Lisbon was…
Lookout points over terracotta roofs and the dark blue atlantic ocean.
Several different districts pieced together.
Buildings which looked like the outside was decorated with a retro pattern wallpaper.
Cobbled pavements and cobbled streets all built on different levels creating a maze like mass of streets.
Tuk-tuks as a form of transport.
Admiring the trams from afar but hating the crammed and unstable journey inside them.
Feeling like you were walking on the backstreets of the city when in fact they were the main streets.
Visiting several districts before they fully opened and not knowing whether they were a tourist trap or a local’s secret.
Tiny streets with unknown destinations at the end of them.
Feeling like I was back in South East Asia because of the being accosted to buy, eat or give money for something every few minutes.
Wandering the Alfama district before it really opened for the night ahead and seeing half set up outside bars, which remained me of those in Ko Phi Phi.
Colourfully tacky bunting strung across each street.
Looking at everything for afar but not actually doing anything.
Eating custard tarts and pastries all of the time.
Knowing I wouldn’t feel safe wandering the streets alone.
Noticing derelict buildings and crumbling houses right next to modern and well kept ones.
Getting blown away in Belem while touring the UNESCO sites and staring at the Golden Gate Bridge look-a-like.
Being too polite and waiting an hour to get on tram 28.
A constant confusion on how their paying service worked for the public transport.
Unexpected views of the city from random side streets.
Buildings decorated with blocks of solid primary colours.
Seeing the tram lines in the streets and wires over head.
Friendly people and good service.
Being welcomed to the city by the Praça do Comercio, arch of Victoria and its contrasting yellow and white architecture.
Not experiencing the nightlife.
Exploring the city for one day and feeling like we had seen it all.
Visiting the Chiado and Barra Alto district and wandering a grid of streets which were quiet and empty.
Not heading north of Rossio and then wondering if we had missed out as the aerobus drove us through the north districts on our way home.
Not doing enough research beforehand and wandering aimlessly for parts of the day.
A blue sky day turning overcast and cold as time passed.
Narrow and winding streets you would never imagined a tram would fit on.
Lisbon was a lack of inspiration and feeling frustrated because I didn’t love it as much as I thought I would.
Have you visited Lisbon? What are your thoughts on the city?
Tags: City Break Lisbon Portugal Thoughts
