retiredmartin

March 2024. Lisbon. Portugal.

The last day of our week in Portugal (you’ll be pleased to know, back to Manchester posts soon), and this post congratulates Mrs RM on a) getting flights to Lisbon for £20 (environmental cost slightly higher), b) choosing cancellable accommodation under £50 a night.

The Ambiente Hostel is £42, less than half what we paid for fading grandeur in Lisbon a quarter of a century ago, and offers unlimited industrial strength coffee and a place to dump our bags till our late, late, flight home.

Just one teeny tiny issue in the otherwise 10/10 reviews.

Well, we seem to have escaped unscathed, despite panic at first sight of a black dot on the bedsheets, and guests booked into Retired Martin Towers this summer have no need to cancel their reservations.

But immediately on reading those reviews (mainly from last October) I started scratching my hour, though that’s more a consequence of two months without a cut and the sun coming out.

Ambiente is beautifully situated, next to the curry caffs and craft beer of Intendente, at a distance from Lisbon Central that means that Mrs RM feels able to walk in and save us the 1.80 euro metro,

money that can be spent on baked good at Pastelaria Capri,

Yep, Pastel de Nata, ham and cheese ciabatta and coffee for £3.

Who needs Wetherspoons ?

Somehow we resisted their cakes, and wondered how Lisboans aren’t all enormous.

An hour later we’d reached the Tagus, with its art installation on the beach, meaning left to the viewer. I think it’s “BRAPA after six pints“.

Even more impressive art was to follow…