Three Planes and 24 Hours: Hello Lisbon!

We were soaring with enthusiasm as our Delta flight cruised over Bloomington and onto Chicago for our connection to Amsterdam. Uneventful flights. When we landed in Amsterdam, it was 2:00 am back in Minneapolis, but here, the sun was already shining. That’s when I had to disconnect from Central Standard Time and let jet lag sort things out.

Lisbon’s Humberto Delgado Airport was buzzing with activity. The Uber pick-up is an underground garage of chaos. People, luggage, noise and horn-honking cars everywhere. It took a long time to get out of the airport.

Lisbon is a city paved with fancy tiles and history. If a city could be effortlessly cool without trying, Lisbon would be it.

After three flights of airplane food it was time to give our taste buds a proper welcome to Portugal and the family owned Dois Arcos did not disappoint.

We had barely settled into our seats when plates of cheese, bread and cod coquettes magically appeared — like Portugal’s way of saying, “Relax, you’re among friends and you won’t be leaving hungry.”

We wandered the streets of Lisbon and stumbled into an open-air market with merchants offering traditional street fare, beverages plus local goods.

In the center of the square, Praça da Figueira, is an equestrian statue representing King John I. It is part of the Lisbon Baxia, the area of the city reurbanized after the 1755 Lisbon earthquake.

Portugal isn’t just the world’s biggest cork producer — it’s basically the cork capital of the universe. From wine stoppers to handbags, shoes and even umbrellas, the Portuguese have turned tree bark into an art form. And since cork trees can live for over 200 years, they’ve got sustainability mastered, proving that being eco-friendly can also be effortlessly stylish.

We wandered back to our accommodations at the Lisbon Lounge. This place is very special — the owner, Paul Bell, is the son of my lifelong friend Diane. The Lisbon Lounge Hostel is perfectly placed — close to shops, restaurants, and just about everything else you didn’t know you needed, making it the ideal launchpad for exploring.

Sophia made us an awesome concoction called Amêndoa Amarga which combines bitter almond liqueur and a mix of the juice of a freshly squeezed lemon, a lime and two ice cubes. It had the heavenly smell of almonds and a very pleasant sweet, strong almond flavor.

And with that, it’s time to wrap up this marathon of a travel day. Join us tomorrow as we uncover the mysteries of the Shrine of Fátima. Until then, boa noite and sweet dreams from Portugal!