Lisboa

Nightlife in Lisboa certainly has gotten more lively. In 1997, I had an excellent dinner in the Bairro Alto (upper town) followed by a coffee with a British couple I had met in the resturant. In those days, the Bairro Alto was accessed by walking or by an old funicular. At the hostel they told me I could use the escalators of the Baixa Chiado metro station. The western exit leads to half a dozen escalator flights that go up to the Bairro Alto. Less romantic than the funicular but certainly more efficient. With the escalators masses of people were enjoying themselves in the Bairro Alto and besides the restaurants there were scores of touristy fado cafes. Not just tourists but also the locals were tucking into dinners. It was only a Thursday so I wonder what it's like on Fridays and Saturdays. But other reasons for the crowds might have been: the start of the university term; a general election on Sunday and parties spruiking; and the warm and humid night, driving people into the street.

But before going to Bairro Alto, I decided to try a shot of ginjinha, an aperitif made with ginja berries. In the photo people are clustering around the most well-known outlet recommended to me, though there are others. What you can't see is that the ground is sticky from spilled ginjinha. It seemed to do some good for my stomach.