Lisbon, you stole my heart…
Oh the holiday blues. I’ve got them badly. Last week I went on a five day trip to Lisbon with T and his parents and what an amazing experience it was indeed. I was in awe the entire time at how beautiful the city of Lisbon is. Tall tiled buildings with cast iron balconies towering over the narrow streets of Baixo and Bairro Alto, each with tiled floors holding different patterns and tones…gosh it must get slippery there if it ever rains! The picturesque city of Lisbon definitely stole my heart…
We were lucky to visit on such a beautifully hot, sunny week with temperatures reaching 32°, but the fresh air and cool breeze from the city situated by the River Tagus meant there was never any ‘Christ I can’t breathe’ situations. I was soaking in the sun at any given chance, the thought of returning back to the UK knowing too well that ‘summer’ has GONE daunted me. This late summer vacation couldn’t have come at a better time.
In the five days that we were there we made the most of every single day and crammed in the activities and places to see. We took a steep walk up to the Castelo de São Jorge (St George’s Castle) and overlooked the stunning views. The old remains of the towers were still safe to explore so we climbed up the brick stairs to get an even better view and peered down at the streets, the view was an impressive panorama of Lisbon.
Throughout the week we visited the LX Factory (post to come) and the Time Out Food Market which were both places recommended to us. A big thank you to Know & Love for the fab recommendations! We toured Time Out not long after having breakfast which was clearly a big mistake! There were so many different food shacks and stalls selling savoury and sweet dishes which looked delicious. It runs alongside a very typical Portuguese supermarket too which again was very interesting to look around. Why do supermarkets always seem so different and exciting in other countries?
The food in general was absolutely amazing. The city is beautifully located along the banks of the Rio Tejo near the Atlantic Ocean so typically there is a lot of seafood in all of the restaurants… and I LOVE seafood. We also got lured in on a number of occasions by the overwhelming amount of patisseries that we came across, there was honestly at least two ‘pastelarias’ on every street selling the most divine looking pastries and chocolate snacks. One of Lisbon’s signature snacks is the Pasteis de Nata, better known as the custard tart, and boy were they tasty… very sweet and creamy, not like any custard that I have tasted before. I’m going to miss those little suckers…
And of course, there was ice cream. Served in the form of a flower….
Wandering through the streets of Lisbon we were often passing beautiful buildings. A very typical picturesque European city with something new to look at on every street. I love how every building is completely different to the next, layered with tiles or painted in bright colours. Balconies smothered in flowers and washing hung out to dry.
There was also a lot of quirky street art and displays adding colour to the streets in Baixo. A very similar vibe to the streets I know well in Brighton.
During the final days we strolled through the botanical gardens (Jardim Botânico) of Bairro Alto and took a ride on the Gloria Funicular to the viewing point which once again overlooked the phenomenal views of Lisbon. We strolled down to the port and lazed in the sun before making our way back to the Airport on Friday evening, take me back now please!
Such an amazing and inspiring trip, a must visit for a superb city break! Back to life, back to reality…
