Easter in and around Lisbon

Last year I went to Scotland for Easter. Whilst it was a surprisingly sunny Easter break, this year I was hoping for somewhere warmer.

My girlfriend and I decided we would spend Easter long weekend this year in Portugal. A few months ago we booked some British Airways flights to Lisbon, while they were still reasonably priced and booked a hotel.

I like to stay in hostels when I travel alone, but for trips with a lady friend, I like to stay somewhere which will provide a little bit more luxury. It was also my girlfriend’s birthday on Easter Monday so I thought a nice hotel was definitely the way to go.

We landed in the Portuguese capital late on Thursday night and jumped straight into a cab. €10 and a few minutes later (thanks to speedway driving of the taxi driver) we were at our hotel, where we settled in for the night, ready for some sunshine the next morning.

We were disappointed when we woke up to cloudy, rainy and somewhat chilly weather. That should not stop us, we thought, and we headed out exploring Lisbon. The rain held off and we enjoyed a few sunny hours while exploring the city. We didn’t have a plan, and generally wondered around. We hit a dodgy neighbourhood which we couldn’t wait to get out of, but then found a beautiful sunny park with a pond-side garden café to have a coffee in. And when you are paying 80 cents for a good coffee at in a scenic spot, you really can’t complain!  Dinner later was at Bairro Alto, the district of the city way up on the hill, with lots of narrow laneways full of bars, restaurants and bohemian fashion shops.

Bairro Alto

For day two, we decided to head out of the city. We caught a train out to the town of Sintra. We passed many blocks of flats which looked dirty and cramped. Most windows had clothes hanging from the windows and it gave quite a depressing impression of the part of the city where real people live. Eventually the apartment towers stopped, and Iberian villas replaced them… we were now in Sintra. A very picturesque town,  but its main attraction wasn’t in the town, but in the hills above it. We waited over an hour for a bus that’s meant to come every 15 minutes, and sat on the bus for another hour as it wound its way up the steep hills above Sintra, battling the Easter traffic. Apparently this wasn’t a good time for the journey.  On the bright seed, by crowding onto a bus we avoided the rain and by the time we got to the top, we were able to explore the Disney-esque castle in partial sunshine.

The castle, or more appropriately palace. Pena Palace, above Sintra.

And then the sunshine kept coming. By the time we finished walking around the multi-coloured castle, we were being drenched in glorious rays, cheering us up even more than the fairy tale castle did. 

Palace views

We made our way down the hills back to town on foot, enjoying the lush spring-green forests around us, with scattered and breathtaking vistas.

Forest on below the Palace

Day three would be another city day. This time we headed to the other side of the city, rode the trams up and down the steep alleyways and enjoyed the now cloudless blue sky by having drinks at terrace bars overlooking the city and the river.  Then we caught a train to the suburb of Belém. This is the Greenwich of Lisbon. Where explorers who charted the new world commenced their journeys.  People like Vasco de Gama, who I remember learning about in year nine history. Belém is a maritime town on the banks of the river, near where it flows into the Atlantic Ocean. Historical fortresses and monuments line the river, among flash hotels and green parks. The main attraction, however, is the bakery that serves the original version of the national snack – a variety of custard tarts, served with icing sugar and cinnamon. We bought one each and they were delicious!

Belém

Day four was departure day, but we had long enough after checking out of our hotel, to take another day trip out of the city. This time we headed further along the coast, past Belém, to the seaside town of Cascais. Here, we enjoyed sandy beaches and seaside dining. My meal was grilled sardines, a Portuguese staple, washed down with fruity white sangria.

One of the beaches in Cascais

Then, we headed straight from the beach to the airport. It was hard to leave the beach in the middle of on a 26 degree day, but it was a great way to finish an Easter long weekend on a high!