Trains, Trams, and TukTuks

We spent most of the day on Tuesday going into Lisbon. We took our beloved BusCas (a bus that makes a loop around Cascais and stops just across from our building) to the Cascais train station. From there we took the train into Lisbon. It is about a 30 minute trip most of it follows the coastline and banks of the Tagus River. We grabbed a taxi to take us to our first stop.

Tram 28 is popular with visitors because it goes into many of the neighborhoods or sectors of Lisbon. The cars are old and screechy. While there is a modern tram system, it is not possible for the new cars to follow the route of Tram 28 because of the hills.

After the tram ride, we walked to the Praca do Comercio (Commerce Square). It is huge, impressive, and close to the port area of the city. During our stroll we came across the Museum of Beer. I knew it would happen sooner or later. (It really is just a bar.) Luckily, it wasn't open or our day would have ended right there.

Colored tiles are everywhere in Portugal. They decorate the outside and inside of many buildings, homes, and landmarks. They are called, "azulejos," and were brought to Portugal by the Moors. Production on azulejos dates back to the 15th century. Seeing so many buildings in Lisbon with facades of azulejos inspired us to make the National Tile Museum our next stop. To get there from the Commerce Square, we took a TukTuk. These are three-wheeled vehicles also known as auto-rickshaws. It was fun and made Will's hair look like Irwin Corey. My hair looked alarmingly like Martin Van Buren.

The museum itself is in an old convent. For me, just seeing the interiors of the building were almost as interesting as the displays of the azulejos.

From there, we took an Uber to the Hard Rock Café so Will could add to his collection of HRC t-shirts. The restaurant is on the famous Avenue Liberdade which is lined with upscale shops. It is reminiscent of the Champs-Elysees with a wide tree-lined median. Next time we're over that way, I'll get a picture. It really is lovely.

After that, we took an Uber back to the train station, train back to Cascais, and bus back home. It was a good day and we look forward to exploring some more soon.