A Cupcake in Portugal! Part 1.

Day 1: Lisbon, Baixa-Chiado

Ah Portugal… A country rich in beautiful scenery, hilly landscapes, devastating history and futuristic leaders.

Taking the TAP Portugal Flight from London Heathrow at 08:10 am, we landed in Lisbon at 10:30 am. EU passport holders can get through immigration pretty quickly, however at that particular time the immigration queue for those on visas was ridiculously long and we didn’t get out of the airport for at least 1.5 hours.

The EU has recently introduced calling rates that are the same in all countries – so if you have a UK SIM card, your rates in the UK are the same as in Portugal (and vice versa). All bundles apply as well, which meant that I could use my data without being charged extortionate amounts! Snapchat & Instagram – here I come…

The advantage of having data and a phone line as soon as we landed meant we could order an Uber from Lisbon’s Humberto Delgado Airport to our hotel located in central Lisbon. The ride took about half an hour and only cost us around €7 which is ridiculously cheap compared to other places in Europe. The Portuguese drive “on the wrong side of the road” in contrast to Kenya and the UK, so hiring a car and driving yourself can be quite confusing.

Our hotel, the Altis Avenida Hotel, had a great location in the Chiado district. Bang in the centre of Lisbon on Rua 1 de Dezembro between Praca Dom Pedro IV (Rossio Square) and Praca dos Restauradores. The huge, neo-manueline style, Rossio Train Station which connects Lisbon to Sintra is right across the road.  Also close by is the Avenue Da Liberdade (or the Portuguese Champs Elysees as the locals like to call it) where all the luxury designer shops are located. The Chiado district is probably the most elegant and cosmopolitan district in Lisbon and a lot of the buildings here date back to the 1700’s.

By the time we got to our hotel it was lunch time (and you should know by now, I get hangry not hungry!) so we quickly dropped off our bags in our rooms and hit the road in search of the Mercado Da Ribiera. You can walk there in 20 minutes from the hotel, but since I was getting hangrier by the minute we decided to take an Uber (€3). On one side of the Mercado (market, in English) is a huge fruit and vegetable market filled with traders selling fresh produce. From the sweetest cherries, which we bought, to gooey custard apples – you can find all the juicy fruit your heart desires. But the other side of the Mercado is what we came for…

The Time Out Market is a huge “find your own seat” hall. All around the edges are food stalls serving up a vast array of cuisines from different restaurants and chefs… From traditional Portuguese Piri Piri chicken and Prego rolls, to baked codfish and trays of Iberian ham! There is an Asian stall, a croquette stall, a cheese stall, a custard tart stall, a pizza stall, a burger stall… and so many others I can’t name them all! In the middle are various stalls selling drinks. I could easily have stayed in there for an entire day, eating until I almost burst! Instead, I just opted to try some Portuguese Piri Piri Chicken and a glass of Sangria from the “All About Chicken” stall. The chicken was crispy skinned, spicy, buttery and deliciously juicy and tender, and the sangria proved gorgeously refreshing in the 32°C Lisbon heat!

After this awesome lunch, we decided to take a walk along some of Lisbon’s cobbled streets towards the Arco da Rua Augusta (Rua Augusta Arch) and the Praca do Comercio in the Baixa district (or downtown Lisbon). Most of this area was rebuilt after the destructive earthquake of 1755, which lead to the world’s first large scale earthquake-proof buildings.

Lisbon is a city with culture in abundance and the buildings tell tales of their own, imposing as they are on the side of every pathway. Tram lines interrupt the cobblestones and huge yellow trams come hurtling past you, taking corners no bus would be able to. Immaculately dressed Lisbonites walk along the flagged pavements, munching on the famous pasteis de nata which seem to be available on every street and fruit sellers with trolleys filled with cherries call out to tourists who can’t resist something sweet in the humid heat.

The Rua Augusta Arch is huge and intimidating and was built in commemoration of the city’s reconstruction after the earthquake to welcome visitors travelling to Lisbon by boat. A top the Arch sit 3 huge figures representing Glory, Valor and Genius and walking through the Arch leads to Rua Augusta which is a long shopping street filled with the likes of Zara and H&M as well as little local shops. We continued our walk down Rua Augusta “occasionally” stopping to buy a few things 😉 until we eventually got to the Santa Justa Elevator.

The elevator, an immense, neo-gothic structure, is the only remaining conventional lift in the city of Lisbon and was completed in 1902 which is completely mind blowing, considering the skill and technicality required to build something like this in that day and age! The elevator connects the lower levels of the Baixa to the higher levelled Carmo Square which must have been a massive feat of engineering in 1902. Lisbon is a city built around 7 hills and some walks are absurdly steep so elevators like this made getting around much easier.

We then went back to our hotel (only a 5 minute walk) to freshen up before dinner. Taking another Uber (€4) through the Bairro Alto district, we arrived at the Miradouro (or viewpoint) of Santa Catarina – a beautiful little area lit up well into the night by street performers and crowds, overlooking the river. There is a cute little café called Noobai right by the viewpoint which is quaint and could be nice for a drink or a light meal. We however went across to the Pharmacia restaurant, part of the Pharmacy museum which was a riot in decoration and colour. Once we were fully satiated from dinner, we gratefully took an Uber back to our hotel and slept off the long day…

Stay tuned for Day 2 where we explored Sintra and Cascais!

Happy travels 🙂