What's the one thing you can think of that's the best indirect consequences of going to any Steemfest? Making a holiday of it abroad, of course! When I found out it was going to be held in Lisbon, I was so excited! Quite a number of my friends had already been and spoke very highly of the attractions in the city centre as well as the friendly nature of the locals.
So, while the Steemfest celebrations were taking a well-earnred breaher, I explored the city together with @ezzy, @bkdbkd and @exyle. And for sure, I was very impressed from the very start.
First things first, the hotel we stayed at was "HF Fenix Lisboa". One out of four kindly organised by @roelandp and situated right beside each other. I must say, they served up the most amazing breakfast buffet, offering a range of hot food, pastry, fruits and even some champagne! I also took a brief stroll in the outdoor garden, which I found to be suitably beautiful and really relaxing!
After leaving well fed, we began our exploration of Lisbon. With the hotel's location being quite central, we decided to take the metro which was literally just on the opposite of the street. Very convenient (however it must be said that the taxis were also very cheap too and provided for a nice alternative mode of transport if need be).
The station was clean and not very busy which was great compared to the usual rush in London tube services. We headed in the direction south of Lisbon and after only a few stops arrived at Cais do Sodre train station. Right across the street from its entrance was the famous Time Out Market, also known as the Mercado da Ribeira.
Walking in, the layout was similar to that of a traditional London market. There were so many stalls selling fresh fruit and vegetable, all locally produced. I noticed most of them were not only more colourful but also larger in size than the ones I'm used to in London. Would have loved to take some back home with me to really taste the difference, lol.
The other section of this vast area contained a canteen-style food hall. All the stands were placed around the perimeter of a large open-plan room with rows upon rows of tables and benches. As it was a Saturday, the crowds were packed together so finding a spot to eat took a little observational expertise, lol.
There are dozens of food vendors to choose from, serving a range of cuisines, from traditional Portuguese to various international selections. Most options seemed to be available to enjoy from large, filling meals to small snacks and sweets. And a lot of cheese, beer and wine to go down nicely with your feast!
In regards to the actual market, you can learn so much about the local fish, cheese, cured ham and snails for example. All the vendors were of course Portuguese and those who spoke English were more than happy to answer any questions I had.
The seafood section, in particularly, was very busy due to the close proximity of the shores nearby. The fish dishes were freshly cooked and exquisitely presented.
Also if you wish to indulge in the best is Portuguese tarts, I recommend a shop called Mantageiria. You can judge how popular it is by the long queue outside the stall, lol. A special mention must go to how extra creamy and oh so delicious they were!
Though at the time it was too early for lunch. So most definitely one somewhere to return to at some point.
There are also two additional shops nearby from where you can buy some keepsake souvenirs with you as well as various localized products such as cans of sardine and tuna or handcrafted bags, etc.
What a fantastic time I was having! Just imagine having a great evening out with good friends whilst enjoying loads of tasty food and drink with a real party atmosphere! I believe this perfectly sums up the spirit of Portugal! This place is well worth visiting if you are ever in this great city.
After two cups of steaming hot coffee and a few more of those creamy tarts, we continued to explore the city.
It was only a short walk up to the glorious sea front. There are nice, stylish benches situated a few yards apart from each other for people to relax on and enjoy the surroundings. And as a nice compliment, there was a sweet two-man band performing some live music. How wonderful!
And of course, a mandatory ice cream break is absolute essential here, haha!
Continuing to walk through the city, there are so many souvenir shops! I couldn't help but snoop around again to find any more things to bring home. It was my first trip to Portugal after all!
Come the evening, we were all famished so decided to have a nice meal with @exyle and @bkdbkd at a lovely restaurant called Forninho Saloio. This place is tucked away within a narrow back street of Lisbon, which has normally been a good sign for some delicious local food in the past, lol.
I was not disappointed in the least. The restaurant served fresh and simple grilled fish and meat, pretty much a typical Portuguese cuisine with a side of potatoes and salad. The beef steaks were divine! The tenderloin in particular was so juicy and full of flavour. A perfect recommendation from @bkdbkd. Thank you! :)
I was having such a great time, what with the awesome Steemfest as well as this magnificent, sprawling city in check out. And things would only get better from here on...
参加Steemfest 2的另一个好处就是能顺道游览所在的美丽城市！但我得知聚会将在里斯本举办时，我兴奋极了。因为我常常听朋友说这个城市有多美当地人多友善，呵呵。
所以在Steemfest自由活动的两天里，我和@ezzy，@ bkdbkd和@exyle一起探索了这座迷人的城市。
首先介绍一下我们下住的酒店HF Fenix Lisboa。这是 @roelandp组织的四家姐妹酒店之一，他们都彼此相邻。 这家酒店的自助早餐非常丰盛，提供了一系列欧式风味热食，各类精美糕点，新鲜水果，甚至还有香槟！ 酒店的户外花园也很值得一提，休闲有格调！
吃饱喝足以后，我们就开始了里斯本的城市之旅。由于酒店地点就在城市中心，交通非常方便，我们就决定乘坐地铁。不过其实这里出租车非常便宜，也是一个不错的选择哦。
里斯本的地铁站很干净，感觉没有伦敦的繁忙，多了几分舒适感。我们朝着里斯本往南，几个站就来到了Cais do Sodre地铁站。车站旁边就是著名的Time Out市场，又称Mercado da Ribeira。
Time Out市场的格局与伦敦市场的相似，布满了很多出售新鲜水果和蔬菜的摊位，都是本地生产的。我注意到，那些蔬菜水果个头都要比我在伦敦买的更大，颜色也更鲜艳。真想带些回家尝尝味道有啥不同，呵呵。
而市场的另一部分就是自助餐厅式的美食广场。整体是黑色背景，显得很有设计感。餐馆摊位在广场的两侧，中间是饮品摊位以及一排排的桌子和长板凳。刚好碰上了周末，大家可以想象这里有多热闹，所以要找位置坐也是有点挑战性的，哈哈。
美食广场有很多饮食摊位可供选择，从传统的葡萄牙美食到西式，亚洲类型美食等等，提供各类主食，小吃以及甜点，当然也少不了各类啤酒和葡萄酒呢！
在这儿你还有机会向摊主们了解一下关于当地海鲜以及奶酪等文化习俗，长长见识。当然要会说英文的当地人，呵呵。
海鲜摊位人气超旺，由于里斯本是沿海城市，他们不但用最新鲜的用料，而且制作过程非常讲究，成品完全像出自于高级餐馆，卖相非常诱人！
来葡萄牙必须要尝这里的葡挞（又名葡式奶油塔)。在Time Out广场，有一家叫做Mantageiria的甜品店，他们的葡挞做得最正宗！看看排队的人群就知道他们在这里有多受欢迎了。葡挞外皮酥脆，馅儿不甜不腻，香儿淡雅，非常有种古朴的醇香。太好吃了，作为吃货的我，很有不枉此行的感觉！
只可惜还太早我吃不下午餐，不过下次我一定找机会再来这里继续发掘他们的美食。
市场里还有两家商店，你可以在那里买到一些精美的纪念品和本地特产，如沙丁鱼罐头和金枪鱼罐头等。
美食广场这儿也特别适合与朋友聚会，在享受美食的同时，快坏畅饮谈天说地，呵呵。如果你来里斯本旅游，可别错过Time Out 市场哦！
享用完咖啡和葡挞，我们继续上路。步行没多远，我们就来到了美丽的海边。与朋友漫步海滩吹吹风，实在是一大幸福享受。我们坐在这儿专门为游客提供的时尚舒适长椅，欣赏着街头艺人演唱，好惬意，希望时光永远能停留在这一刻！
这时候再配上一个香甜美味的草莓雪糕，是不是很棒啊，哈哈！
继续我们里斯本之旅，我发现这里满街都是纪念品店，我忍不住也买了一些手工艺品，呵呵。毕竟这是我第一次来葡萄牙游玩！
旁晚时分，我们来到一家名叫Forninho Saloio 的本地餐厅美美地吃了一顿。餐厅门面不大，隐藏在狭窄的后街小巷里，不过以我们吃货一族的经验来看，这通常是找到当地美食店的好兆头，呵呵。
这家店主打新鲜烤鱼和烤肉，配上土豆和沙拉，是一家非常传统的葡萄牙餐馆。我们下了四份牛扒，这家果然没有让我们失望，那牛扒鲜嫩多汁，味道香浓，口感非常好。你看看@exyle的样子，是不是很满足啊，哈哈！这是@bkdbkd的好提议，谢谢啦，我们下次有机会再来！
（待续）
