We got in around 9am, but couldn't check in to the hostel til 2pm. So, we dropped our stuff, grabbed some of the hostel's free breakfast (where Sean got a crash-course in Portuguese via the back of the orange juice box) and went a-wandering.
We went to the waterfront area, which had a gorgeous plaza, but was otherwise kinda meh. The cathedral was having Mass, so we didn't go in. We stopped and got some coffee and pastries (posted a pic just a minute ago) as a pick-me-up, since we were both kinda fading fast.
Anyway, we wandered through the Rossio (a big plaza with some gorgeous buildings and fountains), down some of the roads in the Baixa (one of the major tourist neighborhoods), and up and down the Avenida da Liberdade (think the a cross between the Ramblas in Barcelona and the Champs Elysees in Paris). There was a local food, wine, and music festival going on in the Rossio, and I bought a small bottle of ginginha, a sour cherry liqueur they make in Lisbon. I'll try it tomorrow and post what it's like.
Anyway, after that, we came back, and CRASHED. Sean and I both slept for at least an hour and a half. I managed to grab some shuteye on the plane, but he didn't, so he in particular needed that. But anyway, after that, we wandered to Praca do Duque for dinner, and ate at the Solar do Duque. Had a gorgeous view of the city, and good food. We sat next to two interesting groups. First was a pair of travel agents who gave us some advice on restaurants and trains, and second was a group of Portuguese guys our age who we swapped music advice with.
Anyway, we meandered back, planned out the next two days, and are crashing again. So, g'night!
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