I slept in to shake off the rest of my let lag as well as avoid the rainy morning but eventually headed out into the now drizzle for a short walk to an old skool place for traditional Portuguese seafood – O Cubo.

It was bustling with the lunch hour crowd from all walks of life and nary a word of English – exactly what I wanted. The menu had several fish options but I decided to simple but hopefully delicious – grilled Seabass (róbalo) with roasted potatoes and a salad.

Grilled with just olive oil and salt, the fish was super fresh and cooked perfectly, especially the crispy skin. And the potatoes were soft and creamy inside. Simple but very satisfying.

The rain had stopped so it was time to explore. I had purposefully selected a spot close to the Parque Eduardo VII, which is also across from my hotel. Created in 1903 in honor of King Edward’s visit to Lisbon, the sprawling park is on a steep angle that goes all the way through to the adjoining plaza on the other side.

A bit past the halfway point, I saw a large covered structure that looked like maybe a space for concerts. However, I soon heard the familiar thwacking sound of tennis balls being hit. Sure enough, as I rounded the corner, it was indeed tennis courts.

I walked back to the main path and came to the end of the park along the hedge maze. The statue I had seen in the distance was now in front of me – the infamous Marques of Pombal, who helped rebuild Lisbon after the earthquake and created a new autocracy.

I walked around the plaza and rejoined Avenida de Libertade (Liberty Avenue) to continue to my stroll, noting the various statues along the way.

The slant continued all the way down the avenue until I reached another large plaza, this one as a tribute to Portugal’s liberation in 1640, with some stunning tile patterns.

Now, I was clearly in the tourist zone, with hawkers trying to lure saps into any number of I’m sure terrible restaurants. I quickened my pace to get around that mess while snapping some shots of the area above it.

I was getting pretty tired plus the wind had picked up so I went in search of a spot for some hot chocolate. I turned onto a side street and eventually came across a quiet square with a coffee cart at the end, which also served hot chocolate.

This was exactly what I needed and sipped my very good hot chocolate and enjoyed the quiet for a bit. I decided to use time to write my day 1 post and eventually took my now standard $5.98 Uber ride back to my hotel.

Soon enough it was time to head for dinner at a small restaurant that had developed a loyal local following for its take on traditional Portuguese food with Latin American flavors – Trinca.

I always know I’m in a good spot when the menu is on a chalkboard. My server suggested a glass of red from the Dao region of Portugal so I had that along with their very interesting take on pozole, with wild mushrooms and of course hominy.

The mushrooms were nice and meaty and pared well with the slightly spicy broth. The homemade tortilla chips added a nice textural element as well. A good start

For the main course, I chose the slow roasted pork ribs in a fermented red pepper sauce and roasted cauliflower. The ribs and cauliflower were perfectly fine but the sauce is what made the dish exceptional. It was incredibly flavorful and unique, with both sweet and sour notes balanced together. I couldn’t get enough of it.

I wasn’t originally going to get a dessert, but I was intrigued by the mint panna cotta with lemon curd. My server insisted it wasn’t too “minty minty” and counteracted with the lemon curd. She was right. It was a great combination and the perfect way to finish my excellent meal.

I had read about a natural wine bar that happened to be a mere 3 blocks away so I headed out into the now blistering wind and ran up the street to Nat Wine Bar. After being disappointed by the lack of Portuguese options they were serving, the owner decided to open a red from the Dao region. I thanked her and took a seat watching the youngish crowd of what seemed to be a mix of ex pats and locals.

It was soon past the witching hour and given the epic meal I had planned for lunch tomorrow, stopped at a single glass and headed back to the hotel. I needed to be in top form for that.

(Tap) (Tap) is this thing on? Yes, it’s been a minute since my last adventure but that drought is finally over. Besides Italy, Portugal was the last major European country I had never visited and decided to change that thanks to a great miles deal I found. I had planned to go a bit later in the year to avoid the rainy season but this was too good to pass up.

The trip was long but uneventful and eventually made my way to Lisbon. Battling jet lag, I slept late but eventually headed over to the Time Out Market food hall.

The hall was bustling with tourists and local alike wandering the vast space filled with all kinds of tasty treats. I took a lap soaking it all in and then circled back to a stand featuring something I simply had to have – the octopus hot dog.

There were actually several varieties- from BBQ to topped with kimchi – but I opted for the original – grilled with smoked Japanese mayo. This was decidedly a fork and knife version and was soon digging into to the tender and slightly charred octopus, which was cooked to perfection. The homemade potato chips were nice and crispy, and washed it all down with a quite good local beer called Super Bock. A great first meal.

I made my way over a couple of blocks to the meeting point for the reason I was in that area – a tuk tuk tour of Old Lisbon. They were everywhere but I had reserved a private one and soon was greeted by my guide for the next 2 hours, a friendly chap from Bangladesh called Maru.

Soon a very bumpy ride up the cobblestone streets began with Maru joking that this was the massage chair part of the tour. I was jostled back and forth/up and down as we traversed up the narrow pathway to our first stop, a church from the 1100s – the Cathedral of Lisbon.

Just past the cathedral was a lookout point with the old city and harbor now visible.

Back into the tuk tuk and more winding roads and soon we reached the next spot – St. Vincent Church – a mere 400 years old.

There was another lookout point here but Maru said there was a better one at the highest point so back into the tuk tuk I went to go even further up the hill.

The National Pantheon was teeming with people taking pictures or just hanging out along the walls enjoying the perfect sunshine. Now I could see the entire city – A cidade das sete colinas – the city of 7 hills – all beneath me. I even allowed for a rare picture of yours truly when Maru offered.

We eventually made our way through the Alfama district, the oldest part of the city slowly descending once again. Maru explained this area was one of the only not affected by a massive earthquake that destroyed most of Lisbon in 1755, on All Saints Day no less!

We finally arrived back where we started, and I said thanks to Maru as I hauled my tenderized body out of the tuk tuk. I took an Uber back to my hotel and rested for a bit – but no siesta as that would seriously screw up my jet lag.

To that end, the combination of wanting to take it easy plus the fact I had a $100 hotel credit to use made me decide to just go to the bar in the hotel for a cocktail and some bites.

To my chagrin, some of the boisterous American tourists I had run into leaving the hotel had perched at the bar (trucker hat and overalls, really??) so I picked a spot as far away from them as possible.

I had spotted a very intriguing cocktail on the menu called Smokey Thing – which was lapsang souchong infused brandy, Pernod, dill syrup and bitter lime. The nose was like a campfire but unfortunately, the Pernod completely overpowered. Sensing my dislike, the bartender offered to make me another one with less Pernod. This was much better and more balanced. A great choice.

I couldn’t go to Portugal and not have one of their signature small plate – bachalau – salted cod fritters – and this version was way better than expected with a surprising smokey element mixed within the soft filling. Muito delicioso!

Next the bartender recommended the sirloin sliders and fries which sounded great to me as well. The first bite was a bit chewy but eventually got into the tender parts and scarfed both down. The spongy Portuguese bread was lightly toasted and helped sop up the tangy steak sauce. Way better than expected and free!

It was good timing too as now the bar was filled with more of the Ugly Americans barging their way in. I took that was my cue to leave and headed back to my room. The weather wasn’t going to be nearly as nice as today but the cooler overcast skies would be a good time to explore the city more on foot.