Lisbon is not my favorite Portuguese city. Certainly there are some cool attractions and interesting history and beautiful viewpoints. But I much preferred Porto and Sintra, and now that I’ve been in Portugal for over 1.5 weeks, I’m mostly seeing the same Portuguese things again like azulejos, pastel de nata, cod, canned fish, port wines, vinho verde, tuk-tuks, fado, saudade, etc. But now in Lisbon, also throw in litter, dog poop, off-putting smells, ramshackle streets, beggars, drug addicts, along with other things that also remind me of San Francisco, like streetcars, neighborhoods with big hills, a bay, and a bridge that looks like the Golden Gate.
The first few Portuguese I chatted with in Lisbon after arrival spoke almost no English, much to my surprise after experiences in Porto and Sintra. I had to decipher their Portuguese while I spoke Spanish in return. That’s fine, of course, but who would have thought?
It’s all interesting, anyway, and I will admittedly appreciate being back in Prague, and then Asheville, very soon, haha.
I was starving at 4:30pm on arrival day, which is not a desirable state to be in while on the Iberian peninsula, since restaurants tend to open late. But I found an excellent Nepalese place that was open where the staff spoke great English. I loved it, and I appreciate Lisbon for offering me such a place. They even played popular Bollywood music videos – I knew four out of nine songs very well from my YouTube Music Bollywood channel I used to listen to while working. I’ll be back there, I’m sure – I feel a need for vegetables, which aren’t often readily forthcoming in Portugal, outside of some soups or in deep-fried form.
From what I’ve read, many seniors and others are getting kicked out of their Lisbon rentals after years so that a new building owner can renovate and then rent at much higher prices. The Portuguese government has encouraged this to some degree with their investment program offerings, such as the “golden visa” that allows foreigners to buy and fix up real estate in exchange for residency and potential eventual citizenship. In the Alfama, an old district that predated and survived the earthquake, things are changing with the times:
Because few homes have their own, every neighborhood has a public laundry and bathroom. Until recently, in the early morning hours, the streets were busy with residents in pajamas, heading for these public baths. Today, many younger people are choosing to live elsewhere, lured by modern conveniences unavailable here, and old flats with older residents are under the watchful eye of real estate developers. Many long-term residents have been evicted due to landlords claiming “necessary reforms,” only to sell the entire building for development as tourist housing. In just one generation, the Alfama is feeling the pressure of gentrification.
Rick Steves
Today’s dad joke: What happens if you get to the Portuguese pastry shop after they’ve already closed?
You can get a pastel de nada!
Today’s limerick:
In Lisbon one struggles to crest each hill
It takes some hardy legs and a strong will
But at the top are nice views
Not seen by he who eschews
So climb, and once at the top you can chill.
Today’s travel quote:
If you reject the food, ignore the customs, fear the religion and avoid the people, you might better stay at home.
James Michener
Major Meander 
Lisbon sounds not good. I do remember going to Porto and Sinatra during my 6 week Spain/Portugal trip. I need to get you to look at my pictures which now I can only say “wow, that’s pretty” with no memory of where it was.
I’d be happy to take a look and see if I can recognize anything.
And I hadn’t noticed the auto correct said SINATRA.
It has the potential for a good dad joke in there somewhere, though!
Always enjoy these posts – thanks so much 🙂 !!
The lack of fresh veggies in the cuisine seems to be something Portugal shares in common with their Iberian neighbors in Spain!
Absolutely! I had forgotten about that before I got here. I suppose it goes to show that veggies are perhaps not as important as we think. Or, perhaps more likely, people normally eat in at home, where they eat healthier, and then when they go out they skip the veggies unless fried. I recall a 2016 Spain trip with a friend where we went out of our way to seek out a vegetarian restaurant so as to take a break from bread, cheese, and meat. Haha
I’m surprised at the hostility toward tourists and digital nomads. It seems that every significant European city has the obligatory huge open square.
Who knows how representative one person with a spray paint can is of the overall population.