In Lisbon (finally)

After a nearly two-day delay thanks to the terrible New England weather, my companion and I finally arrived in Lisbon.

Usually, I travel solo but Johanna had some time off and she really, really wanted to go someplace warm and eat olives. I recommended Lisbon, since on a previous trip here I’d encountered plenty of olives and (very) warm weather. And while the warm weather is now relative, the olives are still, by all standards, objectively delicious (although somewhat slathered in oil).

My previous trip had left me with the impression that Lisbon had a Mediterranean feel even though it is along the Tejo River; the alabaster architecture, the mixture of both white-washed and colorful houses, and the utter blueness of its sky made it easy to forget Lisbon’s located on an estuary in the mid-Atlantic.

I was afraid this impression wouldn’t hold up against mid-winter, but I was thrilled to see that despite the chill in the air, Lisbon was a lovely as I’d remembered.

The Mediterranean vibe is particularly strong in the Alfama neighborhood. While much of Lisbon was leveled by an earthquake in 1755, the Alfama was left unscathed thanks to its hilltop location. Unlike the rest of the city, which was rebuilt in the Neo-classical style along a convenient grid system, Alfama retains its characteristic narrow streets, tightly-packed houses, and neighborly charm; in the warmer weather, you might see residents chatting to each other from balconies.

At the top of Alfama’s hill sits Castelo de Saint Jorge, the fortress that dominates Lisbon’s skyline. We got our Game of Thrones on by walking the castle walls, which make a full loop around the former stronghold. The bigger attraction we found, however: the castle peacocks who loitered outside the café and were oddly docile around tourists posing with them for selfies.

There’s a lot more to both Alfama and Lisbon, but this first post was really just a way to write about my favorite neighborhood, and show off a few photos. I’ll soon be writing more about Lisbon, and will cover such fascinating topics as fado, monasteries, Portuguese food service, and sardines.