We’re back in the game.

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We are really back. Walked the streets, had the iced gelato and eaten like we live here.
But back to the start. Effortless check in and boarding at Heathrow, so much so we could have slept for another hour at our hotel. Well almost effortless, our shuttle bus managed to get stuck in traffic in the tunnel somewhere which necessitated a walk to terminal 4 (t minutes) then a free train transfer to terminal 2 (maybe 10 minutes) but that meant it was quicker than the bus anyway! We flew TAP, the Portuguese airline and they were terrific. Just over 2 hours in the air and we were in Lisbon. Taxi from the airport was more expensive than the meter indicated (turned off as we arrived!) but still cheaper than an airport bus. Go figure! And we have an apartment literally a few metres from the castle. Dozens of tourists (us included) have taken photos of the exterior as it’s clad in tiles and does look pretty good. It’s very functional, quite modern inside and in a super location. There were tourists everywhere during the day but things have calmed down considerably.
I managed to find a supermarket for some brekkie provisions and treats while Lee had a bit of a relax so things got even better.
Again literally around the corner we found a really good tapas bar and some good cured meats, a good octopus salad and some great beef cooked in white wine and mustard that was delicious. Lee managed a sangria (with ver little effort) and I a couple of surprising IPA beers that were bitter but noticeably citrusy. There was rabbit on the menu but it wasn’t available. Other tapas dishes included chicken gizzard and pig’s ears so the menu was pretty eclectic. The little place was associated with the bigger restaurant next door (they used the same kitchen and chef!) but was a bit cheaper. They didn’t have sardines on their menu but I think we can order them from next door’s menu so don’t be surprised if tomorrow’s report included a sardine dish.
Couple of real tourist things tomorrow but ‘we’re feelin’ it’ already.

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