Whenever anyone asked me about my travel plans while abroad, I ALWAYS mentioned Portugal. When signing up for the Emory Salamanca program, the fact that they brought you on a group trip to Portugal stuck out to me and made me like the program even more. Leading up to studying abroad, people told me that their favorite place they went was to Lisbon and now that I have gone, I must say that it is definitely up there is my favorite places I’ve travelled.
I took a nice 6:45am brisk 1.5 mile walk to my favorite plaza in Salamanca where the bus picked us up. By 2pm we were in Lisbon, walking around near our hotel trying to find a little bite of food. We were staying on the outskirts of town which was nice but later that afternoon when we went into the town with our group, Lisbon became so much more amazing. The big plaza isn’t as central as it is in Salamanca but it is huge and right on the water. This plaza is in between two large hills. To one side is the more social area (Barrio Alto) and to the other side are shops and churches and a castle. We walked up this steep hill, stopping on the way to take photos of the spectacular views, and explored the castle that sits all the way at the top of the hill. From this Moorish castle you can see everything which was extremely useful during Portuguese history. We tried some ‘Nata’ which is a pastry that is SO GOOD and very authentic. On our descent from the castle, we stopped in some ceramics shops, filled with classic blue/white Portuguese patterns but also with more colorful modern designs. We walked the streets with our group for a bit more until we reached el Barrio Alto which is where there are many dinner places and bars. Laurel, Olivia, Jamie, Emmy and I found this cute Italian restaurant and I got salad and split mushroom pasta (such a delicious break from Spanish food). After dinner we were exhausted so we decided to walk back to the hotel. Long walks after a big meal=always the best.
The next morning we woke up and headed to Belem, a part of Lisbon only 15 minutes or so away from the central part of town. Our directors gave us a tour of inside the monastery and inside the cathedral. Both were breathtaking. We took a walk along the water towards a little castle thing but then had to get back on the bus to head to lunch! On the way we stopped at the most gorgeous lookout point and took many many photos with our group. We went to this town about an hour outside of Lisbon and went to a typical Portuguese lunch spot that had lots of seafood options and other classic dishes. We were told to try ‘Bacalhau a Bras’ which is codfish with potatoes and eggs, almost like a hash of some sorts. My friend and I split that and salmon (finally some salmon). We then had some time to explore this very cute beach town that really just reminded me of a cape cod sort of town. I was a little hesitant to get ice cream because I was so full and trying to eat somewhat healthy but I tried a bit of it and I was blown away and wow am I happy that I got it because it was hands down the best ice cream I’ve ever had. I got the ‘Nata’ flavor (aka cream) and hazelnut and I don’t even know. My mouth is watering thinking about it now.
Later in the night we headed out to souvenir shop and explore a bit more before dinner. Lisbon has so many cute streets and after climbing up this enormous hill that a tram actually goes on (probably so that people don’t have to hike up/down it!) we found a mini festival going on. There were stands with various clothes, jewelry, foods, soaps, etc and tables set up, and lights, and someone playing music. Because it was located on the top of this huge hill, the views were incredible too. It was so perfect. After walking around and going into a few shops, we found a place for dinner (except that none of us were hungry because of the huge lunch we had) and I got mushrooms as my whole dinner- so yummy. Laurel Olivia and I had seen this huge mojito’s that some people had and after getting one, we all agreed that it was probably one of the best drinks we had ever had (I’m starting to realize that I basically just rave about food but the food is a HUGE part of the culture!!). Jamie Emmy and I stayed out for a while more and walked around and found a bar that had a DJ and fun music so we stayed there for a while to explore the nightlife of Lisbon and from what we saw it seemed pretty fun!
The next morning we headed to a few more small towns on our way back to Salamanca. The first one we stopped at was a tourist town but very cute and quaint. It had tons of souvenir shops and we mainly spent the morning shopping. The next stop was at a huge church. This town reminded me of New England- the leaves were all changing colors and the temperatures were perfect.
I loved Lisbon and wish I had more time to explore and experience the entire culture. While it was a very short trip, I’m so happy that I got a little taste of it!
Jess' Travel Unravelled 