The places listed provide a view of Lisbon not often seen by the casual visitors passing through the city.
The Markets -- The big market of Ribeira Nova is as close as you can get to the heart of Lisbon. Behind the Cais do Sodré train station, an enormous roof shelters a collection of stalls offering the produce used in Lisbon's fine restaurants. Foodstuffs arrive each morning in wicker baskets bulging with oversize carrots, cabbages big enough to be shrubbery, and stalks of bananas. Some of the freshly plucked produce arrives by donkey, some by truck, and some balanced on the heads of Lisboan women in the Mediterranean fashion. The rich soil produces the juiciest peaches and the most aromatic tomatoes.
At the market, women festively clad in voluminous skirts and calico aprons preside over the mounds of vegetables, fruit, and fish. On cue, the vendors begin howling about the value of their wares, stopping only to pose for an occasional snapshot. Fishing boats dock at dawn with their catch. The fishermen deposit the cod, squid, bass, hake, and swordfish on long marble counters. The varinas (fishwives) balance wicker baskets of the fresh catch on their heads and climb the cobblestone streets of the Alfama or the Bairro Alto to sell fish from door to door.
Estufa Fria (The Greenhouse) -- The Estufa Fria is in the handsome Parque Eduardo VII (tel. 21/388-22-78), named after Queen Victoria's son to commemorate his three trips to Lisbon. Against a background of streams and rocks, tropical plants grow in such profusion that the place resembles a rainforest. The park lies at the top of Avenida da Liberdade, crowned by a statue of the Marquês de Pombal with his "house pet," a lion. There's a 1.20€ ($1.55) fee to enter the greenhouse, which is open daily 9am to 5:30pm. Metro: Parque or Marquês de Ponbal. Bus: 2, 11, 12, 27, 32, 38, 44, 45, or 83.
Cemitério dos Ingleses (British Cemetery) -- The British Cemetery lies up Rua da Estrêla at one end of the Estrêla Gardens. It's famous as the burial place of Henry Fielding, the novelist and dramatist who's best known for Tom Jones. Fielding went to Lisbon in 1754 to try to recover his health; his posthumous tract Journal of a Voyage to Lisbon tells the story of that trip. He reached Lisbon in August and died 2 months later. A monument honoring him was erected in 1830. Ring the bell for entry. Bus: 9, 20, 27, or 38.
Jardim Botânico (Botanical Garden) -- Connected with the National Costume Museum is the Parque do Monteiro-Mor, Largo Julio de Castilho, Lumiar. It's one of Lisbon's most beautiful botanical gardens. A restaurant (tel. 21/758-58-52) lies on the park grounds. The park is open Tuesday through Sunday from 10am to 6pm. Admission is 1.50€ ($1.95) and free for children under 14. It's free to all Sunday until 2pm. A combination ticket with the National Costume Museum (tel. 21/759-03-18) costs 3€ ($3.90) for adults and 1.50€ ($1.95) for students, teachers, and children under 14. Bus: 1, 3, 7, or 36. Metro: Luminar.
