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Posted on by Rick Steves

Small Sardines in Portugal

I’m two days in Lisbon, and I can hardly stop to write up all I’m learning.

I’m staying in a hotel the tourist board put me up in. Every time I accept the tourist board’s offer of a free room, they seem to be pushing a “design hotel” — where function follows form. Everything is clever yet impractical. The outdoor sign is knee level and tiny — I walked past the place several times. The lobby is vast, but there’s nowhere to sit. The room’s very chic, but no drawers, no hooks, no rack for towels, and not even a bar for the roll of TP. Coffee cups are V-shaped…to cool my drink ASAP. The tub comes with far-out lighting…but sits in the center of the room. Give me an old-fashioned hotel with a boring garbage can and knobs on the closet doors.

Still, I slept very well on my jet lag night. (Like I mess things up by anxiously re-clicking my mouse when things don’t happen fast enough on my laptop, I popped an extra quarter-tablet of Ambien at 4:00 a.m. after an earlier one didn’t seem to knock me out…and I slept until noon. I had to research on a tear to make up for the lost morning.)

The big question that everyone in the states seems to be asking is: How’s life over here, when Americans are spending what a guy on the plane called “the Bush peso”? Well, prices are actually pretty good (in Portugal, anyway). Here are a few examples of prices I’ve personally encountered on my first two days (with rough dollar estimates):

Getting in from the airport to my hotel by city bus — €1.50 ($2.25)

Glass of good red wine in a very characteristic pub — €1 ($1.50)

Dinner of fish, potatoes, and salad with a glass of wine — €10 ($15)

Cover for a great evening of live Fado music — €7 ($10.50)

Most expensive sight admission in town — €5 ($7.50)

Buying a new cell phone (unlocked for use anywhere in Europe, and including €10/$15 of calling time) — €40 ($60)

Ferry ride across Tagus River to leave town for a salty waterfront dinner — €1 ($1.50)

Typical taxi rides around town — €4 ($6)

Lisbon is well into its European Union upgrade. Cobbles no longer have the grit of life ground between them. Once-characteristic fish stalls are off the streets and into “more hygienic” covered shops. Widows no longer wear black. The old fishermen’s families in the characteristic Alfama (one of the places that charmed me into becoming a travel writer back in the ‘70s) are now replaced by immigrant laborers.

The traditional fisherman widow’s blues, or Fado, is still filling characteristic bars. Fado is like a musical oyster — sexy and full of the sea. While most tour groups go to big, stuffy, venerable venues, I like the amateur bars where old-timers croon and diners pay only for their sardines and green wine.

I went to the Clube de Fado, where a well-established Fado star provides a springboard to Fado stardom for a new generation of Fadistas (Fado singers).

A diminutive Norah Jones look-alike wailed soulfully, while the man next to me said, “In Portugal, the women are like sardines — the smaller, the better.”

Comments

21 Replies to “Small Sardines in Portugal”

  1. Rick Great you are back on the blog. It’s nice to know that you are human ..slept in until noon. I’ve done that a few times …only worse…..until 6PM….missed Haarlen Saturday market that I flew in on that date to make sure I did not miss….oops. Lisbon sounds like a great back door…I may add to my next trip…have never been to Lisbon….one of the few places I still have on my list …as you always say I assumed I will return…. Love the last quote….you have a knack for chatting with the locals and hearing novel quotes……love the one in Kerry a few years ago…local you asked…”have you lived here all your life?”…..answer: “Not yet”…..some Irish wit….

  2. I have just read about your political views. You seem to agree a lot with Ron Paul. What are your views on Ron Paul?

  3. Wheeee…We’re off again. Going to be another great spring & summer traveling with Rick and then we go to Germany & Italy in Sep/Oct. Thanks for answering a nagging question I have been trying to work out. Cell Phones. I assume you buy one of those prepackaged phones like I see stacked on counters at Media Marts in Germany? Do you pitch it at the end of the trip or will you keep it for the next trip?

  4. Can’t wait to get to Lisbon, especially after reading your latest post. Leaving Chicago next Saturday. Thanks for the blog post. We’ve been wondering how to deal with the cell phone issue and you answered that question. Only concern now is what to see in the time we have in Lisbon. Drive to the Algarve (Vilamoura) on Tuesday morning. Thanks and please keep us informed on your blog as you travel through Portugal.

  6. Never thought much of going to Spain or Portugal, but perhaps with Rick’s encouragement we’ll go! I still have my GSM phone from several past trips, I just buy a new SIM card with a new phone number and top it off with more euros.

  8. Thanks for the updates Rick. Lisbon is one of my fave cities in Europe! And even though its origin is up the road a bit, you can still get some of my fave win, port, right there in Lisbon!

  9. By the way, our last trip was to Spain and Portugal in September/October. The two countries are definitely different. Spain is one of the least english speaking countries I have been to while Portugal was one of the most (a little behind the Netherlands). The Algarve coast is really a gem! And I would love to see more of Portugal so I will be checking in to hear more about Rick’s travels there.

  10. Hi Rick! I have to say I also laughed when I saw that you had slept until noon. I second the previous poster: thanks for letting us know that after 30 years of battling jet lag, you are human in this regard after all. I have been to Lisbon on a cruise a few years ago and was very charmed by the place. It was inexpensive then and I’m glad to hear that it has remained a nice budget alternative. I remember the cheap and efficient cab drives and the huge langostines that we had for our dinners. Yum!! Best wishes for the rest of your trip and again THANK YOU for sharing your adventures with us. You make your fans even more devoted (if that’s possible). :-) Ciao!!

  11. How timely that I tuned into your blog this morning. My husband and I are leaving on a 17 day trip to Portugal and Spain in May. All our hotels have been booked using your books so it will be exciting to read about your adventures for the next couple weeks.

  12. An interesting article in this weeks The Economist on line can be found at ****http://www.economist.com/world/europe/displaystory.cfm?story_id=11016305*** which in essence says good news America the Euro is getting ready to take a dive and devalue. Finally some breathing room. Also it says that Ireland and Spain property value have been overvalued and facing the bubble bust much as we have.

  13. Things are going to cost as much as YOU dear reader let them cost. Please speak up in Europe and at least try to bargain your way out of a few Euros on purchases when appropriate. There is noting wrong in asking for a discount. If America’s pseudo- recession reaches the rest of the world the Euro’s value will come down. Were all connected now.

  14. Hi Rick!!!

    Great info as usual!!! Best Wishes!!!
    Can’t wait to try your new “Audio Guides” good going!!!

    PS… it was great to meet you in person at the trade show last fall in New Jersey!!! What a treat…

    Gary G. Schempp in Nj=USA

  15. Rick, One other thing I’ve always liked about you besides all the travel stuff, is your philosophy on not taking drugs (I mean sleeping pills for example) :) Recently I went to Paris and the first night woke up at 3 am and stayed up….took an early train to my next destination (Arles) slept on the train and had the entire day for sightseeing. I like to be conscious when I sleep — not knocked out — let your body do it’s thing, also sometimes we need to be awakened by that little voice inside us. If we’re “knocked out” then we silence that.

  16. Portugal is a great place and I look forward to the rest of Rick’s adventures. As for the info on the euro, it will be interesting to see what happens and the effect that as on all of Europe – and my portfolio! As far the poster who is going to Portugal and Spain, have a great trip! We went there on a 22 day trip in Sept/Oct and used Rick’s book the entire trip!

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