Travel Diary. Day 1. Lisbon.

We flew into Lisbon around midday, though at the feeling level it seemed like quite a late afternoon. We later understood that different time zones had played a trick on us. The flight had a stopover in Great Britain, but the time difference between Portugal and Latvia is two hours.

For the first accommodation I chose a hostel-type lodging (Hotel 1924, R. Joaquim Bonifácio 32, 4th floor, 1150-196 Lisboa) in an old brick building from the beginning of the last century, with history and with constant wooden stairs up to the fifth floor, high ceilings, and appealing patterned tile walls. We had one small room with windows facing the inner courtyard (which with time we understood to be an advantage rather than a disadvantage, as it had seemed at first glance), shared shower and bathroom facilities, a fairly large kitchenette, and a cosy glazed terrace where already from the first evening we claimed our table and spent all the next three evenings reserved for Lisbon.

In any case, looking back on the whole travel experience, this place had its own story and its own home soul - something you will never find or feel in a standard hotel room, however elegant or expensive it may be. The choice in favour of "Hotel 1924" was also made because it was located in the central district - within walking distance of the promenade, Praça do Comércio, and other beautiful old-town squares. There was, of course, no receptionist in this building; communication took place via WhatsApp with the manager. After a text message, within a few minutes a fairly brisk and capable Indian arrived, who in broken English explained everything, showed us around, and gave us the keys and door codes.

What to do on the first evening in a still fairly unfamiliar city? (Incidentally, it began to grow dark rather early, and around 21:00 it was already quite dark.) Setting out on the journey we had made ourselves two promises: 1. To accept with open minds absolutely everything that these lands and their inhabitants would offer - to trust the recommendations of unknown people, not to seek the familiar but to experience the different. 2. To enjoy very many seafood dishes and fruits.

And that is precisely how we started. We searched Google Maps for the nearest and highest-rated seafood restaurant - Cervejaria Ramiro (Av. Alm. Reis nº1 - H, 1150-007 Lisboa) - and went for a treat (yes, yes, we are quite the gourmands and cannot understand those who eat only to live; we live to eat and drink with great pleasure). We ordered all possible sea creatures - clams in their shells in olive oil and garlic sauce (amêijoas à bulhão pato), stuffed crab (Sapateira Recheada), tiger prawns (gamba à la aguillo), and the giant prawn (Gamba tigre gigante a la plancha). Alongside, of course, white bread with melted pieces of butter was served, and a properly chilled white wine Casa Ferreirinha Planalto Reserva 2017 (as you can imagine, my five-year Ramadan regarding alcoholic beverages came to a swift end).

It was not only a magnificent enjoyment of aromas and flavours, but also an attraction - to get at the meat in the crab's claw, a small board with a hammer had to be used and one had to strike the claw rather forcefully. At the adjacent tables, in an aquarium, the crab's distant relatives were living and awaiting their fateful hour. The restaurant was fairly full and in demand. We were lucky to get the last free table. Those who arrived later now had to queue. Unlike in Latvia, in all the cafés and restaurants here one must reckon with quite a small distance between tables - or indeed a stranger sitting right beside one, enjoying their meal.

The waiters (only men, as is generally the custom in southern European restaurants) were courteous, dexterous, and attentive. Unobtrusive, but watchful enough to ensure nothing was lacking at the table. If the food had not yet been finished but the drink was running low, a freshly filled glass appeared on the table as if by magic. Noticing our amateur dexterity with the crab hammers, they brought an extra stack of napkins in passing, and so on. The restaurant prices are not among the lowest - if you want a proper treat, expect a bill of 70–100 EUR - but it is worth it.

Then we could calmly wander through Lisbon's little streets, delighting in the patterned tile-decorated house façades and street art. We accidentally came across a fruit shop where we could not resist buying fragrant, deep-red strawberries. Imagine - on the night of 28 April, sitting in beach flip-flops on a terrace, eating fresh strawberries!