Of course as soon as we arrive in a city we seem to need to go somewhere else..Copenhagen – Skagen, Basel – Colmar, Pula – Rovinj so not to break the cycle the day after we arrived in Lisbon we decided to go to Cascais – well it’s not really another town it is almost a suburb of Lisbon. There are grand mansions, museums, lovely parks, a bit arty, nice beaches and an operating fishing port filled with little boats. It’s a nice place to wander- a good day trip.

We returned to the apartment for some R&R before heading out again this time to an area renowned for it’s nightlife- and food. . Cais do Sodre. Of course we caught the wrong tram and got a bit lost but it all worked out and while we thought we were in a bit of a dodgy area, we weren’t. Lisbon is just a bit like that. The outside can be totally different to what is going on inside.

TimeOut Market Lisboa is a jumping place. It is not your typical food hall. The variety is incredible but the quality is just sensational. It is very carefully curated. Established in 2014, it has 36 restaurants and kiosks with five top Portuguese chefs with outlets at the venue. The DJ pumps out the music and people catch up with friends, indulge in exquisite regional specialities from Alentejo ham to custard tarts from Manteigaria, and generally chill. John thought he’d died and gone to heaven. TimeOut Markets have gone viral and there are now five more cities with their own – Miami, New York, Boston, Chicago, Montreal and one opening soon in London.

And then I met Ines, Ruth and a few workmates who were meeting up for a bite to eat. Ruth made the point that it was a bit early. Who eats at just nine o’clock?? John was wondering around drooling while I held our seats- it was busy! I got chatting to Ruth and Ines and realised their party had been split up. They happened to be two seats short with the others abandoned at another table. Of course John and I moved. They were so appreciative and made us feel very special. We continue to have exceptionally warm and friendly interactions with fabulous Portuguese people.

We were tired. We traipsed homeward. Out of the Metro on to Rua do Crucifixio and we were just metres from home, when out of The George, we heard the raucous sounds of people having fun. We decided we needed just one drink – a night cap.

Well the guitarist was just too entertaining. He made friends with everyone, introduced us all and danced all over the furniture and just insisted we all have a good time. There was no alternative. Just to add to our joy, we got to meet Cait and Paul from Brisbane with whom we shared travel adventures and misadventures- and of course sport. What a night! We left together and were headed in the same direction, actually into the same building!!! What a day!!!