On one of the last weekends before Covid19 really hit in Europe and lockdowns commenced across almost all countries, I took my first solo trip ever. I spent 3 days in sunny, hilly, beautiful Lisbon, enjoying the wonderful scenery, pretty tiled buildings, bookshops, history and, of course, the food.
The peaceful cloisters at Mosteiro dos Jeronimos. The queue for the church was insane but I much preferred walking round the cloisters on a sunny day.
Castelo de S. Jorge. I arrived first thing as they opened, so enjoyed a near enough solo walk round the ruins and taking in the view across the city. This gentleman also kindly took the time to pose for me.
Pasteis de Belem - this famous cafe near the monastery boasts amazing custard tarts and hot chocolate. I enjoyed a relatively pleasant breakfast there, although it was already pretty busy even at that time. Worth it for the tarts though.
Livraria Bertrand claims to be the oldest bookshop in the world, opening originally in 1732. It contains a number of charming rooms of books and a little cafe at the back. The outside of the building, as you can see, is beautiful.
I went to one of Lisbon's more modern hotspots, the LX Factory, for the best chocolate cake ever from Landeau. Highly recommended. There were only a few people there, including a group of women having a reading and cake party. LX Factory itself was interesting to walk around, and included another famous bookshop, Ler Devagar.
I'm already dreaming of returning, when this madness is over.
If you're looking for a good compact guide to the city, I enjoyed using Lonely Planet Pocket Lisbon - available here.
Until next time.
Disclaimer: All opinions my own. This post may contain affiliate links.
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