Masr by Guichard

Author:Guichard [Guichard]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Religion, Christianity, History, General
ISBN: 9781498231084
Google: 5uU2DAAAQBAJ
Publisher: Wipf and Stock Publishers
Published: 2015-11-18T02:55:58+00:00

Lisbon was a pretty city, looking very much like San Francisco. The estuary of the Tejo was broad and the April 25 Bridge could have been the Golden Gate. From the Castello de Sao Jorge on a hill to the west the city spread out below, all white and pastel with orange tile roofs. There were undoubtedly drab sections as well, and I rode the No. 15 trolley to the end of the line to see what it looked like from ground level. It went through a working-class district full of pimply teenagers, toothless gossiping housewives, and old men in felt caps rushing to catch the train. It looked picturesque enough from above but living in Lisbon probably wasn’t easy for the working poor. The food was good. For breakfast I generally had a couple of tiny espressos and a little custard in a pastry cup. The coffees cost the equivalent of about seventy-five cents. There were many outdoor restaurants in the Baixa and lunch was generally a beer and a sandwich of ham and cheese, or pork. For dinner, I continued my practice from Spain: eat the local fare and avoid beef and chips.

Most restaurants served starters and they added a considerable amount to the bill. But they were worth it: plates of sautéed squid in oil, little sharp, round cheeses, anchovy pâté, fat green olives, and crusty sourdough bread. The house wine was always good enough. As a main course there was bacalhau, or salted codfish, the Portuguese national dish that came from the waters off Newfoundland. On the second night it came assada, or broiled, a fat piece from the midsection, moist and tender like a swordfish steak. It had to be soaked for days, beforehand to return some of the moisture and reduce the salt. Later there was salmon and then swordfish. The prices were about the same as in Spain: around twenty-five dollars for the starter, a main course, and a bottle of wine.

There were surely many things I missed in three days in Lisbon: the sardines, for one, and the fish market for another. The South African at the hotel given me instructions to the market but it was the vegetable market that I found. I didn’t see many parts of the city, or Sintra and the royal palace to the west. I did buy the History of Portugal, Vol. I: From Lusitania to the Empire, by A. H. de Oliveira Marques, as well as a kilo of dried bacalhau. The latter came in a packet about six inches by nine inches by four inches thick, and was hard like kindling. Triple-wrapped in plastic it gave off no odor and fit nicely into the bottom of the duffel bag.

My last day in Lisbon was spent wandering the streets and riding the subway, which was was well laid out and efficient. In the morning I walked to the train station and bought a ticket to Madrid, the South African suggesting that it would be a good idea to be there early.

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