On July 18th, we took the night train (argh, another night train) from Madrid to Lisbon. We arrived at the Madrid train station early as we knew with our first class train reservations that we would be able to take advantage of the Sala Lounge - a lounge for first class travellers that offers free newspapers, magazines, snacks and drinks. We spent two hours relaxing in the lounge in preparation for our night train.
When we found our compartment on the night train, we were pleasantly surprised to learn that it was a compartment with only 4 beds (compared to the cramped compartment with 6 beds we previously had). We also had a sink and extra storage space for our luggage. This was nice!
To add to our surprise, the train attendant soon advised us that we would be the only occupants of the compartment and that breakfast was included! He then proceeded to get us a toiletry kit and towels. Now, this is how I prefer to travel at night, especially on a 10 hour train ride. With the luxury provided to us, we both slept well and were ready to explore when we arrived in Lisbon.
For my first morning in Lisbon, I explored around the area of our hostel and admired the beautiful views of the river. By early afternoon it got quite hot which meant siesta time! For the late afternoon, we decided to participate in the free walking tour. Since we had such a good experience with the free walking tour in Madrid, we decided to give it another try in Lisbon. There was a 5pm tour and it was after the peak heat of the day - so we were happy to join in and I'm glad we did. Our tour was excellent. Uwe, our Austrian guide, was awesome. He was funny, quirky, full of useful information & tips and described Lisbon's history with an enthusiasm that made it memorable. If you go to Lisbon, regardless of whether you've been before or not, you need to go on the See Lisbon or Die walking tour!
When you are walking around the centre of Lisbon, you instantly feel a connection to the city and a familiarity. Hmm, what is that familiarity? Lisbon to me was like Europe's San Francisco. With the trams around the city, the steep hills, the beautiful views, there was a stark similarity. Lisbon was also very charming. With its combination of new and old buildings, leftover party decor hanging from powerlines, scaffolding, cobblestone streets and coffee shops galore, it had this unique charm. What a great city!
While on the walking tour, we visited many sites including the Santa Justa Lift, Praca de Comercio, Lisbon Cathedral, walked through the narrow streets of the Alfama district and took Tram #28 around the city. Uwe, our tour guide, gave great tips on the tour includng how to get the view from the top of the Lift without actually taking it. You'll just have to go on his tour to find out what that tip is, but I took his advice and this is the view I got!
Here are some other pics I took while on the tour.
The following day I explored Lisbon on my own. I went through the shopping areas and managed to not spend a dime, but I did spend about 20 minutes in the Nespresso store looking at the machines. Once I return home and of course get a job, it might be my first big purchase :) After admiring the Nespresso machines, I returned to some of the sites we visited the prior day as well as new sites including Restauradores Square, Sao Domingos Church, Figuiera Square, Rossio Square, Carmo Convent, Chafariz do Carmo, Terreiro do Paco and the Castle of Saint George. I also tried a Pasteis de Nata - a small and oh so yummy custard tart which Portugal is famous for. Here are some pictures from my walk around:
When we found our compartment on the night train, we were pleasantly surprised to learn that it was a compartment with only 4 beds (compared to the cramped compartment with 6 beds we previously had). We also had a sink and extra storage space for our luggage. This was nice!
To add to our surprise, the train attendant soon advised us that we would be the only occupants of the compartment and that breakfast was included! He then proceeded to get us a toiletry kit and towels. Now, this is how I prefer to travel at night, especially on a 10 hour train ride. With the luxury provided to us, we both slept well and were ready to explore when we arrived in Lisbon.
For my first morning in Lisbon, I explored around the area of our hostel and admired the beautiful views of the river. By early afternoon it got quite hot which meant siesta time! For the late afternoon, we decided to participate in the free walking tour. Since we had such a good experience with the free walking tour in Madrid, we decided to give it another try in Lisbon. There was a 5pm tour and it was after the peak heat of the day - so we were happy to join in and I'm glad we did. Our tour was excellent. Uwe, our Austrian guide, was awesome. He was funny, quirky, full of useful information & tips and described Lisbon's history with an enthusiasm that made it memorable. If you go to Lisbon, regardless of whether you've been before or not, you need to go on the See Lisbon or Die walking tour!
When you are walking around the centre of Lisbon, you instantly feel a connection to the city and a familiarity. Hmm, what is that familiarity? Lisbon to me was like Europe's San Francisco. With the trams around the city, the steep hills, the beautiful views, there was a stark similarity. Lisbon was also very charming. With its combination of new and old buildings, leftover party decor hanging from powerlines, scaffolding, cobblestone streets and coffee shops galore, it had this unique charm. What a great city!
While on the walking tour, we visited many sites including the Santa Justa Lift, Praca de Comercio, Lisbon Cathedral, walked through the narrow streets of the Alfama district and took Tram #28 around the city. Uwe, our tour guide, gave great tips on the tour includng how to get the view from the top of the Lift without actually taking it. You'll just have to go on his tour to find out what that tip is, but I took his advice and this is the view I got!
Here are some other pics I took while on the tour.
Vehicle selling Fado music
Praca de Comercio
Santa Justa Lift
Sardines anyone?
The many hills of Lisbon
Leftover celebratory decorations being dangled from apartment to apartment. The celebration was over 3 months ago. It's like having Christmas lights still on your house in April
Lisbon under construction. Many buildings appeared to be under construction as they were covered in scaffolding. We quickly learned that these buildings have been covered with scaffolding for years as owners simply ran out of money to continue the renovations!
Gorgeous views from the Alfama District
Best wall art ever! As soon as I saw it, I had the Mario theme song going through my head.
The following day I explored Lisbon on my own. I went through the shopping areas and managed to not spend a dime, but I did spend about 20 minutes in the Nespresso store looking at the machines. Once I return home and of course get a job, it might be my first big purchase :) After admiring the Nespresso machines, I returned to some of the sites we visited the prior day as well as new sites including Restauradores Square, Sao Domingos Church, Figuiera Square, Rossio Square, Carmo Convent, Chafariz do Carmo, Terreiro do Paco and the Castle of Saint George. I also tried a Pasteis de Nata - a small and oh so yummy custard tart which Portugal is famous for. Here are some pictures from my walk around:
The view just up the street from our hostel
San Francisco....I mean Lisbon trams!
Hmm....check out the tile arrangement that was in one of the most popular squares in Lisbon. Do you notice anything odd?
Rossio Square and Fountain
Carmo Convent - This church's roof collapsed during the great earthquake of 1755. Instead of rebuilding or demolishing the entire structure, Lisbon chose to keep it the way it is :)
Pasteis de Nata
Matt and I had a fantastic time in Lisbon...aka Europe's San Francisco!
Aww that mural made me miss our Mario nights on Wii! We should plan a Wii night the day you get back.....or maybe after you've had a chance to unpack and catch up with everybody.
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