Olá de Lisboa! Uma cidade mágica.
(Hello from Lisbon! A magical city.)
One of the few silver linings of COVID was the widespread transition to remote work, and thanks to the digital age, it’s pretty darn easy to work from anywhere. And with a trip already planned in May to Morocco, I theoretically could just extend my trip, enjoy a weekend somewhere fun, and then get my work done as normal and still enjoy the place in my off hours. Thanks to my boss (s/o Faith!) I was able to turn this dream into reality.
But why Lisbon? It happened to be closest to Morocco, and I hadn’t had the chance to visit Portugal yet. It also helps that there was a cheap nonstop from Washington-Dulles Airport, which certainly eases the hassle of Trans-Atlantic travel.
I attempted to do a car-free trip originating all the way back in Richmond, taking Amtrak to Alexandria and then the express bus from Rosslyn via the Metro, but the Amtrak Gods did not smile down on me, as my train was 6 hours delayed. Thankfully my mom was willing to drive me, but a shame that public transportation is often second-class, even in the better parts of the US for it.
A easy fight made quicker by having my own row and sleeping throughout, I found myself getting a SIM card and subway card at the Lisbon Airport, and heading to the Oceanário de Lisboa (Lisbon Aquarium), which was built as part of Lisbon’s hosting Expo 98 and is the largest Aquarium in Europe. While I did not write the names down on the sea life, I saw some fantastic aquatic creatures. Check them out. My personal favorites are both the sand worms and the conversing fish.
From the Aquarium, I rode a quirky gondola system that ended in a no-man’s land of semi-defunct Expo buildings. Strange little attraction. They took my photo when I got on, and when I disembarked, ran after me with it already printed, trying unsuccessfully to get me to buy it. I guess there must be a trash can full of random tourists’ photos from the gondola.
From there I caught the subway to my hostel, which I’ve been enjoying a lot. It’s 70% cool millennial styled hostel, with lots of plants, pool, wall murals, and rooftop bar, and 30% coworking space, which is great as I can just go downstairs to get some work done. As with much of Europe, there is not much AC, so the nights are a careful balance of opening the windows enough to get good airflow, but not too much as to hear the commotion from the street.
Soaking Up the City
Lisbon is a delight to walk around in. Hilly, winding 1-lane roads zip up and down steep hills, meandering every which way, often studded with tracks below and a maze of electrification wire above to operate the historic and adorable trams winding through the city. Historic European architecture lines both sides of the streets, often 3–5 stories of apartment above some of the cutest shops you’ve ever seen, from hole in the wall Portuguese eateries to niche artisanal Made-in-Portugal goods. The buildings are often a pastel, faded blue, pink, or yellow, or even colored in tilework, creating a playful image throughout. Terracotta roofing is a staple, adding to the allure.
Very often I found myself on top a small hill with a few of Lisbon, watching the layered architecture melt away and downwards as my eyes scanned the River Tagus below. It is such a joy to find myself back in a historic urban, European city. In addition to the trams, there are funiculars, e-scooters, and even a historic outdoor elevator that help residents avoid the slogs up Lisbon’s hilly topography. Also worth noting are “Pink Street” and “Green Street”, which have their asphalt painted said color, dotted with lively eateries and bars on both sides.
Lisbon also has many praças (large squares) and largos (small squares), often with the centerpiece being a monument to a historical Portuguese figure. These squares have been the hub of social life in the city for thousands of years.
The Food
Libson wows in the food department, bar none. Every conversation about food in Portugal needs to start with the Pastel de Nata, or Portuguese Egg Tart. If they put God’s recipe for a custard filling in a shell akin to the flaky layers of Baklava, you would have a Pastel de Nata. Lisbon is swimming in places to get one, where they are baked in house. In addition to being absolutely sublime, they are cheap, clocking in at around a euro each. I proceded to eat many as my stomach would conceivably tolerate.
Overstimulating, dizzying, and crammed with delicious food, the Time Out Market Lisboa is the food hall to beat. Having taken over a portion of the historic Mercado da Ribeira, it has become touristic food-lover’s dream. Lining the Northern wall is the cuisine of 4 world-class Portuguese chefs, all at prices far more reasonable than you’d expect. But food stalls lined all four walls, with a Portuguese focus, but American Donuts, Asian Fusion, and Wood-Fired Pizza were also options. I gotfood there no less than three times, trying a perfect Tuna Steak, Bitoque (steak an olive oil marinade, topped with a fried egg and roast garlic), and even Korean Chicken Wings (I promise on separate occasion). All are highly recommended.
Other yummy food included Octopus laid on top of sauteed spinach and lined with Roasted Potatoes, and a Codfish stir-fry of sorts, fried with rice, garlic, onion, and shredded potatoes. Seafood is a staple in Portugal and I am quite glad to have gotten so much in such as short time.
Oh, one more thing. One of Miami’s signature taco places, Coyo Taco in Wynwood, had an outpost all the way here in Lisbon! So of course I had to go. When I told the waiter I had been to the one in Miami, he was super curious, asking if the layout was the same (no), and if the menu was the same (can’t remember, but it seemed extremely similar at the very least). He was fascinated to hear that there was also a hidden club in the back in the Miami joint.
The Sights
I wouldn’t be a proper tourist of a historic city without checking out some of the sights. The majority of my sightseeing was thanks to the aptly named Lisbon Bike Tours, which had a group of ~10 of us on bicycles perusing through the city. Thankfully they had thought ahead, and even though Lisbon is quite hilly, the entire ride was designed to be either downhill or flat. We started at the elongated Parque Eduardo, before descending down the Avenida da Liberdade, which was lined by beautiful trees with lavender buds. We then toured quite a few praças and largos (the squares), before sitting down and enjoying a midday beer and Pastel de Nata at an outdoor cafe.
We then biked west along the riverbank, enjoying a fun, if strange view that had us looking two landmark lookalikes: a bridge similar to the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco and a statue of Christ similar to the Cristo Redentor in Rio de Janeiro. In fact, the bridge was designed by the same architects on purpose as Lisbon and San Fransisco are sister cities.
We then biked a bit farther to see the Padrão dos Descobrimentos (Monument of the Discoveries), an homage to the Age of Discovery of Portugal in the 15th and 16th century. Much more captivating to me was the street musician in front belting out John Denver’s Take Me Home, Country Roads, to which the English lady in my group was prompted to ask if I lived in West Virginia. I replied that I lived in “regular Virginia”.
We ended our tour at the Torre de Belém (Belém Tower), which was a 16th century Portuguese Fortification and symbolic gateway to Lisbon. Supposedly there was a prison on the ground floor that flooded in accordance with the tide. Ingenious and torturous, if you ask me.
Other than that, not much to report on. The city itself qualified as a sight worth photographing at half the turns I made, and I made a friend from England who was a hospitality entrepreneur. Adam started a airbnb/hotel hybrid that was quite novel in it’s business model. Most importantly, I got him addicted to Coyo Taco — he sent me a photo of him there just 2 days after we first went.
In conclusion, I truly loved every second I had in Lisbon — it’s a magical city.
