Things to See in Lisbon Portugal

View of Lisbon rooftops from São Jorge Castle

When you’re off to find things to see in Lisbon Portugal on your first day, you begin to wish that maybe you should be living in New York instead of Sacramento, California. Because if you had flown to Lisbon from New York, the time difference between New York City and Lisbon is only 5 hours. People who live on the East Coast probably do not realize how lucky they are that they can travel to Europe without the suffering of extreme jet lag.

Even though my husband and I traveled on Air France first class San Francisco to Paris, we still had to catch a connecting flight in Paris to Lisbon on Air France. We stayed at the Hotel Sofitel in the center of the city, which turned out to be an excellent location. A quick dinner and we were off to slumberland.

Tree-canopied sidewalks of Av. da Liberdade in Lisbon, Portugal

We had given ourselves four days in Lisbon before boarding the Crystal Symphony for a cruise to Spain. That mean bright-eyed or no bright-eyed and bushy tailed, we were getting up in the morning to find things to see in Lisbon Portugal. One of our Must-Sees was São Castle Jorge, which you can spot high on the hill from just about anywhere in town.

To get there, we began with a leisurely stroll down the beautiful boulevards and sidewalks of Av Da Liberdade. It made me feel like we were in San Francisco. But time spent in San Francisco always feels like a European vacation to me; it’s a magical city.

Elizabeth Weintraub at São Jorge Castle, Lisbon, Portugal

Similar to giving birth, I imagine, in that I hear you forget about the pain afterward, otherwise why would you do it again, we climbed many stairs of São Castle Jorge. This is a Moorish castle from medieval times and its Tower of Ulysses offers visitors a 360-degree view of the city, all the way to the Tagus River. We felt the pain in our calves the following day.

Wine Bar do Castelo near São Castle Jorge in Lisbon, Portugal

There was only one thing to do after our visit to São Castle Jorge. We needed to stop at a wine bar. I don’t know why I have not been to a wine bar. Perhaps because I didn’t realize food was involved, but you can definitely enjoy wonderful treats at a wine bar in Lisbon. The jams, cheeses, meats were delicious. Plus, it gave us a chance to try green wine, which is not green, it means it’s a young wine.

Vinho Verde, a green wine, comes from the northern region of Minho in Portugal, a blend of several white grapes. My favorite, though, by far was a Duoro red suggested by the sommelier, who was extremely helpful and kind. Every person we came into contact with in Lisbon was friendly and warm. We discussed taking the train to Porto, just to sample port wines, but the sommelier felt it was too far for a day trip.

Banks of the Tagus River in Lisbon, Portugal

The following day we decided to take it a bit easier and walked down to the Tagus River to visit a few neighborhoods, including walking around most of Baixa. There were not a lot of shops open except on the water. The Tagus River is billed as the longest river on the Iberian Peninsula. Locals refer to it as the sea and call it Tejo. Everywhere we went, though, the most horrible images ever are tourists with selfie sticks poking those things where they don’t belong. For me, selfie sticks impart a strong urge to grab the damn things, snap them over my knee, while screaming get a life, but that what happens to you when you’re almost 65.

In the upper left corner of this photo, you can see a pile of sand. There is a guy whose job is to flat shovel the sand off the steps and deposit the sand where you see it. Then, he shovels the sand into a wheelbarrow and carts it away. The things to see in Lisbon Portugal are really incredible, especially while paying attention to small actions. It’s what my late father-in-law would call being a professional observer, in that way that always made me laugh.

Lobster lunch at Maria Mil Réis Restaurant in Lisbon, Portugal

We were in the sun too long, and it was time for lunch. We wandered down the river banks for a few blocks and then turned back into the city to check out the local restaurants. Just by luck, actually, we stumbled upon Maria Mil Réis, which offered lobster for lunch. I never met a lobster I didn’t like. A cold ceverza paired well. Even with a couple of drinks and choosing expensive lunch items, we could not spend more than 50 euros.

Sailors eating ice cream in Lisbon, Portugal

I leave you with a photograph my husband, Adam, shot of sailors on the street in the Baixa neighborhood in Lisbon. They look so young. It’s hard to realize so many are just kids.

With all of the constant activity and things to see in Lisbon Portugal, I honestly did not spend much time thinking about Sacramento real estate. The end of August is typically a slow time in Sacramento for buying or selling a home, although, in retrospect, I did manage to take 3 listings during this trip, thanks to the help of my wonderful team.