“Lisbon, the most beautiful capital city of Europe!” – “Ooh, Lisbon.” Love to be there. I like. Unmistakably, the houses of Lisbon!
What went down as comments & “likes” on my pictures in Instagram, Facebook & Co. alone is really quite something. Like Portugal, and Lisbon itself! “I love my city”, Pedro tells us who we meet rather spontaneously at a folk festival in the Barrio Alfama near the famous Placa do Comercio in Lisbon. He says this with a wink in his eye as well as a true sense of pride: Fascinated, we listen to his stories while fresh fried sardines, Chorizou sausage, bread, salad and white wine are served to us. Pedro, head of the University Library of Lisbon, a very educated man, opens up “the soul of Portugal” over dinner on the streets of Lisbon with us. Next time, we are invited to visit him in Lisbon, while he too is already planning a trip to Vienna. Happy to have made such a unique chance encounter, we indulge in the philosophy of travelling, celebrating the “lightness of being”. My brother Julian, his girlfriend Christine and her friend Fanny are my travel companions for this week here in Portugal. For surfing. And a music festival we want to visit in the city of Porto. “I want to go to the Lisbon Oceanarium“, Christine calls immediately after our arrival in Portugal. “Let’s take one of the old trams. Sit down in a cute little street cafe. Go shopping. I need some new shoes!” Julian congratulates himself on travelling with “his girls”, I am sure.
Lisbon, here we come! First, however, we recommend you head out to the coast around the picturesque town of Nazaré. It is absolutely amazing there.
Magical landscape cinema, a fascinating display of colours, massive rock formations and a view seeming to stretch forever. Check out the small tapas bar “8 do 80” in the even smaller fishing town of Nazaré, where the biggest recorded wave in the whole world was surfed only recently, well over 100 feet high. Check this out.
The small fishing port of Nazaré calls on all the senses …
… including your taste buds: Here, at “Taverna do 8 a 80” we enjoy a good tapas meal, our first in Portugal.
The quality and visual presentation is definitely worth you come out here.
The locals, we take, continue to live off fishing – and tourism …
… around Nazaré, we find spectacular coastal landscapes such as these that literally take our breath away (it is very windy out here;) …
… among them this photograph of a picturesque little house sitting right atop a cliff face high above the Atlantic Sea. Beautiful …
… my brother Julian playing with the image of “heading out to sea”!
Beyond the impressive coastline to the west …
… we find such perfect landscape views in the country of Portugal, resembling the likes of world-famous Tuscany or Southern Styria even back home … too cute! We immediately like it here.
Last but not least, it is the perfect sunset over the sea of Portugal that woos us in completely … ABSOLUTELY MAGICAL.
The next day, we wake up to this … Coastal surfers’ paradise near the beach of Ericeira, Portugal.
However, I am not too sure if this is what we are able to do in just a short time. Let’s see though what our surf camp experience delivers!
Lisbon is a great city that was built on many hills and has a lot of flair to offer. “Put on some good shoes”, is what we hear in terms of advice before visiting the city. Almost everywhere, the original (slippery) cobblestone has been maintained, and sturdy footwear is worth your while when walking through the many romantic streets of the city districts of Lisbon. From the Castelo de San Jorge, the view extends far beyond the river Tejo and the hills of the city. We stop for a beer or two, then continue … what a beautiful day.
A day that is even more wonderful as I get to spend it with my family and friends, with Julian, his Christine & Fanny: From this viewpoint, we check out the city of Lisbon.
You get to see all over town and all the way to the river Tejo from here.
The famous Placa do Comercio is located right by the river …
… from here, it is literally just a few footsteps into town and to the tram stop of …
… tram number 28, a very old tram now climbing the hills of Portugal mostly for the delights of visitors such as us!
Lonely Planet has this great walking tour on offer, offering many perfect lookout spots over the old town of Lisbon …
… including some great street art graffiti such as this one, which has the melancholic “Fado” music already written all over it …
… and here, too, we find hints to clubs playing Fado in the streets.
Here too, we meet with Pedro “our Portuguese man”, and make new friends in the streets of Lisbon. They are just so sweet and warm-hearted around here. Southerners, as we would say.s 😉
Those looking to cool down are warmly recommend to visit the “Oceanarium” Maritime Museum of Lisbon. How fortunate we are that Christine has expressed her love for animals just in time, and made the decision for us to visit this unique underwater world! I have rarely watched such a variety of marine animals, birds and amphibians in one single space. The penguins have even reminded me of my trip to Patagonia, the sharks of Western Australia and the sea otter somehow … of home! An exciting mixture. Here, it is definitely worth you take “the plunge”!
At the Oceanarium of Lisbon, we just have to smile at …
… cute little creatures such as these otters!
Giant sharks and manta rays earn our respect and admiration …
… while we are mesmerized by the multitude of fish and plants on display here. “Like a perfect desktop image on a screen”, Christine laughs.
The Oceanarium of Lisbon is located right by the river Tejo and has a pretty little cable car floating by.
We must say: Do come back. As quick as possible. Lisbon is worth more than just a day trip: It is a place to be.!