Graça: Lisbon from on High

During our first month in Lisbon, we lived in Mouraria. The ascent to our apartment required the lungs of a deep sea diver and the legs of a cyborg, and although the trek always destroyed us, we had to concede that it could be worse. High above us, the residents of another neighborhood sneered at our exhaustion. While gasping for oxygen, we'd shake our fists at them. "Maybe not yet, Graça! But we'll be ready for you soon!"

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The Lisbon Oceanarium on the Holidays

One of the biggest aquariums in Europe is the Oceanário de Lisboa, which opened as part of the 1998 World Expo. We visited during the holidays, and were amazed to be the only people there! Not a single screaming child, pushy mother or frazzled father; nope, just us, gloriously alone with the animals. (If you're not picking up on the sarcasm, it's time to readjust your irony detector.)

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The Marionette Museum

Hosted in the former Convent of Bernardas in downtown Lisbon, the Museu da Marioneta features a collection of puppets from around the world, with a special focus on Portuguese dolls. This is an excellent excursion if you're entertaining a kid, but even adults will find plenty to love.

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