I have a love affair with Lisbon. I’m cheating on Paris. There isn’t one thing that made me fall in love with Lisbon; it’s the little details that make this city so irreplaceable. From the cream colored taxis zooming by the mosaic walls to the friendly faces boasting from a small cafe about their special dishes.
The sidewalks throughout Lisbon are black and white mosaic, otherwise known as “Portuguese Pavement”
When we arrived, it was free museum day—even though we slept in the Madrid airport the previous night, we dropped our coats at the hostel and made our way via tram to Belem, a neighborhood that houses many museums.
The tomb of Vasco de Gama
Manueline style architecture found in the Cloister of Jerónimos Monastery
At the Modern Art museum, there was a fabulous craft festival going on. I tried traditional pastries, picked up and marveled at antiques and even bought a few things for my friends and family.
Across the street, still in Belem is the statue of Cristo Rei. It was the last thing that sailors saw when they left home, and the first thing they saw when they returned to Lisbon.
Designed by same architect of Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco
An amazing salad made in an instant, costing under 5 euro, with a line out the door to match.
You can’t go to Lisbon without noticing a particular pastry in every bakeries window. It is the portuguese baguette. A staple for every trip to Portugal, the Pastel de nata. It is a flaky pastry with a warm custard inside. Don’t forget to sprinkle the cinnamon and powdered sugar on top.
Details that made me fall in love with Lisbon:
Notice the couple dining on the roof
When in Portugal, you must treat yourself to a Fado experience. Think listening to a woman singing Portuguese love ballads, with old men hunched over their beloved guitars against a tile backsplash.
My initials
I can’t wait for my next trip to Lisbon. I heard marvelous things about Portugal, and I can’t wait to explore the entire country.
