At the end of June, we took a trip to Portugal. It was half a vacation and half seeing if Portugal might be a place we’d enjoying living in the future. We. Loved. Portugal. From the Douro Valley wine region to the cliffs of the Algarve, we loved that little country. We began and ended our trip in Lisbon. In between, we took a train to Porto and finished in the Algarve region. Here, I’ll talk about Lisbon and Cascais. In the following weeks, I’ll add Porto, the Algarve, and Sintra.
Lisbon – First Impressions
A lot of travelers and expats really love Lisbon so we were surprised when our first few moments included a two-hour customs wait and a death-defying taxi ride from one of the nicest guys you’ll ever meet. It turns out, traffic is horrible in Lisbon. It is a big city after all. But, the people are incredibly friendly. Our driver spoke Portuguese, Spanish, and a little bit of English. He and I were chating away in Spanish when he suddenly asked if my monolingual husband spoke Spanish and he switched to English so he could join the conversation.
Our driver showed us some beautiful neighborhoods, the cable cars, and this gorgeous overlook on our way to our apartment.
He also told us that during the month of June in Lisbon, there is a party every night. Every little neighborhood has its own patron saint and since the weather is best in June, each neighborhood throws a party for their saint.
He was absolutely correct. We wandered into one practically each night we were there, including our first one, where we found this delightful group of food vendors that were packed with locals enjoying the lovely evening together.
And then there are the things that made Portugal famous. Cute, tiled buildings and Calçada Portuguesa or “Portuguese Pavement”, which is everywhere.
Lisbon’s Food
Lisbon knows how to cook. There are neighborhood restaurants everywhere you look — several per street and they are all packed around dinnertime. Which, for Portugal is 8pm. We absolutely loved Portuguese food. There are no shortages of tapas and sangria. They had wonderful meats and seafoods, but also every other kind of food you might want too. Lisbon, we were surprised, is a very diverse city and you can get anything you want there.
Lisbon’s Nightlife
OK, so we didn’t actually go to any concerts or clubs, but we didn’t have to in order to experience the vibrancy of Lisbon’s nightlife. At 10pm, wandering through the streets, you’ll see people of all ages. Families with young kids out shopping or finishing dinner. Retired people having a stroll together or out with their multigenerational families. And, of course, everyone in between. We were not prepared for how alive all of Portugal’s cities feel, especially at night!
And night is a great time to wander about and stumble across things. We accidentally found the colossal “Commerce Square” in which a Pride Month festival was about to begin and a giant stage had just been erected. We found the Santa Justa Lift, which, I assume is just a big tourist draw. Lisbon is an incredible city to walk around in and run into things.
Lisbon in the Morning
It’s also incredible in the morning when I like to go out and take a run. In the final days before we headed home, we were staying near the Oriente Train Station and the World’s Fair ’98 grounds. I got to run among those grounds watching the gondolas start up for the day, checking out art, and jogging over beautiful seaside black and white streets with Lisbon’s Calçada Portuguesa or “Portuguese Pavement”. Not many people are up in the morning since Portugal has a more late-night culture, but for those of us who are, we get some cooler temperatures and a little tranquility to start our days.
Expats in Lisbon
We know two people living in Lisbon already. One of the writers from my online writing group, Chad, has lived there for two years with his family. They were planning to stay one year, but loved it so much they just renewed their visa for a third year. Chad took us to a local cafe called A Brasileira, which is a cute place famous for being a favorite of poet and writer Fernando Pessoa. Indeed, you can still hang out with him after you’ve had your morning espresso like we did.
Our friend, Joey, moved there permanently in November and is located in Paço de Arcos, Portugal, just outside of Lisbon. We met him and his girlfriend, Bea, in Cascais, famous for being a quaint fishing village and for its various beaches.
Traveling to Cascais
Cascais is a little further afield and it took us a couple of trains to get there. First, we jumped on the Metro from Oriente to Cais do Sodré (switching once). Then, we jumped on the Cascais line for a wonderful 40-minute train trip with a view. The train from Lisbon to Cascais hugs the ocean and passes through the beautiful Belém area of Lisbon, a spot that was once private grounds for royalty, but is now open to the public and contains many palaces, museums and monuments.
Once there, we took a lovely wander over to a seafood restaurant, Mar do Inferno, with wonderful food and views.
Here in Cascais you have tree-lined streets with lovely houses, bustling shopping areas, and of course, the beach. It’s worth a stop if you have half a day to explore the city, go to the beach, and try out a restaurant or two.
Cascais is not the only lovely daytrip in Lisbon. In fact, it’s not even the most famous one! On our very first full day in the country, we headed out to Sintra, a garden city filled with palaces, castles, and views. Next week, I’ll take you there – to the lovely Sintra – a place that many tourists consider their favorite.
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