Back in September 2016 my boyfriend and I celebrated our 5 year anniversary, and he got me the lovely gift of a long weekend in Lisbon this May. This was our first time away since returning home from the big trip in June 2016, so although a mini break we were really looking forward to it.
After a comfortable and quick 2 hour flight we headed into Lisbon centre. The metro is easy to negotiate and is accessed by a re-usable travel card (which can also be used on buses and trams later in the city). Our stop was Baxia-Chiado via the red and green line from the airport.
Our hotel (Bairro Alto Hotel) was lovely and had a wonderful roof terrace with views over the city and the sea. Every evening we enjoyed a drink up on the terrace, watching the world go by. The terrace is open to non-guests, but as a guest at the hotel you get priority and we never had to wait for a table despite it always being busy.
During our days we explored the Castelo de Sao Jorge, and visited the Torre de Belem.
There are some lovely parks in Lisbon including the Parque Eduardo VII and Jardim Botanico Tropical. Unfortunately the main botanical gardens were closed but we enjoyed the two we visited.There are lots of museums and art galleries, but we’re not too into those so we skipped them for more of the parks and gardens – especially considering the lovely weather, we wanted to stay outside and enjoy it.
One activity I would recommend is taking a ride on the old trams – it’s a great way to see the city, and you can ride on an old one for the same price as a one-way journey (about €1.30) on your travel card – so don’t get suckered into the expensive tram tours!
In terms of food we managed for find a number of vegetarian options – the best being Restaurant Terra which offers a delicious vegetarian buffet with fresh salads and warm dishes. I would definitely recommend, it’s a great way to try lots of local foods, without the worry of whether it’s veggie or not. With regard to drinks be prepared for rather generous sized G&Ts wherever you go!
Overall it was a lovely short break – enough to do so you don’t get bored, but quiet enough that you can relax without feeling like you’re missing out on big sights. It was great to get away, but little Momo definitely missed us and enjoyed some serious cuddles upon our return.
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