24 Hours in Lisbon
Short on time and with our cameras in our hands to explore Lisbon in 24 Hrs - we fell in love with the relaxed atmosphere and the sky... that bright blue sky.
What do you do when you can only spend 24 hours in Lisbon? Hurry?
We did ourselves a favor and discovered the relaxed Portuguese in us. Set against the ever-present backdrop of the Atlantic Ocean, this dainty sun-kissed city lives in a Latin fairytale of timeworn manners and traditions.
We checked out the century-old wooden trams and iron funiculars that still lurch and rumble their way through the city. We witnessed the best of this bygone heritage by wandering through the Baixa district, where age-old herbalists, haberdashers and tailors rub shoulders in the baroque streets of the ornate city centre.
We loved waking up from the sound of seagulls in the morning, although we lived in the city center. Lisbon’s and thus Portugal’s history are so closely connected to the water that it is unthinkable to not be constantly aware of it - even the street lamps have little ships in their decor.
We could not see every museum in town in one day but that was not the point. We took it slow. Found ourselves a little pastelaria on a pretty street. Sat in the sun, ordered a coffee, watched the people and simply enjoyed life. You won’t manage everything in time anyways. So, why hurry?
We became curious to explore a capital City with such a small town feel. Everything about Lisbon has the charm of a quaint coastal town, but with the sights and sounds of a big capital city. There’s something about this beautiful place that feels familiar. We felt like this in seeing the minutiae of daily life, where locals sit around watching football, catching up over coffee, gossiping, relaxing, and hanging out the washing - it felt homely.
It makes you slow down. That’s when all the quirky details of the city start appearing from buildings, whether it is a little piece of street art, or huge wall mural, a broken tile, or a defaced sculpture that you would ordinarily have walked past if you were racing to see all the major sights.
Lisbon is very special to us. Not just because of its incredible food, beautiful scenery, vast museums, sun-bleached monuments, narrow alleyways and friendly people, but for how it makes you feel. It’s a place where you want to return, and when you do, we bet it will feel just like returning home.
