On day 2 we took another walking tour to the East part of the city, but unfortunately our guide wasn't the greatest and barely told us anything we didn't already know. So armed with my trusty tablet I was fortunately able to cobble together some of the history myself.

The oldest area of the city, Alfama, resides now in the Eastern area from Rossio (main square) but was once the main part of the city. As it was not destroyed in the great earthquake/tsunami of 1755 it still has the original cobbled streets which are in a Moorish style as well as the Arabian squares.

This is the poorest part of the city and it is evident from both the state of the buildings and more so from the significant amounts of dog excrement which virtually cakes the pavement every few metres.  

The castle area is a great place to find views over the city, and although there is a €7.50 entrance fee into the castle itself, you can still wander around the maze of little streets and explore for free. Whilst in the area the other sights to visit should include:

- The cathedral - the oldest one in the city.
- Roman Theatre - archaelogical site
- Fado bars

I actually wasn't all that taken with what is supposed to be the soul of Lisbon, perhaps that was largely down to the crap guide that we had on the free walking tour earlier in the day.

So after lunch we headed up to Liberty Avenue (the obelisk just past Rossio train station marks the start of this road) and Eduardo Park with it's garden areas and maze like bushes. This area pays homage to Edward VII following his visit to Lisbon in 1902 and offers a panoramic view out over the river.

To finish off our visit here, we had to take a trip on the no 28 tram. The locals still use this route to get around and it's popular with tourists, which is most likely due to the fact it passes through a number of different areas of the city. However, this is an absolutely brilliant trip, and not to be missed. The fact that these little trams run up and down the hills around the city, working their way through tiny little cobbled streets, dodging parked cars and at a reasonable speed, is pretty impressive. In addition the Estrela area of the city, at the end of the line is well worth a visit to view the Basilica and also take in the beautiful tranquil park there. For just €1.40 each way, this journey is a great way to kill an hour and totally worth it... it certainly ended the day leaving me feeling like I would be back again sometime.

We finished the day with a meal in the Bairro Alto area of town, which at night is a complete contrast to the deserted grafitti covered walls. There is every sort of cuisine on offer here and numerous bars offering Fado and other entertainment.

With just 2 full days in the capital, there is still quite a bit that we didn't see whilst here. for example I've already earmarked the area of Sintra for a return visit and it may need a day or two to take in fully.