Lisbon – HilaryStyle

October 27, 2015October 28, 2015

Lisbon! Visiting the Oceanário de Lisboa

The question I’m asked most frequently when people find out that we are planning our next adventure is, “Are you bringing the kids?” The answer is always YES!

The next questions usually revolve around whether or not the kids enjoy travel and what we do to keep them occupied. Not that they weren’t always “go along” guys, but it’s definitely getting easier as they get older and while they are interested in seeing what each new city has to offer, it helps to allow time for some of the more family friendly attractions.

Most recently after a long hot day exploring fabulous Lisbon we decided that asking the kids to step inside one more church or monument might not be fair, so we decided to surprise them with a trip to the Oceanario de Lisboa, or the Lisbon aquarium. For the most part the monuments in Belem were already closing or would be soon and there was still time to make the Oceanarium.

The aquarium is located in the Parque das Nacoes, a newer more modern part of the city which was built up for the 1998 World Expo. It’s one the largest aquariums in the world and the largest one in Europe. Along with the usual favorites, like sea otters, penguins, sharks, rays and seahorses they also have an Ocean Sunfish which we were pretty excited to see!

Having visited a number of aquariums I was really impressed with the ease in which we were able to go from exhibit to exhibit. Even with limited time we were able to see everything without feeling rushed.

In the end what started out as a break for the kids turned out to be a really lovely experience for all of us!

October 23, 2015October 30, 2017

Portugal! Lisbon’s Belem Neighborhood!

With only two full days to discover Lisbon we felt we barely scratched the surface and we definitely left the city wanting more. There are so many fabulous neighborhoods to explore, but we had to make choices and we chose Belem!

Per our usual modus operandi we got up late and ended up grabbing a coffee and a pastry to go. Wanting to explore a bit more of the city we decided to walk part of the way to Belem along the river path. After a while the path seemed to end, so we cut up through the neighborhoods and discovered some fun design shops, a great food market and some pretty neat street art.

A perfect day for wandering along the Tagus River

Not sure if the fish were biting, but that’s a lot of poles to keep track of!

First on my list upon arriving was the Padrão dos Descobrimentos or the Monument of Discoveries. The monument stands as a testament to Portugal’s past and their part in world exploration on the seas. Perched on the edge of the Tagus River the monument stands just over 179 feet high and provides amazing views of the Belem neighborhood, Jerónimos Monastery, the 25 de Abril Bridge, the Cristo Rei statue, the Torre de Belém and of course the river itself.

The observation deck is on the very top and although the views are tremendous there isn’t much room so it’s hard to linger. There is an elevator available, but Simon and I decided to walk up the stairs. Not sure what we were thinking?! The cost to go up is minimal and I’d say it was worth it!

View of the Monument with the 25th of April Bridge and the Cristo Rei Statue

The Tower of Belem in the distance

Jeronimo Monastery

Lisbon’s own Golden Gate Bridge

The square in front of the monument is dominated by an enormous compass rose made of black and red limestone. It’s an incredible work of art with many detailed symbols which represent the main routes of Portuguese exploration in the 15th and 16th centuries. I did my best to get an ariel photo, but even at 179 feet up I wan’t able to get it all in!

A short walk down the river from The Monument is the Torre de Belém or the Tower of Belem. There is a military and maritime museum inside the Tower, but our time was limited and we decided not to go in. The Tower, located just offshore in the Tagus River, is accessed via a short elevated walkway. Because of its role during the Age of Discoveries the 500 year old Tower is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It was built not only as part of the city’s defense system, but also as a ceremonial gateway to Lisbon. It’s quite an impressive piece of architecture and we spent some time just admiring the view.

While walking along the river we came upon a number of food trucks and as is often our habit during the day we stopped and had a quick bite to eat. We came upon a few different drink carts, one of which was selling interesting looking lemonade cocktails and the other a red wine cart with inviting little chairs. but… places to go and things to see…

I would have loved to stop for one of these…

Can you tell there is a hot dog and fries under all that cheese?!

Across the street from the Tower and the Monument is the Jerónimos Monastery. Building started in 1496 and finished a century later. I read that the monks of the Order provided spiritual guidance to seafarers. These are the same monks who created Pasteis de Belem or Pastel de Nata the most famous of all the Portuguese desserts!

Unfortunately most of the buildings were closed by the time we arrived, but we were able to enter the Sta. Maria Church where we saw the tombs of Vasco da Gama and Luís de Camões. The Church was beautiful and I must admit I wished I had a little more time to wander and to see the rest of the Monastery. Guess we should have gotten up a bit earlier…

Elliot loved these baby ducks swimming in the fountain!

Stopping to get a drink and some new shades

Lisbon’s Modern Art Museum is also in Belem

Speaking of wandering… Once the Monastery had closed we visited the famous Pasteis de Belem located just across the road and then spent some time wandering through the streets of Belem before we decided to give the kids a break and head somewhere just for them… Oceanário de Lisboa!

October 16, 2015October 15, 2015

Portugal! Beautiful Lisbon!

Lisbon, a city which seems to love looking at itself! Or should I say being looked at? And why shouldn’t it? Its beautiful!

Positioned on the banks of the Tagus River, Lisbon rises up the side of seven incredibly steep hills, providing sweeping views in every direction. These magnificent views were the common thread in every guidebook, blog, or source I consulted prior to our visit, and with good reason! We visited no less than three official view sites on the very first day and while that definitely isn’t necessary I will say that picking at least one of them as your first “to do” is a great way to get an overview of the city.

If paying for a view doesn’t suit you, not to worry, there are very few places in Lisbon that don’t offer spectacular vistas! All you have to do is walk down the street!!

Castelo de São Jorge

The Castelo de Sao Jorge is a medieval Moorish castle which overlooks the historic centre of the city and the river. I do love a castle and this one offers fantastic views, so it was our first stop! We decided to walk there from our hotel, but if you’re not up for climbing the steep hills you can hire a Tuk Tuk to take you there. Walking along the castle walls and going up into the towers was pretty neat, but other than that there isn’t a whole lot going on. There are some archeological sites, a small museum with artifacts and a cafe, but the main attraction are the views. Allow about an hour.

Waiting for Tim to purchase our castelo tickets

The boys peeking over the edge

There were many peacocks in the gardens

Consider hiring a Tuk Tuk to take you places

The Rua Augusta Arch

The Rua Augusta Arch is located at the end of a pedestrian street of the same name in one of Lisbon’s busiest areas and is just across from the Praça do Comércio. It was built to commemorate the city’s reconstruction after a devastating earthquake in 1755. The Arch is 100 feet tall and if you decide to take the elevator up to the top you’ll be treated to amazing 360 degree views. I’d say it was well worth the cost of 2.5€ per visitor.

View of the Arch from the Praça do Comércio — From the Praça do Comércio side

View of the Castelo de Sao Jorge — Castelo de Sao Jorge

The Praça do Comércio — Praça do Comércio

The Santa Justa Lift

Not only does The Santa Justa Lift provide amazing 360 degree views from 138 feet above the city, but it actually serves an official purpose. Due to the steep hills in Lisbon getting from the lower portion of the city to the upper is no easy task. Operated by the city’s Transportation Department The Santa Justa Lift has been making life easier for residents and tourists since 1902 and It was made a national monument in 2002!

Of all the view points we saw that first day I think this was my favorite, it was centrally located allowing us views of the city in every direction and our visit took place at sunset! The cost to go up is minimal and don’t worry if you see a line it moves quite quickly!

View of the lift from the Rua de Santa Justa

View of the Cathedral of Lisbon — The Cathedral of Lisbon

The hills in Lisbon are steep, the roads are narrow and the staircases are plentiful. Keep this in mind when planning your day and do consider taking advantage of the many unique modes of transportation offered! With its multitude of twists and turns Lisbon can at times feel a lot like a labyrinth and although we loved wandering aimlessly up and down the hills and through the streets and neighborhoods, we definitely felt it after a day or two!

*Full disclosure: While almost every photo on hilarystyle.me was taken personally by me, occasionally I do use other photos. The Santa Justa Lift was undergoing renovations during our visit, so I’ve used a photo from wikipedia to show you the lift at night.

October 13, 2015October 30, 2017

Lisbon! Is It Graffiti Or Is It Art?

I really had no preconceived ideas about what to expect on our recent trip to Lisbon, however I can say I wasn’t expecting a city covered in Graffiti. It was everywhere and when I say everywhere I mean EVERYWHERE!

Thankfully, I’m not just talking about your standard tagging and rude obscenities written on bathroom walls or the side of public transportation, don’t get me wrong there is plenty of that too, but this is something else entirely.

This is ART… and its good!

And it’s not just in the “bad” neighborhoods either.

During our wanderings we came upon a number of areas where entire buildings and even city blocks were completely covered with amazing paintings. I wondered, is this sanctioned? Do the city officials actually like it? Do people paint these large murals in the middle of the night? How did they get up there to paint that?

There was no mention of Lisbon’s Street art in any of the guides I read, but once I returned back to the states I did a bit of poking around on the internet and discovered that it’s quite a big deal! Like most major cities street art and graffiti have been in Lisbon for decades. However, in recent years their have been several different initiatives that were designed to help revive various parts of the city and at the same time give a boost to the urban art scene. Street artists came from around the world to participate!

If you’re planning a trip to Lisbon and are interested in seeing this amazing art there are official Street Art tours, but we managed to happen upon a lot of the locations while wandering around.

For answers to some of my above questions, check out this article about the Graffiti Grannies of Lisbon!