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.