A Year Abroad: Lisbon.

Lisbon is quite the underwhelming city. Actually pretty boring really...
Arriving by bus, we saw the massive Christo-Rei statue which overlooks Lisbon. On our way to the hostel, we grabbed groceries and found ourselves at the top of a very steep hill. Lisbon is built on a hill, which means unless you're by the water, you need to walk uphill to get anywhere. I loved it. I love hills and I love walking up them. It reminds me of home, and I feel like I'm exercising while getting a good view. We met another Aussie who was staying in our hostel from Wollongong, who had been travelling for 4 months and flew back home the next day. He picked us as Americans... maybe our accents have changed a little?
We also discovered an amazing bakery/cafe around the corner from our hostel. So, after dinner, we grabbed Portuguese tarts (YUM) and went for a walk. It was probably the most run down city I've seen. There was more graffiti than actual paint on building walls. And on every building, even the more expensive stores. Lisbon was the one place I've been warned so many time about pick-pockets. So I was pretty nervous. Nothing happened while we were there, but we were always cautious. We were home before it got too dark, because the other thing about Lisbon is that at night, the main city area becomes the main drug area. We were offered drugs a few times, several times all over Spain, just on the street.
The next morning, we did the free walking tour, which took us around the older area of Lisbon. And then grabbed something to eat at the best coffee house in Portugal. It seems strange to me, but there are different menu prices for if you want to sit to eat, or stand. This is just at a regular cafe, but if you want to sit at a table, it's more expensive than standing at the bar, and this was common in a lot of restaurants.
That afternoon, we hiked it up to Lisbon castle. It was quite bland in terms of castles, but was interesting and had a great view. We did some shopping that night, then went early to bed. I actually fell asleep in my clothes at 9pm! Haha and then re-woke at midnight and changed.
The next day, we trained it to Sintra. It's like a fairytale land! We visited the Moorish castle first, which was like something out of Game of Thrones. It was awesome! I've never actually seen anything like it. Dating back to the 9th century, it was a military fort originating during the Arab occupation. It served to monitor the coast line.
Then we bused it to Pena, a castle on top of a mountain. It has both Arabic and romantic influences which are super evident in it's appearance. During the 12th century, a chapel on the site was dedicated to Our Lady of Pena, and then in 1503, a convent was built there. In the early 19th century, King Don Fernando II purchased it, and it became royal quarters, and a new palace was extended.
Because we had time in the afternoon, we walked to Quinta de Regaleira. This was such an awesome place! Really creepy, a great place to have a Halloween party, in a kind of Alice and Wonderland tea party way. It was once the summer residence of a rich family in Portugal. The house has the kind of haunted mansion feel about it. The gardens are massive! With waterfalls and secret underground cave tunnels that you can explore.
That night we chilled in the hostel garden with fellow patrons and met a guy from Amsterdam who'd travelled Australia for 6 months a few years ago. And then it was off to bed.

DAY ONE