As the title suggests, I really enjoyed my break in Lisbon! I took advantage of our school closing for the 8th of December and booked direct flights with Ryanair to the Portuguese capital for the crazy price of €58. Sure what could go wrong with that!
Unfortunately Storm Desmond, the first of many storms to wreck all Irish travel plans and the beginning of serious flooding around Ireland for all of December. We were to fly out at 6.30am on Saturday 5th but the flight could not leave due to winds, so after a 3 hours 'wait and see', the flight was cancelled. We promptly rebooked onto the same flight on the following morning. We were due to fly back on the morning of Tuesday 8th so we still had two full days. Of course we hadn't banked on missing two nights sleep because of having to check into 6am flights two days in a row!
Much of our stay was in a zombie like/sleep depraved state, but we made the most of it.
The aim of the trip was to surf. Last surf of the year in the Atlantic for me, as while I love the water, I cannot handle Irish waters in December and January!
I had prebooked with Lisbon Surf Camp and they booked us into a hostel in the heart of Barrio Alto. The surfhouse closes for the winter months so we took their hostel suggestion without further thought. Maybe it was a good thing, because now, I can officially say- my hostel days of dorms, mixed dorms, shared bathrooms and bunk beds are over! It was a treat when I was in my early 20's, traveling the world and mad for variety. It is not a treat when two nights sleep have been missed and the downstairs niteclub kicks off at bedtime!
Due to the lack of sleep, only having two days and having a surf lesson each day, we abandoned the travel books and the tours, we just wandered.......
Unfortunately Storm Desmond, the first of many storms to wreck all Irish travel plans and the beginning of serious flooding around Ireland for all of December. We were to fly out at 6.30am on Saturday 5th but the flight could not leave due to winds, so after a 3 hours 'wait and see', the flight was cancelled. We promptly rebooked onto the same flight on the following morning. We were due to fly back on the morning of Tuesday 8th so we still had two full days. Of course we hadn't banked on missing two nights sleep because of having to check into 6am flights two days in a row!
Much of our stay was in a zombie like/sleep depraved state, but we made the most of it.
The aim of the trip was to surf. Last surf of the year in the Atlantic for me, as while I love the water, I cannot handle Irish waters in December and January!
I had prebooked with Lisbon Surf Camp and they booked us into a hostel in the heart of Barrio Alto. The surfhouse closes for the winter months so we took their hostel suggestion without further thought. Maybe it was a good thing, because now, I can officially say- my hostel days of dorms, mixed dorms, shared bathrooms and bunk beds are over! It was a treat when I was in my early 20's, traveling the world and mad for variety. It is not a treat when two nights sleep have been missed and the downstairs niteclub kicks off at bedtime!
Due to the lack of sleep, only having two days and having a surf lesson each day, we abandoned the travel books and the tours, we just wandered.......
First of all on arrival in Lisbon airport, you just follow the signs to the metro, buy your plastic card in the machine and a few minutes later you are heading straight into the city centre. We changed from the red line onto the green line and got off at the Baixa-Chiado station.
We also used the metro/train to get to the beach at Carcavelos each day. It took about 25 minutes from Baixa-Chiado
We were staying in Barrio Alto (the Temple bar of Lisbon) and after dumping our bags in the aforementioned hostel, the wandering began.
First part of loving Lisbon: the food.
We also used the metro/train to get to the beach at Carcavelos each day. It took about 25 minutes from Baixa-Chiado
We were staying in Barrio Alto (the Temple bar of Lisbon) and after dumping our bags in the aforementioned hostel, the wandering began.
First part of loving Lisbon: the food.
This pastry and coffee was from a really busy cafe right beside a tourist hotspot where many of the walking tours seemed to begin or end. It was always difficult to get a table (we visited it each day!) and was frequented by locals and tourists. Yet my bill was only €3.50.
They seem to love their pastries in Lisbon particularly this delicacy:
They seem to love their pastries in Lisbon particularly this delicacy:
A type of custard pastry. It was delicious.
Lunch and dinner were also very reasonably priced, and due to our time constraints we did not wander too far from the main tourist areas. As Lisbon is coastal, the fish, particularly in the beach restaurants, were amazing:
Lunch and dinner were also very reasonably priced, and due to our time constraints we did not wander too far from the main tourist areas. As Lisbon is coastal, the fish, particularly in the beach restaurants, were amazing:
Shopping was equally good. We were based in Barrio Alto, next door to the upmarket Chiado area. There were some lovely boutiques but as usual for me, jewellery caught my eye.
There was a craft market in the basement of the Armazéns do Chiado which quite a few handmade jewellery stalls.
My first purchase was this delicate gold chain from SEG Portugal (€20).
Of course one piece is never enough, especially when it's handmade!
So I picked up this beautiful gold plated trio of rings from Sopro (€80).
There was a craft market in the basement of the Armazéns do Chiado which quite a few handmade jewellery stalls.
My first purchase was this delicate gold chain from SEG Portugal (€20).
Of course one piece is never enough, especially when it's handmade!
So I picked up this beautiful gold plated trio of rings from Sopro (€80).
Despite a windy and delayed start, the Lisbon experience was lovely. So lovely in fact that flights have already been booked for the next midterm. Chilled, cheap, great food and decent surf, it definitely deserves a return.....hotel this time for sure!