Lisbon is an old city but is still full of liveliness, character and charm.
In this capital city of Portugal every corner you turn there is people playing all kinds of jazz, reggae, electronica and fado.
People from a variety of nationalities travel to this city for its coastal views, hilly landscapes and most importantly its music.
In Lisbon we decided a great way to start our holiday was to adventure through the streets of the old town.
From our hostel this was quite a walk and mostly uphill. But from here you can have an amazing overall view of the city.
Old town is where the old yellow trams run which were manufactured between 1936 and 1947. These trams have character and charm that makes you automatically enchanted with the city.
On the way up is the Sé (Cathedral) and at the top is where Castelo de São Jorge is situated. Here is where you can get some amazing views but be careful of the peacocks that roam around and spy on you from the trees above.
Another place we visited was the Feira da Ladra which is a colorful and vast flea market. The flea market is only open on Tuesdays and Saturdays. Here is where we purchased our latest addition to our artworks.
This is a tradition of ours where in every country we try to purchase some local artwork, not the manufactured mass produced art work, but unique and individual pieces.
So if you are looking for unique artwork this is the place to visit.
Also in old town there is one of the coolest rooftop bars we have been too.
This place is tiny and tucked away hidden behind Bougainvillea flowers. But once you find the entrance it is well worth the visit. Sitting at this bar you get drinks ranging from € 1.20 - € 3.00 and a view that more than makes up for drink prices.
We visited this secret bar twice, every time relaxing in the sun with a cold drink in hand, taking in the beautiful sights of Lisbon.
Second on our list of things to do was to visit Belém. Belém is a beautiful by the coast with lots of maritime history. This was an afternoon trip for us as we walked around and took in all the sights it had to offer.
My mind is a bit blurry of this afternoon because it was scorching hot. But I do remember on the way back our tram got stopped in the middle of nowhere and we were all told to exist. Umm tourists! How do we get back to town?
Eventually after a long wait we managed to get a bus back. (As we found out later the tram was closed because the city center had a major Fado concert on that night).
Nightlife in Lisbon is amazing. Two nights we ventured down to the main square to watch the Fado concert.
Here by the water drinking wine and buying mojitos was amazing!. The music really makes you feel like you're floating on air, and the fresh ocean breeze calms every part of you.
One night while out venturing we came across the African music festival. This was equally amazing, sitting with drink in hand we couldn’t help but want to dance. The music was enchanting and got us into a real holiday vibe.
If I could sum up or experience in Lisbon it would be all about art, culture, music, food and drinks. You just get caught up in the vibe! One last thing to remember is that if you ever visit Lisbon you must try a pastéis de nata … they are heaven in your mouth!