LISBOA: Tours - Pastry - Sunset Cruise - Fado

Our exploration of Lisbon was through a variety of tour options . . . we did a half-day tour with Portugal Journeys with Peppe . . . an independent booking via GetYourGuide for a fado + dinner . . . and with Viator (a Trip Advisor company) we did a sunset cruise of the Tagus River.  All 3 of these options worked well into our overall planning to experience as much of Lisbon as possible during our limited time there.  We also independently booked lunch reservations in Almada at Atira-te ao Rio between our Saturday tours.  Planning and navigating the city was pretty easy.  This blog will highlight all the things we experienced over the course of roughly 24 hours in Lisbon.

Our Saturday morning began with our guide Fabio picking us up at the Ramada Inn.  He is one of Peppe's team members providing tours when he is unavailable.  After our full day tours with Peppe, we knew we would also be in good hands with one of his associates.  Our day however, was challenged but not due to anything Fabio or Peppe could have avoided.  First the Belém Tower has been closed for an extended period of time due to a significant restoration project that will not be completed until next year.  Additionally, that area of the city was hosting the Iron Man Triathlon's bike race, so it was impossible to even get close to it.  Much of the city was crowded . . . it was after all, a Saturday morning!  Fabio made the very best of it for us, however.  We enjoyed our time driving through as he pointed out several of the significant and historical buildings and landmarks of the city.

We did get to make a stop at the Pastéis de Belém, a world renowned pastry shop.  Because of the non-existent street parking, Fabio dropped us off . . . and returned to pick us up when we called for him.  When we entered the carry-out counter there wasn't much of a wait at all.  To be seated inside, it was probably close to an hour's wait.  We opted to grab a couple of pastries and head to the park across the street.  I enjoyed my seat on the park bench.  As we were leaving the area, we noticed a sizable line outside the shop.  We were fortunate to get through and out of there when we did!

From there, we started our way towards Almada and the Christ the King Sanctuary and Statue.  Because of the crowd and line to enter the actual sanctuary, we opted to enjoy the beautiful park-like setting overlooking the City of Lisbon and the 25 de Abril (April 25th) Bridge. This is where we took our photo with Fabio (see the collage above).  It was really a nice day to be outside.

Our official half-day Lisbon tour was completed after this visit, but we scheduled it in order for our guide to take us to the general area for our 1:00pm lunch reservation at Atira-te ao Rio.  I say "the general area" because there is no direct access to the restaurant unless you arrive by boat!  With the tide out on the Tagus River, it was an easy sand landing for the guests who arrived by boat.  For us, however, we took an elevator down from the top of the cliffs to the water's edge, and then walked a few hundred yards to the restaurant's patio terrace.

 

Arriving promptly at 1:00pm, we were seated right on the waterfront, overlooking Lisbon and the 25 de Abril Bridge.  With more wonderful seafood choices, we enjoyed our lunch as we again shared our entrees so as to be able to sample several dishes.  We started with a couvert (appetizer) of olives, pâté, bread & garlic butter . . . which were delightful.  For our main entrees we ordered the tuna tataki with sautéed rice with vegetables & fennel and the fresh cod with shrimp, pepper stew and pennyroyal.  Admittedly, we weren't really sure what we would be receiving . . . but it was amazingly delicious.  The Portuguese really know how to prepare seafood!

After a leisurely lunch we asked to have a taxi called for pick up at the road leading to the elevator "in about an hour."  This allowed us time to make the walk back and enjoy the scenery through the park.  From this side of the river, we needed to make our way to the marina on the opposite side of the Tagus River for our scheduled sunset cruise.

Arriving about an hour early, we found a nice place to enjoy an adult beverage.  It was sorta weird drinking a non-frozen piña colada, but we both agreed the taste of the pineapple and coconut really popped through.

About the sunset cruise tour offerings . . . there are A LOT of them!  There are some in smaller boats that hold fewer than 20 people . . . some provide what I'd call "heavy hors d'oeuvres" while others just provided a bare minimum snack of crackers, cheese and bottled water.  We went with a larger boat (hoping it wouldn't be crowded), with a nice snack offering and a choice of wine, beer or juice.

With a special flash sale being offered by Trip Advisor back in September, we paid about $23 (vs. regular price of $35) each for the tour.  Having had a full lunch earlier in the day, we knew the snack platter of breads, jam, nuts, olives and custard tart would be plenty.  I enjoyed a local beer, while Pam had the white wine.
 

The 2-hour cruise along the Lisbon coastline of the Tagus River was pleasant.  We opted for a table and seats inside on the main deck level of the boat because it was quite chilly outside.  It wasn't crowded at all.  On the way back down, we passed the restaurant where we had lunch earlier in the day.  Narration was provided by audio headset, but we opted to enjoy the scenery without having someone chatting in our ears.  We were able to view many of the most well known landmarks in Lisbon . . . including the Belém Tower (which looked very different than what we saw earlier in the day from the other side), the Padrão dos Descobrimentos (Monument to the Discoveries), the 25 de Abril Bridge, Praça do Comércio (Commerce Square) and again, the Christ the King Statue. It was relaxing and beautiful . . . and the sunset did not disappoint!

In planning for our time in Lisbon, in addition to the Tuk Tuk tours, the other thing folks continually told me we just had to do, was a live fado performance.  A music genre unique to Portugal and dating back to the 1820's, many describe it as mournful and melancholic. For our fado experience I wanted the full immersion experience so I selected the Mesa de Frades Restaurante located in Lisbon's oldest neighborhood of Alfama.  The venue was an 18th century chapel and still features the original tiles and fixtures from that time.

For our Friday night visit, thanks to the power of connecting via Facebook, I was able to bring together a small group also cruising on Explorer of the Seas.  It was a nice way to meet others who we'd be traveling with for nearly 2 weeks at sea.  We saw them several times throughout the Atlantic Ocean crossing.

We all purchased the fado + dinner experience, which ran roughly $70 per person, including wine & soft drinks.  While the musical performances were wonderful, I can't be so generous in my reviews of the food.  Some said their food was delicious and wonderful, while at least one member of our group (and the table of 2 local women sitting next to us) couldn't eat their meals due to poor preparation and taste.  My steak (seen in the photo) was alright, but the gravy was way too salty for me.  My cardiologist would not have been happy had I eaten it.

But back to the music . . . AMAZING!  As visitors to Portugal, we had no idea what the lyrics meant, but we could feel the heart and soul of each performer.  Rather than sharing still photo images here, I am posting a couple of short snippets of what we experienced that night.  I hope you enjoy as much as we did.