Hello friends. I spent seven days in Lisbon, Portugal and had a great time.
The weather was warm and sunny every day except one. The city itself is beautiful. It's a very walkable city with lots of parks and interesting architecture. There are also some nice beaches within walking distance from downtown.
I stayed at a hostel called Albergaria da Fé which is located near Rossio Square. I really liked this place. It has good reviews on HostelWorld and Booking.com. The staff were friendly and helpful, the rooms were clean, and it's centrally located. They even have free breakfast each morning!
Praça dos Restauradores is a cool square that has a lot of restaurants and shops. It's right next to Rossio Station. You can get there by walking west along Rua Augusta until you reach Praca do Comercio. From there, turn left onto Rua de Santa Catarina. Then keep going until you see the square on your right. If you're coming from Rossio Station, take the escalator up to the top floor and then head down the stairs to the first level.
Monument to the Restorers (Monumento aos Restauradores) is located in Praça dos Restauradores. It's a pretty big statue.
Avenida da Liberdade which is located near the monument, is another popular street in Lisbon. Lots of nice restaurants and stores here. This street combats the coldness of the Avenida da Liberdade with lots of trees. There are a lot of shops along Avenida da Liberdade.
There's a Glória Funicular that runs between this avenue and Bairro Alto. The trip takes about 10 minutes. I rode it twice while I was in Lisbon.
When strolling around the avenue, I saw representation of a boat. Turns out it was the symbol of Lisbon. I think it looks like a giant ship. I didn't know this before visiting.
Rossio station is the monumental train station in Lisbon. It's close to Restauradores. It's also where you can catch a bus or tram to other parts of the city.
There is a statue of a people performing fado music outside the station. Fado is a traditional Portuguese musical style that originated during the 19th century. The word fado means "fate" in Portuguese. The lyrics usually talk about the life of ordinary people.
I loved the canned food grocery store. I went there three times while I was in Lisbon. The food was delicious and cheap. This market sells canned food and you can find everything from sardines to mackerel. It's a great place to stock up on food if you're staying somewhere for a long period of time.
Lisbon has a lot of small restaurants and bars. Most of them are located along the Avenida da Liberdade. Near the store there's a restaurant called A Brasileira. It's a nice place to eat. They serve authentic Brazilian food. I tried the Picanha Steak. It was delicious. Then I went to the Rossio square and sat on a bench. It was a relaxing afternoon.
Rossio square is a large square in front of Rossio station. There's a fountain in the middle of the square. It was built in 1885 and it's still functioning today.
The Column of Pedro IV (Pedro IV Monumento) is a memorial to the king of Portugal who known as the "Crowned Prince." The column was erected in 1870.
Praça da Figueira is a square near Rossio. It's home to the statue of King John I. It's a replica of the original statue which was destroyed during the 1755 earthquake. The statue is made from bronze.
The lovely place above the city is Alfama. It's a district of Lisbon. It's a very old part of the city. It's located south of the Tagus river. Alfama means "hot fountains" in Arabic. It's a quiet area with narrow streets and colorful houses. It's a bit hard to find your way around in Alfama because it's so hilly. But once you get there, it's worth exploring.
I tried Ginjinha chocolade at Praça da Figueira. It was delicious. It's a sweet treat that's made with cherry liquor and chocolate. Ginjinha is a popular drink in Lisbon.
And then I walked towards Rua Augusta. I took a left and continued walking until I reached the Elevador de Santa Justa. It's a elevator that connects the lower and upper parts of the city. The ride takes about 15 minutes. The elevator is located inside a building called Palacio de Cibeles. It's a beautiful building that was built in 1890.
That's all for now. I hope you enjoyed reading my post. It was fun writing it.