Today was our last full day in Lisbon before the next leg of our trip and we packed in a lot as usual despite not getting out of bed until 9. After that we visited the Museo National do Azulejo, figured out how to get to a hipster area of city via the subway (always easier and faster than busses or taxis if they drop you reasonably close to your destination), and did the touristy thing and went to listen to fado at a restaurant in the Alfalma district. All were good; some quick highlights.

The museum features and tells the story of the amazing tile work that adorns the exterior of buildings in Portugal to this day and also in the past, the interiors. The tiles can tell stories, or simply be decorative. The one at the very top is called The Chicken’s Wedding, and. Is quite amusing if you look closely. Other examples follow.

After enjoying the art we headed for a small shopping venue that is housed inside of a former embassy (don’t know whose embassy it was). That entailed the subway ride because it was basically on the other side of town. The place was cool, lots of small boutique kind of shops, and very much hipster oriented. And it got us out of the main tourist zone, though we certainly weren’t the only tourists there, but there were also a number of locals. It the center was a restaurant and bar called Gin Lovers. Of course we had to stop for a cocktail. Gin making has become a thing everywhere it seems; I tried a Portuguese one, Pat had one from Spain.

We wrapped up with dinner in the Alfalma area, one of the neighborhoods noted for fado, which is an indigenous art form.  It basically consists of two musicians, one playing a 12 string instrument unique to the region and another playing a traditional acoustic guitar. That and a rotating cast of singers. We randomly picked one of the restaurants and it was very good. Name was Sao Miguel d’ Alfalma. Whether the fado itself was good or average we have no idea, but we had an enjoyable evening. Simple basic food: Pat had grilled sea bass and I had a steak. Some images of the Alfalma follow

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