Lisbon in wintertime

Taking tram no. 28 to go up the hill and see the view over the city from the Castelo is gorgeous. Or taking any of the escalators is the sort of fun everyone likes. Be prepared to have diner late, and probably the best deal you get here is the cost of a hotel room. Yet, ordering drinks at a terrace with a gorgeous view over the city won't cost you more then 3€ for two beers..

Quick Tips:

Don't worry about not being able to speak the language. Just as long you know how to say thank you (obrigade), you will be more than able to find your way around, in preferably profiled shoes. As soon as the rain starts to fall, the streets turn into slippery slides.

Best Way To Get Around:

Public transportation is superb; if only for the old-fashioned trams that tour the city (taking tram no. 28 is a must). The subway system is super modern too. Taxis, however, prove to be about the same as everywhere else. We had the "luck" of a driver who didn’t even know how to get to the center, let alone know where he was bringing us to. Be prepared to pay more then expected. I would suggest not taking these taxis at all-take the alternative prepaid taxis instead.

Going to the website http://www.anjoazul.com is the best way to get in contact with the utmost friendly staff. The advantage of this hotel is that it is in the centre of everything, within walking distance of the shopping area or the outgoing scene at nights. The rooms are clean and have a television, and lucky us, we had a room on the back side of the hotel on the top floor. With the windows open, we could hear the typical Portuguese music and were woken up by classical music played by one of the neighbors. Our room could be darkened totally, so even while the sun was shining brightly, we could sleep in late.

Dinner time is much later then I am used to. Yet the staff in the restaurant was so friendly that we didn't mind spending another half-hour outside the restaurant. Upon our return, we were allowed to cocktail in a separate area in the back. Daring interior colors of white, black, and orange make this restaurant fascinating. The orange shirts, however, would fit the employees better in summertime, I guess. Lisbon is known for its fish, so we ate fish, and it was super. With a wide variety of even meat dishes, the menu was great, and they had very affordable prices.

Tram no. 28 is the sort of tram you would take instead of the tourist tram. It brings you to either side of the city for around a mere 1€ if bought in the tram.

Going up the hills (eastbound) towards the Castelo is like a roller-coaster ride, but going all the way to the west is just as fun.

On the outside it looks like a garage door, but once inside, the store has a divided area of second-hand clothes and the most fun bag collection, which have airline names printed on them. Up the few stairs to the back, the store has very interesting hand-embroidered shirts for women. A book of wallpaper from the ‘70s makes it a lot easier to decide which roll of paper you want to bring home with you. In case you have been shopping too long, you can sit down and drink tea with the local hip youth.