We decided to go back to Alvalade and see the market on Avenida Rio de Janiero. It was around noon, and the market seemed only half in business. There were lots of whole fish, fruit, veggies, cheese, and bread with clothing stalls on the side and a children’s play space. Some aisles were not in use though.
During lunch (veggie sandwiches) we looked at the Idealista realty website for lists of T3 apartments in the area and found a few, above and below our price target. We wondered how that lined up with Graciosa’s info that most of the planned neighborhood of the 1930s were T2s.
After lunch we decided to head back to the metro to go check out the most hugely popular of Portuguese pastries, the pastel de nata. The original was created in 1837 at Pastéis de Belém, which must be the most widely known bakery in the country. The pastel de nata is made in almost every bakery in Portugal, and at Pastéis de Belém it’s known as the Pastel de Belém (trademarked name). It’s an egg custard tart pastry, optionally dusted with cinnamon, that’s creamy smooth with a crunchy pastry shell.
Almost across the street from Pastéis de Belém is a lovely garden park, Jardim Botânico Tropical. There were various plants, trees, birds and lots of ducks. There’s an admission fee and you can become a yearly member.
