24 hours in Lisbon

 

The best way to see Lisbon is not by a tour guide or tuck-tuck, but by simply walking and getting lost amongst the cobbled back streets and squares, avoiding old fashioned trams meandering through the city. You will be towered by tall buildings leaning on each other, tangled up in knots amongst the abandoned shells of old townhouses, now home to trees and birds. You will see an exhibition of unpolished graffiti painted on almost every wall, combined with a beautiful array of tiled facades. If you look up you will see an array of wrought-iron balconies used as stations to hang washing lines on in all directions. Old ladies with scrunched up leather faces sit and stare at passersby from their tiny hobbit-like doorways adorned with pots of flowers. Waiters wearing shirts and bow ties wave their menus, inviting you to dine on the street where people drink local beer and wine and delve into bowls of cockles and clams. On Sunday’s the locals host a flea market in the Alfama District, known to be the oldest part of Lisbon. You can haggle for fresh fruit and vegetables, jewellery and clothes or wonder through the Medieval maze of squares, churches and alleyways.

Lisbon is also a great place to be at night, with a huge selection of seafood restaurants and bars. If you find yourself in an area known as Intendente you must visit Casa Independente. From the outside it appears to be someone’s house but as you climb the grand staircase you will be greeted with live music mixed on vinyl, rooms filled with old furniture and a walled garden covered with grape vines where you can sit and enjoy dinner before dancing the night away.

On the other side of the city is a street named Rua de Sao Paulo: once known as the red light district filled with dens of debauchery, is now the most fashionable and artistic place for gatherings in the city. One club that is worth a mention is Pensao Amor. It can be hard to find amongst the hustle and bustle but once inside you will see the interior reflects its past life as a brothel with flamboyant furnishings and pictures of women dressed in skimpy dresses and feather bowers. You can slump into a velvet armchair or dance to live music.

If you are looking to stay in Lisbon there is an abundance of choice, from quirky back-alley hostels to shabby chic boutique hotels. Most hostels offer roof top terraces and walled gardens to meet with new acquaintances. Or if you fancy having a place to yourself there are plenty of apartments you can rent out privately. A step up from that, there are some incredible hotels with views over the city or seafront. An example of this is Palacio Ramalhete on the outskirts of Lisbon, which oozes authenticity; boasting unique details such as stucco ceilings, oak walls, and copper roofed fireplaces… It even has an outdoor heated pool and cocktail terrace.

So indulge in the food and wine, history and architecture and the early morning walks back to the hotel as you soak up the culture in the city of colour (or as I like to call it; the city of tiles).

Links:

https://www.facebook.com/CasaIndependente

https://www.facebook.com/pensaoamor

http://www.palacio-ramalhete.com/en/

 

 

 

 

 

Biarritz to San Sebastian; an unmissable European road trip

The route from Biarritz to San Sebastian is a ‘must do’ if you are travelling along the West Coast of France. It winds through beautiful towns caked in surf culture and home to quirky caravan cafes; perfect to stop off on long journeys. There are plenty of beaches along the route for surfing or simply just sunbathing. Whether you are on a family holiday or on a once in a lifetime trip with a friend there is plenty for all to see and do.

Approaching the border of France we came across a bustling Medieval food festival in a town named Irun. We walked around the markets looking at the homemade jewellery stalls and chatting to friendly stall men as they sold us oysters and champagne. We came across a big circular food stall with huge cauldrons; boiling octopus and legs of ham and on the other side ribs and sausages were sizzling over a coal fire. There were stacks of Padron peppers, calamari and other traditional Spanish tapas being passed around with bottles of wine and beer to a cheery family crowd. We sat down and joined in the feast. It took a while to adjust to the new language, accidentally thanking people in French but they didn’t seem to mind. After our lunch we set off again towards San Sebastian along the winding roads; dappled light seeping through the trees that engulfed the sky.

We arrived in San Sebastian late in the evening so we drove through the city in search for somewhere to camp for the night. You don’t have to go far to be surrounded by mountains and quaint Spanish farmland in the beautiful Basque countryside. High above the cliffs is a little single track road that several other roads branch off down to private houses.

In search for somewhere to pull off and camp we took a wrong turn and pulled up into a tiny courtyard where at least twenty little dogs surrounded the car. We thought the owners would be angry hearing me burn out my clutch trying to turn around amongst the yapping dogs and steep banks but to our surprise she came out smiling and helped us reverse.

Eventually we pulled up next to a park in the middle of nowhere where large groups of families and friends congregated around tables stacked with food. We found a bench amongst the crowd and made dinner whilst watching wild horses frolic in the nearby fields. As the sun set over the cliffs the landscape turned from a patchwork of greens to a palette of pinks and oranges. As morning came we woke to the sound of trotting hooves. I pulled open the door to see a family of horses all lined up at the fence waiting to be fed. We gave them our left over carrots and had breakfast overlooking the valley where a river meandered it’s way through the trees.

Afterwards, we cycled down the hill into San Sebastian where we sun bathed on the beach, watched people dancing on the promenade to jazz music and ate lunch in a bustling side street restaurant.

If you are searching for a great place to eat in San Sebastian then you have to venture over to the Old Town on the East of the Promenade. You can join in on Pintxos; A traditional activity in the Basque Country which consists of barhopping and eating a selection of small plates displayed on bar counters. You can eat at the bars or take the food out to the street where crowds of people laugh and share stories with a txikito (a small glass of wine) before heading home for a proper meal. In my opinion, the best of these bars is La Mejillonera, which is just off the harbour on the street Calle del Puerto.

The bar has similarities to a take away in the fact you shout out your order and the chefs dish out plates upon plates of calamari, patatas bravas and moules on the counter. Everybody stands around the tiny room perching on stools eating their mussels and throwing the shells on the floor. The dishes are very cheap so you can keep ordering more until you are full. At the end of a busy service the chefs run around with brooms sweeping up the shells ready for dinner service.

With a full stomach and salty wet clothes we got on our bikes and headed back towards the van. The climb back was steep and long and the heat from the sun made it nearly unbearable.As soon as we got back we stripped into our bikinis and poured bottles of water over ourselves to cool down.

The road trip from Biarritz to San Sebastian can be done as a day trip or add it to a surf trip around Europe. Either way bouncing between both cities you are able to experience French and Spanish culture at its best.