Articles
Originally published on Wednesday, 24th November 2010
The Experientialist: Lisbon on Three Wheels
UJ discovers a three- wheel thrill of a way to see Lisbon, with Mom in tow.
We at UJ talk about city tours a lot, and the less pavement-pounding we have to do the better. Whilst we still like the blue bus tour in Barcelona even though they won’t let you take coffee onboard, what is it about anything with two wheels (segways and bikes in particular), that irks us so? So when The Experientialist heard about this three-wheeled experience in Lisbon, we figured it might be the perfect compromise and knew we had to check it out. Could this be The One?
The Experience
This was one of the funniest days we have ever spent with a family member. We were met at the hotel by our driver Anibal and his three wheeled Russian military motorbike. It was rusty, spray painted, and had a sidecar. Mum hopped in the sidecar, which meant UJ was going to be riding behind ‘dear A’. If you’re a seatbelt in the taxi kind of person, this might not be for you as we donned headgear which seemed to resemble something closer to horse-riding helmets. Our guide pointed at things as he drove, and we were often sandwiched in-between two town walls. But if you can get onboard with that being half the fun, then you should be able to dive right into this. And the motorcycle was a lot sturdier than it looked - we actually never worried once during our ride. In fact, hands were largely abandoned (for filming purposes)… hope Anibal didn’t mind the leg spoon.
The Location
The tour is part of a roster of extracurricular activities offered at the grandeur that is The Four Seasons Lisbon. We have had a long time office debate concerning chain luxury vs. the boutique experience and it’s safe to say, we’re definitely coming down on the side of swank with the 4S (Four Seasons, dontcha know) this time. From the linens and marble in the bedroom and the elegant table settings and clientele in the dining room, to the spa with outstanding treatments and contemporary art (the fine art collection here was a surprising touch, and impressive to say the least), you can’t not have a relaxing, luxurious, carefree weekend here. You might not do it every day, but make sure you try it at least once. So, pick a time, and assuming it’s not windy or raining (Mariana, the head of PR at the hotel had a 10 month old dog who had never seen rain until we arrived, which should give you some indication of your chances of rain here; must be nice), you’ll be met at the hotel and ready to roll.
The Upshot
Do you ever know where you’re going, direction wise, on a weekend break? If you haven’t been to the city before, it’s hard to do more than a couple of hotspots, sights, and maybe a bus top overview. With the three-wheeled excursion we felt we saw the sights, but also got an overall feel for the real side of Lisbon. On three wheels, unlike a bus, you can whiz through neighbourhoods, over mini bridges, and roll into a square and stop for an acclaimed custard pie, or ‘pasties de nata’. And if you wanted to take a coffee in the sidecar, we’re pretty sure our driver wouldn’t have had a problem with it. We loved the flexibility and bespoke feel of the experience. Anibal acted as driver supreme, history maven, translator and amusing entertainment.
Details
Four Seasons Hotel Ritz Lisbon; Lisbon on Three Wheels Tour. Costs start at €360 per person including sidecar with driver/ English guide, entrance fee for all attractions and a tart at Antiga Confeitaria de Belém. Upon request, a professional photographer can join the tour, documenting the journey at a total cost of €560 per person. Tours are four hours long with a maximum of eight people per tour. Availability is on request with a minimum of 24hrs notice.
Four Seasons Hotel Ritz Lisbon is at Rua Rodrigo da Fonseca, 88, Lisbon 1099-039, Portugal
Tel. 351 (21) 381-1400
