Listen here, Lisboa

Lisbon, Portugal

Decided to travel to Portugal instead of spending more time in Italy. Mike and I spent a few days in Lisbon, roaming the streets while trying to stay cool during the day and drinking as much wine at night while weaving in and out of the streets of Bairro Alto. The hostel we were staying at, Equity Point, had no air conditioning. The room was pretty hot, not gonna lie. We made it work though. Sleeping outside on a couch tucked away in a corner on the patio made for a refreshing first night. The other few nights were survived by sleeping in my underwear, with no covers. We got lucky enough to not have any roommates (a huge feat, if you ask me) - or else the whole underwear thing could have been an issue. 

View from the hostel - Lisbon, Portugal

Bairro Alto - Lisbon, Portugal

Ate some of the most amazing food here - the most memorable being a prosciutto and melon salad with tomatoes and a big heaping scoop of LEMON GELATO in the middle. I'm drooling just thinking about it. It seemed like there were loads of fresh fruit smoothie and juice places, which made my heart smile. Trying the codfish while here is a necessity. It is a cultural dish, and it doesn't disappoint - especially for the seafood lovers. While walking along the Douro River in Porto I met a fisherman that told me all about Porto, back in the day. You can read about it here. Open up that Trip Advisor app and find out where you can get a decent codfish, it will be worth it!  

It's really popular to ride the Tram 28 around the city, which means it is also crowded and apparently everyone gets pick-pocketed. It was fun nonetheless, especially since it was too hot to walk around.  I absolutely loved the various ceramic tiles that you can find on almost every building and in every souvenir shop. They were all so colorful and the patterns were so fun - they really gave the city a lot of personality. They have a ceramic museum there, if you are into that type of thing.

The Bairro Alto at night is so. much. fun. This restaurant we made a pit-stop at for sangria (pretty much the only reason we every had to make a pit-stop) set a bunch of tables up on the street outside their establishment. It was a fun environment, with everyone bunched up drinking and eating - although a few times I nearly knocked over any drinks within a 3 foot radius. Everyone seemed to be very understanding of the near misses. These inclined streets are littered with bars selling cheap, cheap alcohol and delicious tapas.  There are a surplus of men offering to sell you things you will never need - sunglasses at night, drugs, mickey mouse ears; the usual. 

We ended up by Ponte 25 de Abril - A bridge that looks strikingly similar to the beloved Golden Gate Bridge. Come to find out, they were designed by the same person. Someone must have gotten lazy. There were restaurants along the waterside - all which proved to be touristy, without much to offer. We ate here anyways because we had a nice three mile walk back to the hostel ahead of us. Why we decided to walk, I don't quite remember. 

I usually prefer walking, even if there is a quick metro stop that will get me somewhere in the blink of an eye - it's ugly underground. I can't see things the same way on a crowded bus or with my nose pressed up against the window of a train. I would much rather be out in the open, walking the streets, breathing in the air. I lost weight while traveling around Europe, contrary to what I imagined would happen. I didn't have enough money to eat any more than I needed and I was walking EVERYWHERE. 

Throwback // Amsterdam

I visited Amsterdam in August of 2013, towards the last leg of my three month Euro-trip. I was previously in Munich with my friend, Lillie. She had made some new friends there and decided to stay longer. I, on the other hand, was ready to move. I let her know where I was staying and then I was off. 

After a long train ride I made my way to Hostel Utopia, whose reception area conveniently doubled as a coffee shop. Which is exactly why I chose to stay there, not gonna lie. I ended up sharing a room with 3 young Italian men, and a mysterious man who resembled Snorlax. He also snored, a lot. None of them seemed like they cared to be my friends, which was fine because I had just made my first special Amsterdamian purchase and wanted to make use of it.

I spent the whole next day doing nothing but wandering, sitting, watching, and smoking. I couldn't get over how incredibly aesthetically pleasing this place was. The buildings all had an old-time attraction to them. Around every corner was another cobblestone street lined with bicycles and filled with character. I made my way through the maze of canals and bridges, turning which ever way my little heart desired, no care to look at a map.  

 

And then, as I was relaxing in my bunk bed one afternoon... who walks into my room? LILLIE DOES. I wasn't expecting her. Actually, I had just spent the last 48 hours worrying about where she was and what she was doing, considering I hadn't heard from her since I left Munich. I had no idea when she was coming, or if she even was. Her arrival was met with shouts and squeals and a lot of hugging. Luckily, the room had been deserted by the other guests before our reunion took place. The next few days were filled with narrow staircases, dutch pancakes, and coffee shops.

Our days didn't differ much. We found so much enjoyment in just walking around and checking things out. People watching, drinking coffee, and seeing what kind of trouble we could get into. We hung out at Vondle park quiet a bit, and still didn't even make our way around the whole place. The pace of life here was perfect. Everyone seemed so content with just chilling out.

Oh, and did I mention all the cheese shops? Where you could just walk in and sample loads of different cheese and other things that you can put on top of the cheese. If I remember correctly, we went into 3 or 4 different ones within 30 minutes. And then we got french fries covered with mayo, in true European fashion.

 

We spent a whole hour walking through the Red Light District, with intentions of coming back later for a "night out". However, we made the decision of purchasing a space cake upon arrival to the hostel.... and never made it out. We passed out, hard. I believe we both woke up at one point and decided that we couldn't possible leave, and went right back to bed.

And then I woke up with a cat in my bed.  I like sprawling my clothes out among the bottom of my bed, really helps me keep things organized. So, I was in the process of waking up when I felt something soft and furry. I didn't remember having any furry clothes, so I mustered all the energy I had to take a peek at the bottom of my bed. Unfortunately, after snapping the picture below, my new friend realized I had woken up and darted away. I assume the little guy came in through the window, but I don't think he escaped that way. I wish he would have stayed to cuddle a little longer.

So there it is, a measly account of my time in Amsterdam two + years ago. That's what I get for waiting too long to write a post.