Lisbon is famous for its trams/trolleys, ancient little streetcars that rumble up and down the hills of the city. The most notable of all and a huge tourist draw is the 28 tram that lurches through Alfama as it wanders along a route that takes it through several neighborhoods all over town. At 2.85 euros, fare is one of the few items in Lisbon that are not inexpensive, but we had to try.
If the car is too full, it just keeps going right past the stop. We waited in front of our apartment as three cars went right by, then decided to take the tram going the other way and caught the next one, which was just as packed.
Lisbon also runs a modern tram along the riverfront. After our ride on the old 28, we walked down the hill following the tram tracks and stopped for lunch in another neighborhood charcutaria. Later in the day, transit passes in hand, we caught the modern 15 tram to take us to Belem and a Starbucks so Lynn could buy a Starbucks Lisbon souvenir coffee mug for a friend of her friend who we will meet in Madrid.
The 15 tram returning from Belem was no less jammed with bodies than the old, much smaller 28 had been earlier in the day. The trams in Lisbon are either packed or empty; there is no way to predict which. We alighted at the Commercial Plaza, then walked up the hill for an evening cocktail at our favorite lookout, which has become our delightful daily routine.