Portugal Adventures Day 1: Lisbon

Welcome to my life right now! I booked a one-way flight to Portugal to work in Lagos creating digital content for a wellness/detox/yoga/spiritual company with the intention of doing lots of exploring around the country (and perhaps beyond?) before, during, and after working. I decided to come a bit early to check out the beautiful Lisbon first and was not disappointed in any way. Let’s get into it!

I touched down in Lisbon around 10 a.m., smiling ear to ear after, well, shedding a couple of tears. Perhaps some fell in response to my feelings of joy for what was to come, and others because of feelings of pride for doing such a big thing for myself and by myself. I cannot properly put into words the way my body was humming with the vibrations of a million different emotions despite the initial lingering haze that tends to accompany an overnight flight. After breezing through passport control and the usual airport rituals, I turned my attention to the first challenge of the trip—figuring out how to get from the airport to my hostel.

I knew coming in that taxis and Uber would be viable options, but I’m trying to do a better job while traveling to A.) save as much money as possible even if Ubers cost a third of the price here in Portugal and B.) immerse myself in a bit more of an authentic experience rather than just taking the convenient route. I lingered at a couple of the airport’s bus stops while assessing my options, then hopped on a bus that I knew was at minimum heading in the right direction. Along the way, I decided it was the perfect time to get equally as acquainted with Lisbon’s metro system. I hopped off at a bus stop fairly close to my hostel and headed underground at the nearest station- identifiable by a large M above the stairs.

Navigating the ticket kiosk—entirely in Portuguese, mind you—was honestly intuitive. I say this a bit loosely, but I feel that if you’ve tackled a few European metro systems, you’re pretty capable of quickly configuring them all.

With my transport sorted, I arrived at the square where my hostel was located, fully loaded with my two backpacks and crossbody. Let’s just say I was feeling the weight of my choices, but I can attest now that the variety of clothing in which I stuffed into my packs was worth it. I knew from looking online that Lisbon’s “GoodMorning Solo Traveller Hostel”, one of my new favorite places, is accessible only by going through a souvenir-type shop and taking the stairs in the back up to the hostel. It’s essentially a speakeasy with a button to press to enter and all… except it’s a full-on hostel.

I checked in around 11 a.m. with the understanding that I wouldn’t have access to my room until 4 p.m. as it wouldn’t be quite ready. This hostel, fortunately, has a spacious luggage room where I could safely leave my things for the afternoon. I took a moment to freshen up, swap out my travel-worn clothes, and hit the streets in search of sights and a pick-me-up. Lisbon’s city center unfolded before me, a patchwork of cobblestone streets and steep pathways. I wandered for a couple of hours and took more than a couple of photos and videos. Lisbon has a lively, warm spirit that I became aware of just hours into being present. I stumbled across a miniature market, local artists lining the riverfront, an assortment of sardine shops and cafes selling the infamous pastel de nata, stairs + more stairs, and countless grandiose archways/architectural styles.

I decided 3 o’clock was coffee and pastry o’clock, and my cafe of choice was nearby in a central part of the city. I happened to come across the most wonderful spot called “Nat’elier.” I was unable to find any sign of it on my phone map, leading me to land there based on intuition and its appearance which was the coolest-looking space with a seemingly delicious menu. I got my first taste of Portugal’s famous egg custard tart- the aforementioned pastel de nata- and it satiated everything I needed at the moment, particularly when enjoyed with a bit of espresso. Interestingly enough, my two new English girlfriends (made later this particular afternoon) explained that they commonly called such pastries egg custard at home, although they lack the fame and deliciousness of those found in Portugal.

After more wandering and people-watching, I made my way back to the hostel around 4 p.m.—just in time, since my phone was clinging to life at 1% (sorry Mom). As I settled into my bunk space in my 6-person room, my girl Rosie arrived. A brief intro to Rosie: she’s a nurse from Derby, England, embarking on her first solo adventure, and one of my quickest most authentic friendships to date. She WILL be in future travel tales of mine, I’m certain of it. A few moments into our initial bonding, the beautiful Jade walked in, completing our trio before we even knew it was happening. Also from England, Jade works in both construction and beauty, which made sense from seeing her and watching her be a boss girl in action. Any uncertainty about what my time in Lisbon might look like regarding friendship dissipated immediately after Jade invited us to grab a drink in the city before she needed to head to a dinner reservation. We didn’t waste a moment and headed to the first street-side happy hour spot we could find, which was not a challenge.

We sipped on Fiero Spritzes, a drink new to all of us (but one that I would get again and again), and began to bond over pieces of our pasts and all that we want out of our futures. These moments were the first of this trip where I was reminded there is nothing quite like meeting strangers that you click with and can open your heart to. One drink together turned into another invitation, and suddenly Jade’s dinner plans for one at a scenic restaurant across the river transitioned to a table for three. Amidst our debatably loud American X English laughter and a frenzy to make the reservation on time, we nearly unintentionally dined and dashed running to our Uber (don’t worry, we recognized our mistake and ran right back to sort the check). 30 minutes later, we arrived at the most scenic overlook where we climbed down flights and flights of stairs to get to the waterfront restaurant dotted with yellow umbrellas and a wonderfully aesthetic seating arrangement. The walk down alone gave us an incredible view of the river and bridge- it was clear Jade had done her research. We shared a couple of plates and a bottle, and by the end of our meal, we had trauma dumped and bonded and laughed about everything a group of three could possibly cover on day one of meeting one another.

By the time we returned to the hostel, the night was far from over. Free sangria was flowing as it does every night at GoodMorning, and more new faces entered the fold. At this point, it was time to meet up with my old friend Josh as he just so happened to be in Lisbon at the same time. We became friends in Louisiana during school at LSU and it was time to live out our old days in a whole new country. We would’ve joined forces earlier, but in the spirit of traveling, things get a bit hectic sometimes. A night out together did suffice given our limited time.

We headed to a meeting point for an amassed organized bar crawl, uniting with a few friends Josh previously made in Madrid (i.e., his German bff) and others throughout that evening. What followed was a whirlwind of new friends, new streets, new beverages, and hopping from one lively spot to the next before ending up right on the riverfront. The energy from the people and the city around me was everything I had hoped my first day and night in Lisbon would be. Stay tuned for all the adventures to come!

On to day two…

Sincerely,

SB