Day No. 55 - Lisbon

Day number 55 is a great number, so things are looking up. Today we have to get up early because we have made an appointment with Volkswagen. Our defective tail light is to be repaired. Even though it gets a bit hectic in the morning, we make it to our appointment on time. Again, the details are explained with hands and feet. We quickly dismantle the bikes, then Hector can be taken over by the automotive mechatronics technicians. I'll probably never get used to this job title.

It's a bit strange to see all your belongings simply disappear into a garage. Especially as our current packing method seems a bit untidy. We usually have boxes stowed in the back, above the mattresses, our rugs behind the mattress and also our rucksacks. All of this is now in addition to the SUP, in front of the back seat. This at least ensures that the friend doesn't have to face everything as soon as he opens the tailgate.

We had asked in advance how long the repair could take. - We were told about half an hour. We planned 2 hours as a precaution. When these had elapsed, we got the bad news. It's not the bulb and it's not the fuse. There is supposedly a fault in the cable. The good news is that I'm not too stupid to replace the bulb. Because I had already tried this without success. The bad news follows with the next question. - Could we leave the vehicle there? For two days or a week, depending on which spare part was needed. The whole thing is explained to us tooth and nail. When that doesn't help, they suddenly find a colleague who speaks English. After he has explained the situation to us, a simple recommendation follows. - It's best to just take the vehicle back with you and find another garage. - A small garage, not from VW. Because there is an unconventional solution in which you pull a cable from left to right. We don't yet know whether this is our solution. We decide to postpone this topic for the time being in order to devote ourselves to our next topic. How do we get our gas bottle filled?

Decathlon had already sent us on a trip across the city the day before. We now think we know almost all the petrol stations around Sintra. Because that's where we were supposed to find our gas bottle. As we couldn't find what we were looking for, I posted a question on Facebook under VW California friends. I immediately got some tips, but unfortunately only the reference to gas stations or the Campingaz homepage. Theoretically, you can find the relevant suppliers in your region on this website. In our region, however, no suppliers for the exchange system were listed. But to cut a long story short, after a long search on the Internet, we came across a DIY store. After a detour via several petrol stations, we found one in a backyard. And lo and behold, we had barely entered the store when the much sought-after Campingaz R907 gas cylinders appeared. The fact that the DIY store is not a DIY store at all, but a plumbing wholesaler, is no longer relevant. The grotesque thing about this situation is that this backyard is located directly behind the Decathlon from the day before. This is where we were sent on our tour of Sintra and the surrounding area. - I realize that this trip has made me much more relaxed. Just two months ago, I would have run into the Decathlon to decapitate the employee in question. Figuratively speaking, of course.

So we set off for our actual destination for the day. A campsite on the outskirts of Lisbon. An exciting thing, because this campsite is already widely signposted on the highway. We even get a snapshot of sign number three. When we arrive, a white T6 is already parked at the check-in. So we park in good company. It's the first time I've seen the facelift in direct comparison. Lisboa Camping & Bungalows is located right next to a highway junction, so it couldn't be more central. A certain background noise is therefore not surprising. But apart from that, the site offers a direct water supply, a personal waste garbage can and its own outdoor table on the pitch. But we don't want to stay for long, instead we prepare Hector for the night. We set off for Lisbon as quickly as possible. - Lisboa here we come!

To get into the city, we use Uber again. Anderson is a charming driver who not only speaks English, but is above all funny. We immediately take the opportunity to pick up two tips. We spontaneously make a detour to take a photo of the 3.2-kilometre-long suspension bridge over the Tagus. The third longest suspension bridge with combined road and rail traffic is very reminiscent of the bridge in San Francisco. No wonder, since the Golden Gate Bridge not only served as a model, it was also designed by the same architect. - This is a special moment for Torgit and me. San Francisco was our first vacation together. Back then, we crossed the Golden Gate Bridge on bicycles. Lisbon seems to me like a combination of big city and village.

Personally, I'm realizing more and more that I'm less interested in big cities at the moment. There's no question that Lisbon is wonderful and beautiful. But at the moment I'm more drawn to nature. I would also avoid campsites more often if we were more self-sufficient in terms of electricity and water. But that should change in the future, our SpaceCamper project already has its name:

Hector and SpaceCamper become Spector. Now VW just has to get its act together so that we can finally configure Spector. One thing is now clear, it will be the long wheelbase.

I am also interested in barbershops in Lisbon. This is a luxury that I like to indulge in at the moment. A need for grooming? - Barbearia Oliveira, at 27 R. dos Remédios, is definitely worth a recommendation. Torgit is still skeptical after her last visit to the hairdresser in Bilbao. She misses Hatice, the hairdresser she trusts. If you are ever in Siegburg, Torgit swears by Hatice, Hairstyling Chamäleon, Bahnhofstraße 55.

There is something else I particularly notice about Lisbon. There is exciting graffiti everywhere. Torgit, who was last in this city two years ago, can show me lots of exciting things. - And of course, a cemetery is also part of our sightseeing tour. What would a Häusgen sightseeing tour be without a cemetery?

Then we want to take a look at the promenade along the Tagus. We'll have to change sides of the street. - And now I can reassure all those who think we never argue. Do you know that? - In our case: I just want to cross the road, Torgit would rather use the traffic lights hundreds of meters away. Torgit complains once again that it would have been a maximum of 50 meters. I think that's an understatement. The fact is, even if you don't believe it, this is a contentious issue. - Why? We can't explain it afterwards. But our overly harmonious status is interrupted for half an hour. But harmony wins out in the end, or was it hunger?

This drives us to the restaurant Da Prata 52, a location that is highly recommended. Do the cool guys behind the counter really know what the place is decorated with? For example, there's an ancient BASF tape deck on the shelf, just like the one my big brother Dirk used to have. I inherited it later and used it to start my not-so-successful career as a DJ. - We still recognize a number of objects from a time when the guys behind the bar were certainly still swimming in the big pond. The food is definitely excellent and the preparation of the "currywurst" is a spectacle. The only thing missing was the curry.

Later, we take a stroll through Lisbon at night. When we get tired, we rely on Uber again. Once we arrive at the campsite, we can sleep well thanks to our earplugs.