Kendall noted early in our trip that Lisbon has many, many different and fascinating forms of public transportation. He decided he wanted to ride as many of them as possible.
A quest is better than a jaunt, I always say. Mission accepted.
Lisbon is a very vertical city, being built essentially on a cliff, and so it has numerous innovations for moving people up and down. I found them impressive, creative, and varied.
For example, I had never seen an outdoor escalator before (unless you count in Metro stations, but those are only outdoor-ish). In case you are wondering, we did not get stuck on the escalator.
If the escalator is not fun enough, they’ve also got several funiculars. Part elevator, part cable car..? We were very excited, and apparently we’re not the only ones—the one we rode on had a designated selfie spot.
In 1901, the city built the Elevador de Santa Justa. It is a Gothic elevator. With spires. I was a fan of the whole experience. While we waited for our turn to ride down, we had a beautiful view of the city.
And then, there was the day we decided to take these magical cable gondolas out over the water and up the east side of the city. Seeing the city from this vantage was lovely, especially with the weather moving in.
By my count, we also took a streetcar, the subway (lots), and the train.
We missed the cable cars, horse-drawn carriages, and tuktuks. A satisfying and successful quest!
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