Exploring Portugal... Lisbon #1

From the moment I knew I was going to be living in Portugal, I started compiling a list of places I wanted to visit. Top of the list was Lisbon. My new colleague (and flatmate) felt the same way, so that's where we went for our first long weekend.

On arrival, we were disappointed to be greeted by grey skies. And, as we got lost in the Alfama district looking for our hostel, the heavens opened. Our shoes were not made for walking on wet cobbles, and by the time we reached the hostel, we were cold, damp and grumpy. Nonetheless, with the rain having cleared, we went out for a wander and then treated ourselves to an expensive but delicious dinner in Chapitô à Mesa (Rua Costa do Castelo, 7), a gorgeous little restaurant at Lisbon's circus school (!) offering panoramic views of the city. After dinner, at my colleague's request, we went to the Bairro Alto, the city's famous bar area, in search of drinks and dancing...

The next day, we woke up to see the bluest of blue skies. They wouldn't last of course, but we didn't know it then. Excited, we tumbled out of the hostel, and made our way to the tram stop, because if there's one thing you must do in Lisbon, it's catching the iconic #28 tram.

Typical street in the Alfama district

  

We didn't have long to wait and before we knew it we were in Largo do Chiado, a large square I recognised from the night before as it was situated right at the bottom of the Bairro Alto.

Monument to Portugal's greatest poet, Luís de Camões (1524-1580)

The tram in Largo do Chiado

Our wanderings took took us to Cais do Sodré on the riverfront, where the skies became cloudy. We walked along the front until we reached Praça do Comércio, a huge river-facing square with a statue of King Dom José I (r. 1750-1777), who was the ruling king at the time of 1775 earthquake, tsunami and fire that destroyed most of Lisbon. Under him, the city was completely rebuilt, including the square in which his statue now stands.


Cais do Sodré

Looking towards the Tagus



Praça do Comércio



King Dom José I (r. 1750-1777) and his horse



The archway in Praça do Comércio leading to Chiado

 

An obvious stop was Sé de Lisboa (Lisbon cathedral), which is reminiscent of the slightly older Sé do Porto (Porto cathedral). Construction started in 1147, but over the years, the cathedral was modified. Consequently, it is a mix of Romanesque, Gothic and Baroque styles.

 

The façade



Inside the cathedral



Beautiful rose window

Lisbon is full of miradouros (viewpoints), one of the most accessible being Miradouro das Portas do Sol, which offers stunning views across the Tagus. The Miradouro de Santa Luzia was also worth a look, although I ended up taking fewer photos of the view and more of the flowers and coordinating jacket!

A hint of what's to come

Lisbon's skyline



In the pink

One of the things that surprised me about Lisbon was how Olde Worlde and village-like parts of it felt. From the iconic trams to the quaint shopfronts and old cars, I saw things that seemed incongruous with a capital city.

Old shopfront



Cute shop



Old car, old street



There didn't appear to be urinal here, making me wonder if you were supposed to use the wall



Capital city or country cottage?



The #28 tram climbing a hill

On our last day, we caught a bus from Estação de Santa Apolónia to Estação do Oriente, an impressive train station designed by Spanish architect, Santiago Calatrava (1951- ). With 75 million passengers a year, the station is as busy as Grand Central Station in New York!

Inside Estação do Oriente

Aesthetically-pleasing lines

Looking down the tracks

It was a short walk from the station to Oceanário de Lisboa. Despite not being an aquarium-lover, Europe's second-largest aquarium did not disappoint, mainly because a frolicsome sea otter stole my heart. I could have watched him playing forever...

The gorgeous sea otter

 

Somehow, my colleague managed to drag me away from the otter and around the aquarium, after which we took a ride on an overpriced cable car. It was almost €4 (£3/US$5) for a VERY short one-way trip, which deposited us at Torre de Vasco da Gama, a 145 m (475 ft) lattice tower then being turned into a five-star hotel. Following a quick lunch, we caught the train back to Braga.

The cable car

Last look at Lisbon

Our two days in Lisbon flew by. I would have liked to have done a bit more sightseeing but, as so often happened, I found myself deferring (resentfully) to my companion's wishes. So once back in Braga, I immediately booked a return trip... alone.