story and photos by Lindsay Neal –
My partner and I had the pleasure of visiting Portugal this past June. Lisbon was our first destination, and it quickly stole our hearts; from the quaint, black-and-white Portuguese cobblestone streets to its divine cuisine luring us to every corner of the city. Charmingly detailed patterned tiles were plastered over buildings, balconies, stairs and walkways. Deplaning in Lisbon around 4 p.m. local time, my partner and chauffeur Eli had roughly 15 minutes to remember how to drive standard in our rental car, in a city he had never driven in before. Our hotel was located in the heart of Baixa, which welcomed us with rush hour traffic, impatient honking locals, narrow streets, and winding hills galore (which I am told is quite a joy when driving standard). Once we were happily situated in a parkade, we wondered how much more driving we might do in the tangled web of streets seemingly wide enough for just one vehicle at a time.
We hauled our luggage up two tall flights of marble stairs to reach our tiny room with a small balcony. We peeked out to view the end of a warm orange sunset cast onto crowds of people in the streets. Our internal clocks were now scrambled enough to set out on foot, and seek out sardines for dinner. Popping into a small, lively nearby restaurant, we had our first taste of sardines and some grilled octopus. The deliciously fresh and crispy sardines and octopus sat amongst grilled potatoes and vegetables on our plate. Enticed by the beauty of Lisbon, we attempted to explore the dazzling city after our meal, only to be found passed out from exhaustion in our bed 20 minutes later.
The next day we climbed rolling cobblestone hills and countless flights of stairs, from dawn until dusk. In desperate search of coffee shops open before 7 a.m., we discovered the intricately painted blue-and-white tiles that drenched the garden square in Alfama, Praça Júlio De Castilho, and watched the sunrise. Next, we trudged to the Castelo de São Jorge, surrounded by orange trees and budding flowers. Nestled on a hilltop, this old castle was originally built during the Moorish rule of Lisbon, and had withstood the 1755 Lisbon earthquake. In Baxia, we walked up to the top of the Elevador de Santa Justa, a gothic lift that towered above the city, for an expansive view of the busy city streets. After stopping for a mandatory lunch gelato, we walked towards the ocean, into Terreiro do Paço. This gorgeous oceanfront plaza displayed the iconic stone Rua Augusta Arch, constructed after the 1755 earthquake. Not far from here, we visited the “home” of the coveted custard tart, at Manteigaria’s Pastel de Nata. We watched as the bakers assembled the beautiful tarts on top of marble kitchen counters, while crowds of tourists drooled over the mouthwatering smell. Eli devoured the tart, and I, as the celiac spectator, had to take his word that it was a delectable treat unmatched by local competition.
In only a day and a half, our feet had been run ragged, but we were far from finished galivanting through Lisbon. Weaving upwards into worn-down stairways and busy alleyways, we dropped into a small wine shop, guarded by an old white terrier, to sample some port. Later that evening, we dined in an old restaurant around the corner. The restaurant owners sang Fado music and serenaded us as we sat at a long table squished amongst locals and tourists. Next, our evening stroll led us to a bar with live music spilling out into the alleyway. Once we began to wander towards our hotel room, we became mesmerized by the magic of the city at night.
Unbeknownst to us, we had averaged 25,000 steps per day in a jet-lagged haze without batting an eye. Our rental car was tucked in a parkade, and we couldn’t care less. My partner-chauffeur and I agreed that the remainder of our travels in downtown Lisbon would be on foot. The key to Lisbon had been setting out on foot, parading about lost, and uncovering the gems of the city in tucked away corners and atop never-ending stairways.
