Lisbon: Love at First Sight

The views over Lisbon from the viewpoint Miradouro Da Graca
The view of Lisbon from Miradouro Da Graca
I had absolutely no idea what to expect when coming to Lisbon. I didn't know anything about the city, all I knew was that Lisbon is the capital of Portugal. My decision to go to Lisbon was a spontaneous (and pricey) one yet I don't regret it a single bit. Although I had no idea what to expect from Lisbon, it delivered way more than I could have ever hoped for.


Sometimes, you'll stumble across a place that captivates you in a matter of minutes. I fell in love with Lisbon as soon as I stepped off the plane. The gorgeous weather (compared to the dreary English weather I was used to) won me over straight away. The sun was shining bright and it felt so warm in the sun despite only being twelve degrees Celsius. 


We stayed at the Good Morning Hostel which looked a little worrying from the outside because the entrance was actually within a souvenir shop (weird right?) but was super nice on the inside. The facilities were more than we would have expected, the staff were overly friendly and the decor for the common areas such as the living room, tv room, kitchen and computer lounge were super cute. It is also a great hostel if you're interested in meeting fellow travellers because they have 'sangria nights' and 'cocktail nights' where guests get the chance to mingle in the lounge room. 



Our hostel's lounge room at Good Morning Hostel
The view from the balcony of our hostel room in Good Morning Hostel in Lisbon
Views from the balcony of our hostel room

The view from the balcony of our hostel room in Good Morning Hostel in Lisbon
Views from the balcony of our hostel room
We began our stay in Lisbon with a lunch of Portuguese chicken at a quaint restaurant behind our hostel. This was hands down one of the best meals I've had since I left home and the service was impeccable. We did learn though that appetisers are placed on the table, even if you don't order them, and have to be paid for so if you're not interested, just politely say no.

As we had had such a long night and morning, we decided to have a chill day and walked along the streets of Lisbon headed towards the main square and the beach. I immediately fell in love with the colourful buildings, with my favourite being the yellow ones, because they brightened up the city and brought so much life to it.

Eating portuguese chicken for lunch, with beers and wine
Portuguese Chicken lunch
The water fountain at Rossio Square in Lisbon
Rossio Square
The yellow walls of Praca Do Comercio in Lisbon
Praca do Comercio
The pier and the sea in front of Praca do Comercio in Lisbon

We walked along the shoreline for a while and then decided to take a tram down to the famous Belem tower which ended up being a little less than impressive. At this point, the weather had also taken a turn for the worse, contributing to the lacklustre appearance of the tower. It's crazy how much sunshine (or lack of) can change how a city looks. 

The mood of the city definitely shifted with the change in weather, with our surroundings becoming more mysterious and solemn. As it was getting darker and colder, we decided to take a break and head back to our hotel to reenergise. At the train station on the way home, we got the chance to try our first (of many) Portuguese custard tarts called pascal de nata which were surprisingly more tasty than they looked.

A dog holding a collections basket with it's busking owner in Lisbon
A dog with his busking owner
Padrado dos Descobrimentos, Monument to the Discoveries in Lisbon
Padrao dis Descobrimentos
Torre de Belem, Belem Tower in Lisbon
Torre de Belem
Mosteiro dis Jeronimos, Jeronimos Monastery in Lisbon
Mosteiros dis Jeronimos
Portuguese custard tarts called pastel de nata at a Lisbon train station
Portuguese custard tarts (pastel de nata)
After resting at the hotel for an hour, we ventured off to find the viewing deck Miradouro Da Graça to see the views over Lisbon at night. Finding our way there was a little difficult and we bumped into some shady characters more than a few times but we managed to get there in one piece after stopping for some pastries. The panoramic views of the city were spectacular. However, it did start to drizzle with rain so we decided to leave and return the next day to see the view of the city during daylight. 

View from the balcony of Miradouro Da Graca at night in Lisbon overlooking the city lights
View from Miradouro Da Graca at night
Our second day in Lisbon was packed yet relaxed at the same time. We managed to get heaps done but did it all at a leisurely and enjoyable pace. We started the day by heading back to the viewing point Miradouro Da Graça to see the views over Lisbon during the daytime. The city looked spectacular from such heights and the colourful buildings were beautifully unique, brightening up the view despite the overcast weather.

We then headed to the Saturday flea market at Campo De Sta Clara where we came across stalls selling a range of homemade, second hand and vintage items. One stall holder was even audacious enough to openly sell space cakes from the back of his van. 

View from Miradouro Da Graca in the morning overlooking the colourful city buildings
View from Miradouro Da Graca
Monastery of Sao Vincente de Fora in Lisbon on a Saturday afternoon
Monastery of Sao Vincente de Fora
Lisbon flea market Campo de Santa Clara on a Saturday morning
Lisbon flea market Campo de Santa Clara
Next, we adventured through the historic neighbourhood of Alfama, where we got the chance to see Lisbon how the locals do. Alfama's authenticity pulled me in straight away. There were no souvenir shops, restaurants targeting tourists with big English signage or street vendors trying to sell us their merchandise. It was refreshing to see the true side of a city and not just the sights that are offered to tourists. 

As we walked passed the neighbourhood, we came across locals walking home with their grocery shopping and even houses with their washing hanging from the balconies. A lot of the buildings were run down, with mouldy walls and chipped or weathered paint but that's what added to the city's charm.

The streets of Lisbon's old neighbourhood Alfama on a Saturday afternoon
The streets of Alfama
The streets of Lisbon's old neighbourhood Alfama on a Saturday afternoon
The streets of Alfama
The streets of Lisbon's old neighbourhood Alfama on a Saturday afternoon
The streets of Alfama
The Portuguese definitely know how to decorate. The buildings in Lisbon were so colourful, ranging from bright yellows to light blues to vibrant oranges and even to hot pinks. A lot of the buildings were even tiled, with the outside walls of the buildings decorated with tiles displaying intricate patterns which just looked gorgeous and nothing like I'd ever seen before.

The colourful painted and tiled walls of Lisbon's buildings

The colourful painted and tiled walls of Lisbon's buildings

The colourful painted and tiled walls of Lisbon's buildings

The colourful painted and tiled walls of Lisbon's buildings

After wandering around the Alfama neighbourhood for an hour, we quickly had brunch and then decided to head to another famous viewing point to see views of Lisbon from another angle. At this point, it had started raining and our views of the city were partially obstructed by fog but even when overcast, the view of the city was spectacular. We hit the Sao Jorge Castle after that but were less than impressed, opting not to pay an entrance fee to enter. We were also anxious to get out of the rain so headed back to our hostel, quickly stopping by to see one of the famous trams on a steel hill before we retired for a break.

A brunch of scrambled eggs, bacon, toast and salad in Lisbon's Alfama district
Closest thing to brunch since leaving Melbourne
The view from Miradouro Portas do Sol in Lisbon on an overcast rainy day
View from Miradouro Portas do Sol
Se de Lisboa Lisbon
Se de Lisboa
The famous tram 28 tourist tram in Lisbon
The famous 'Tram 28'
One of Lisbon's iconic steep uphill trams
Steep uphill tram
I was lucky enough to spend Valentine's Day weekend in Lisbon and boy did Portugal make a hell of a Valentine's date. Who needs boys when you're in such an attractive city? It was hard to forget the fact that it was Valentine's Day, with small reminders popping up all around the city to celebrate the holiday. The city felt magical, with street musicians playing traditional songs, restaurants decorated in red hearts and stalls on the street selling Valentine's Day flowers. Our hostel even decked itself out in some Valentine's Day decorations!

The night was filled with (successful) missions of trying to find pastries. Besides that, we didn't do much more. As the weather was miserable, we decided to call it an early night and headed back to the hostel after a quick Maccas dinner to rest up for our early flight. 

Love sign in Rossio Square for Valentine's Day in Lisbon

Heart decorated taxi scooter for Valentine's Day in Lisbon

Pastries in Lasbon

Pastries in Lasbon, Pastel de nata

Pastries in Lasbon

Overall, I adore Lisbon. I could spend weeks in Lisbon and not be sick of it. The atmosphere is amazing, the locals are incredibly friendly and the pastries are to die for. Nothing could top the feeling of walking down Lisbon's beautiful historic streets with gorgeous architecture as street musicians performed traditional music. I fell in love with the panoramic views, the creaky trams, the steep and narrow cobblestone streets and the colourful tiled buildings scattered around the city. Lisbon is hands down my favourite city so far and it's uniqueness is something I'll never forget. 

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