Portugal Part 2-- A different type of tour

We booked a tour for our first evening from the "We Hate Tourism Tours" folks. We were to see some of the sights(without tourists) and have a meal in a local restaurant. More about the tour company later.

The meeting point was just past this corner. We met up with Marcos, our guide, and two other German couples that would be part of our group. Although we were tired from the flight, Marcos had enough energy to get us all in the mood for an interesting night. Our first stop was for dinner at Lucimar, a hidden gem of a restaurant. This is the type of place you always hope to find when you travel, a place where locals go and is welcoming to strangers. As soon as we sat down the Vinho Verde flowed and the food kept coming. 

Our waitress was fantastic, she made sure that everything was just right and did it with a smile. By the end of the meal we all acted like old friends. Next up were the famous Lisbon pastries.

We ate these beauties at the Belém Tower. We were the only ones there, unlike the next day when there were so many tourists you could hardly get close to it.  

We took a walk to a facility next to the tower, the Champalimaud Centre for the Unknown. The Center is trying to help humanity in any number of ways. The architecture is also quite stunning. 

We had one more stop to enjoy some Port and then called it a night. I heartily recommend this tour and the tour group if you like to go off the beaten path and avoid the crush of tourists. If you have Marcos as a guide tell him Jon sent you and talk to him about Jim Morrison and The Doors.