NEWS CHANNEL
Published: 29/01/2010 00:00 -
Updated: 15/02/2010 18:29
BY CHRIS GILL
True, it’s everyone to their own, but the thought of grub on the run, or indeed standing at a shop counter and eating has rarely appealed to me.
It’s a surefire recipe for indigestion, as my mother used to tell me when I was less inclined to listen as a kid.
In Lisbon they all do it, cafés and restaurants are jam-packed with people all stood scoffing at the counter, and you can only imagine an hour after shovelling down one of their famous pasteis de nata snacks and an expresso, they all re-group at the nearest pharmacy for a spot of Gaviscon.
Lisbon is an excellent, lively place for a weekend break, and easyJet is blessed with an arrival stand that means you are literally off the plane minutes after landing and equally as slickly onto the three euro aerobus which drops you a mere few hundred yards from your hotel.
Speed and efficiency is everything when you only have a couple of days to conquer a terrain which is what you might consider is equal to the seven hills of Rome.
There are a lot of ups and downs in the Portuguese capital, least of all the trek to the Castelo de Sao Jorge which, if you make it, offers magnificent views over the sea and the sprawling city.
We took the ‘tourist’ tram, ‘No28’ which has a bit of a reputation in the city. Someone of my acquaintance was clearly unable to heed the warning about pickpockets and recently had his wallet dipped.
The steady influx of visitors onto this little wooden tram was too much for the driver, who remained slumped over the controls, barely gave his squashed-up passengers a first glance and left the impression he would rather be under than in charge of it.
It’s a rock and roll trip to the castle and you endure a stream of near misses as cars vie with the trams for road space. And by the time you get off you are glad you didn’t join the locals for the cake and coffee.
In January, Lisbon was both pleasantly warm at 16c and then rotten cold with rain at 4c, but still left the freezing UK in the shade.
We stayed at a hotel off the main Rossio Square and choose to take the special tourist bus to get around, which allows you to hop on and off. Great idea, unless you happen to miss one leaving you with a wait of up to 40 minutes.
There is lots to see, monuments, the cathedral, the defensive tower at Belem and of course, the Parque das Nacoes built on the site of the Expo 98.
It boasts ten top attractions including cable cars over the sea, a nautical centre and a bumper shopping mall. The bride loved that.
We didn’t quite head for the British bar in search of an evening meal and entertainment – many do – but it’s always great to compare Hard Rock Cafés around the world and this one didn’t disappoint.
It was while we were demolishing a steak we clocked an Italian restaurant through the window.
We returned the next night to Valentino’s for a feast to remember.
Lisbon seems to have its fair share of social problems and in the mornings the main area has bodies everywhere, still sleeping off the night before under the cover of cardboard.
Just yards away the pavements are full of people catching a coffee break or the requisite Ginjinha liqueur.
But it has much to commend it, and there is a fine spirit in the city with an atmosphere to match, just take it easy on the pasteis de nata.
■ Chris Gill stayed at the Mundial Hotel, in Central Lisbon. He travelled to Lisbon with easyJet from London-Luton, with flights also available from London Gatwick. Go to for details.
True, it’s everyone to their own, but the thought of grub on the run, or indeed standing at a shop counter and eating has rarely appealed to me.
In Lisbon they all do it, cafés and restaurants are jam-packed with people all stood scoffing at the counter, and you can only imagine an hour after shovelling down one of their famous pasteis de nata snacks and an expresso, they all re-group at the nearest pharmacy for a spot of Gaviscon.
Lisbon is an excellent, lively place for a weekend break, and easyJet is blessed with an arrival stand that means you are literally off the plane minutes after landing and equally as slickly onto the three euro aerobus which drops you a mere few hundred yards from your hotel.
Speed and efficiency is everything when you only have a couple of days to conquer a terrain which is what you might consider is equal to the seven hills of Rome.
There are a lot of ups and downs in the Portuguese capital, least of all the trek to the Castelo de Sao Jorge which, if you make it, offers magnificent views over the sea and the sprawling city.
We took the ‘tourist’ tram, ‘No28’ which has a bit of a reputation in the city. Someone of my acquaintance was clearly unable to heed the warning about pickpockets and recently had his wallet dipped.
The steady influx of visitors onto this little wooden tram was too much for the driver, who remained slumped over the controls, barely gave his squashed-up passengers a first glance and left the impression he would rather be under than in charge of it.
It’s a rock and roll trip to the castle and you endure a stream of near misses as cars vie with the trams for road space. And by the time you get off you are glad you didn’t join the locals for the cake and coffee.
In January, Lisbon was both pleasantly warm at 16c and then rotten cold with rain at 4c, but still left the freezing UK in the shade.
We stayed at a hotel off the main Rossio Square and choose to take the special tourist bus to get around, which allows you to hop on and off. Great idea, unless you happen to miss one leaving you with a wait of up to 40 minutes.
There is lots to see, monuments, the cathedral, the defensive tower at Belem and of course, the Parque das Nacoes built on the site of the Expo 98.
It boasts ten top attractions including cable cars over the sea, a nautical centre and a bumper shopping mall. The bride loved that.
We didn’t quite head for the British bar in search of an evening meal and entertainment – many do – but it’s always great to compare Hard Rock Cafés around the world and this one didn’t disappoint.
It was while we were demolishing a steak we clocked an Italian restaurant through the window.
We returned the next night to Valentino’s for a feast to remember.
Lisbon seems to have its fair share of social problems and in the mornings the main area has bodies everywhere, still sleeping off the night before under the cover of cardboard.
Just yards away the pavements are full of people catching a coffee break or the requisite Ginjinha liqueur.
But it has much to commend it, and there is a fine spirit in the city with an atmosphere to match, just take it easy on the pasteis de nata.
■ Chris Gill stayed at the Mundial Hotel, in Central Lisbon. He travelled to Lisbon with easyJet from London-Luton, with flights also available from London Gatwick. Go to for details.
