Take me to Lisboa!
Studying for a term in Cambridge might not seem that stressful when you know it's only 8 weeks, but little did I know that the time of studies is correlated with the intensity and an academic rhythm difficult to assimilate to, especially after living a 9-to-6 schedule for over 2 years.Completing the first term requested a refreshing experience with loads of sun, ocean, an energizing atmosphere full with bodily freedom, creativity, emotional and geographical landscapes that make one's body dance and one's soul sing of joy. Thus, my destination was Lisboa, Portugal.I've spent an amazing one week in Lisboa, exploring its different 'faces' and 'views'. I wanted to share a bit of the experience with you, because I think it is one place worth visiting when considering other popular traditional touristic attractions. So as with the post about my trip to Poland, I want to share 5 things that I loved about Lisboa.Urban Creativity. Lisboa is a place, as my friend told me, where people are free to express their creativity. Just walking in the city feels like going through a museum's different halls of various centuries.
You will notice specific portuguese decorative tiles on buildings called azulejos, or graffiti that are, without doubt, executed by talented people, sometimes on most unexpected objects. Walking on Rua Augusta, which is the Lisboa's version of Barca's Las Ramblas, you can see, among usual statue street artists, dancers that gather dozens of people around them with their fluid body moves.
Miradouros. A miradouro is an elevated place, either natural or artificial, from where one can see gorgeous landscapes. Lisboa is one of the cities known as city of seven hills, so there are plenty of spaces to indulge in breathtaking views into the horizon peppered with urban and natural elements. A miradouro to check out is the one in Alfama region, named as Miradouro das Portas do Sol. Alfama is one region that did not get destroyed in the big earthquake in 1755, and walking through the narrow streets in the neighborhood is an authentic portuguese experience with a lot of historically and culturally important monuments and buildings.
Another view worth checking out is the view from Cristo-Rei, inspired by the Christ the Redeemer statue in Rio de Janeiro from Brazil. Taking a ferry from Cais do Sodre station, a quick bus ride (bus 101) through the neighborhoods of Almada town up to the statue and voilà, you are facing the sister bridge of Golden Gate bridge from San Fran and the Lisboa on the other side of the river.
Besides other miradouros, miradouro de São Pedro de Alcântara, considered one of the most attractive miradouros situated across the Castle of St. George, has a nice garden to relax in. If you fancy a night view of the city - this is definitely the place to go.
Bairro Alto and Casa Independente. Bairro Alto is on the to do list of every tourist, during the day and especially during the night. While one can enjoy the architectural particularities of this region, that dates back to 16th century, in the day light; when night time comes, specifically on a weekend, one can pull an all-nighter bar hopping, dancing and enjoying a ginjinha afer ginjinha, a typical liqueur drink in Lisboa.
But don't be fooled, there are venues worth discovering that are scattered in the city. One of them is Casa Independente, that I highly recommend. The place is so natural and raw in the way it looks, with mismatched chairs and glasses, flower pots, vintage furniture and decorations -- it just draws in with its simplicity and invites one to enjoy its atmosphere and the stars in the roofless yard of the bar. Casa Independente also hosts excellent concerts!
The Ocean. There's a train line going from Cais do Sodre station to Caiscais, a town 30km away from Lisboa. Unfortunately, I didn't make it there, since we got off couple of stations before, at Sao Pedro station, where there is a wonderful piece of a beach. A bunch of kids surfing in the ocean, families walking with their dogs and even a guinea pig, my crazy film friends recording the ocean waves, me and Otilia running away from the waves, all these embodied the freedom of the horizon's infinity.
The Sunsets. The sunsets in Lisboa have totally blew my mind. Mostly because I haven't seen a lot of sun recently in Cambridge, that apparently sets at 3:45pm. In Lisboa I could actually enjoy the sun rays on my skin and after a long day of walking in the city I'd rush to the river, so that by 5pm, with a beer in hand, I could stare absentmindedly into the horizon, watching the sunset, absorbed by the calm rhythm of the waves.