Lisbon Trip

---

I arrived in Lisbon Tuesday evening and immediately found the aerobus that I needed to take to my hostel. The weather was absolutely gorgeous and the night was very clear. I hopped on the bus, which I rode for about 20 minutes before getting off at Restauradores, my stop. It was a nice square surrounded by shops and restaurants. The hostel was only a short walk from this point. I walked to the hostel, which was very nice, and checked in. I took a short walk around the area before climbing into bed to get ready for the big day ahead.
Wednesday, I had a double decker bus tour scheduled. I arrived at the tour, and boarded the first route, which was the red route. It took us to all of the major parts of the city, which was very fascinating and engaging. The weather was perfect - it was about 80 degrees and sunny the entire day. It was interesting to see the different stages at which the city had been built; there were areas that were clearly much newer than the others. The tour started at a statute which commemorated the prime minister who rebuilt Lisbon after the earthquake of 1755 devastated the area. I did not get off on the first route, I was happy just to sit on the bus and view everything from there. I got off after completing the full circle and got a bite to eat before getting on the next route, the blue route. This took us a bit further out along the river. I got off near the aquarium and spent a good two hours walking around the river, enjoying the gorgeous views and the sunshine. I had planned on going to the beach (it was that warm!), but the beaches were not on the route of either tour and required a train ride of about a half hour so unfortunately I did not have time to do that. But, the river was a nice substitute because I still got to walk around and see the water and enjoy the heat. I got back on the bus and finished the tour at around dinner time, stopping at a nice vantage point to get a cool view of the city before finding a place to have dinner and then retire to the hostel.

---