ISSUE 8: Lisbon, Portugal 2014

…a continuation of ISSUE 7: Barcelona Spain, 2014

All I have to say to start is that Lisbon is a cool city. I definitely prefer it over Barcelona. The people were friendly, the food was delicious, English is practically their first language (sadly), and it is full of beautiful sites.

Lisbon started off really well for us. We got there in the evening, and got checked into our awesome hotel, the Lisbon Short Stay Apartments Baixa . They gave us complimentary drink coupons to use to get us into their bar.... Our room had a great view of the street below which was a nice change from the other hotels we had stayed at on this trip.

Once we were settled in to our room and changed, we were famished and decided to head down to the bar for dinner since we had the free drink coupons and it was a convenient location. …and that’s when things began to get out of control, or should I say it’s when I began to get out of control.

The first thing we did was order our drinks followed by our dinner. Their food was magnificent, I got a Mediterranean salad that I thoroughly enjoyed so much that I ordered it our last night, too. I don't remember what Brad got, but he did like it... Then, we got bold and ordered the "fish bowl". An actual fish bowl filled with dangerous boozie magic! It drew a lot of attention from other patrons. People stopped at our table to ask what it was.

Then the Germans sat down next to us. A charming couple who we shared great insightful conversation with, or at least I think it was insightful. haha. I remember looking to Brad at one point and saying that we could out-drink the Germans... OMG! What was I thinking? We ordered a 2nd fishbowl at my command. That was a mistake. A big mistake. Then in blissful drunken state I ordered a pizza, and devoured it. Next thing you know, I remember laying on the bed & telling Brad to bring me the trash can because I thought I was going to tbe sick that night... While I made it through the night with no tragic incidences to report, the following morning was a different story. When I woke up, my body began to reject and eject everything. I could not hold anything down, including water. Then Brad brought me a pastry! Finally, I was up, and stuff was staying down! Victory at last! I was struggling, but I was up. I was showered. I was dressed. …and I learned the hard way that one fish bowl is plenty, two is deadly, and I will probably never order one again!

With me finally on my feet, we decided to wander the city and see what was out there. It was torture in the beginning, walking around a hot city while hung over has to be one of the most painful things I have ever endured, but I pressed on and followed Brad along the winding streets of Lisbon. It truly was worth the pain. Well, most of it was. We started our journey in the Praca do Comercio, a beautiful square surrounded by shops and tasty restaurants, then followed the coast road that was for cyclist & walkers and were greeted with some familiar faces... Pac Man & friends!

As we moved along this winding road we got some great views of the island across the way and boats going back and forth. It truly started to get better as we moved back into the city. The first site was the fun colorful tiled rainbow wall that lined the road, and once we got more into the neighborhood areas we got to see the beautiful tiled buildings.  However, one of my favorite parts of the trip was still to come...

Wandering aimlessly (uphill, might I add) through Lisbon we found this beautiful cathedral across from beautiful Jardim Da Estrela.  We didn't go in, but we did wander in to the park. It was truly a life saver considering my state of being. We were hungry and thankfully there was a quaint cafe next to the pond which was full of life. birds playing, fish jumping, and turtles who just coasted through the water. 

Because of my hung over state all I could stomach was french fries, the best hangover cure... The water, the fries, the shade and the wildlife was exactly what I needed for a quick recovery.  

We had some incredible views on our walk that day, but my favorite part may have been resting in the park amongst the birds.

As we wandered back down hill, you could see out over the coast and to the sea. I kept admiring the beautiful homes to my left and to my right as looked out, wondering the stories of the people living in each one, and what ships have sailed in and out of the harbor ports throughout history. There truly was a sense of beautiful history throughout the city.

That night we wanted to just take it easy, but continue to explore. We got an easy and quick dinner on the streets near our hotel, and then decided to wander up to Sao Jorge Castle. It was another uphill stroll that took more effort than anticipated. At first I was a little hesitant because the streets were so dark, but I soon realized that we were not the only tourists exploring that night. The weirdest part of the evening was that we were approached several times (near our hotel) by middle eastern young men who were trying to sell us drugs. It started to get a little frustrating because we were approached over and over, and they would interrupt our dinner in hopes we had a burning urge to get stone, not the case! …anyways! The we had a great time wandering and being able to see the city below through the cracks between the buildings. Not to mention, the golden glow of the upper city surrounding the fortress/castle was truly enchanting. Because they close the gates at a certain hour, we could not stay as long as I wanted to, but I knew we would be back in the morning for great views and history. 

The next morning we were up and back on the streets of Lisbon in pursuit of our next adventure. We stopped for breakfast sandwiches and then began our climb back up to Sao Jorge Castle once again.

Much like most European castles and fortresses, this one is quite large. We had a great time walking along the castle walls from tower to tower. Each one had the Portuguese flag flying high and proud. I felt so small as I walked along top, and I got a little thrill going up and down the steps that have no hand rail.

In the center of the castle grounds there was an Avian display of a variety of hawks and owls. Some  people were not amused by this because they did not like seeing the animals "tied down". The large birds had room to hop and fly from spot to spot, but by no means had full freedom.

One of the main attractions for tourists seemed to be the peacocks. There were many. All over. In the motes, on the walls, in the planters... everywhere... Males & Females all just minding their business & probably hoping for a snack from a tourist...

Aside from the lovely peacocks, it was also great to dive into Lisbon's history for the day. It was great to see the vast views of such a beautiful and culturally rich city.  I also loved standing on the moat bridge next to the giant thick stone walls. I made me wonder how many people it took and how long it took to build such a magnificent structure.

The only thing that bummed me out during our stay in Lisbon is that the area we stayed in did not have a beach... Just an ocean "outlook".  But realistically... Day 3 in Lisbon was too cold for the beach, and on Day 2 I was way too hung over... but all that barfing would have ensured that I would have been a hottie in a bikini!!

Also, I felt like we could not figure out where Belem Tower was located We were having a hard time finding it with GPS. That’s where I was hoping to get to on Day 2, but it just wasn’t meant to be! Truth be told, I just don't think that we walked far enough... We walked along the water's edge for what felt like miles (it was probably the heat and my hangover that misconstrued how far we felt we walked), and we just never got to it. So it is on the list for the next potential visit!

…and then I flew home…