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Writer's pictureAnna Cooper

Lisbon: hills, trams, coffee & style

We had booked a small apartment towards the north edge of all the interesting bits.


We took the metro to Martim Moniz, a station that opens on to a square of the same name. We arrived on a rainy day and whilst the weather had cleared when we surfaced above ground, we were keen to find our accommodation.


Lisbon is built on 7 hills, so there are a lot of ups and downs - on the East side of the square, steps lead up to the sky, but alongside is an open-air escalator to help people reach the steep streets above. Unfortunately, as is my luck, the escalator had been vandalised.


Our apartment was very easy to locate thankfully and whilst the approach was not too reassuring as we walked past piles of rubbish and bad graffiti down a small alleyway, the place itself was fine (apart from a bathroom so small I struggled to sqeeze past the basin to reach the toilet, and the bath was so short, it was taller than it was long!


That evening we stayed local to the apartment and bought food from the nearby takeaway, a reputedly cheap place that turned out not to be.


The next morning we headed out to explore Lisbon properly and decided to start with catching the famous old #28 tram from Martim Moniz Square which would take us around the main city sights and we could decide when to get off and wander. I had heard that the queue could be 2 hours long, but assumed that November would be quiet - nope. We waited about 1hr 10 mins to get on. I know that sounds extreme and many people reading this wouldn't have waited, but it was worth the wait. We knew that it would show us places in the city we wouldn't have prioritised, and it would help us get to know the city, which it did. And the journey itself was fun and at no extra cost (we were able to use the 24hr travel card that we'd purchased on the metro) it was great value - look at the smile on Gaz's face. lol


We hopped off the tram in the Bairro Alto district and wandered the streets taking in the sights and enjoying the warmth in the November sun. Gaz amused himself interacting with all the sculptures of poets that seemed to litter our route - I pretended not to be with him lol.


Lisbon is such a picturesque city that no matter which corner you turn, there is another setting that is begging to be photographed. Gaz is so patient with me while I insist on taking another photo and another photo.


We turned a corner and arrived at the Santa Justa Lift, 19th century wrought iron neo-gothic decorated lift tower that takes passengers up 45m from one district to another in a beautiful wooden carriage. Orignally the lift was powered by a steam engine that was sited at the top of the structure, but it was replaced in 1907 for a safer and more cost effective electric powered motor. Usually £5.40 a return trip, it was included in our travel pass, so no further expense to us. Gaz loves any feat of engineering and the lift didn't fail to impress.


Equally impressive was the Triumph arch leading to the very famous Commerce square edged with restaurants and bars with people eating and socialising in the sun. I wasn't expecting there to be as many people


about given the lateness in the year, and I guess it just shows how busy this city must be in high season.


After eating near the waters edge, we caught a bus to the castle and wandered down the hill through the beautiful streets of Alfama enjoying the last of the sun, slowly making our way back to our apartment.


The next day we caught the metro to a pastelaria I'd researched to enjoy savoury croissants and good coffee before heading out of the city and back to Santarem on the train. It was a fleeting visit but we saw so much and whilst there was lots we didn't get to see or experience, it was a great couple of days and we definitely fell under the spell of this amazing place.





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