Dia 100, 16 April: Our Local, Portuguese Peregrinations

Yes! Hostel, Lisbon, Portugal, Dia 100. Our Local, Portuguese Peregrinations

      The Castelo de Săo Jorge was four euros with a student ID. Vinnie and I paid and went through the turnstile into an opened park setting, trees all around the areas where the sidewalk ended. The only thing different about this park was a four-foot wall of stone that served as a perimeter—and the fact that this park offered one of the best views of all of Lisbon one could find. As per usual in such cases, we took pictures with this magnificent background behind us. We found a perch to jump off and we took pictures of each other flying into the air for a few seconds, hoping that the other could catch a shot in mid-air. Finally, it worked out.Then we went up to the highest section of the castle and slept on the low walls, just for a few minutes…I think....

      Traveling around the castle was fun, but even at this site, I was weary of sight-seeing, mainly enjoying small things here and there, like the kitties around the moat. One of them looked like my family’s cat Roscoe and I petted it, sad and longing to see the original back home.

      There is something about a place that can definitely affect one’s mood. I’ve never really been one to believe that entirely, though. That is, until I took one look through the first park area after the castle entrance, seeing the rich green hue of the plants and the rich gold shine from the sun’s rays on the walls. I saw this sight yesterday and still, the beauty relaxed me, made me feel cool in spite of the ever-so-small embers of school stress flickering in the canyons of my mind.

Portuguese-style, cooked fish...

      After the castle, Vinnie and I walked down the streets until we decided on a place for lunch. Like last night, I ordered whatever said ‘Portuguese style’, but Portuguese-style fish differed from the really-not-so-exotic Portuguese meat last night. The fish on my plate were whole, head and tail and everything. I timidly opened up the fish with my fork, knowing that the amount of meat was definitely not going to be enough for a meal. The moral I guess is don’t order Portuguese-style fish, unless you like working to eat your food and only getting small portions in return.

      Vinnie and I proceeded in relative silence around the streets until we reached the waters of the Atlantic Ocean, since Lisbon is located right on the water in a beautiful climate. We watched the water from the rocks, then moved on through the Terreiro de Paҫo, and took a long, scenic route back to the hostel. From 3 til 7pm, we stayed in, tired of sight-seeing and somewhat bored of traveling.

      I suspected that Vinnie may have been mad at me, for some reason, since he seemed too quiet during these two days. Not helping my suspicion, our dinner arrangement was separate, Vinnie to a burger place, me to a buffet. We decided to do our own thing.

      Later, during our walk out for dessert on our last night in Lisbon, he told me of his overall exhaustion, dampening his spirits. I wondered why he was going on to Madeira, then. Five days in a southern island of Portugal alone. He said that he’d had time to think about what he’d learned from others this trip and at some level, I envied him a little for having solitude in paradise. He has family in Madeira, though, so he won’t be completely alone.

      Vinnie seemed better after skyping and emailing some friends from my computer, and we both made it to bed by midnight. 

Walking Past Rossio Square