Portugal
5am wake-up call…Why in the world would someone EVER wake up at 5am, unless of course, they had to? I fall into that latter category: crazy people who see the light of day at 5am because they have to. I had a flight at 8am. You never think about these things when you book your flight. You consider the time you will get into the location and determine how much of the day will be remaining for you to take advantage of. You never think about waking up, and what kind of an impact that will have on your being able to take advantage of the day. Those thought come the night before when you are setting your alarm. They are of course often followed by rampant bouts of profanity.
So, I was indeed up at 5 and on a plane by 8. I arrived in Lisbon before noon, but was too tired to really do anything. I wandered aimlessly for a while, soaking in the splendor of the city. But feeling like you are going to collapse certainly does not help with the whole activity-thing, especially when to factor in the heat and the hilliness. But thank goodness for the world cup :)
I spent two more days in the city waking up in the morning and wandering until the midday heat forced me to stop, sit, and read. I honestly cannot even tell you where exactly I went. All I know is that I saw a castle, a bunch of churches, and Belem.
The city is really gorgeous. I don't know why people don't talk about it more. You hear about the beauty of Prague, Vienna, Barcelona, and Budapest, but never Lisbon. But trust me, Lisbon definitely falls into that same class. If you don't believe me take a look at the photos and enjoy.
Not only is Lisbon beautiful, but it is also fun! On the Monday night I went out with a bunch of people from the hostel: 1 from Toronto, 2 from Calgary, and 1 from Australia. It was amazing. We randomly asked this Portuguese guy, who was swaying on the street, which way to go to get to 'the best bar'. Turns out is was that guy's birthday and he invited us along for the celebration. It was an amazing time, full of drunken foolishness and drink the size of your head a twice as potent :)
So, I was indeed up at 5 and on a plane by 8. I arrived in Lisbon before noon, but was too tired to really do anything. I wandered aimlessly for a while, soaking in the splendor of the city. But feeling like you are going to collapse certainly does not help with the whole activity-thing, especially when to factor in the heat and the hilliness. But thank goodness for the world cup :)
I spent two more days in the city waking up in the morning and wandering until the midday heat forced me to stop, sit, and read. I honestly cannot even tell you where exactly I went. All I know is that I saw a castle, a bunch of churches, and Belem.
The city is really gorgeous. I don't know why people don't talk about it more. You hear about the beauty of Prague, Vienna, Barcelona, and Budapest, but never Lisbon. But trust me, Lisbon definitely falls into that same class. If you don't believe me take a look at the photos and enjoy.
Not only is Lisbon beautiful, but it is also fun! On the Monday night I went out with a bunch of people from the hostel: 1 from Toronto, 2 from Calgary, and 1 from Australia. It was amazing. We randomly asked this Portuguese guy, who was swaying on the street, which way to go to get to 'the best bar'. Turns out is was that guy's birthday and he invited us along for the celebration. It was an amazing time, full of drunken foolishness and drink the size of your head a twice as potent :)