Lisbon cockerels having a face-off. These two are for sale.

Throughout Portugal, the cockerel is a symbol of faith, justice and good luck. As far as we’re concerned, our fine-feathered friend is also a symbol of a bargain. In Lisbon, where folk art featuring the cockerel is available in every gift shop, the little guy is a souvenir worth crowing about.

Bring home some rooster

A Portuguese legend has it a pilgrim, passing through the small town of Barcelos, was accused of theft. The judge who would decide his fate was about to eat a roast dinner (naturally), when the pilgrim cried out, pointing to his meal, ”If I am innocent, may the cockerel get up and crow!” According to the legend, crow the cock did indeed. Case closed.

Today, the vocal rooster can be found all around Lisbon. Stop in any souvenir shop and you’ll find statuettes, wine stoppers (our favorite), table clothes, even beach towels emblazoned with his image. The list crows on and on. We suggest heading down the cobbled streets of Baixa, rebuilt after the earthquake of 1755, to find shops and people watch.

While you’re at it…

If you are looking for another typical Portuguese gift, pick up a piece of lace or azulejo tile. The town is well known for both items, which can usually be found alongside rooster fare in souvenir shops.

Also see: Our recommended budget hotels in Lisbon.

Popularity: 14% [?]

Lisbon is a city full of fabulous museums and botanical gardens… with entrance fees. However, Parque Eduardo VII, in central Lisbon, is a happy, freebie exception.

The Parque Eduardo

Named after King Edward VII of Britain (following his 1903 visit to Portugal), the park boasts two greenhouses (”estufas”) filled with tropical plants. These beauties sit atop a hill on the park’s west side garden, also known as the “Estufa Fria.” While entrance to the greenhouses isn’t free, the view is. Feast your eyes on the city panorama, stretching out to the River Tagus! (If you don’t mind shelling out a little cash, the greenhouses only charges €1.20 for admission.)

The rest of the park is filled with neatly-trimmed hedges, winding paths, plentiful flowers, and a pretty lake. Some scattered statues and pillars celebrate Portugal’s 1974 Revolution, and a sports pavilion on the park’s eastern side hosts concerts, as well as Lisbon’s annual book fair.

Visiting the park

The Parque Eduardo VII is open daily from dawn till dusk. Take either the Marquês de Pombal or the Parque metro. We also have enjoyed walking to the park from downtown Lisbon, strolling up the tree-lined Avenida da Liberdade and taking in the town.

Popularity: 11% [?]

If you’ll be in Lisbon anytime soon, plan to lay low during the week (or head to the beach) and hit the major sights and museums on Sunday. Why tour on the day of rest? Because many of Lisbon’s attractions are free, for at least a few hours, every Sunday of the year.

Some museums—like the Museum of Ancient Art and the National Tile Museum— are only open for free for a few hours on Sunday, typically from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m..

We suggest you break up your day with trips to two or three museums and attractions, leaving time to stop for lunch or custard. For example, It’s easy to pack in the Maritime Museum and Monastery of the Hieronymites, in the Belem district, in a morning or afternoon. Or, spend the entire day at the Gulbenkian Museum, which is open all day Sunday for free.

Have a fun-day!

Popularity: 14% [?]

We’ll admit it: we’re fans of the TV show “Lost” (Aaron’s a member of the Oceanic Six?? Helloooo curveball!) We’ll also admit that today is an exceptionally wintry, snowy, icy Friday in New York City and we’re finding it hard not to daydream about Lost-y seaside escapes.

Thus inspired, we’ve decided to plan a spontaneous (if imaginary) last-minute trip for next weekend somewhere warm and sunny. Where could we walk on a beach, eat great seafood , see interesting sights, and make our euros stretch to the max?

Oh yeah, and stick to a budget of less than $1,000? Here’s our plan:

Destination: Lisbon

Why? It boasts more than 300 days of sunshine a year, is currently 65 degrees, has great nightlife, tasty food, and is budget-friendly. In short, we love Lisbon.

Getting there

An initial search on CheapTickets.com found a flight for $590 departing Friday at 6 pm (heck, we’d only have to leave work a couple hours early) and returning to NYC on Tuesday night at 7:25 pm. We found a marginally cheaper flight ($577) on Farecast, but it required a nearly 23 hour return flight… maybe next time.

Where to stay

After a quick CheapoSearch for Lisbon we found over 50 central accommodation options for under $100. Twenty of these are under $60. Now we’re talking! We considered the “Lisbon Poets Hostel” for $29 per night. After all, Charlie would stay there, right? However, considering that we’re already ”sleeping” one night on the airplane, we’d appreciate a private room rather than a four-person shared room. Instead, we settled on the “Pension Royal” in the desperately beautiful Bairro Alto, where a private single can be snagged for $53 per night, and you’re situated just steps from cafes and nightlife.

Total cost for three nights: $159.

Where to eat seafood

There are endless choices of great restaurants in Lisbon, but one of the absolute gems is Nariz Do Vinho Tinto, located in the Lapa district. While the prices aren’t super-budget (entrees are around $15), we’re looking for great food and the owner, José Matos Cristovão, is also editor of the Portuguese edition of Epicur, a Spanish food magazine. We’re in!

Approximate weekend food budget: $100

Where to go

Sticking to a tight budget in Lisbon is easier than many other European cities. In order to save on my “splurgy” seafood extravaganza (we all make choices, after all), I’ll be picking up a 48-hour Lisboa Card ($37) to receive discount entrance fees to museums and free rides on the CARRIS system.

Specific attractions include the Basilica da Estrela and our favorite Cheapo park, Jardim da Estrela. The Museu Nacional de Arte Antiga is free until mid-afternoon on Sundays, too…perfect.

Total cost with a couple museum admissions thrown in: $50

Total Cost of the Getaway 

Adding it all up, this escape, including flight, hotel, seafood, and daytime activities could be ours for $899. You could spend more than that staying in New York! (We’ll just keep telling ourselves that!) OK, so it’s just a snowy daydream… but it’s good to know that somewhere affordable the sun is shining.

Popularity: 10% [?]

Some pieces that sparked our interest in Sunday’s New York Times travel section:

Practical Traveler: Whether to Ask the Hotel or Hit the Web
Big online agencies such as Travelocity, Expedia and Orbitz used to be able to offer the lowest price. There are new benefits, however, in booking directly with the hotel.

Vatican Takes Steps to Control Overcrowding
The Vatican museum is shortening its hours, raising its prices, and trying to deal with larger crowds. How badly do you want to see that ceiling?

A Lisbon Suburb Turns up the Chic
Cascais, the luxurious Lisbon suburb once exclusively populated by high-rollers and heads of state, opens up to travelers of all budgets.

Check In/Check Out: Berlin - Hotel de Rome
A bit of stately swank, in the middle of Mitte.

And also of note:

Q&A: Airline Baggage - by the piece or by the pound?

Foraging: Geneva - Collection Privee

Popularity: 9% [?]

photograph courtesy of Tom Meyers

It’s perfectly obvo that we’re big fans of Web sites that help you see more for less in Europe. So imagine our delight when we happened across the Lisbon Tourism Office’s sleek new Web site, full of city guides and tourist information.

The self-guided city walks in Lisbon section of the site is our favorite. The tourism office provides information for walking tours of Baixa Chiado, Bairro Alto, Estrela, Castelo Alfama, and Belem. Each of these ‘hoods is on any tourist’s must-visit list.

Walking directions (”Start by taking the Santa Justa Elevator (1) up to the ruins of the Carmo Convent (2), destroyed in the 1755 earthquake…”) are greatly aided by color maps detailing every move.

Well done, Lisboa!

Popularity: 13% [?]