"Tiled Facades on the Hilly City" Lisbon by DSwede

I really enjoyed exploring the streets and areas of Lisbon. Its not a massive city, instead its relatively smaller size (discounting the distant suburbs) is easily walked. I prefer doing this since along the way from A to B, the small streets or wrong turns you make along the way offer insights to the area you'd never otherwise see.

The hills, with the castle on one side and the Bairro Alto on the other, sandwich much of the old city in the small valley below. Trams and trolleys zig zag through the small streets and up the steep hills. Many of the old buildings still have their typical tiled sides. It all makes for a visually attractive city, with lots of details for your eyes to search out.

Trolleys and Castles

Like a lot of Southern Europe and Mediterranean Coast, Lisbon does not deviate from the trend of late nights. Dinners are served late, with every restaurant offering outside tables whenever possible.

If you make it late enough to see the after-dinner parties, they again start late and end later. However, here the parties roll onto the streets and quite often time may be exclusively on the street. People fill up with drinks from the night shops since they are cheap and mill about in the streets. Some people do venture into the bars, but you'll find the majority of people on the streets instead.

Lots of good foods to try

And I cannot forget to mention the food. Having lived in Spain for over three years, it never ceases to amaze me how differently the cuisine is in Portugal. There are rich flavors and spices used with both meats and seafood. Its a good place to explore the restaurants.

For more general comments for my other visits to Portugal, visit my Portugal page.
(for more pictures, feel free to visit my Portugal Gallery. If you enjoy the pictures, please leave a comment.)

• Pros:Good food and lots of nightlife options
• Cons:Driving in the city can be a challenge with all the one-way streets.
• In a nutshell:Beautiful city with a maritime history and a lively nightlife.