Las Aventuras de Mathieu: Bem-vindo a Lisboa

In the spirit of trying to see as many places as I can while I am in Europe, I decided to take a trip to Lisbon when I had a long weekend in mid October. This allowed me three days in one of the most unique capitals that I have ever visited. It is very difficult to really encompass the true charm and character of this city, but hopefully through these stories and photos, you'll have an idea of how my trip went to Lisboa.

This trip started like all other ones I have taken to date, getting on a bus making my way towards my destination. Although, this time it was a little different because this bus trip would take 6 hours to reach the final destination. My anticipation, I must say, made the ride feel no longer than 3 hours in duration. Nevertheless, after leaving at 3pm from Seville, I arrived to downtown Lisbon at 9:30 pm.

After finding a quick bite to eat and settling into my charming hostel I decided to get a good night sleep in order to be up and ready for the walking tour the next morning. With every new city that I have been visiting so far, I have found great success in networking and making new friends through taking the free walking tour offered by the hostel, and this time was no different. Right away I clicked with a wonderful woman from India who owned her own clothing company, and was visiting Lisbon on vacation. We toured around some of the main sights in Lisbon and wandered through Bario Alto and the old city core.

The most expensive chapel in the world.
Everything you see is solid gold!

The arc at the end of the main avenue downtown.
Made of solid marble

One of my favourite places in Lisbon. The first Ginja bar (cherry dessert liquor). 1euro a shot!!

We then decided to take the next day and try to catch some waves. This proved to be a fairly fruitless endeavour as we really only got in the ocean for 15 minutes until the instructor called off the surfing because of the storm that was starting. The waves were nice and big, but unfortunately the massive winds were carrying the waves down the beach, and not towards it (a very dangerous combination apparently). However, this didn't dampen my spirit because I was the only person in my group of 8 who was able to properly catch a wave (I think I have my years of snow and wakeboard experience to thank for that).

Full body wetsuits really aren't as fun as they look!

Unfortunately, after the storm that came in to ruin my surfing, it decided to stay for the rest of my weekend. Even with this unwanted development I was convinced to not let this news disappoint me. I did whatever a good tourist would do if it is to wet to be outside, and that is EAT! I must say that being in Lisbon for four days really has converted me towards the joys and diverse tastes of good fresh seafood. I started out easy with some fired squid and then worked my way through clams, cod, and then to my favourite meal of all, BBQ octopus! The way it is prepared in Lisbon is to die for. I am not sure if it is because of the freshness, or the way it is cooked, but either way I could eat it three meals a day!

One of the true highlights of my entire trip to Lisbon had to be the dinner and Fado club I had on my last night in town. Shefali, and I decided to invite another friend from the hostel to the best Fado club in Lisbon for dinner and a Fado show. Now Fado is the traditional Portuguese music style that is very simple but elegant. It is comparable to the blues in New Orleans. It is a very sad genre that was ment to outline the hardships of the totalitarian state that rules Portugal for so many years. In a nutshell, the emotion and talent that went into this music made it a feast to the ears. The steak and braised octopus, paired with a fabulous portuguese red made it also a feast for the taste buds. After the fabulous show we were informed that the artists singing at the club that night were professional singers in Portugal and actually quite famous. Therefore, on our way back to the hostel we decided to get picture with the singer and the band. What a treat! If you press the play button on the image above, you will be able to listen and watch to one of my favourite songs that Rodrigo Costa Felix sang at Club de Fado that night.

The gang posing with the band outside the club.

Shefali, Tom, and I waiting for our meals over some fine wine.

Overall, Lisbon was truly a city to remember. If I could, I would stay for a whole week or more to really immerse myself in the laid back an beautiful culture present in the Portuguese capital. From the UNESCO world heritage site to the food, and music I felt that I had really visited one of the best cities in Europe. Although, all good things must come to an end, and rather quickly I must add. Now back to Seville to continue the teaching, studying, and the planning for my next great trip.

Hasta Luego amigos!