lisbon

After training in Madrid, I flew to Lisbon Friday evening. I'd never been to Portugal before, so was excited to visit this city I'd heard so many great things about. I arrived Friday evening, had a nice dinner at a random family-owned place close to my hotel, and then called it an early night. I was immediately impressed with the mosaic tile sidewalks throughout the entire city. They are really cool, but definitely slippery when not wearing proper footwear (i.e. my flip-flops)!

 

 

 

 

The next day I woke up early and started my city sightseeing because I had a lot to see and not a lot of time. First I took a ride on one of the iconic old trams of the city. It was a great way to see the city and was a fun ride.

 

 

 

 

After my tram ride, I walked around for awhile trying to make my way to the Castelo de Sao Jorge. I finally found the castle, but was at an entrance where you couldn't get in. The security guard explained to me and some other tourists the confusing path to take to get to the right entrance. After getting lost some more on these tiny little streets, my fellow tourists from Norway with a more detailed map took pity on me and together, we found the castle entrance.

 

  

 

Beautiful views from the castle:

 

The cathedral: 

 

Elevador de Santa Justa: 

 

One of the neatest things I saw was the Palacio Nacional de Sintra. The palace is in the little town of Sintra, just outside of Lisbon and a short train ride away.

 

Back in the city I walked around a bit more and did some souvenir shopping.

 

Praca do Comercio:  

 

My flight back to Zurich was Sunday morning, and after a long week away (3 countries in 5 days), I was glad to be home!