Portugal 2013. The Epic journey has begun

The epic journey to the land of sol, mar y vino has begun, and how.
So, to cut to the chase- Lisbon is paradise x 2. Dan, Lindsey, Pete and I have concluded the "it's better than Rome." How can that be? you ask. Yes, yes, friends. It can be.

Perhaps this first full day in Lisbon was made all the sweeter by the brutal hell it was to get here. no kidding. Gone are the days when air travel was glamorous and exclusive. It's a bit like cattle herding these days and I will not bore you dear friends, with the very unglamorous details of the sojourn, Best part of kicking off the trip was going to the Red Bulls game in Newark and then heading to the Ironbound for garlic shrimp and grilled veal chops and a bottle of Callbriga red before getting to the airport. We were fortified for the indignities that were to come. Danny squished in the middle seat was just the start. but I promised not to bore you.

Lisbon~
Te amo! I know that's Spanish but I have yet to brush up on my Portugues. Our splendid and somewhat luxurious apartment is in the heart of the bustling Chiado district. First night is exhaustion and we simply walked across the street to a hidden plaza with outdoor seating. A good red wine, an antipasto platter and a couple of pizzas revived our flagging energy and propelled us to do some evening exploring. Walk to the supermarket and strolling through the hills of our neighborhood was a revelation. The music began to pour through the streets and night life had begun. walk. walk. we can't get enough of this glorious city. It's old world and artful. The weather is cool, breezy and delightful and we are blocks away from the river.
Pete is our navigator and is studying the maps carefully. I have full confidence he will get us around, not to mention that he speaks Spanish. Quite a wonderfully handy guy to have around.  We begin to wind down and head back to the Rua Garret for a great night's sleep in our 2br/2ba "wish we could move in" apartamento. Tuesday we intend to hit the morning flea market in the Alfama.