“When I was younger, I thought the Age of Explorations was an event. It was only after traveling I was able to realize it was a span of eras.” – Old Sean
Boil Naps
After leaving the small university city of Coimbra on a toasty train in the middle of summer’s heat, I made it to Lisbon.
This is my first visit to Portugal, so I didn’t have any pre-existing expectations while visiting Lisbon. As it turned out, Lisbon is rather phenomenal.
Lisbon is a sprawling place following the traditional Portuguese tradition of planting the famous portions of the city high on mountains and letting all the shopping centers trickle down towards a body of water.
For the few nights I was in town, I stayed in two hostels next door to one another: The No Limit Lisbon and the Brickoven Palace Hostel. Both are lovely and Brickoven has a small walking garden in the back.
However, once again, sleep eluded me. Portugal is simmering hot right now and I’m having trouble sleeping through the heat. Each night, I froze every water bottle I could find for cuddling purposes, covered my forehead with a damp handkerchief, prayed for breeze, tied all the windows and doors open and tried to get some rest.
Thankfully, my summons worked, because on my second night in Lisbon the heat shattered before a soft breeze. The following mornings, a fortunate layer of clouds stood guard against the dawn’s rays. With cool weather finally arriving, I had my best sleep in Portugal thus far.
A Lisbon Loop
Even while rested and fortified, Lisbon is too big to sufficiently do everything in just two or three days. So I made my best efforts.
The city has a bit of everything, from steep, narrow alleys, to graffiti ruins, to broad, flat shopping streets, to tiny art centers, to unexpectedly green parks, to a gently curbing coastline, to pink shingled buildings to battered, blocky apartments to an endless parade of yellow trams rolling through town.
My favorite areas were on the sketchy side. These only moderately-lit neighborhoods were absolutely packed with street artwork. I also found these areas usually had a little sign painted onto stone surfaces warning “Beware of Pickpockets.”
A Traveler’s Reality
I’m going to drop a little secret here. There’s not really much a person can do to stop a talented pickpocket in the grand scheme of things.
I’ve met a friend of a friend working as a magician who demonstrated that my defenses, whatever they were, just aren’t all that effective.
Despite my vigilance, I found new pictures in my wallet, the wrong keys in my back left pocket, a missing iPod and a new plastic hippo during the show. He managed to pull all that off while I was fully aware and expecting a slight-of-hand. Staying alert while wandering around on vacation is far, far more difficult.
The only truly effective method to avoid getting pickpocketed comes from deterrence, looking aware and competent enough that you’re too high of a risk to bother with.
Sadly, I don’t think I look wildly capable. Beardless, I look as gullible and defenseless as they come.
Sights of Lisbon
After letting my paranoia spike and then figuring I didn’t have anything worth stealing, I started sightseeing the more famous landmarks while visiting Lisbon.
I visited the Belem Tower and saw the enormous statue Padrao dos Descobrimentos and did a swift walkthrough of the Cultural Center (Centro Cultural de Belém). This entire shoreline area is filled with interesting monuments, art features and nods to Portugal’s impact during the Age of Exploration. The Popular Art Museum wasn’t spectacular, but it was worthy of a walkthrough. Garagem Sul Architecture Museum was interesting with some outlandish and compelling designs. The brick-striped walls of the Belem Lighthouse made an interesting landmark. Jerónimos Monastery was a gorgeous building to the north. And the Garden of Afonso de Albuquerque was a nice area to walk around and try a couple of snacks when the tourism crowds started getting large.
Further inland I made a point of visiting Castelo de S. Jorge, a daunting Moorish complex nestled within the city. The blocky structure is impressive, but the narrow-twisting roads leading up to it are simply entertaining to walk through.
I continued on my hike, eventually working my way to the earthquake-skeleton of Como Convent Ruins.
Coffee Breather
While exploring Lisbon, a lot of my time was spent winding down. Lisbon is a lot to take in at any given point and there are more things here than I could possibly see in a week. As such, I forced myself not to rush, taking long breaks when hopping between neighborhoods.
I spent my mornings sipping espressos from tiny, paper cups while standing in short lines for my groceries.
During afternoons, I split bottles of wine and apple ciders with people lounging around my hostel (Fanta and cheap wine, classless but palatable).
When it was time to continue exploring, I hopped aboard a ferry (my favorite mode of transportation) to take a quick look at the Fragata D. Fernando II Gloria Ship, a preserved sailing ship almost as long as its name. The black-hulled and white-striped 50-gun frigate was especially striking against the backdrop of Lisbon. While around the ship, I found a quiet stall on a graffiti-covered street (Rua do Ginjal Street Art) and ate a fish while watching the bay.
Last Moments Visiting Lisbon
After my last evening walking around the grand plazas and churches around Arco da Rua Augusta, and visiting the somber roofless-ruins of Carmo Convent, I managed to get a few moments of sleep before waking up early the next day.
I spent my final morning at Parque Das Nações, zipping my phone into a Ziploc bag so I could wade through some bright fountains with my peace of mind.
Finally, that’s all my time for visiting Lisbon and exploring Portugal. In total, I’ve only lounged in the country for about five days. However, the pressing tonnage of activities made my visit seem far longer.
I’ve just climbed onto a luxury bus out of the city for a slow ride into Seville. Back to Spain it is.
So until Seville,
Best regards and excellent trails,
Old Sean
Written August 6th, 2018
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More than ten years ago, I abandoned my military surplus store backpack for a Farpoint 40 Osprey Travel Pack. I’ve never replaced my bag since. Two years ago, I bought two more Osprey Backpacks for my younger siblings on their first tour outside the country. I have nothing but praise for Osprey Products.
