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It’s almost a year since I’ve visited Portugal. I can’t forget this country and want to come back to comfy streets of Lisbon, feel +20 °C in December, walk by bank and finally buy that t-shirt with tram #28 on it. I didn’t think that I want it so much until Tonya Shoo asked me in facebook: “Hello! I’ve noticed you’ve been to Lisbon. We are going there too, would you please recommend anything?… I’ve already read about Vino Verde.” I wanted to write something brief and clear, but tough luck ;)

My answer

Hello ;)

I’d recommend to visit Sintra — just 50 km away from Libon on very comfortable train and you’re in a marvelous dream-city. It’s very cosy there.

Sintra Royal Palace. This photo at flickr

I could even recommend where to dine but hard it very hard to lead you to the certain place. When you’ll go to (or from) the castle on the top of the mountain, ask the bus driver to stop right before botanical garden exit. If you enter the botanical garden using the wrong entrance, you can’t understand where you are. I’ve got mystical experience with that. Really! We didn’t understand where we were while modern art (sculptures and installations) with everything muffled up with fog and almost transparent local who passed by with axe completely ignoring us made us believe that it’s not the reality we used to live in but something magical!

We lived in the center of Lisbon near the Rossio square. We explored every street there — steep, incredible and captivating.

Bigger at Google Maps

We took photos of ornaments on all the houses. Pay attention to them. Then one night on square, right to Mundial hotel (it must be from behind) take a ride with tram #28 — rad! It goes all over the city center.

There is also a museum of the city in the center of Lisbon. It is told about how they rehabilitated the city after the earthquakes. I was amazed how considered where their plans centuries ago. They thought of everything and due to that traffic jam in the center of Lisbon is uncommon.

Street in the center of Lisbon. This photo on flickr

When you’ll take a walk at the evening visit the center (we lived in Baixa and I liked it). Buy a bottle of vino verde for 1 or 2 € (don’t chose the expensive and decorated — the cheaper, the more local), dozen of roasted chestnuts and roam about the streets. You’ll meet fado singer for sure. So you’ll stay, drink wine, eat chestnuts and listen to the city romances and suddenly you fill like time stopped, everyone is a magician and the love is in the air ;)

This photo on flickr

Oh! I almost forgot! Visit oceanarium. It is on Vasco da Gamma subway station.

This photo on flickr

Go by subway and become impressed by the station as soon as you arrive. It’s subway on level 0, then there are buses and trains on top. Almost next to oceanarium there is the Europe longest (if I am not mistaken) bridge.

Photo on flickr

You can eat not just in restaurants but in every street bistro — it’s cheap and tasty. Don’t forget to thank for everything, Portuguese like that a lot. Thank you is obrigado.

Everyday Baixa. This photo on flickr

I advised nothing special in general. I prefer to roaming about the cities, feel their spirit, list Daft Punk, sitting on the road bricks instead of visiting places of interest, so I am not good adviser.

This photo on flickr

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Lisbon is one of the cities I’d like to live in. There are a few of them ;)