(I know you guys hate it when I do two posts in one night, but I've got to catch up here. Just remember to come back tomorrow if the first tired you out already. :) )
To follow up one the Amaze-balls awesomeness of yesterday, I started this lovely morning in Yes! Hostel Lisbon by... doing my laundry.
Now, I am only kind of kidding, because laundry needed to happen rather desperately. I'd been washing out my "delicates" and t-shirts in sinks along the way, but that shite only carries you so far, and my jeans were starting to stand up on their own. One of the truly stellar features of Yes! hostel is that they proudly sport a washer AND a dryer. You can use them at your leisure... for three euros a load, each. Okay, so my two loads cost me 12 freaking euros, which is no small amount for a shoestring backpacker like yours truly, but goddammit, as a cool Australian girl named Marie Claire said (I swear this was her name), I was "going to be the freshest motherfucker in the hostel."
But in the afternoon, my fresh-clad self (amazing how laundry does not transform battered t-shirts and jeans into anything else except clean battered t-shirts and jeans) humped it down to the Lisbon district of Belem, where there's a whole passel of museums and culture and stuff.
First place I hit up was the Jeronimos Monastery, which was incredible on the outside, and had that same curly-cake-decoration architecture that they had at the Quinta da Regaleira.
I checked out the basilica inside (the free part) but didn't feel like paying 7 euros or whatever to see the rest of it. Also did not feel like paying for the Archaeological Museum that was also housed in the Monastery, but I did pay to get into the Portuguese Maritime Museum, which I thought would be pretty boss given Portugal's history of exploration. Also, dude let me in for half price because they were going to close in 30 minutes. Good points and bad.
The maritime museum was interesting, but not as cool as I kind of hoped it would be. There were a lot of ship models, knots, and mannequins wearing different versions of Portuguese Navy dress. I guess I wanted more of... the exciting stuff -- evading pirates, Vasco de Gama's spyglass, etc. Oh well. All the same the ships back in those days must have been freaking impressive.
In another wing they had a bunch of different royal barges, and that was pretty neat. I didn't get to see the entire museum as they were closing, so maybe Vasco de Gama's spyglass was in the part I didn't see. Overall, probably worth five euros, and definitely worth 2.50. :)
And then, because I seriously do love this stuff even though I know a lot of you think I'm crazy, I walked across the street and checked out the Contemporary Art Museum (free!!). They had one of the best installations I've ever seen devoted to the different aspects of contemporary art since the '60s -- land art, surrealism, post-modernism, etc... including a whole room devoted to my beloved Arte Povera!!
Arte Povera is my favorite style of contemporary art; I actually did a huge project on it for grad school back in the day. But because it's late and Mama is tired, I'm just going to be lazy and post the installation's description of Arte Povera, because they say it a well as I probably could.
Arte Povera is a pretty fringe movement of contemporary art... basically 12-14 artists over ten years (1960 to '69) before the artists evolved to explore other aspects. It's really hard to find Arte Povera in the States. I get excited if I come across even one piece when touring the Hirshhorn. So a whole room, of really excellent, really representative works, some famous and some that I'd never seen before, was a giant treat. I took a picture of every piece pretty much I think, but I'll spare you and not post all of them here.
I also came across two really interesting installations by Helio Oiticica, who I'd not heard of before, but he must have a very interesting mind. The first one, Tropicalia, featured live parrots (adorable) and odd, sometimes unsettling structures you were invited to explore. The ground was covered with sand and gravel paths over that kind of guided you around. Tropicalia led directly into the next installation, Eden, which had more of the same with a slightly different vibe.
One of the reasons I like contemporary art so much is that it presents unfamiliar, unsettling, or off-base images or concepts almost always without context, inviting and challenging the viewer to analyze what exactly this piece or this experience is triggering inside his or her own psyche. And yes, what happens inside your brain might be a big fat nothing. That's cool. But walking around Tropicalia and Eden, what I found myself experiencing was sort of a tantalizing forbidden pleasure at being able to actually touch the pieces, go inside, walk on the paths. In the land of Do-Not-Touch America, I found this quite a little thrill. And maybe that was part of his point? Names like Tropicalia and Eden suggest forbidden, exotic, inaccessible places. I dunno. I just know I liked it, a lot. Just an amateur here, folks.
Upstairs, they had all the famous Modern Art from earlier decades -- Picasso, Dali, Man Ray, Mondrian, Rothko, Calder, Duchamp. I enjoy these works but honestly not nearly as much as the truly weird shit downstairs. It was an impressive collection though.
So lessee... after all that, I emerged back into boring ole reality and quick checked out the monument to the Portuguese explorers next to the river.
Spotted a German backpacker doing a bit of unsanctioned urban bouldering...
I went back to the hostel, and the staff asked me if I had signed up for dinner... I had not. I'd wanted to go out at least once during my stay in Lisbon, despite the comfy awesomeness of Yes!. But they told me that Isabel's seafood stew was Amaze-balls, and that even though it was an hour past sign-up I could still get in if I wanted. So... I did. Lisbon would still be there tomorrow night. Stew was indeed delish -- and Isabel brought hot sauce just for me!! I was so touched, I didn't have the heart to tell her it was not actually hot. One more night of good, chill company, free drink tokens and capped off by the "how awesome is Yes! Hostel shot at 11:30.
So that brings us to the last day in Lisbon! I went to go visit the Castelo S. Jorge, up on the top of the big hill, that I'd gotten lost trying to find back my first afternoon in Lisbon. This time I finally did find it, although it took a while. Castelo S. Jorge is not actually really a castle, it's a fortress. Very skimpy on the living space but no expense spared on the arrow slits or battlements. You know how much I adore tramping through things exactly like this, so I know you will understand how very bad the tourist situation was here to make me not like it. This may have been the most touristy place I have been to since Paris. And let me tell you, when you are traveling alone, (or anytime, really) there is NOTHING more annoying than having to wait to pass because some 18-year-old couple wants to celebrate their three-week anniversary by getting the perfect kiss-shot self portrait for Facebook.
I did not push anyone off the towers. Hooray.
Throngs of kissers and posers aside, the fortress was quite cool -- very large and lots to explore and climb.
Next to the fortress, they had an archaeological site where they had excavated ruins from a Moorish settlement dating from... a long time ago. 7 BC maybe?
After the Castelo S. Jorge, I wandered back down the hill and had another tiny little brush wit a scam. I walked into a tiny local place and asked how much a beer was. I was told 3 euros. That is a lot for Portugal, but I was really tired and my feet hurt, so I nodded and sat down. I got my beer, and noticed a menu on the next table. Wouldn't you know it -- a beer was actually 1.40!! Shock. I looked up with a blank stare and just locked eyes with the waitress for a second. When I paid, my beer was 1.40. Amazing.
I ended up having a much better time at a wine bar down the road... got a port and ginja tasting for free and then bought a glass of their second-least expensive wine. Lovely place. Nectar something.
Then it was time for more culture, so I walked to the MUDE, a design museum near my hostel. They were featuring a collection of pop art and design from the 1940s to the 1980s, and had some cool pieces but sadly did not allow photos. I liked it, and it was free. Free is always super.
I wanted to find a cute quiet local place for my last dinner in Portugal, and picked what looked to be a real promising prospect. Sat outside, friendly waiter, and ordered three of their cheapest tapas off a Portuguese menu. I was feeling pretty good about my whole situation... until my first tapas came.
Yeah, that's a gigantic plate of grilled peppers. Waiter must have had a laugh riot when I ordered it not knowing what it was. And they weren't even hot peppers!!! :( Tapas fail.
All the same it was a pretty good meal, although I'm sure the one back at the hostel was better.
I went back to the hostel after that to meet up with Jeremy, because we wanted to see some Fado. Fado is traditional Portuguese singing that features the Portuguese guitar and typically sad or nostalgic subject matter. A bunch of people had told me I needed to see some Fado while I was in Lisbon, and I was happy I wasn't going to have to seek some out all on my own.
Chilled out with a beer and folks at Yes!, and then Jeremy and I headed out to find this Fado place the hostel had recommended. Against all odds, we found it no problem, and Fado was about to start. Perfect.
I wasn't sure exactly what to expect, but I loved this. We were the only tourists there I think, in a tiny place about the size of a double-wide. The Fado was amazing. We had four different singers, two men and two women. Much like opera, not being able to understand the lyrics was not a hindrance in the slightest. the emotions came through just fine, and I left wanting to listen to a lot of Linda Ronstadt and Judy Collins.
Had a great time, and wish we could have stayed longer, but I had to be up super early the next day to catch my flight to Madrid! I'd splurged and bought an easyJet ticket rather than dealing with the 10-hour night train. Jeremy was a superb temporary travel companion and I very much hope we cross paths again sometime in our future lives.
So that was Portugal. Loved it as much as I was told I would when a good friend told me I simply had to add this country on to my itinerary. Portugal did not let me down.
And next we have some red tail lights heading for Spain...
To follow up one the Amaze-balls awesomeness of yesterday, I started this lovely morning in Yes! Hostel Lisbon by... doing my laundry.
Now, I am only kind of kidding, because laundry needed to happen rather desperately. I'd been washing out my "delicates" and t-shirts in sinks along the way, but that shite only carries you so far, and my jeans were starting to stand up on their own. One of the truly stellar features of Yes! hostel is that they proudly sport a washer AND a dryer. You can use them at your leisure... for three euros a load, each. Okay, so my two loads cost me 12 freaking euros, which is no small amount for a shoestring backpacker like yours truly, but goddammit, as a cool Australian girl named Marie Claire said (I swear this was her name), I was "going to be the freshest motherfucker in the hostel."
But in the afternoon, my fresh-clad self (amazing how laundry does not transform battered t-shirts and jeans into anything else except clean battered t-shirts and jeans) humped it down to the Lisbon district of Belem, where there's a whole passel of museums and culture and stuff.
First place I hit up was the Jeronimos Monastery, which was incredible on the outside, and had that same curly-cake-decoration architecture that they had at the Quinta da Regaleira.
 |
| Vasco de Gama's tomb, inside |
The maritime museum was interesting, but not as cool as I kind of hoped it would be. There were a lot of ship models, knots, and mannequins wearing different versions of Portuguese Navy dress. I guess I wanted more of... the exciting stuff -- evading pirates, Vasco de Gama's spyglass, etc. Oh well. All the same the ships back in those days must have been freaking impressive.
 |
| One of the many models. A frigate, I think. |
And then, because I seriously do love this stuff even though I know a lot of you think I'm crazy, I walked across the street and checked out the Contemporary Art Museum (free!!). They had one of the best installations I've ever seen devoted to the different aspects of contemporary art since the '60s -- land art, surrealism, post-modernism, etc... including a whole room devoted to my beloved Arte Povera!!
 |
| A Mario Merz installation in front, with Anselmo's "Torsione" in the background. |
 |
| Click to make it bigger so you can actually read it. |
I also came across two really interesting installations by Helio Oiticica, who I'd not heard of before, but he must have a very interesting mind. The first one, Tropicalia, featured live parrots (adorable) and odd, sometimes unsettling structures you were invited to explore. The ground was covered with sand and gravel paths over that kind of guided you around. Tropicalia led directly into the next installation, Eden, which had more of the same with a slightly different vibe.
 |
| He called the structures "Penetrables". |
Upstairs, they had all the famous Modern Art from earlier decades -- Picasso, Dali, Man Ray, Mondrian, Rothko, Calder, Duchamp. I enjoy these works but honestly not nearly as much as the truly weird shit downstairs. It was an impressive collection though.
So lessee... after all that, I emerged back into boring ole reality and quick checked out the monument to the Portuguese explorers next to the river.
Spotted a German backpacker doing a bit of unsanctioned urban bouldering...
 |
| He was really good at this, surprisingly. |
So that brings us to the last day in Lisbon! I went to go visit the Castelo S. Jorge, up on the top of the big hill, that I'd gotten lost trying to find back my first afternoon in Lisbon. This time I finally did find it, although it took a while. Castelo S. Jorge is not actually really a castle, it's a fortress. Very skimpy on the living space but no expense spared on the arrow slits or battlements. You know how much I adore tramping through things exactly like this, so I know you will understand how very bad the tourist situation was here to make me not like it. This may have been the most touristy place I have been to since Paris. And let me tell you, when you are traveling alone, (or anytime, really) there is NOTHING more annoying than having to wait to pass because some 18-year-old couple wants to celebrate their three-week anniversary by getting the perfect kiss-shot self portrait for Facebook.
I did not push anyone off the towers. Hooray.
Throngs of kissers and posers aside, the fortress was quite cool -- very large and lots to explore and climb.
 |
| Archery practice anyone? |
 |
| Pretty neat. |
I ended up having a much better time at a wine bar down the road... got a port and ginja tasting for free and then bought a glass of their second-least expensive wine. Lovely place. Nectar something.
Then it was time for more culture, so I walked to the MUDE, a design museum near my hostel. They were featuring a collection of pop art and design from the 1940s to the 1980s, and had some cool pieces but sadly did not allow photos. I liked it, and it was free. Free is always super.
I wanted to find a cute quiet local place for my last dinner in Portugal, and picked what looked to be a real promising prospect. Sat outside, friendly waiter, and ordered three of their cheapest tapas off a Portuguese menu. I was feeling pretty good about my whole situation... until my first tapas came.
Yeah, that's a gigantic plate of grilled peppers. Waiter must have had a laugh riot when I ordered it not knowing what it was. And they weren't even hot peppers!!! :( Tapas fail.
All the same it was a pretty good meal, although I'm sure the one back at the hostel was better.
 |
| Do you SEE how many peppers are on that plate?!?!? |
Chilled out with a beer and folks at Yes!, and then Jeremy and I headed out to find this Fado place the hostel had recommended. Against all odds, we found it no problem, and Fado was about to start. Perfect.
I wasn't sure exactly what to expect, but I loved this. We were the only tourists there I think, in a tiny place about the size of a double-wide. The Fado was amazing. We had four different singers, two men and two women. Much like opera, not being able to understand the lyrics was not a hindrance in the slightest. the emotions came through just fine, and I left wanting to listen to a lot of Linda Ronstadt and Judy Collins.
Had a great time, and wish we could have stayed longer, but I had to be up super early the next day to catch my flight to Madrid! I'd splurged and bought an easyJet ticket rather than dealing with the 10-hour night train. Jeremy was a superb temporary travel companion and I very much hope we cross paths again sometime in our future lives.
So that was Portugal. Loved it as much as I was told I would when a good friend told me I simply had to add this country on to my itinerary. Portugal did not let me down.
And next we have some red tail lights heading for Spain...
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