There are few cities that excite the imagination as much as that first glimpse of Lisbon's eccentric centre.......it is truly stunning. White cobblestoned promenades leading skyward to mysterious lane ways, the dark and looming Castelo de Sao Jorge, funiculars that lead impossibly upwards, Lisbon is my kind of place. I have perched myself precariously in a small fado club in the Bairro Alto inconspicuously (I think) grazing on a plate of marinated olives and soaking up a delightful local Ginja. Ginja is a liqueur made from cherry-like ginja berries fermented in brandy. It is traditionally served in shots with a fermented cherry on the bottom of the shot glass. I have however, dispensed with the cherry for the moment but have followed tradition by downing it in shots (plural). I will eat the fermented cherries for desert.
