Arrived!

NOVEMBER 3, 2021: We arrived in Lisbon last night. Everything went smoothly – picked up a local SIM at the airport, took an Uber to the AirBNB and breathed a sigh of relief. We are here. All our suitcases are here. The four bottles of kosher wine bought in the Duty Free are here. We made it.

The apartment is in the Chiado district of Lisbon. This would be like having an apartment near Fifth Avenue in NY. Right in the center of things with upscale shopping all around. We had not eaten all day, except for one vegan sandwich on the plane (really had expected El Al to do better), and we were exhausted. Fortunately, there were ten different vegan restaurant options to choose from within ½ a kilometer. We selected one called Kong, based on a recommendation our daughter Tamar gave us. After a short walk we were disappointed to learn that the place was full, only people with reservations were being served. On the other hand, it was nice to see such a thriving demand for vegan food. We crossed the street and climbed a couple flights of stairs to Organi Chiado. The outdoor seating looked full and indoors was packed. Luckily someone was just finishing, and we were able to get a table outside. Dinner was both delicious and interesting – Carrot Pistachio soup for starters, for example. Portions were large, which was perfect for how hungry we were.

Although we were very close to our apartment, we got totally lost on the way home. First impression is that Lisbon is a tangle of streets and staircases – very difficult to have a sense of direction, requires good walking shoes for the small stone pavements, and good aerobic fitness for the ups and downs. In the dark, which is all we saw so far, it looks beautiful, with the classic European houses and many people out on the street. Can’t wait to explore more tomorrow.

P.S. The featured photo of this blog is the view from our apartment balcony