Leaving Algarve, the southern region of Portugal, I was going to take a longer, more scenic route back north to Lisbon along the western shore. But I was getting tired of driving, having already put about 900 miles behind me, and I had almost 200 more to go via the most direct route, which would take about 3 hours. I decided to go direct, rather than add even more hours to my journey via the scenic route.
Once in the city of Lisbon, I just needed to navigate my little rental car to my home for the next 3 nights: the Altis Avenida Hotel. Once there, the valet would whisk my car away and I wouldn’t need it again until it was time for me to return the car to the airport a few days later.
The hotel was wonderful, with a room on the 6th floor, giving me a great view of the city.
So many interesting places were just a walk away from my central location, and I explored a lot on foot, despite the fact that there were some serious hills challenging my bad knees!
I was craving fresh seafood, and the hotel concierge told me of a place that was just a few blocks away: Ribadouro Restaurante Cervejaria. It totally hit the spot.
This was a wonderful cocktail that I came back for several times. As it turned out, my choice for dinner and drinks my first night was on the top floor of the hotel, at the Rossio Gastrobar. Great drinks and wonderful food…it got pretty crowded at night. The views of Lisbon from the open-air rooftop were amazing, with lively music, lots of couples, and even blankets and a dozen fire pits to keep guests warm on cooler nights. It became my last stop at the end of every day in Lisbon, and why not? My room was just an elevator ride away.
Live the Live ™ 