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After I saw my share, I started looking for the big red bus. Walked up the hill, attempted to get on another bus, the driver said yes it was the right bus then no. Fun times. Walked over to where the taxi dropped me off. Maybe a tuk tuk? I negotiated with a nice man he said he was very embarrassed to tell me that it would be 20 euro to the next place. I agreed, knowing that this trip was adding up! Next stop Monserrate. At the entrance I showed my skip the line ticket, there was no line. I started down the steep hill. Don’t forget I am not feeling 100%, hopefully not covid, but starting to wonder. This palace was started in 1540. It had the look and feel of Hearst Castle in California, complete with tram to the ocean.

Down, down, down means up,up, up. It was so beautiful and worth it.

Who doesn’t have Venus in their hallway?

Made it to the top. Again no big red bus. And then I realized that I never did see a big red bus the whole time I was there! Ugg scammed? So then another tuk tuk can by with a energetic young man. He asked if I wanted a ride? When I asked how much to the train station, he replied free for you or 5 euro. So I hopped in. He was very entertaining. He stopped and picked some native fruit to eat and explained how to brush off the dirt, bite off the end and spit out the stem and eat the rest! He offered for me to drive his “ Ferrari” and then he asked me out for dinner. Instead I allowed a kiss on each cheek. Back to the train, arriving just in time. It was a 30 minute ride but I missed my stop by two stops. At first I thought that I could just run over to the other side of the tracks and go backwards but no signs, no maps, no internet. It’s amazing how much we depend on having access to the Internet. I went to the underground station, still nothing and nobody. Finally saw a sign to the street and taxis. No taxis. I am really tired by now. It was siesta time not only for me but for the whole city. I got my bearings and looked for something open. At a busy intersection I stopped into a dirty cafe, and asked a grumpy man if he had internet and a glass of wine. He finally smiled, poured me a thimble of wine from a dirty unlabeled bottle and put the codes into my phone. Easy! Ordered an Uber, sipped the wine and a brand new Tesla drove me back to the hotel.

Driving back I noticed a restaurant near my hotel that was serving. Went back to the hotel, cleaned up a bit and went back to the restaurant. It was called Wood and had these salmon things. Maybe the best taste in Portugal rice crackers and lots of lemon zest

Time for reading and a long nap! Time to eat again. The thing with eating snacks is that you can eat again. I decided to go across the street to The Garage, the place I tried to go to on the first day here when it was ok to eat inside, but not ok to eat outside, now because it was cold it was ok to eat outside but not inside. Same crappy service not only to me. Also for the ladies next to me. It was really funny to watch how much the service changed for the couples.

Then I realized that it was a chain. Ugg hate those, but the food looked great! I ordered a gin and tonic. Why are these so much better in other countries?

I ordered a couple things, porcini, arugula and prosciutto brusketta, tuna vittale and oven mushrooms. True to my sad single service woes, they brough me the wrong things and same with almost all of the orders around me. Was this a Chinese Dim Sun place, where you just take what looks good?