My sister and I spent 10 days in Lisbon Portugal at the Upon Lisbon Residences. The aparthotel had the features of an apartment (e.g., full kitchen) and amenities and service of a hotel. Our view was of the SL Benfica’s stadium. We would walk through the parking lot to get to the Centro Colombo mall on the other side. The mall had over 340 shops but most importantly was the Supermercado where we could shop for groceries.
I had visited Portugal in June 2024, so I was somewhat familiar with Lisbon. One thing I remember most is the hills. Portugal is one of the hilliest countries I’ve visited, with Greece being second.
Of course we started out our visit with a tour of the city via the hop on/off sightseeing bus. We rode uphill to Saint George’s castle, Belém Tower, the Monument of the Discoveries, Jerónimos Monastery, and several more.
As we stopped by the Jerónimos Monastery I remembered the story told to me on my first visit to Lisbon. The Catholic monks at the monastery invented the pastel de nata and sold them as a way to support themselves. The pastel de natais a creamy, crispy Portuguese egg custard tart topped with a caramelized, almost crème brûlée-like top (very good!). When the monastery was closed, the monks sold their closely guarded, secret recipe to the owners of the sugar refinery. Today, this is Portugal’s most famous pastry. You can find the pastry all over town but the original bakery about a block from the monastery is where most tourists like to purchase theirs. The line to eat at the bakery is always long, but I discovered that there is no line for a take away.
Another Portugal food item that’s a must try is the grilled sardines. The size of their sardines is nothing like the one in the silver can we ate while growing up. There sardines are much larger, and the grilling adds a really good flavor. These too can be found anywhere in town.
Back to the sights of the city… we spent an afternoon at the Rua Augusta Arch. BEAUTIFUL, BEAUTIFUL, BEAUTIFUL!!!! The place is massive. On the front-side of the arch is the square with a very historic look. Walking through the arch is like walking into a different world. The cobble-stoned streets are narrow, full of people, shops and places to eat.
Getting around the city was easily done by riding the Metro. My sister and I rode the Metro a lot and became pros at transferring from one line to another. You can also ride a tuk tuk to get around the city. These are perfect for the narrow streets where buses can’t get through, especially the steep hills.
I was glad we took this detour from Spain to Portugal. I wanted my sister to experience this country and enjoy the sights as I had.
