Fashion
We booked an apartment in Lisbon for the first time and expect that confusion with password door and key's hunting we had, that was a good idea because we could cook at home, go to their markets and pretend like we live in Lisbon.
Back then there wasn't a Airbnb solution, so if you want to do that, now it's so much easier.
Today when I think about Lisbon, I think about Lisboa menina e moca, fado and pasteis de belem first, but Lisbon is so s much more than that, so this is our 10 highlights from Lisbon.
1. Listening FADO
Fado is a traditional portuguese folk music. Melancholy by nature, including instruments like guitars and mandolins with one fadista singing poetic lyrics related to love and usually that sadly part of love. The word fado comes from the tatin word fatum, from which the english word fate also comes from. And yes, I love that word a lot. Fado was added to UNESCO’s Intangible Cultural Heritage in 2011 and like I said before there are two types of Fado, one found in Lisbon and one in Coimbra. There are many Fadistas performing in restaurants and bars, especially in Bairro Alto, so you can have a great meal ( bakalar for a exemple - a lot of bakalar hehe) and wine while enjoying this amazing music. For souvenir we bought fado cd and I'm listening it right now while I'm writing this post and you can go to YouTube and check it so reading this text would be like you are in Portugal.
2. Trip to CABO DA ROCA
That was our best trip from Lisbon. It's s a cape which forms the most western extent of mainland Portugal and continental Europe. In front of you is Atlantic Ocean and under you there are granite boulders and sea cliffs along the coast. We fall in love with this beautiful nature and sooo beautiful view.
3. Finding Nemo in OCEANARIUM
Oceanarium is located in the Parque das Nações, which was the exhibition grounds for the Expo '98. It's one of the largest indoor aquarium in Europe. It was amazing to be surrounded by sharks in tunel, having a eye contact with sweet penguins and meet up with Nemo. For us the entrance was worth it and we really enjoyed there.
4. Eating PASTEIS DE BELEM
If you never heard of pastetis de belem, here you can google them only if you wanna fell in love with them. You can try pasteis all over the Portugal, but the best we tryed was at Pasteis de belem. The place is in white and blue decoration, the smeal of cookies is all over the place and than… that taste of pastetis…love! And trust me, add a little little bit of cinamon and try ennjoy in magic.
5. Walking in BELEM
BELEM is my favorite part of Lisbon. From Pasteis de belem you can take a walk to beautiful Mosteiro dos Jeronimos, one of the most prominent examples of the portuguese late gothic manueline style. It was classified aa a UNESCO world heritage iite in 1983. After mosteiro you can enter in beautiful Jardin de Belem. There I enjoyed with Kiki, in the sun and with my first ever Starbucks coffee. After that you can continue your walk all the way to the Padrão dos Descobrimentos, amazingly detailed monument that celebrates the Portuguese age of discovery during the 15th and 16th centuries.
From there you can enjoy in beautiful view of Lisbon and Ponte 25 de abpil (yes, that's the bridge that looks like San Francisco's Golden Gate) and the statue of Cristo-Rei at the other side of river Tagus..At the end of this walk tour you will come in front of Torre de Belem, part of Tagus estuary defence system, built between 1514 and 1520, in reign of Manuel I.You can climb at the top of tower and enjoy the view from there or you can enjoy by the river. It's beautiful in both ways.
6. GO TO ESTADIO DA LUZ or ESTADIO JOSE ALVALADE
If you are going to Lisbon with someone who love footbal, like I had the honor hehe, go to the Estadio da Luz or Estadio Jose Alvalade. It will give you a great way to have a compromis chance ahed. Remeber that if he's usually waiting for you while you're finding that beuatiful thing on sale. And you will enjoy there too but psst.
7. Enjoy the view from MIRADOURO SAO PEDRO DE ALCANTARA
That's a beautiful garden overlooking to St. George's Castle and central Lisbon. This was our first look with Lisbon. There are so many places with amazing panoramic views, like Miradouro da Graca for example. I like panoramic views a lot, so this had to be on our wish list. And I love that moment of joy after long walkings or hundreds of stairs. After I see beautiful views everything is worth it for me and for #hadokasheart.
8. PRACA DO COMERCIO
That's a big square situated near the Tagus river and is still known as Terreiro do Paço.We first saw that beautiful square from hop on – hop off bus that we first take in Lisbon that year. From then, for us that's a great way to explore city if you don't have much time and you want to see a lot. In that way you got a ride all over the city and you can listen a guide while you are seighseeing too. Than we went for a walk under the Arco Triunfal da Rua Augusta,originally designed as a bell tower and then was transformed into an elaborate arch after more than a century. It was built to commemorate the city's reconstruction after the 1755 earthquake. You can go to the top and admire in beuatiful views of Lisabon or you can continue your walk tour to Rua Augusta, a lovely street with mosaic pavements, outdoor cafees, restoranrt and shops. We enjoyed in that beautiful part of Lisbon.
9. RIDE WITH 28
We heard a lot about that ride. And I was thinging omg that would be like we are in Gardeland?! (And yes, I was a little bit scared too hahah) but in the end that ride was like our usually bus ride on Rijeka's hills hahah. It's a great idea if you wanna take a break of walking and see beuatiful small streets of that part of Lisabon.
10. VASCO DA GAMA
Even If you are looking that bridge from telecabine of Lisbon or if you are looking it from Parque das Nacoes you will notice why this bridge is the longest bridge in Europe. Construction began in 1995 and was opened to traffic in 1998, just in time for Expo 98, the World's fair that celebrated the 500th anniversary of the Vasco da Gama discovery of the sea route from Europe to India. If you are not so much into the bridge exploring I think it would be ok to give tribute to Vasco da Gama in shopping center Vasco da Gama. Don't you think? :)
So from Parque das Nacoes you can enjoy the view with shopping bags or you can cross that bridge and say by bye to beautiful Lisbon. After two beautiful days in Lisabon we said adeus to Portugal and drove south to Faro and to catch airplane ride for home.
Obrigado Lisboa!
And for you? Which one is your favorite and what would you recommend us for the next time?
OUR IDEAS FOR NEXT TIME :
1. NATIONAL TILE MUSEUM - This is a must have for next time. I really don't think I have to explain my obseesion with white and blue tiles again?:)
2. Sintra –Every time I see it on some web pictures or when my friends talk about it I know I would love it. And I know I want at least one whole day there. It's s known for it's many 19th-century romantic architectural monuments and beatiful nature. For me that looks like a firytale.
3. If next time when we go to Portugal it will be in summer a must is a beautiful coastline from Lisbon to Estoril and Cascais and all that beuatiful sand beachs. Or maybe another beautiful beach Costa da Caparica After passing Ponte 25 de april and one more hour driving, there is a stunning coastline that extends for over 30km. Great idea if youwant to have a break while you're driving from Lisbon to Faro.
4. On our wish list there's Algrave too. The southernmost region of continental Portugal with so many beautiful places and beaches. Our favorite of all is Praia da Marinha, Lagoa, that is so often on postcards of Algarve beaches and among the best beaches in Europe.
5. Also, it would be a great plan to visit Lisbon again and then have some more days to explore beautiful island Madeira.
Thank you for reading, see you in Spain next week. ¡Hasta luego!