Day 1 in Lisbon

Started the day off with a stroll around the beautiful grounds of the hotel.   There's just something about an early morning walk before everyone else is out and about that brings peace to your soul.  No big wildlife sightings, beyond the ducks in the lagoon, but still an enjoyable stroll.   So glad I decided to stay up in the Sintra mountains.  It's a bit of a drive from Lisbon, but worth the drive.

After my morning stroll, it was time to head to Lisbon to meet friends for lunch at Belcanto, the first restaurant in Lisbon to get 2 Michelin Stars.  Beclanto is one of the several restaurants chef José Avillez owns in Lisbon.  It did not disappoint.  We decided on the chef's tasting menu with wine pairings.  Now it was not a cheap selection, but it as a wonderful way to spend the first afternoon.  The food was great and the presentation incredible.  The whole experience was a journey and one I think we'd all go on again.  My personal favorite dish, was the truffle porridge.  Yummy!!!   

We left the restaurant completely stuffed, but happy.  We walked for a bit before heading to the rooftop bar at the Barrio Alto Hotel.  We had been told it had one of the best views in the city and was the place to go see the sunset.   Given our long and leisurely lunch, it was actually already dark by the time we got to the hotel!  But the view of the city at night was still stunning.   However, we later stopped at Silk to have a nightcap and I have to say the view from there was stunning as well.   During my research, I found a lot of information about the amazing views in Lisbon.  After the two we experienced today, I'm looking forward to more. 

All in all a truly great way for the Traveling Hillbilly to start off the 2016 holiday adventure!