I have to say, I was slightly sad to leave Spain. We had the best time in the four cities we’d stayed in and I can’t lie I really loved the ego boost I got from my friends, complimenting me every time I spoke Spanish. But onto a new country and two new cities! First up- Lisbon, Portugal’s hilly capital on the coast.
The overnight bus from Seville to Lisbon was a great idea financially, but in terms of comfort maybe not… We ended up arriving at Lisbon airport at 5:30am, after being abruptly awoken by a very loud classical musical song blasted through the coach speakers at 5am. Everyone who knows me can tell you that I love classical music, but I have since realised that 5am is not the time for it!
After a quick nap on the sofas in the lobby section of the hostel (very classy I know), we went out to explore and to get some much needed food (and caffeine!). After a simple and effective breakfast of an avocado and halloumi bagel, we hopped on the train and headed to Belem. We had a wander and yet another nap- in the park this time. You can’t go to Belem without going to the famous ‘Pasteis de Belem’ which is where they sell the original Pastel de Belem, and have been since 1837. The custard was smooth, silky and sweet, pairing perfectly with the crunchy pastry and, when finished with a dusting of cinnamon, was perfect!
That night we headed across the river for dinner, taking the ferry over to the other side to eat at Ponto Final. This was one of the best meals of the trip and for that we have to credit Ella who booked it three months in advance (otherwise there was a hefty wait time). It was the perfect location right by the water with the sun shining. The food only added to the already amazing experience. We started with delicious olives and then moved onto the star of the show- grilled sardines. They were had a perfect char, making them meaty and smoky, the best sardines I’ve eaten by a long way!
Talking of sardines, they are a specialty in Portugal and this is evidenced by the existence of , in my eyes, the best shop ever: ‘The Fantastic world of Portuguese Sardines’. It feels like a mini theme park for fans of tinned fish, with the shop full of different types of fish and tin design variations. You can get a tin with your birth year on which I got for both myself and my Grandma (who I think is still waiting for a special occasion to eat hers!). A quote from my friend should tell you how much I loved this shop, saying ‘ Genuinely never seen anyone so overjoyed as Ellen in a sardine shop’.
As I’ve spoken about in previous blogs, trying out as many coffee shops as possible was also an aim for this trip! I usually go for a flat white every time but I tried a specialty one at ‘The Folks Se’, located behind the cathedral. I had a banana iced latte- sounds strange initially I know! It was made of a homemade banana syrup (so there was no horrible artificial banana flavour), ice, milk and a sweet coffee foam on top. After some convincing, I did let Gigi try some and it meant we had to return the next day so she could get one herself!
Our last night started at the rooftop bar Java, sipping cocktails and playing cambio (where I definitely got beat again!) before going to the Time Out market. My parents recommended visiting and I’m glad we did! There was an amazing selection of food which made it hard to pick just one meal! I went to ‘O Prego Peixaria’ and opted for a ‘Teddy boy’. This was similar to a beef burger with melted cheese, caramelised onions, alioli, bacon and, saving the best until last, pickles! For dessert we had warm, soft cookies from ‘Funky Chunky’. It was a night full of indulgent and delicious food!
I’ll finish the blog with a final travel story and life lesson from our time in Lisbon. On our way to the Time Out market we passed by a few boys who were trying to raise money by for a school in Africa that their primary school was linked to by selling milk and cookies. They were the loveliest, politest kids and we were so impressed that they were able to speak so well in English. We didn’t have any cash to give them and after unsuccessfully trying to figure out a Portuguese banking app we found out there was a cash point nearby. We took out 20 euros and went back to the stall and I gave it to the youngest brother who was genuinely speechless! He told his two friends and they were elated and thanked us all about a million times! He then offered us milk and cookies which I of course accepted- anyone who knows me can tell you I absolutely love milk. Now in hindsight this was an awful decision as, while I wouldn’t say that the milk was warm, it definitely wasn’t cold. This decision came back to bite me in the arse later that night but it’s not like we were up early the next morning to get on a four hour coach to Porto or anything…. oh wait….
So I guess the lesson is to not drink milk that’s been out in sunny Lisbon all day. You’d think I would know as someone who has a degree in food science and is just a relatively capable adult, but apparently not!
Lisbon is a city well worth visiting, with so much to do and eat! I’ve listed some of those things below so give them a visit! The next blog will be the final one of this series (I can feel the sadness through the screen 😉) and will focus on our last destination of Porto!
Restaurants/Bars
· Ponto Final
· Java
· Time Out market (so good that we went twice!)
Coffee shops/ Cafes:
· The Folks Se
· CO-OP Layday
· Pasteis de Belem
· The Breakfast Club
Attractions/ Places to visit:
· Belem
· Castelo de São Jorge
· Alfama
· Miradouro de Santa Luzia
· The Fantastic world of Portuguese Sardines (yes this is an attraction!)
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