Lisbon
Our trip to Lisbon began around 11 AM at the Estômbar-Lagoa train station in the Algarve with a quick change in Tunes before heading north. Due to us using our Eurail passes, we had some flexibility on which train to take. The journey was just under 4 hours and went through the heart of southern Portugal. The further north you traveled, the greener the scenery became.
We arrived in Lisbon around noon and took an Uber to our hotel in the city center. My wife had booked 2 nights at a hotel very close to the city center using soon-to-be-expired frequent flyer miles. We checked in and took our bags to our room. It was an older building without an elevator, and we were on the top floor of the 5 story building. Needless to say, the walk up the stairs with backpacks was not as fun as an elevator.
The Room
The room had one of the weirdest configurations I have ever seen for a “family” room. There were 4 single beds, a rooftop skylight window, a very small TV, and a small cabinet for storage. So far it sounds great, and then you realize there is a shower in the corner with glass walls, a sink next to it and a bidet all out in the open. This was all crammed into a room that was probably only about 150 sq. ft. (13 sq. meters).
There were shared bathrooms down the hall with showers, toilets, and sinks as well if you are not into exposing yourself to the rest of the room. I am still unsure why there was a bidet in the room, but no toilet. Due to the aging sewage infrastructure, they requested that you not flush toilet paper. Therefore, you were requested to only use the trash can located next to the toilet instead. That was a bit odd and quite disgusting in my opinion but it was the norm in some areas of Lisbon that need infrastructure upgrades.
Being a Tourist in Lisbon
Although the hotel had some quirks, it was located on one of the main streets and a short 10-15 minute walk from the main tourist areas. The location might make up for the small room after all. We spent the next couple of hours walking around Rua Augusta and Praça do Comércio areas. These areas are pedestrian-only and you can find just about anything you want to buy or eat within a few blocks.
Everywhere you look you will see the famous blue and white Portuguese tiles on buildings. The walking areas have black and off-white mosaic patterns that add another dimension to a normally flat surface. These are also known as Calçada Portuguesa and can be found all over Portugal and the former Portuguese colonies.
Dinner
Lisbon is similar to other tourist-centric cities; it has a few streets that cater to dining for tourists. Many have hawkers standing in the streets trying to convince you to eat at their restaurant. We decided to try one of the restaurants that claimed to have authentic Portuguese home cooking. I am not sure if it was “authentic” or not, but the food was fresh and very good.
After dinner, we walked around for a while before heading back to the hotel. Since the hotel was an uphill walk and our bellies were full, we opted for an Uber to take us back; we did still have to walk up 5 floors to our room once we made it to the hotel.
Back to the Hotel
We made it back to the hotel and climbed our way up the stairs to the “penthouse” that we had booked. Between the 2 weeks of travel, walking around Lisbon and just being old, I was tired. It was hard to believe this trip started in Paris about 2 weeks earlier and we had been on the move since. It felt like 2 separate trips.
Full-Day in Lisbon
Today was the day to see what we could as we planned to leave the next day for Porto. We were up and out of the hotel by about 9:30 AM. Due to our late start, we opted for an Uber to take us to Castelo de S. Jorge. Castelo de S. Jorge is an 11th-century, hilltop Moorish castle & royal residence. The Uber drive looked like it would be short; unfortunately, the road to the castle was winding up and down the side of the hill. Therefore, the ride took us about 30 minutes.
Finally, we made it to the castle and walked up to get in line. However, the line was almost an hour to get into the castle. As much as we wanted to see the castle, we had to pass due to the line. We decided to walk back down to the city center. There are so many side streets and alleys with homes, stores, restaurants, and pubs to stop at on the way down. This made for a very casual walk down to the city center.
Belém
Belém has a lot of history and old architecture; we took a tram to the Belém Tower to start. The Belém Tower is a medieval fortified tower on a small river island. Belém also has an old monastery a few blocks from the tower. The monastery and tower are classified as UNESCO World Heritage sites. There is also a maritime museum next to the monastery.
If you have read or watched anything about Lisbon, Belém is mentioned for something completely different and delicious. Lisbon is famous for a custard pastry that originated in Belém. If you do nothing else in Lisbon, you need to visit Pastéis de Belém. They have been making the delicious pastry since 1837 at that location. According to LisboaCool, this one bakery makes over 20,000 of these delicious morsels a day plus many other pastries.
You will find a similar treat called Pastéis de Nata around Lisbon, but Pastéis de Belém is the original. They are so similar you might not notice any difference. All I can say is they are delicious and you can’t eat enough. We ate at the bakery that makes the original; they offer sandwiches, pastries, and other café style food. The walls of the restaurant are decorated with the same blue and white tiles that you see all over Portugal.
Walk along the River
We decided to walk part of the way back to Lisbon along the river as there are several monuments erected in honor of the maritime history of Portugal. You have a great view of the river and bridge that resembles the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco.
Plans Changed
We took another tram back to Lisbon as we decided to head north instead of staying another night. So, we returned to the hotel, grabbed our backpacks and checked out. We took an Uber to the main station to catch the next train towards Porto.
We were not sure where we would stay for the next 2 nights. Therefore, a little planning on the train was required. During our research on Portugal, we heard about Aveiro. It is known as the Venice of Portugal, so it was our next stop. Luckily, we found a great deal on an apartment next to a canal and the fish market. We sat back and relaxed for the 2-hour train ride. Again, the Eurail Pass paid off as we could easily adjust our plans without any fees, just hop on the train and go.
Final Thoughts
Due to writing this post 2 years after the trip, some details may have been lost or the info is not complete. Lisbon was a great city and we should have stayed longer; the people were friendly, the food was excellent, and it has something for everyone. Therefore, the main reason we left was the hotel room from hell that was cramped and we weren’t able to sleep very well.
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