Spring break part 2 took place in Lisbon, Portugal— the hilly, coastal capital of the country. We took a bus from Porto to Lisbon in the morning and it was a beautifully scenic daytime ride. We arrived around 11am and then went straight to our hostel, Inn Possible Lisbon Hostel. While our check-in wasn’t until 2pm, they let us leave our bags there so we could start exploring. It was in a great location, just a 5-minute walk to the main coastal square of Lisbon— The Praça do Comércio (Commerce Square). It was so lovely, so lively and so beautiful.

Lisbon is a very different city with its urban vibes along with a coast that provides beachy vibes. My two favorite things— a beach and a city, it’s perfect! Lisbon also has some amazing street art. Two places I checked out that I loved were the Miradouro de São Pedro de Alcântara (pictured below) and Fado Vadio (pictured later). Lisbon is a very different place and I didn’t expect the urban and the coast to blend so well but it’s actually a dream come true.

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In Lisbon, be prepared to walk up a lot of hills but just when you are out of breath, you make it to the top and see the most amazing views. One place we went to that was at the top of Lisbon was Castello de San Jorge. It had such beautiful architecture and it was so fun to explore and get lost in. We saw peacocks! Lisbon isn’t necessarily a place that is saturated with sites but it is a beautiful place to see that is absolutely mesmerizing. La cathédrale Santa Maria Maior de Lisbonne was a beautiful cathedral to visit and fun fact, it used to be a mosque.

Here’s another picture drop because I just have so many to share.

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I spent two full days in Lisbon and I have to say that this beautiful coastal city made my legs look great and gave me a nice tan. I highly suggest getting some ice cream and sitting by the water in the Commerce Square. Also, you must have some fish sandwiches while in Lisbon, they were heavenly. And don’t forget the natas that I mentioned in my Porto post! I had another 7 in Lisbon and I miss them every day.

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The capital of Portugal definitely impressed. The weather was great and the people were very nice. The seafood in Portugal was my favorite part and sitting by the sea with my friends is one of my favorite memories now. The last, but not least, stop on Spring Break was Seville and hopefully, I’ll be posting that in a few days. I’ll also write about Prague and Nice soon! It is hard to believe that in just two weeks I’ll be leaving Paris and my semester abroad will be over. I’m forever grateful to have had this, even though the time flew so quickly. And of course, much love to you all.

-TRR