Our first food adventure after strolling around our new neighborhood was a place called Hot Dog Lovers, it was located in a little kiosk along the main street. We had stopped for a much needed beer, and after Mark had seen a man eating one his eyes lit up so we had one too. Mine was a veggie dog with shredded carrot and purple cabbage with potato straws and a mountain of cheese with some mystery sauces inside. It sounds crazy, but to me was excellent with an ice cold pilsner. There are two beer monopolies in Portugal… the first being Sagres, owned now by Heineken and Super Bock by Carlesburg. The kiosks are in every park and main thoroughfare and are packed all hours of the day.

Our other favorite discovery is the Pastel da Nata, a custard tart usually enjoyed with espresso. The pastry was invented in the 18th century by the monks at Jeronimos Monastery in Santa Maria de Belem. Egg whites were used to starch the nuns habits, leaving an excess of yolks for cakes and pastries. After the Liberal Revolution of 1820, the impending closure of the monastery forced the monks to sell the pasteis de nata at the nearby sugar refinery to bring in much needed revenue. When the monastery was closed in 1834, the recipe was sold to the refinery. The owners opened the Fabrica da Pasteis de Belem, where the pasties are still sold by their descendants to this day. The original recipe is kept secret in a hidden room, but every pastry shop in Portugal carries their version of this delicious treat.

Lisbon, the city of seven hills, the second oldest city in the world. The streets are packed with people having a wonderful time, a perfect juxtaposition of enchantingly old and new. Along the main street, the Avenida da Liberdade, the major fashion houses have huge window displays and videos playing of all the latest shows and trends. The people of Portugal are extremely stylish both young and old. The women have been wearing some form of leather trousers with trench coats and the young girls are sporting black hose with leather shorts or skirts often paired with a blazer or moto jacket. Neutrals are huge this fall it seems, so many dressed in varying shades of beige and white. People are not afraid of wearing white year round, I find these people to be so brave, especially given the rainy season. I was relieved to see that denim is a huge thing here as my wardrobe consists of jeans and tshirts. Skater jeans and flares are huge too, I was able to treat myself to a pair or extremely long flared jeans from Benetton. The 90s are back and I am loving it! The men are particularly dapper in their loafers and tweed coats and all of them wear hats, mostly drivers caps and fedoras. They congregate in the parks drinking espresso and smoking cigarettes while they loudly chat and play games. 

Coffee culture is huge here, mostly espresso… but if you want something special the lattes are amazing, just pricey. An espresso is .50 to 1€, lattes start at 3.50€… still much cheaper than coffee in Portland. The only thing I am missing is a larger quantity of fresh vegetables. You can get basic things like cucumber, zucchini, carrots, potatoes, onions, eggplant, broccoli and tomatoes, but it is the only thing that is slightly more expensive than the US. I have quit buying avocados because they are 5€, the 5 for 5 days at my local supermarket are sadly over. I still treat myself to guacamole when we go occasionally have Mexican food. Avocado toast is also everywhere, another parallel to Portland. You can get toast most places, piled with smoked salmon, prosciutto or tomato cheese. There is also a lack of spicy food here, even Latin or Asian food is not spicy. The only hot sauce we found was Tabasco, 3€ for the tiniest bottle you can buy. We still got one for our pantry regardless. Another specialty here is a Piadina, a thin flatbread made with white flour, olive oil, salt and water. They come filled with thin shaved meat of fish, veggies, cheese and a pile of greens. A delicious way to enjoy lunch. Dona Piadina serves theirs with fresh cut sweet potato chips and a side of aioli. Drinks are cheap and some of the friendliest service in town. 

It was so nice to have a spacious kitchen in our first flat. There was everything needed to cook amazing meals, which is much kinder to our wallets and our waists. We have been living off of pasta, risotto and curries as they are cheap and easy to make. It is hard to justify eating pasta out, dishes start at 10€ and we can make an amazing dish for half that for both of us (with leftovers). The food here is simple, although well seasoned, some would consider bland. Meat and potatoes and Sandes (sandwiches) are the go to here. Fries can also be found in every cafe, they come in many forms. From tiny shoestrings, to big roasted wedges, the classic french and my favorite: rustic herbed pan fried potatoes. It is a good thing you have to work for your food here, it is constantly up one hill and down the other and up another again. Living on the fourth floor has been a blessing too, after a month all my clothes still fit perfectly despite eating all the carbs I want. There are few gyms, but it is understandable given the hilly nature of Lisbon.

The street are here is top notch, there are murals scattered throughout this incredible town. It is like an ancient open air museum throughout the labyrinth of streets. There is tagging here and there, but most are at least respectful of the street works and choose not to deface stuff, which is unlike most American cities. There are so many different styles, here are a few of my favorites…