OFF TO LISBON:
We are flying to Lisbon and will be there a couple of days before we board the MS Fram, part of the HX Fleet. Our itinerary is to be sailing from Lisbon to Dover, with stops in Portugal, Spain, Wales and the Channel Islands.
Our flights will take us from Denver to Washington DC then a non stop to Lisbon. We were able to get an upgrade on the long haul to Premium Economy.
Long line at passport control.
We have arranged a car from the airport to our hotel. I do have a little concern about the timing. The EU has just started an upgraded Entry/Exit System (EES). My research indicates the lines for people to get registered are rather long 1-5 hours. Our ride indicates they will only wait 45 minutes for us. If we miss them Uber will be the way we go. Will update you on our experience.
Our lodging is the Hotel Dalma Old Town. Located in Alfama, the most typical and historic neighborhood of Lisbon. This property offers themed apartments that refer to important characters in the Portuguese history. Such as Marquês de Pombal, Fernando Pessoa, Amália da Piedade Rodrigues and Vasca da Gama among other famous historical individuals.
The Hotel is built in a 18th century building, where each floor takes you back to different times in the Portuguese history. Original Pombaline tiles are used inside the apartments . We will have breakfast with our accommodations, we like this as it makes for easy mornings.
Lisbon is known for it’s trams and trams12 and 28 have a stop right outside.
Lynn’s hip is in need of replacement and I am on the mend from my replacement, so we will be using the Yellow Bus and trams to get around the city. Our three day pass also includes a boat tour on the Tagus River (known in Portuguese as Rio Tejo). Also included are the city trams. If all else fails there is Uber.
The cruise port looks to be about a 20-30 min walk from our lodging and it will be down hill.
For this long two week trip we are traveling light with only carry on. The less luggage handling the better for us at this time.
DEN was busy. The west side arrival and pick up vehicle lanes are all torn up. Just the East side is open making things crowded.
The Clear line was really busy with over 100 folks in the line, the other lanes were also busy but they were moving.
In the Club Room we found it not as busy.
Our Flights were our flights. I was able to upgrade us to Premium Economy for the over the pond leg and also able to get our seats together on the two side by side.
The EU has implemented a new easier entry system where biometrics are used when one enters. I had read many a horror story about the lines at passport control.
The rumors were true for us here in Lisbon. Massive lines with probably a 2-3 hour wait. We got lucky as the line monitors noticed Lynn limping with her cane. ( she get her other hip replaced in June) We were fast tracked to a special handicap lane. This made our total time to clear about 30 minutes.
I was worried that our ride service would leave without us due to the lengthy passport control times. This was not the case, and we had a short wait for our ride and were soon off to our hotel.
Arriving a bit early for our room to be ready, we waited in the hotel cafe with a coca cola. We had a nice chat with some folks from Belgium as well as our server.
Soon the room was ready and we are got settled in by unpacking etc etc.
Now to get oriented and do a bit of exploration of our hotel area.
Very near our hotel on can find the OLDEST TRAFFIC SIGNAL IN THE WORLD!
On Salvador street, right at the foot of Portas do Sol in Alfama, there is an inscription on a wall that often goes unnoticed to most people passing by, but it’s of great historical importance. The marble plaque is the oldest, still standing traffic signal from Lisbon and the world.
In 1668, Lisbon was one of the most important kingdoms on the planet — Portugal. Attracted to the riches and wonders of the goods arriving from all over the Portuguese empire, the city was a magnet to foreign nobles and merchants alike, who had to share the narrow, still medieval streets with the inhabitants of the city. In 1668, Lisbon was still a century way from the great earthquake of 1755, followed by a firestorm and tsunami, that wiped out a large part of the city.
Salvador street is a still a small pedestrian passageway that connects Escolas Gerais street to São Tomé street, but in the 17th century, when honor was often upheld with blood, traffic disputes could become a serious issue in such a narrow passageway such as Salvador Street.
In the 17th century Salvador street was part of the route that connected Lisbon’s castle to the riverside area of the city and was one of the busiest streets in the city. Additionally, it was used by those who had chores at the royal court.
Now, imagine two litters or coaches coming from different directions — No one felt obliged to give way. For example, a count considered himself superior to a baron, a merchant considered himself superior as he was richer than the other merchant, etc. As a consequence of this, among the coachmen and servants who carried the lords, heated discussions that often ended in a generalized beating spree, were a common affair in this street. Talk about road rage.
Becoming aware of the situation and in order to prevent further conflicts, the then King Pedro II issued the first traffic sign ever in Lisbon. There are records of older traffic signs in other countries, but according to the research I’ve done, this is the oldest still standing.
The marble plaque placed on a wall to the right of the people going up the street says:
A closeup of the traffic sign from 1686 in Salvador street
“ANNO DE 1686 / SUA MAJESTADE ORDENA / QUE OS COCHES, SEGES / E LITEIRAS QUE / VIEREM DA PORTARIA / DO SALVADOR RECUEM / PARA A MESMA PARTE”
Which translates approximately to:
“YEAR OF 1686 / HIS MAJESTY COMMANDS / THAT COACHES, SEGES, AND LITTERS THAT / ARE COMING FROM THE GATEWAY OF SALVADOR STREET / TO RETURN TO THE SAME WAY”
This is essentially the world’s oldest yield passage sign!
Traffic problems were so widespread that Pedro II placed a total of 24 traffic signs in Lisbon,
During the second half of the 17th century, when coachmen were expressly prohibited from using daggers, sticks or any other weapons that could be used to solve a traffic dispute. Those who disobeyed the royal order would pay the exorbitant fine of 2,000 cruzados and ran the risk of being exiled to Pernambuco, Baía or Rio de Janeiro in Brazil.
Imagine being deported to the other side of the world for not respecting a yield sign!
Right across from this sign is a Doner Kabab shop that looks good, we may just return there
.
From there we further explored our new neighbor hood. We found a “RUBBER TOMAHAWK” shop, our name for your typical souvenirs made in China.
Lisbon is known for ceramic tiles as many of the buildings are decorated with these famous blue tiles. We also found a places called Lisbon’s Tiles, where hand crafted tiles are sold. We will probably return for an item or two.
We decided on an early evening meal and I had found a place near our hotel called O Prego. I wanted to try a traditional Prego.
The origin of the name prego for a steak sandwich is debatable. One of the theories for the popular name is that the steak is hammered until it is tender and thin … and some beef cuts really need to be hammered.
Very tasty
Post-war, a prego was a poor man’s meal and, like many popular dishes in Portugal, bread was a staple in Lisbon, too. The cheapest steak cuts were used, hence the hammering.
Grilled or fried, with garlic butter or mustard added to the sandwich, prego is still what comforts hungry Portuguese on a busy day or a penniless worker.
We split our prego and it was more than enough for us. The steak was very tender cooked in a garlic oil and placed on a very fresh soft roll. It was very good to say the least. The fries or chips were also seasoned well and very fresh.
The day or days of travel were catching up to us and we returned to our room. Laundry was done and we were ready for an early evening.
