Lisbon, Portugal

Lisbon is probably one of my favorite cities I've visited, second to Corsica. If you had to take the charms of all my (Thien) favorite places and put in one place, it really would be Lisbon. It's the cobble stone sidewalks of Boston, the hills with stunning views of San Francisco, great food of Portland/Seattle, Midwestern people, romantic feel of Paris, and that European charm. We were only in Lisbon for 3 1/2 days and wished it was a longer trip. You could see a lot in 3 days, but there's so much more to explore. I left with a love for cortados and natas.  We're still daydreaming about Lisbon and already planning our trip back.

Our Itinerary:

Day 1

• Checked into our AirBnB near Baixa-Chiado and Rossio Metro stops. We loved its central location and were able to take public transit or walked everywhere.
• Walked around Baixa-Chiado area towards Arco da Rua Augusta and Praça do Comércio. The streets were lined with coffee shops and shops.
• Dinner at Cervejaria da Trindade - A former monestary now turned restaurant/beer hall.  It's not quite budget friendly dining and somewhat touristy.  However, it's worth a try if you love seafood and beer, though service is somewhat slow. You are in Europe after all. 
• Walked around Lisbon at night near the Teatro Nacional Dona Maria II in Rossio Square.
• Since I (Thien) came from an overnight flight and Jen was under the weather, we decided to take it easy our first night.

Day 2

• Brunch at Pois Cafe in Alfama.
• Wandered around the neighborhood walking the narrow sidewalks soaking in the sites and sun.
• Took a bus to Belem neighborhood.  
• Torre de Belem - arguably the most iconic symbol of Libson. The lines were too long to go inside but we did adore its surroundings and the exterior.
• Natas at Pateis de Belem. There's typically a pretty long line outside of the bakery. The line moves fast and it's really worth it. 
• Sunset view at Miradouro Porta do Sol on the balcony - So romantic. So beautiful. I was (still am) speechless.
• We attempted to catch Castelo de Sao Jorge before it closed but found that we wouldn't have enough time to explore for the price. 
• Wine tasting and dinner at Wine Bar do Castelo - rustic-style bar tucked away on a narrow street near Castelo de S. Jorge. They offer great regional wine from vineyards across Portugal with very knowledge sommeliers. We closed down the bar and walked away with recommendations from the somms and servers of what to see and where to eat on our last full day in Lisbon. 
• To take full advantage of Lisbon, we ended our night visiting one of the recommended late night eats we just received.  The restaurant is located inside My Story Hotel Ouro. 

Day 3

• Jen really wanted to explore Berardo Collection Museum, but sadly they were closed on the day we had plan to visit. They note on their website that they are now open everyday. Let us know if you did get a chance to go and if it's worth a visit!
• Disappointed, we opted for a Lisbon by Boat tour instead. We highly recommend as it gives you a history of the different neighborhoods by water with a knowledgeable tour guide.
• Back on land, we visited Jeronimos Monastery. It's beautiful, inside and out. According to wikipedia, it's the most prominent examples of the Portuguese Late Gothic Manueline style of architecture in Lisbon.
• Natas again at Pateis de Belem. We also opted to pick up a dozen for the road - that's how good they were.
• Lunch around the corner from Pateis de Belem.
• Bario Alto Neighborhood
• Dinner - to go kebas Ali Baba House Kebab.
• Fado music and drinks at Tasca do Chico.  It's cozy and rustics. Came for a drink and stayed for the impromptu fado singers. All were amazing. We went early enough to grab seats and enjoyed the rest of the night with music of Portugal.