Loitering with intent in Lisbon 2

Although on this particular trip we were taking two city breaks back to back, we wanted this to still be a proper relaxing holiday (with the usual boozing, snoozing and sunblock oozing)...just with added art gallery perusing!

This meant our first morning in Lisbon involved having a leisurely late breakfast and finally emerging from the apartment at the crack of noon, blinking at the midday sunshine. Instead of attempting to navigate the dense network of dead-end alleys, stepped streets and hairpin lanes that blanketed our neighbourhood, we headed downhill to the tram tracks so we could follow the steel rails (and catch a street car along the way, if we wanted). The tram route turned out to be surprisingly hilly; the antique street cars tackled these with no problem, although we didn't manage to catch a tram ourselves.

With no particular itinerary in mind other than to see where the trams were heading, we emerged at random vistas to admire the view along the way. As a city of hills, Lisbon is famous for its ‘miradouros,' the panoramic viewpoints where it’s possible to catch your breath and get your bearings.

Heading down from a viewpoint, most points of reference disappear into the labyrinth again, but we tried our best to head for a large church we’d seen on the horizon.

This turned out to be St Vincent Outside the Walls. We stopped to admire the bougainvillea climbing up its walls...

before having a look at the nearby plaza that is home to Lisbon’s famous Feira da Ladra or ‘thieves market.’

Several times now on our travels we’ve been to markets where it seems likely that eagle-eyed tourists are able to buy back their own stolen possessions (only to be pickpocketed while doing it, thus continuing the cycle).

Not that the chap on the right is going to be picking any pockets!

The boxes of dodgy DVDs, stacks of African carvings and piles of dusty keys reminded us of similar affairs in Athens and Madrid. Although not as established on the tourist trail as the one in the Spanish capital, the market was nowhere near as squalid as what we'd experienced in Greece.

Some lucky stallholders were under the trees, while others put up parasols to ward off the sun. Even in late October the strength of the midday sun left us squinting. Technically, Portugal is not a Mediterranean country (the Atlantic Ocean laps its entire shoreline), but the country is far enough south to enjoy a balmy sub-tropical climate (albeit one that is not as reliable as the proper Med, as we found out later in the week).

Good thing I was wearing my hat!

This woman used her own wares to shelter from the sun while watching over her pile of blankets and towels.

Elsewhere we found antique radios...

...creepy accumulations of scary dolls...

...items of devotion...

...and plenty of the crafts which Portugal is famous for, including lace and needlework...

...leather...

..and painted tiles.

Not to mention a few dogs, some just soaking up the sun...

...and others 'just looking.'

No, not that one. Looks too ruff!

As well as the large church next to the plaza, the entire market was overlooked by this massive building.

Click back next time and we'll have a look inside the Pantheon, a monument to Portugal's national heroes and heroines.

IF YOU GO The Feira da Ladra market is held on Tuesdays and Saturdays from dawn until dusk in Campo de Santa Clara in the Alfama district, reached by tram 28.