First Impressions: Lisbon in 5 Surprises

Lisbon. This melodic name, with a touch of exoticism, was only associated in my mind with quite a few images: I knew nothing of this capital. For several years, Portugal has been beckoning us: we skirted it during our road trip along the Spanish coasts two years ago.

But this time, a great airfare promotion was enough to push us forward: here we are in Lisbon!

I'm sharing my first impressions... and especially my surprises as I discover the Portuguese capital!

During our five days in Lisbon, we set aside two for Sintra. Other cities and villages attracted us in the area, but similar to tourists who leave the capital for a day trip to various towns in the region (Sintra, Cascais ...), we decided to limit ourselves in order to soak in the local atmosphere. We thought we had enough time... yet we didn't: there is so much to see in the region!

Before sharing our discoveries, I'm providing an initial article >, as I did for Cambodia. Will this become a habit, a literary ritual? I don't know. But I enjoy sharing my first impressions, surprises, and favorites with you in the moment, to immortalize the experiences of the first days in a new place, as they are often the most emotionally charged and the most decisive for the overall enjoyment of the trip.

Here are Lisbon's five surprises.

We were terribly surprised from the very first day: we didn't feel out of place. It wasn't that feeling of being at home on the road. It was more a lack of alienation, a feeling of familiarity, déjà vu... in a city (and country) that we knew nothing about.

Perhaps our frequent travels to southern Spain (where François's family lives) have something to do with it: we found the same atmosphere.

Moreover, Lisbon doesn't exude the ambiance of a capital city, just that of a large city at most. Or rather, Lisbon emanates as many atmospheres as it has neighborhoods: it's hard to extract a homogeneous image, as Lisbon is full of contrasts and variety.

This lack of disorientation also comes from the language: we never had to speak Portuguese, as everyone speaks many languages (or almost). It's quite incredible! I expected to be well understood with Spanish, but it goes beyond that: the Portuguese easily speak French and English as well (and even Italian, German ...). They explain this ease and linguistic openness by the fact that the films they watch are always in their original version. It's not like in Spain, where all films are dubbed in Spanish: here, films and series are only subtitled, which allows the Portuguese to have other languages in their ear.

Lisbon, like most ancient major cities (such as Rome), is built on seven hills. Unlike in Rome, where we didn't really feel it, as much of the city center is quite flat, this is immediately noticeable in the Portuguese capital! Some streets remind us of San Francisco's hilly terrain (though more European in its narrow dimensions). We keep climbing in this city: surprisingly, we ascend more than we descend... I no longer seek the logic!

This terrain also adds to the charm of the city, with beautiful viewpoints, as well as the famous trams and funiculars.

This is not a city designed for adults, but rather for children: everything is surprisingly low. This is particularly noticeable in the steep streets. For instance, the lock for our accommodation is typical, as you can see in the photo.

Paradoxically, the light switches are placed very high (go figure...).

Lisbon is a city that is pleasant to look at from all angles. Whether in its medieval streets of Alfama or in its streets > of the center, the attention to detail is evident.

For example, the city's emblem, the boat from the legend of San Vicente, is represented all over the city: on the ground, streetlamps...

The sidewalks and streets of Lisbon are almost worth a visit on their own: all different, all crafted. The most beautiful examples can be found at Rossio Square and in the surrounding pedestrian streets.

The only dark spot in this picture: the graffiti. Curiously, it's the tram and funicular streets that are the most targeted by these acts of vandalism... and the trams themselves are not spared.

My favorite buildings from this trip to Lisbon all share one thing in common: they result from an unusual blend of the different influences that have culturally nourished Portugal.

The Portuguese history cannot be understood without considering the era of its conquests and occupations around the world: Brazil, India, Morocco... Wandering through Lisbon is like walking through the history of this country and finding traces of the various great eras that have marked it: it's like playing hide and seek with history.

A globalization as we would hope for: rather than uniformity, it's a blend of the best each culture has to offer.

Discovering Lisbon was like meeting a friend: someone unfamiliar, but whom you feel you already know very quickly, and whom you (re)discover over time, from surprise to surprise.

In upcoming articles, I will present more specifically the sites that marked me in Lisbon, as well as in Sintra, with my favorites and practical tips.

The articles are out! To go further and prepare for the trip:

And you, have you ever been to Lisbon? What impressions did the Portuguese capital leave you?