Blogs from Lisboa, Portugal, Europe - page 21

Avenue da Liberdade From our hotel, we drive on Avenue da Liberdade towards downtown. This avenue is lined by world famous designers. It is as if we are strutting on Lisbon’s catwalk in a sporty and progressive Audi TT. Through our windows, we see a painter on the sidewalk sketching a couple in love, artisans offering handmade handicrafts, and a few outdoor cafes filled with tourists and locals enjoying their breakfast. Pombaline Baixa Arriving in downtown area, we are greeted by relatively easy traffic despite the fact it is the morning commute hour. The downtown area, Pombaline Baixa, was constructed after the 1775 devastating earthquake. The city blocks are well organized in grid with many one-way streets. Learning from the painful destruction, the city builders in 18th century constructed the buildings in Pombaline Baixa with the ... read more

After a few hours of downtown exploration, we drive eastward on Ave. 24 de Juhlo towards Belem. There are two UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Belém: Belém Tower and Jerónimos Monastery. Built as a fortified lighthouse in 16th century, Torre de Belém was designed to guard the entrance to the port and the nearby Monastery. This place was where many of the great Portuguese explorers set off on their voyages of discovery. In its golden age, treasures – porcelains, silks, rubies, pearls – and spices – turmeric, ginger, pepper, cumin – arrived from far-flung corners of its empire in the East. From the West, Portuguese imported coffee, gold, diamonds, and red dyewood. Back then, Portuguese Maritime Empire made Lisbon the commerce center for Europe, Africa, and Asia. After walking around the tower ground admiring the intricate ... read more

Yesterday, something awful happened. Something that would make every woman gasp in shock and quiver with fear. Yes, I lost my concealer. Normally, I would make do with an extra layer of make-up or a giant pair of sunglasses, but when you're backpacking through Europe, every hour of lost sleep shows up under your eyes. In a nutshell, I look like a swamp monster. Literally. Coming to terms with the loss of my concealer required each stage of the grief cycle. First; shock and denial, then anger. I threw a tantrum even my 2 year-old self would be proud of. I was like a madwoman, throwing things in the air and overturning pillows and mattresses, desperately searching for that beloved cream that would make me look more like a young lady and less like Shrek's mistress. ... read more

The first leg of my journey, my pursuit of happiness, my escape from reality or whatever else you would like to call it is over. My first continent is done. So i thought i would write a little summary of my thoughts, things i liked, disliked and anything else i feel like typing. Countries I Conquered (Listed Favorite To Least Favorite) Cambodia Days Spent In: 7 (June 4th-11th) Cities: Phnom Penh, Kampot; Siem Reap Likes: Angkor Wat/Bayon; Nicest and most welcoming people despite rough history and high poverty; They use the American dollar as their main currency, so I never had to do the math to convert it; Happy bars; Everything is cheap; The people made this my favorite country Dislikes: 99% of beggars are children; No trains; Most roads are not paved; No McDonalds; ... read more

Dia 15 - O regresso sem vontade Pois é, chegou o dia do regresso. Tinha combinado com o Pedro acordarmos às 07:00. Ele levava a Desirée ao trabalho e depois íamos às compras (mais compras). Tal como previsto, o Pedro ficou na cama. A Desirée não foi trabalhar e foi connosco ao Mercado Central. Comprámos tudo o que tínhamos a comprar. Fomos "almoçar" ao shopping e fomos assinar a parede do Spranger's in the night. Seguimos para o aeroporto, para o "pesadelo" do regresso. O vôo para Madrid teve paragem em Recife. Tivémos uma espera de 2 horas em Recife. Seguimos para Madrid e esperámos mais 1:30 para regressar a Lisboa. Mas correu bem (com excepção das minhas 3 idas ao wc do avião, outra em Fortaleza, outra em Madrid). Enfim. Chegámos, fui comer um bitoque ... read more