Art, History, Culture, and Cable Cars

I was really looking forward to this trip to Lisbon, Portugal because Carly studied abroad here in the fall. It has been my favorite place so far. The smile on my face shows how happy I was here.

Sintra

On Saturday, we took a train to Sintra, Portugal, an area with amazing palaces and history. We explored the Pena Palace, a summer residence for King Ferdinand. The palace was beautiful and had lots of tile and bright colors. We also explored Castle of the Moors, which is the coolest thing I've seen so far. The views were breathtaking. I haven't seen anything like this medieval castle built in the 8th and 9th centuries. On the way home, Jojo and I caught the train within literally 10 seconds of it leaving. Turns out we hopped on the wrong train. We got off at a different stop to try and transfer and got a little confused. Luckily, a Portuguese couple had a feeling we were looking for the Rossio station train, and they told us where to go. It's always a nice surprise when strangers are friendly.

Lisbon

After Sintra, Jojo and I continued to explore in Lisbon. We walked by Rossio square, where a man was blowing lots of bubbles. Kids were running around, grinning from ear to ear. The tile and stone even of the streets was very cool. We continued to Praça do Comércio by where we got ice cream the first night. There were two dance groups on each side of a statue. One was young girls doing a kind of European step dance. The other was a school group singing a Portuguese song. Two very different vibes. It was a blast to see. Later, we walked to a viewpoint by our apartment where we got natas, flautas, and drinks as we took in the view. It was truly a happy moment. The white wine: refreshing. The natas: creamy and sweet. The flautas: savory and spicy. The company: even better.

For sunset, we met up with Cece and Isabel at park with a view called Miradouro da Graça. We got more drinks and watched as the sun went down over Lisbon. The buildings were the best part of this hilly treasure in Portugal. For dinner, we got Italian in a neighborhood called Barrio Alto which is known for its bars and younger crowds. We caught a glimpse of the nightlife, passing bars with music and dancing in the streets. Then, we went to a bar called Pensão Amor in the former red light district. It was a former brothel and had a very old, burlesque atmosphere. There was historical decor, a palm reader, and rooms downstairs with some unbecoming items for sale. This place was truly an experience, and it was definitely a highlight. I forgot to mention I asked the bartender what he recommended and he asked what kind of drinks I like. I responded with fruity but not too sweet, and he started to whip up a concoction. It ended up being in a martini class with a raspberry and tasted as good as a milkshake. No complaints here.

Sunday, we walked to brunch at a very cute place called Dear Breakfast. From there we went to Belem where we saw a beautiful old monastery and a statue that overlooked the river (I'm not sure of the name). Then, we headed to the LX Factory, an area housed in an old manufacturing complex under the Ponte de 25 Abril bridge. This was by far one of my favorite parts of the trip. The area was filled with unique shops and restaurants. The whole area gave off a funky, artistic, hip vibe. There was lots of cool artwork including tiles, pots, jewelry, paintings, clothing, etc. being sold at a market. Even the public bathroom wall was linked with a mosaic display of private parts. We ate lunch at a very good Mexican restaurant before heading back to the airport. Overall, Lisbon was one of my favorite places. It's people were friendly, and it reminded me of a city similar to San Francisco with the art, culture, cable cars, red bridge, and fresh air from the water. I'll be back Lisboa!