It's true. I do heart a good Portugese tart. Well actually, I just heart Portugal altogether - jetting off to Lisbon alone turned out to be the best idea I ever had. I was a bit nervous - I had never really thought about visiting Portugal before, but I had to flee the UK in order to activate my visa, and with a Lonely Planet description such as "Lisbon is a city of steep hills, candy-bright houses, twisting alleys and grand plazas where locals relax in the sunshine" I couldn't help but think I might be on to something good.
The second I checked into my hostel I knew that 5 days wasn't going to be enough. I instantly felt at home. It's called Alfama Patio Hostel and I HIGHLY recommend that you add Lisbon and this hostel onto your list of places to visit IMMEDIATELY. I feel all warm and fuzzy inside just thinking about it.
Anyway, the best part of the hostel wasn't just the amazing decor but the lovely American friends I made who were just as keen as I was to take part in the nightly activities organised by the Patio Hostel staff - the best thing ever for a lonesome travellor like me, as it meant I didn't have to organise anything. We went to a moody and smokey jazz club and experienced the all-night street parties in Bairro Alto - the only thing we missed was the Fado tour which was cancelled due to bad weather.
I'm not very good with words (yet here I am writing a blog?) so its hard to describe just how amazing I found Lisbon. I guess I'll just use dot points - it's worked in the past...right?
(1) The cobblestoned roads and the colourful buildings.
(2) The postcards (yes, I do judge a city by the quality of its postcards...)
(3) The yellow trams.
(4) The more than amazing antique stores, vintage shops and flea markets....my oh my oh MY! Next trip will definitely be with an empty suitcase.
(4) The obsession with tiles....
(5)....and colourful graffiti.
(6) The orange roofs stretching out to the ocean.
(7) And finally, the best cafe in the world: Tease aka "Lisbons rock'n'roll bakery".
So thats that. All of my favourite things about Lisbon, in a nutshell. Of course I visited some historic places and landmarks and all that jazz, la la la. But as anyone who knows me will tell, it's the pretty things I remember.
That concludes Eurotrip part 1. Lets not speak of how long it took to get here. Yes I did fall of the wagon for a bit (to the dismay of some, and the indifference of most) but then I remembered that I am NOT KEEPING A TRAVEL JOURNAL so I need to keep documenting what I've done and where I've been here. This conclusion comes just in time, however, for Europtrip part 2! Before this trips starts though I still have a few things up my sleeve...promise. I can feel your excitement from here.....
x
Karen
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