I could be wrong, but I think that Portugal is often overlooked when Americans are thinking about taking an “exotic” European vacation (that’s a joke by the way- traveling to Europe has long since become as yawn-worthy as packing the family up for a vacation to Wally World).
In one sense it’s too bad that Lisbon doesn’t have the same visibility as those monument and tourist-riddled cities, because I really liked it from the moment I stepped outside of the airport. This country is beautiful, interesting, and exudes a welcoming vibe no matter how poor your one-word command of the Portuguese language happens to be. For these reasons I feel like Portugal isn’t getting its due from us special effect-obsessed Yanks.
On the other hand however, I’ve been able to wander around this place feeling like it’s still a bit of an “under the radar” destination. And that’s always a refreshing change of pace.
Lisbon was trashed after an earthquake and subsequent tsunami struck back in 1775- but you would never guess that this was the case today (unlike Dakar, which sadly gives you the exact opposite impression).
So with the weekend clock ticking, I wanted to cover as much ground as possible in this small country. Normally I abhor joining a herd of overfed and overpaid tourists who will follow an old lady with a big red umbrella through popular tourist sites, but I found a little company that made me think of a great Scottish tour I took back in 1998 with my little brother. I signed up online and they told me to meet them at Rossio Square at 10:30 on Friday morning.
As it turns out, their ride wouldn’t be hard to spot:
With this kind of tasteful decoration, how will this not be a great tour?
I thought this was a joke. Well it is, kind of. They don’t really have such a license, but they do take every liberty to park in ways that would get your ass ticketed and towed if you were in any other country.
So with the Mystery Machine as my launching point, let me show you some photos of Lisbon that I think are worth posting:
It might look slow and unassuming- but don’t be fooled by the #28 tram at a stop light. This thing hurtles down the steep, narrow and twisty streets like it’s the only thing on the road.
With its seven hills and crazy trams, Lisbon already has good reason to be compared to San Francisco. But check out the 25th of April Bridge– it’s practically Golden Gate’s twin sister!
I’m still a naval officer, and yes I geek out just a leetle bit when I see a warship pulling into port. Vasco de Gama’s ride this ain’t…
This is Adamastor. Not only known for striking fear into the hearts of little naked bronze men sneaking up on him (pictured), he is a perfect representation of what you can encounter on a bad day at sea.
You still need to venture beyond the groovy tour van, because Lisbon really is best explored on foot. How else could I have stumbled upon so many unexpected “what the heck is this” sites?
The sun finally came out and really enhanced the beauty of this city. I suspect that Lisbon in the summertime is magical; a return trip will have to confirm this.
I will say that being here at the end of November still had its perks. I got to take in plenty of Christmas lights and decorations (and oh yes- hot wine), as well as the unexpected enjoyment of hearing church bells again.
Growing up in an area that was predominantly Irish and Portuguese, I consumed plenty of Portuguese vittles like linguiça and sweet bread (hello heartburn at age eight!). I am pleased to announce that the food is much better over here. The seafood is outstanding, but it is the ubiquitous pastry shops that are a killer. So many varieties of sweet and savory offerings, I have no clue how the Portuguese don’t weight a gazillion pounds.
I’ve already mentioned wine- and I’m not just talking about port. The day of my tour was the coldest day of the year on the Iberian peninsula. I mean, it was cold. Ricardo, our maniacal driver and guide, said that he had a “surprise” for us at the end of the tour. Turns out he stopped at this place (an open air walk-up establishment to get your fill of booze). When we finished visiting our last big cathedral, Ricardo was waiting for us outside with a bottle and tiny plastic cups.
Ricardo may have been cool before, but he got major rock star points for giving us a good-bye taste of Ginjinha, Portugal’s famous sour cherry liqueur (you can see the cherries at the bottom of the bottle). I’ll tell you what- on a cold and windy day spent at the top of seven hills, there is no better elixir with which to solidify your affection for Portugal.
Guess what? I’m going on another tour with this crazy company again tomorrow. I cannot wait to torture you all with more photos. Cheers to a fantastic country!