Travel With Me: Lisbon

Olá!

I am currently suffering with the worst holiday blues after returning from a city break to Lisbon with Jack. I had been excited for this trip from the minute I booked it and it didn’t disappoint and we have already decided that we need to go back to explore all the little gems that we missed because Lisbon is full of them!

This was both our first time in Portugal so we didn’t really know what to expect but I definitely think it is up there with one of my favourite countries I have been too; from the little tiled streets to the grand plazas overlooking the river; it was all perfect!

Day 1:

We had a morning flight so we go to the airport with plenty of time to get some breakfast and we were also in a prime spot to see President Trump fly in on Air Force 1 which was pretty cool; even if it was Trump. We arrived to our hotel and it was perfect, very cosy and had a great view of the mountains but we didn’t even stop to unpack because we wanted to get out and explore straight away. We walked around Praca do Comercio, soaked in the views of 25 de Abril Bridge and grabbed a lovely dinner in the Beer Museum before getting an early night to prepare for our first full day.

 

Day 2:

None of the days had clear agendas but we knew we wanted to go to the aquarium so we decided to do this first so we made sure we done it. From Praca do Comercio, we got the 728 bus straight to the aquarium which was only about 20 minutes away and spent the next few hours looking at all the fishes and the cutest fluffy sea otters. As we headed back it started to rain so we did what the whole of Lisbon decided to do and went to see the famous Time Out Market. The market was amazing, you could get any kind of food you want but you might have a hard time finding a seat. We opted for a pastel de nata from Manteigaria which we heard about from our favourite food show ‘Somebody Feed Phil’. I can’t even begin to tell you how amazing they were, definitely the best I had while we were there. Once the sun came out again, we wondered up to Castelo de S. Jorge and took in some of the best views I have ever seen!

 

Day 3:

You can’t go to Lisbon without going to see the Belem Tower so this is what we did on day 3. Again, we got the bus from the main square and travelled about 25 minutes in the other direction from the aquarium, I feel like I am a pro at the Lisbon public transport! We went straight to the Tower and it was stunning, there was even a man playing Disney songs on his violin which just made it so much more special. We then took a stroll through to Belem Town and soaked up the sun in the gardens before heading back towards the hotel. Of course we found a bar so we sat outside in the sun enjoying the sun. We went for dinner and the strolled down the cobbled streets with an ice cream and macaroons and it was perfect.

 

Day 4:

Our last full day was very bitter sweet; we headed over the river to climb to the top of Cristo Rei which gave the most amazing view of Lisbon and made me feel like I was in San Fransisco which is number 1 on my bucket list so I was a happy bunny. We then headed back down and popped to Ponto Final Restaurant for a drink before heading back to the ferry. Of course as it was our last day it rained so we used this to do a bit of shopping before heading back to the hotel to chill before going out for our last dinner.

 

Day 5:

The saddest day as we were heading home. We had a afternoon flight so checked out and headed straight to the airport. I would have given anything to get off the plane and stay in Lisbon as it has become one of my favourite cities as now has a special place in my heart.

-Hannah X