Wednesday 9 – Thursday 10 October
Rather than rush straight into taking in the tourist sights, our priorities on arrival in this capital city were rather more down to earth and domestic: laundry, food shopping and watering the boat inside and out. After a stupendously unwelcoming reception in the marina office, we dealt with the salt and empty tanks onboard, and then loaded up the bikes with panniers full of dirty clothes. However, the docks where the marina lies are separated from the city by train and tram lines, as well as a four lane carriageway. Mate began to wonder whether everybody does their best to get out of Lisbon – as fast as possible? There is a subway, accessed by long flights of steps, with a channel for bike wheels that is so steep as to render it almost impossible to control the descent, and a huge effort to push a loaded cycle up at the other end. The alternative is a footbridge…with steps. What do people of limited mobility, in wheelchairs, or with pushchairs do? Eventually finding a crossing of all the road and rails, we found ourselves on a pavement barely the width of one’s shoulders, right alongside the fast traffic, at rush hour; which then petered out to nothing. To our right was a steep road into the city, with no pavement, and steps. Not a great first impression. You may have guessed by now, that we just gave up and returned to the boat.
The following morning, armed with new information from Google Maps, we found a bike lane into the city, and accidentally discovered the Mercado da Ribera. This is a large traditional market hall, offering a good range of fruit and veggies, fish, and other food items. Better still, across a second hall full of colourful florists’ stalls, we found ourselves in the Time Out Market – a food hall of delicatessens, wine merchants and a huge array of top notch fast food – heaven.
It would have been rude not to have lunch, and it’s as well we did, for the afternoon was spent pushing those laden bikes up incredibly steep streets to sit in a hot, sweaty launderette for an hour. It has to be said, though, that as launderettes go, this one was pretty impressive, set in a vaulted, crypt-like structure of stone arches and white walls. It was managed by a friendly lady who spoke English, and was immaculately clean as always.
Coming back down the hills was equally scary, as the cobbles are very slippery and even chunky off-road tyres don’t feel entirely secure. Thank goodness it wasn’t raining. Unexpectedly, we were able to take in some impressions of the city centre, busy with tourists, trams and tuk-tuks.