First, I mentioned that I thought last night we had a conversation where Alisa really didn't want to go, to which the others confirmed I dreamt it. Then Alisa actually was hungry and didn't really want to go, but Alex did. Then Alex put jeans on (not Mass appropriate in her mind) because she thought we weren't going, and Alisa put on Easter clothes that didn't show too much cleavage because she thought we were.
We did end up going; Alex had to change out of her jeans. But we showed up and it didn't matter at all. The first ten minutes of the service still had tourists wandering about taking pictures. By the second half, though, Alisa was trying desperately to stay awake while I was trying to learn Portuguese from the Bible verses and Alex was crossing herself and getting communion.
By the end of the service, we were all starving. I had looked up some breakfast places, including one called Casa de Bifanas that was in Plaça Figuerio right near us, and so we headed that way. No luck, but we popped into a pasteleria, had breakfast-like sandwiches (my eggs were hard boiled) and more pastel de nates (same as pastel de Belém, the egg custards).
It was old town Lisbon day, which started with a ride up the "elevador", which was a funicular in this case. Lisbon has quite a bit of graffiti (they don't seem to mind it), and along the route there were giant boards for canvases encouraging it.
The Barrio Alto (High Town) started with a grand overlook to the Baixa (where we were staying) across to the Alfama and the castle. To the right was the sparkling Rio Teja.
There were a lot of things closed because it was Easter or Sunday. No drinking at the Port Museum. No entering the Igreja São Roque.
So when we got to Cervejaria da Trinidad and the door didn't pull open, I wasn't surprised. I was surprised when I peeked through the window and a waiter was standing and looking at me puzzled.
Then I pushed instead of pulled. In we went!
The bar was previously a monastery that began making beer in 1836. It was some of the best tile work we've seen in Lisbon. And the Sagres Bohemia isn't bad, as beers go. Alisa really liked her coffee-tasting Preta.
With our first booze of the day done (and we were way behind most of the patrons we saw at breakfast/lunch), we found the next "elevador" - which was actually an elevator!
It is crazy that the steep hill connecting Barrio Alto to the Baixa is so intense that there can actually be a Neo-Gothic, iron elevator connecting them. (There was some elevated sidewalk that went past a ruined convent, Convento do Carmo.)
But, since we wanted to get to the tile museum before it closed, it was time to head down Elevador de Santa Justa for the lower Baixa and Praça do Comércio to catch a bus.
It was snack time though, and Alex was a good influence and looked for fruit.
It just so happened that the storefront also sold pastries, of which Alisa had to try three. She is now a pastel de nates ahead of Alex and I! Though Alisa's guess at fourteen for the day hasn't come true - yet.
By the time we got to the Praça, it was time for a rest. We watched the giant bubbles being made, the sunburnt tourists among those wrapped in scarves and jackets, and the two guys jamming on their electric guitars for tips.
Between Rick and the bus stop map, we realized the bus we wanted was actually a couple blocks down the street. When we got there, it was 4 and the museum closed at 6. It was 30 minutes until the next bus, so we hailed a taxi and pointed out our destination.
"Oh," he said. "I'm pretty sure it is closed today. I don't know why, but the doors weren't open." I tried to explain Easter to him, but it wasn't in his vocabulary, so we just thanked him profusely and headed back to the square.
The evening's activity was going to be going to São Jorge Castle, so we just bumped up the timeline and headed there right away. I wanted to get a deck of cards anyway, so we made sure to grab one between our trolley and the minibus at a souvenir shop at Plaça da Figueira.
Good thing that bus was mini - there were some tight turns getting up that hill!
Also, good thing the tile museum was closed - we spent every minute of the three and a half hours of time at the castle. I'm going to mention I love castles every time we go to one.
First, the gardens around the castle. Then, the archeological site. Then inside the castle. Then the castle walls. Each place had pictures to be taken, windows to peer through, corridors to explore and other tourists to people-watch.
It was also nearing sunset, and the view we had had to be one of the best in the city. The bridge (also by the architect that did the Golden Gate), the giant Jesus statue on the other bank of the river, and the entirety of Lisbon sprawling before us.
We got distracted volunteering as a photographer for an English girl, who then returned the favor.
When we peeked back over the turrets, the sun was just below the horizon and the clouds were a golden halo.
We stayed until the street lights marked the routes through town, then minibused it back to Praça do Figeurio and an Indian/Italian restaurant.
Restaurante Gandhi Palace was perfect - all the vegetarian selections that Alex has been missing. In fact, we all just got paneer and naan. And a bottle of wine.
We rolled back to our hostel, but had to stop by "our bar" on the way: across from the hostel, an extremely friendly owner (as well as heat lamps and blankets for the chill) made for a great end to the evening. Too bad there wasn't a 90s cover band like last night.
We took the remainder of our wine to-go, which resulted in a more exciting trip up the four flights of stairs than normal - in that Alisa tripped on the fourth flight, sending her knee and hand smacking into the ground and her wine coating the landing. Half a roll of toilet paper and some conspiratorial giggling, and we were headed to bed - again at 2am.
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