Lisbon, Portugal

Lisbon is a very dynamic town complete with history, community, culture, great architecture, food, and of course, nightlife! The capital is made up of several different neighborhoods built on seven hills with quirky streets, streetside cafes where locals and tourists rub elbows and exchange cheers. Our hotel (la Florescente) was located in the Chiado neighborhood (between the Barrio Alto and Alfalma) located on a pedestrian street called Restauradores near the main square (great value and highly recommended). The first night we grabbed dinner at a guidebook recommended place in the Barrio Alto that was average (I don't remember it so I won't mention it). However, it gave us a good idea as to the vibe there and we determined we'd spend out last night on the trip there.

The next morning we woke up bright and early and Erin and I set off towards the Alfama district and our first stop was Monastery of São Vicente de Fora, with amazing cloisters, tiles, and even this cool underground water-thingy!

We basically had the place to ourselves as it had just opened so we wandered aimlessly for a while in the 12th century monastery (the current church dates to the 17th century).

The monastery also is the site of all the Portuguese kings tombs as seen below. When we went into the tombs we saw this site and we literally thought the statue that looks like a monk or nun praying at one of the tombs was real until we approached the side. Definitely eerie!

Following the church we went to the Castle of Sao Jorge, which occupies an amazing commanding position in the city and helped protect the city from the Moors in the middle ages. Walls surround the castle and date to 1375. You can walk along hundreds of yards of old walls and enjoy amazing views of the city. After that we did our favorite thing to do in Europe, walk the old town streets. Lisbon are some of the best we've experienced, with tiny alleys and whitewashed walls winding throughout the main hill in the town. It was great being able to observe the women in the district drying clothes between the buildings while talking to their neighbors about current events, the weather (always sunny), or maybe the tourists wandering in their backyard. These remarkable old women really added to the flavor in the district.

One of the other great features of the town are the old trolleys which aren't only for tourists and really add to the character of the city. We actually tried to pick one up but didn't realise it was closed at the stop we wanted. So we were subjected to taking photos from the outside (which was fine).

After grabbing some lunch we wandered to Belem, an area with a great monastery and monument to the sailors of the Portuguese exploration area. Vasco da Gama is in the front (Columbus is 3rd I think). Its a massive statue by the way.

Jerónimos Monastery is a historic monastery that is home to Vasco da Gama's tomb, along with a famous Portuguese poet whose name escapes me. The hermitage was founded by Henry the Navigator in 1450 and Vasco Da Gama spend the night praying here before departing to India in 1497. The church and cloisters were beautiful and we enjoyed strolling along the beautiful architecture.

Following the monastery we went to an amazing little pastry store for a local delicacy before meeting back up with Jeremy and Lissa for a pre-dinner drink in the Barrio Alto before having a nice little pizza dinner to wrap up a week of gluttony. Afterward we found a great bar with a celebrated bartender who concocted some amazing flaming shots for us that I never knew existed. Following some more drinks, dancing, a celebratory Cuban cigar and some port, it was time to say goodbye to Portugal, and close the book on one of the best trips yet!