Lisboa, Portugal, one of the most beautiful and quaint cities in all of Europe. While traveling there last weekend, two of my friends and I stayed in Living Lounge Hostel, which was one of the nicest /cleanest hostels…and yes, I do mean HOSTEL.. that I have stayed in (take note when and if you visit!). It is located just outside the metro, which made it easy to access as soon as we got off the train. Breakfast was included, and dinner and dessert were provided for just ten euro.  

                                                          Just hangin’ out.. (Hostel living/dining room)

The hostel also provided free tours (donations welcomed, of course) around the city of Lisboa.  We took advantage of this, and we couldn’t have asked for a better tour / tour guide.

Our tour guide, Antonio, took us to Saint Justa viewpoint, which includes a small and windy staircase that takes you up to the top of a building to a breathtaking view of the city. Although most people spend a significant amount of money to see this view, Antonio lead us a different route so that it only costed 1,50 euro. 

Antonio also talked a little about the “Great Lisbon Earthquake” in 1755, that happened on All Saints’ Day. The remains of the  disaster, which destroyed all of Lisbon and adjoining areas, are present when you walk past certain apartment and even shopping buildings. One of the H&M stores is built around the remnants of the earthquake and includes a see-through glass floor, where leftover debris is visible from what appears to be an old church. It was also really interesting to tell which buildings had been rebuilt (the ones with red rooftops) and those which hadn’t.

 

We visited the oldest market in the city, La Feira da Ladra, also translated as “Thief’s fair”.  In other words, if anything has been stolen from your home or a bag of yours in the past, you can expect to find it along this street.  ——>

We took Tram 28 around the Old Town of Lisboa, which was also really neat. In a way, the old-fashioned Tram reminded me of Mr. Rodger’s trolley. 

We also stopped by the oldest book store in Europe, and who did I see?? None other than a true PSU fan! I spotted his State hat and shirt from a mile away (alright, maybe a little bit exaggerated). Although tempted to take a picture, I didn’t. I felt a little creepy chanting “We Are” to him as it was, so I kept it at that….It’s a small world, after all.

 

We visited Ocean�rio de Lisboa, which was also beautiful. There is a section in the oceanarium that allows you to sit and watch all of the marine life that the oceanarium consists of, from sharks to eels to stingrays and even penguins. 

 

 

We also took a train to the Moorish Castle, situated on top of a huge mountain about 45 minutes outside of Lisboa.  Once there, we had to take a bus to get to the top of the mountain, which was extremely frightening. It drove nearly 50 mph around sharp, windy bends. Not to mention, the road we were traveling up was extremely narrow and everyone in the bus (all ages) were holding onto their seats and the poles of the bus for their dear lives.  This was most definitely not safe, but an adventure to say the least. The bus took us past several ancient mansions and castles, situated in thick wooded regions—In fact, the area reminded me of Costa Rica. 

Once the bus dropped us off, we walked all the way to the top to the doors of the Moorish Castle, only to find that we needed to buy a ticket beforehand. Just our luck. However, as frustrating as it was to hear this, we were still amazed at the flawless nature around us. 

This coming week is my spring break and I will be heading to Rome for two days and then to Greece for a four-day weekend!  I simply cannot wait. Hopefully all of you Penn Staters had a wonderful break…Wishing you all the best! Until next time…Adios! 

-Becky

Location: Barcelona, Spain