Although the town was hillier and the weather got colder, Lisbon was full of surprises and some of the friendliest locals. We were always greeted with a smile and a positive chat wherever we went. The Portuguese liked to practice their English, so there wasn't one person we found who didn't know how to speak English, or didn't want to try. This made for an enjoyable visit to Lisbon. To top off the friendliness, Breanna was in awe of all the intricate patterns and colours on every door, on every building, around every turn, giving some inspiration for our next home reno!
How we got there
We took the Busabout hop-on hop-off network to Lisbon form Madrid. This route went via Salamanca in Spain and Porto in Portugal. All up it was a 12 ½ trip, but was worth seeing the Spanish and Portuguese country sides and get a glimpse at the 2 other towns.
Where we stayed
We stayed at the Hans Brinker Hostel in Lisbon. Their facilities included a bar, terrace, breakfast, laundry and dryer, and we got a private room and ensuite. We had a great stay and would definitely recommend this hostel to anyone travelling to Lisbon.
What we did
After relaxing and getting over our 12 ½ hour bus ride and getting some laundry done, we headed into the city of Lisbon, near the water front.
Feira da Ladra Flea Markets and Sao Jorge Castle
We hired our first Uber from the hostel, which literally arrived at the door step as we walked out. Our driver was of course friendly, and gave us all the best sights and must do’s in Lisbon and was eager to have a chat in English. Our Uber dropped us off at the Feira da Ladra Flea Markets, just as all the stalls were finishing for the day. From there, we walked up to the Sao Jorge Castle. Here we noticed that Lisbon is built on some pretty steep hills, but this also means great views! The castle was very majestic and the views were breathtaking. We purchased a glass of Rose from a small stall named ‘Wine with a View’ and sat on the wall admiring the sea of terracotta rooftops.
Sintra
The following day we ventured out to Sintra for a full day, a town and nature park with many historic monuments. We easily got there by train, which was about a 45-minute trip one way from Lisbon. We visited the Palacio de Pena, a palace built into the rocky mountain, overlooking the town and country side. We booked tickets for the "Sightseeing Sintra" hop on and hop off bus when we arrived for 18 euro each. The bus came every 45 minutes to each location, which gave us plenty of time to check out the sights. The Palace was absolutely majestic! The architecture, the colours, the patterned tiles and view all combined made for a real trip back in time and offered great photo opportunities. I think the photos speak for themselves!
What we ate
After visiting the Sao Jorge Castle, we strolled down the hill towards the water front and stopped at a beer bar for food - Bruxa Beer Bar. The Bar offers meals all served on a hot stone, and you can cook it yourself to your liking. Dyl even got to taste test the beers before ordering drinks. The food was cheap, delicious and the staff were friendly and helpful of course. And for the sweet tooth Bree, we also had to try a Belem Pastry, almost like a custard tart in Australia.
Final Note
Three days was not enough in this town as there was still so much to see and do!
If we had an extra day in Lisbon, it would have been good to go to Belem and Cascais. Both are seaside towns not far from the centre of Lisbon, but would require another full day trip. If we are ever in Portugal again, we also plan to head south to the Algarve or north to Porto. Keeping things still unchecked on the bucket list, just means we will have to come back.