you are getting to see in front of you and it helps to piece back together those fragments of history that you would not otherwise really comprehend.

I think that a little fighting ation, treason, plotting, romance and conspiracy very much add up to a much better touristic experience. For example, in visiting London, I read The Other Boleyn Girl, about King Henry VIII and his court. It gave recognition to the Tower, where Anne Boleyn was beheaded, and perespective to the palaces in and around the city.

I was really fortunate to get to spend this last weekend in Lisbon, Portugal and so I read a book called The Last Kabbalist of Lisbon. It was about the expulsion of Jews from Lisbon and the giant massacre that took place at the turn of the 16th century. The focus of the story is on a man who is murdered at the time of these riots, but actually removed from the rioting and massacre itself. His nephew, the protagonist, seeks to solve the mystery set in the famous historical locations around Lisbon. It really created a vantage point for me in tihs instance, since there isn't much that i knew about Lisbon and its history prior to my visit and reading of this novel.

I arrived in Lisbon Saturday morning, from where I took the local bus into town. My only grievance with this entire trip was that the bus stops [and tram stops] were not at all clearly marked. Some weren't marked at all! The general idea is that you board this bus, mostly with locals, that does not have a site map or a list of stops that the bus will make. Thus, even if you know which stop you were at last, you have no way of knowing which one comes next! I was fortunate that the stop I needed, Picoas [pronounced pee-co-osh] was labeled. albeit in Times New Roman size 12...

I was able to find my hostel, Unreal Hostel, and get settled in to my bunk in an 8-person dorm. From my reconnaisance, at least 2 roommates were guys [judging by shoes] and I guessed one was either old or military, in that his bed was made to a T. I ate some PB&J I had brought from Paris, secured some maps from the front desk and headed out.

It was a picturesque walk from my hostel: really cool building with murals that stretched for their entire sides, the Murano mansion, and the Marques Pombal memorial statue. I turned down Avenida da Liberdade, which guidebooks called comparable to the Champs Elysees of Paris. Well, I beg to differ - the two streets have nothing in common! Champs Elysees is pretentious and touristy; whereas Avenida da Liberdade had tree lined pathways wide enough for groups to pass one another, fountains and some cafes and shops. Obviously, I much preferred the avenida.

I walked and walked and walked, and ended up on the Baixa Chiado, a cool 'lower' neighborhood. There are 7 giant hills that make up Lisbon, and though I am still a bit sketchy on the details of the topography of Lisbon, I am pretty sure this means that this neighborhood is on the side or at the bottom of a hill, versus atop one. I chose a cool cafe with a lovely terrace to enjoy a Coca Lite [I NEVER liked diet Coke at home, but here for some reason I do... weird]. After sitting and reading and people watching for a while, I strolled further on until coming across the main port, Cais do Sodre. I walked along the port for a bit, and then up to the Centre Comerical, where I found a cool market. I thought about buying a cool platter from an old lady that was hand painted in a marbled way, but I wasn't really into many of her color schemes, unfortunately. I have a vision of serving some fabulous hors d'oeurves on a lovely platter from somewhere exotic, but I guess it won't be from Lisbon.

Then I found the Se Cathedral, and jumped on the tram after a quick tour. I knew this was the tram I neded to be on to get ot the 5th century castle atop the tallest hill in Lisbon. But have I mentioned yet how bus and tram stops are not at all marked? We pulled up to a beautiful lookout point where bougainevillas [flowers] crested a wall which framed a stunning view of the sea below. I should have folowed my instinct to get off here, at least to take photos at this view, but alas, i stayed aboard the good ship Lollipop in assumption that a huge tourist spot such as the castle would be marked, and this one was clearly not. I was wrong.

I finally alighted from the blasted tram at the foot of the hill upon whihch sits the castle. I was not about to retry the tram system so I settled in to a nice uphill hike. About an hour later, completely drenched with sweat, my feet aching [it's ok - I carry ibuprofen at all times now], I made it! On the path though, I stumbled upon a gregarious group of German tourists who decided that I knew what I was doing, and that of all smart ieas, they should follow me to the castle! At first they were covert, following me around corners, then stopping for photos until they saw another turn which I was about to take. It made it more fun though; and eventually I asked them if they too were attempting to find the castle, and together we just walked up and up until eventualy we couldn't walk up anymore, and lo and behold there was the castle!

Afterwards, I was so pooped all I could focus on was the forthcoming shower that I needed to scrub off the grime of the city, eight layers of dried sweat and airplane germs from the morning. Arrving back at my hostel, I met the first of my roommates, Flaurent, and could barely compose myself to speak in French - that's how focused on showering I had become!

Clean and refreshed, I was able to now conduct a decent conversation with my French dorm-mate. He is a airplane mechanic in the French Air Force, and we had a good chat. It was also nice getting to know him, since he then took me out for dinner, and together we explored the Bairro Alto, famous for its night life and bar scene.

Sunday I explored Belem, where the Tower of Belem and the Mosteiro [Monastery] dot the famous landscape here. It was really neat to see, and the architecture of the monastery was stunning. I also really enjoyed the gardens there and the Archeological Museum. Though I do think that one of my very favorite things about being in Europe is the happenstance markets that seem to pop up everywhere! I love finding these, and the one I stumbled upon this morning was a treasure trove for the beautiful hand-painted tiles rescued from demolition projects around the city.

Sunday afternoon was a lazy one spent at the beach, of course after a minor ticket-office fiasco, and generally I enjoyed myself amongst the bajillion other sunbathers and teens playing soccer and volleyball, and the kids hooting on vuvuzelas and running by and kicking sand on my face. : )

All in all, I am grateful for a weekend away, and I give Lisbon a genuine gig'em!