Drivers, dogs, push and pull

Here are a few observations about life in Lisbon:

1. Drivers here, even those who drive public transportation vehicles like buses and subway (Metro) trains, love to drive fast. No matter how narrow and twisty a thoroughfare, cars, trucks, buses and even the electric trams seem to barrel down them at top speeds, braking at the last minute every block or so for a crosswalk (pedestrians have the right of way in white-striped crosswalks) or traffic signal. In the Metro, the trains come into each stop at top speed, yet somehow manage to stop in just the right spot to allow for passengers entering and exiting.
2. In this busy city with lots of traffic, I am amazed to see so many dogs unleashed. They are always with a human and under total voice command. Last week we were in a coffee shop in Principe Real, sitting next to the door, when I saw a dog of indeterminate breed trotting down the sidewalk untethered. A young couple stepped into the shop and called to the dog, who immediately returned to the shop door where he waited just outside until they had finished their coffees and were ready to leave. 
3. Some Portuguese words' meanings are similar to their English counterparts. For example, the Portuguese for "right" (as in left or right) is "direita." However, for the words push and pull, that is not the case.. If you see a swinging door with the word "puixe" (pronounced "push"), don't. Puixe is Portuguese for "pull." You only push is you see the word "empurre." Some shops add the English translation under the word, but many do not. So I sometimes find myself pushing on a door when I should be pulling. 

We have traveled to Caiscais (pronounced "caishcaish") this past couple of days. It's a beachside community about 30 kilometers west of the city. The train there costs about $3.00 each way and takes about 30 minutes. It's a lovely ride along the coast, past the April 26 Bridge, Belem, and the many small communities that dot the shoreline. We were looking at apartments there in case we are unable to come to a satisfactory resolution to our desire to keep the apartment we are in past February.  The town is very pretty with lots of high-end shops and restaurants. It has become a popular place for retirees from all over Europe and beyond. After two days of exploration and a visit to one apartment that is available, we have decided that living in a small town with lots of other old folks and a 30-minute train ride from the city is not for us. The search continues. 

Last night, while standing in line outside a popular restaurant, I was almost pickpocketed. A young man came up next to me, ostensibly to look at the posted menu, then jostled me a bit to peek inside the restaurant as if he were considering whether or not to get in line to dine there. Luckily, as he was looking in the door, I turned in time to see another young man quickly draw his hand away from my purse. He had opened the main zipper, but, since I keep my wallet in an inside zippered pocket, had been unable to access anything more valuable than the folded shopping bags I always carry. (Portuguese grocery stores charge for the plastic bags, so we always carry a couple.) I glared at him and told him I would hit him if he tried that again. (Imagine this non-violent, 72-year-old woman making such a threat. I doubt he was very frightened.) Then John grabbed him by the lapels of his coat and almost did hit him while shouting at him. Meanwhile, his accomplice, the "distractor", melted into the crowd. 

Lisbon is a very safe, low crime city except for the pickpocketing. There are signs on the trams and in many public places, in English, warning people to watch their valuables, pay attention to their surroundings, and beware of pickpockets. Even Rick Steeves published a column about the high incidence of pickpocketing in Lisbon. On the train to Porto last month we met a woman from South Africa who had not heeded those warnings. She and her husband had been robbed and she was not leaving Lisbon with very fond memories. Of course, crimes like this are common in any major city anywhere, but the phenomenon is relatively new here in Lisbon.

Pickpockets or not, Lisbon remains my happy place.