LISBON DAY1

LISBON DAY 1
We started the day by grabbing a tram going west to the civil parish Santa Maria de Belém. The ride is cheap and you pay straight to the driven on board. A tram ride is almost an Lisbon attraction in itself, but not necessarily a pleasant one...finding yourself squeezed between fellow tram riders in the packed and hot car moving slowly through the traffic. Belém lies about 6 kilometers/3,7 miles west of the city center and this is where you’ll find some of the cities most famous tourist attractions. We started by visiting Mosteiro dos Jerónimos, an Unesco-listed monastery. It’s very beautiful and spiritual inside – whether you’re Christian or not. From here we walked for about ten minutes to our second stop, the UNESCO World Heritage Site Belém Tower. The tower was built in the early 16th century to defend the city. It’s a quiet small tower by the beach, standing in the water during high tide. Going inside is somewhat a tourist trap. We found ourself queuing for about one and a half hour. Despite the huge crowd we somehow we still managed to get some pictures at the beautiful terrace without other tourists. Next we went to LX Factory which is located about halfway back to the center, we grabbed a cab not to lose any more time. LX Factory is an old factory area that has been turned into a hipster’s paradise with design boutiques, second hand shops, trendy bars and cozy restaurants. We had a lovely lunch here at Café na Fábrica, which is pretty much the first thing you’ll see after entering the LX Factory gate. From here we walked for about 40 minutes back to the city and to Time Out Market. The road isn’t that interesting and there aren’t many highlights on the way except from the modern building of Energias de Portugal. Time Out Market is a big busy food court where we stopped for a delicious gelato. Before heading back home we strolled along the boardwalk and stayed for a plastic cup cocktail and some live music. In the evening we went for beers in Bairro Alto, a lively neighborhood that really comes alive at night. Alface Hall turned out to be the perfect stop for an early evening drink – a cozy live music spot with bohemian style and a fun, good vibe. Then we had an absolutely delicious dinner at Natraj Tandoori in the city centre Baixa-Chiado, packed with people, restaurants, bars and late night open shops. On our way home we popped by Miradouro Santa Catarina, a viewpoint where youth gather to hang out and get drunk.

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