Day 0.5

 It's Thursday afternoon, we have arrived, and continued to live out of our suitcases for one more day. First priority was groceries for breakfast and an easy dinner out.

The grocery store - Continente - is a 1/2 block away so that was an easy get. We found our BYOG(grocery)Bs and headed downstairs. After elaborate checks to ensure we had the lawfirm on us (the lawfirm of Wallet, Phone and Keys), we made our way down and across the street. The grocery is inside a mall - Via Caterina - which also houses a Worten (small appliances) as well as several phone carriers, clothing stores, optical shops and including a full contingent of a food court on floor 3. We procured coffee, milk, sugar, pastries, bread, butter, cream cheese, and sandwich meats. The grocery is a decent size, but not a full size as it is an urban footprint. Checked out and left without incident - remember to scan the QR on your receipt in order to leave without setting off sirens.

Grocery stores here don't stock what is in USA grocery stores. Most don't have a pharmacy section with drugs and some bath supplies but most have cleaning supplies. For OTC drugs, there's usually a Well's either as part of or next to a grocery. If there is something you need for bath - soap, lotion, etc - you can also find these at the Wells (usually higher cost) or a bigger grocery or what is called The Normal Store which has an abundance of products from the US set  up in an IKEA style walkway, organized mostly by category. It's usually inexpensive and recognizable. Everything from Garnier to Sour Patch Kids to Dove to Nivea to Kinder Bueno candy. We didn't go this day, but we did go one of the first days we were here to find specific products.

We walked back across the street, used the key - it's about at knee level - and successfully gained entry. After putting the few items we purchased away, we set out to get dinner. Since we live on a pedestrian street, there are no shortage of places.  We picked something pretty close and had some Leffe beer while we waited for our food. Stacey had a Francesinha Portuguese sandwich, which is originally from Porto, made with layers of toasted bread and assorted hot meats over which sliced cheese is melted by the ladling of a tomato-and-beer sauce. It was pretty tasty.  You can get them with or without a fried egg on top. It was warm and filling and the perfect thing to eat before bed. Note the bread and cheeses on the table. In many restaurants, they set out some small appetizers when they bring your beverages. You can choose to partake and they are added to your bill; or decline and they will take them away.

We could barely keep our eyes open while we were eating and it's a good thing it wasn't a long walk home.  We both found our PJs and went to bed.