If Spain is the loud, friendly, sometimes obnoxious, opinionated brother, Portugal is the laid-back, calm, artsy, contemplative cousin that you go to hang out with to take a break from your brother. Don't get me wrong- I love Spain and all it's rhythm. Madrid is a happening and boisterous place. It has its own art and music scene, and has its quieter neighborhoods you can retreat to. It's a city that never leaves you disappointed, and there is a dynamic pace of life you get caught up in here- one that includes several metro lines, busy streets, and an active nightlife, in addition to cozy cafes, bars and restaurants where you can sit for hours and not be bothered to pay the check, and shops and family-run shoe stores that really do close at the midday from somewhere between 2 and 6 (but never post in on their store so they don't have to follow it!). It took me a little while to get used to Madrid, and it has confirmed that city life is not for me in the long run. But I still need a break, and luckily, Portugal is right next store but a world away in its ambience and mood.
Although Lisbon is the capital of Portugal, it has a small-town feel in every street and corner, including the main plazas. The friendly people, sunny weather, and cheap prices (compared to the capital of Madrid) only add to its draw. The fact that English is widely spoken (at a good level) is also helpful for tourists, and another thing that distinguishes it from its next store neighbor. This is due to the fact that none of their movies or TV shows that come in from the American entertainment industry are dubbed- they watch them in the original version and use subtitles. Many other European countries who do this, such as Sweden and Denmark, tend to have a higher level of English, in part due to lots of exposure to English through entertainment means starting from a young age.
But if you want to try a language experiment, (and if they don't speak English) it's always fun to try speaking to someone in Spanish and see how far you can get. At one of the souvenir shops there was a woman, originally from Madagascar, who did not speak any English. We were able to have a decent conversation speaking Spanish and having her respond in Portuguese. Interestingly enough, every time we had conversations like this, Jose, our Spanish friend, could barely understand what the Portuguese were saying! My theory is that Laura, Ashleigh and I, as non-native speakers of Spanish, are used to being able to communicate without understanding every single thing the other person says. Perhaps we have a more practiced ear for filtering sounds and words and extracting meaning from partially-understood conversations.
Lisbon is a unique city with a rich history, complete with beautiful ports, melancholic streets, many hills that create many layered, interesting views and fresh seafood. On the other hand, it is not so unique in the fact that it has a red suspension-bridge (the 25 de Abril Bridge) that looks almost identical to the SF's Golden Gate Bridge, cable cars on its many hills (that also makes one think of the European SF), and a tall Jesus statue up on the mountain which, with its arms wide open, immediately makes one recall a similar such statue in Rio, Brazil.
Pasteis de Belem These traditional egg custard tarts are little bowls of joy and deliciousness! With a rich, egg custard filling and a dense crust made up of many layers of flaky crust (similar to filo dough in texture), this delicious dessert is one of my favorite things about Lisbon! It can be found in many pastry shops throughout Lisbon, but the best, authentic place to get them is in the district of Belem. It's hard to miss the shop as it often has lines going out the door of people waiting to get there hands on these Portuguese treats. Make sure to ask for extra cinnamon and powdered sugar to put on top!
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| One of the many cute streets good for wandering in Sintra, Portugal |
Sintra A beautiful little town up in the mountains of Lisbon, this day trip is a must-do when in Lisbon! With its fresh streams, crisp mountain air, lush green vegetation, and beautiful mountainside homes, it immediately makes one feel like they are no longer in Portugal, but a mountain-town of Switzerland! Take your time wandering the streets, stopping in a shop to try a shot of cherry liquor in a chocolate cup (a very typical liquor of the region), and visiting the old castle, Gaudi-like colorful palace, or maze-like whimsical noble garden of Quinta da Regaleira, complete with caves, hidden passageways, and a freaky floor of mirrors that will make anyone afraid (even those not afraid of heights!)
Fado music To really experience and feel Portugal, one must experience this melancholic music full of soul and emotion that makes one feel like they are with a widow in a lighthouse window, waiting for their husband to come back from sea and feeling a sense of dread and uncertainty for the future and loss for a past that can never be again. A simple genre, it includes a single singer and a guitarist in its simplest and most common form. The key is trying to avoid tourist traps but get lost in the old neighborhood and find an old, packed bar with tiled walls, plenty of wine, and a sad, beautiful song playing as a quiet, barely stirring audience listens and contemplates.
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| Trying not to blow off the cliff! December 2011 |
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| More wind a laughter! March 2013 |
Cabo de Roca The Western-most point of Europe, it's a beautiful spot to go to, stand up at the cliffs and out at the endless spread of ocean-water below, and wave to New York miles and miles away while waiting for a most-likely incredible sunset. But bring a wind-breaker- it tends to be chilly and super-super windy!
After a few trips there, one with my roommates Laura and Danielle, another with my parents, and a third with Laura and two other friends, a few specific memories stand out to me:
"Sempre frente"
While traveling with the girls and our friend Jose, we didn't come to Lisbon very prepared- no maps printed, no directions, useless Iphone that had no battery left!... Fortunately, we came across friendly people at the most necessary moments. On our arrival to the city, we rolled down the window and asked the taxi driver for directions to our hostel. He was very friendly and pointed forward with a friendly wink in his eye "sempre frente!..." (which is very similar to Spanish, "siempre frente/todo recto". It became a joke as it seemed like every person we asked for directions after that replied with a smile and a "sempre frente". We were baffled, but it turned out that every time they were right, and we eventually arrived to our destination!
When I'm with a friend or family member that gets to go somewhere they're super stoked to go, somewhere related to their passions and loves in life, I like to describe their anticipation as "the Disneyland effect", referring to my many sleepless childhood nights knowing that the very next day I would be heading up to Disneyland with my sister next to me in the car, my parents in the front, and a disney stuffed animal in my lap. That was exactly how my dad was when I took him to the Lisbon Maritime Museum. I knew I had to take him there, since it was so close to Madrid and since he loves everything related to old ships and exploration. And Portugal, with its rich history of exploration and old ports, was the perfect place! My mom and I sat on a couch in the visitors center by the end, waiting for my father as he made new friends and exchanged emails to trade boat building plans and books :)
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| Enjoying a Pasteis de Belem on a sunny, but cold, winter day! December 2011 |
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