After lunch we decided to explore Lisbon on their famous Tram 28. This tram goes from one end of the city to the other. This vintage tram has wooden seats and clinks and clanks along the tracks.
There are astonishing views out the windows, so get a window seat if possible. Tram 28 is popular, so it does get pretty packed. The locals will warn you about pickpocketing on Tram 28, so just watch out. We were ok but we took the necessary precautions.
There were crazy steep climbs along this tram route. There were points along the trip I really thought we would hit a wall.
We took the tram all the way to the last stop, which was at the Basilica da Estrela. This was the same area where our food tour started the day before. The basilica , that was completed in 1790, was absolutely beautiful. There is pink and black marble all over the place. It is neo-classical, with statues and artwork everywhere. It was truly awe-inspiring.
Since we were in the same area as yesterday, we decided to pop back over to O Estamine Snack Bar. I wanted to get more of that homemade ginjinha. The owner was there again and he was excited that we came back.
We sat down with some of the neighborhood gentlemen and had a few glasses of that cherry liqueur. Before we left, we made sure to get a picture with the owner. He gave me a souvenir bottle of his ginjinha.
Now, its mid-afternoon, having been in Lisbon for a few days, I was starting to get use to getting coffee and pastries at this time. Since we were in the area from our previous tour, we decided to go back to Aloma.
I could not wait to get a café latte. I really started to feel like I was getting addicted to their coffee. For my pastry, I ordered something different, Bola de Berlim com crème. This was recommended to me by the bartender at the hotel. He said this was his favorite dessert. I knew I wanted to try it.
It is a Portuguese donut that is cut in half and filled with crème pasteleiro. It is a sweet, thick custard that is very similar to the filling in the pastel de nata. The rich vanilla flavor shined though each bite. The fluffy dough of the donut was tossed in sugar that not only added more sweetness but added a little crunch. It paired perfectly with the café latte.
Once we were finished with our afternoon snack, we were able to hop back onto Tram 28 and head back to the hotel.
Enjoy!
T
