Lisboa

Lisboa !

So today was the last morning in Paris. Scott & Alli took their bags over to the bag check lockers at Gare d’Austerlitz, and then over to the Louvre. I finished packing up my room and loaded up my enormous duffel bags and then dropped them off at the « Consigne », the bag check in my building for the next week or so (that is, until I come home). Then it was time to say goodbye- which sucked. We had a great time last night : we went to this really chic restaurant called « Bollywood Lounge » for Indian food and drinks. That was really fun. After that, we went over to a market, picked up some beers and sat along the banks of the Seine looking over Notre Dame and Hôtel de Ville- until there was a murder ! Further down the river, somebody was pushed off the bridge and drowned in the river- so needless to say the cop action was out of control. From there, we hopped on the metro and went over to Oberkampf, in the 11th to this really great bar called « Café Charbon » - it had this great decor/theme and we had a good time, despite their Sangria being terrible. From Oberkampf, the metro was already closed, so we grabbed cabs and went over to Les Halles, the center of Paris, and to the bar we went to the first night we were in Paris – O’Sullivans. It was closed ! Luckily, we know the bouncers, bartenders and owner, so they let us in- even though they were closed- it was fun ! I walked over to the left bank and picked up a bike and biked home.

This morning, as I said, we said our goodbyes. I got on the RER and went over to the airport for my flight this morning to Lisbon- on EasyJet- interesting name for this airline. Nothing about it was really “easy”. If anything, it should be ‘Stand-and-wait-foreverJet’. The lines were out of control! And since there are no assigned seats, everybody rushes the gate to try and get the seat that they would like. The plane was new, but the seats don’t recline! A bit difficult to sleep, thank God it was only a 2 hour flight to Lisbon!

I’m staying at this nice Bed & breakfast/Hostel in Lisbon- very small and really nice. Today I did some great exploring. My first impressions of Lisbon- a beautifully colorful city that has three huge problems, a. DRUGS! I was approached ALL day being asked if I wanted to buy pot, etc. etc. b. Tons of homeless people, many missing all sorts of body parts and c. I forgot the third- but I’ll remember later.

The sites were really pretty, but my favorite was the Estacião Rossio- a train station! It was gorgeous! Later, I had a great dinner- it was kind of like a Portuguese paella- but better! Spicier and fresher rice and seafood. I did more exploring seeing the Coloseu (a theater), the Palacio do Justicio (Palace of Justice), three special praçais (plazas) and a really cool church! I tried to find another famous theater, but the map wasn’t so great- so I couldn’t find it.

But what I did read about, and see signs all over, and when I get the password for the wifi here, I’m going to find out about Rock in Rio- a huge concert where Amy Winehouse and I forget who else- but a bunch of other big names- are performing on 30, 31 May and 1, 5 and 6 June- of which I’ll be here 30, 31 and 1st. I’m really excited to go to that! I hope I can get tickets or figure it out!

Lisbon doesn’t have a billion things to do, but the city is nice to walk around in (minus the aforementioned)- but there are a few art museums, an aquarium, some cool bridges and towers and shopping too! Great things and they’re so cheap! I was shocked!

Well, I’m going to sign off and go relax a bit, I was up last night until 4AM and got up this morning at 8AM, so I’m a bit exhausted- the hour long nap on the plane didn’t suffice.

Be home one week from today!
Bisous