Partly out of cultural curiosity but mostly because the airfare for the two of us to Portugal was just a tad over $152 round trip (plus 100K frequent flyer miles, of course), Lisbon was our gateway to discovering the southwest corner of Europe.
Unlike some other popular capital cities in Europe (Paris and Rome come to mind), Lisbon did not really have that big a draw for us. That explained why rather than doing my usual obsessive-compulsive research on attractions and restaurants, we instead resorted to petty crime. While Bob kept an eye out for any store employees, I stood with my back turned in the corner of some bookshelves at our local Half Price Book Store and snapped some covert pictures of walks Rick Steves recommended in his Portugal Guide Book.
TRAVEL TIP: Smartphone cameras are an invaluable tool while traveling internationally. Take a picture of a passing menu as a reminder that you might want to have dinner there later. A snapshot of the outside of your AirBnb or the street where it’s located is helpful in case you get lost and need a visual cue. The photo of the local train map might save you the embarrassment of being told by the conductor that you have been on the wrong train the entire time and not to put your feet up on the chair in front even when the railcar is empty!
