Lisbon, Portugal! Part 2 of Spring Break

Taylor and I had an earlier flight than the others so we woke up bright and early at 4:00 A.M. After hurrying to get to the Metro a little before 5 we anxiously waited for the gates to open and let us in, yes we were up so early the Metro wasn’t open. Maybe this is me being a non-native to the big city, but that seems way too early! Anyway as soon as we got down, the train arrived and then we caught the next train with perfect timing! After the hour or so long journey to the airport we boarded the plane with a beautiful sunrise as a backdrop.

We went to drop our bags off at our beautiful hostel, and let me repeat it was NICE, the nicest one we stayed in by far. The bunk beds were bigger than our cots here in Florence and the comforters were so… comfy. The room had lots of space and a great view. Downstairs there was a bar stocked with the local specialties, a common area complete with a huge TV, DVDs, gaming systems, and lots of comfy seating.

After dropping our bags off we wandered the streets for a while, apparently two blond girls look like easy targets though because we had two people tell us that we were going to be pickpocketed. The second time it was a nice Asian man banging on the window as we looked at a menu. I’m actually impressed that he conveyed his meaning despite a thick window between us, and the fact that we speak two very different languages. We managed to escape with all of our belongings still ours though and went to breakfast. The most memorable thing about it was the freshly pressed orange juice, which after not having any juice for nearly 2 months was divine.

When the rest of our group arrived we decided to take the bus down to the aquarium. I’m actually pretty proud of how good I am getting with taking public transportation, the Metro, bus or trains are much less scary now that I’m used to it.

The aquarium was a lot of fun and enjoyable to wander through. It was Brittany’s first time ever being in an aquarium so it was fun to be able to experience it through new eyes. That evening we tried a few of the Portuguese special drinks and toasted Mama who was the heart of the hostel. Usually she cooks dinner every night but we went out the first night and then she had her day off the second.

The next morning we went surfing! This was amazing! We got picked up from our hostel and driven in the yellow van to the beach. There we met another van that had the surfboards and wetsuits ready for us. After a brief lesson we were wading into the water! The waves were huge farther out and the perfect curling that I’ve only ever seen on TV but closer in they were smaller and more manageable. I thought I was going to drown for most of the lesson but it was so much fun! The waves and currents were pretty strong so it was a fight to walk back to our instructors every time but I did get up on my feet twice (for like half a second but that’s not the important part) and on my knees for a ‘long’ time.  If anyone is ever in Lisbon, Portugal I highly recommend taking a surfing lesson from the Yellow Van!

After surfing we took a long hot shower and a good long nap. Feeling somewhat more refreshed we headed out to dinner at a place that the surfing guys had recommended. It was a steak place where they give you a hunk of steak and a hot stone and then you cook it how you like. Oh, My. Word. It was SO good, and this is coming from someone who doesn’t even like red meat. It came with these sauces, one of which tasted like yum yum sauce and I have been craving it ever since.

The next morning before catching our flight to Paris we took a walking tour of the main city. It was basically the same route we had taken the night before when we were lost but it was good to know the history behind all of the buildings.

Next up, Paris!