2024 in Portugal (Lisbon)
On August 30, 2024, the Celebrity Equinox made a port of call at Lisbon (Lisboa in Portuguese), the capital city of Portugal. The ship would remain docked overnight so that we could explore both the newer and older parts of Lisbon.
Portugal became my 32nd unique country (as recognized by the United Nations) on which I have set foot. It was also my first time in a country where the official language was Portuguese.
Day 1: the new downtown
On the first day, the ship docked on the River Tagus, on the Terminal de Cruzerios de Lisboa (Lisbon Cruise Terminal), just at foot of the old town of Alfama. Moving westward from the cruise terminal, I bought a 24-hour transit pass from the Terreiro do Paço (Land of Peace) metro station. With my free walking tour a few hours away, I had time to enjoy the subway system, whose seats had cushions made out of cork!
I took the subway train north to Restauradores (Restorationists) station. It was already noon, so I went inside Igreja de São Domingos (Church of St. Dominic) for a bit to cool down from the hot, late summer sun. It was Friday but there was an afternoon mass with a few worshippers. When I came outside this Catholic church, I noticed that there was a Memorial às vitimas judias (Memorial to the Jewish victims).
I then had lunch at a nice (but empty) restaurant Sebastião: they were not the type who had eager waiters standing outside, waving menus with pictures and text in several languages. I liked how tourists did not bother with this place but the food was excellent. Had a tasty bacalhau (cod fish) dish with some Super Bock beer!
Met up with the free walking tour back near the Restauradores metro station. We saw several sights such as:
- Monument to the Restorationists (Monumento aos Restauradores)
- Lift of Santa Justa (Elevador de Santa Justa)
- Rossio train station
- Augusta Street (Rua Augusta)
- Arch of Rua Augusta (Arco da Rua Augusta)
- Plaza of Commerce (Praça do Comércio)
I saw a person dressed in a full-body panda suit at Praça do Comércio. Of course, I had it pinned on my Instagram profile!
The walking tour guide also explained to us that the city centre looked relatively new by European standards due to a devastating earthquake in 1755. However, an older part of town, called Alfama, remained intact. I would visit this neighbourhood on Day 2.
Day 2: the older Alfama
I'm not as party-going as I used to be in my younger days. So, I went back to the ship on the overnight while the ship was docked in Lisbon. When night fell, I noticed how the city didn't have a lot of light, as there were hardly any skyscrapers in the skyline. The skyline, with its colourful buildings, was made for the bright sunny afternoons.
I woke up early to make use of my 24-hour transit pass and went to have a ride on the old-school Elétrico 28 (Tram 28). The tram is included in the transit pass, so it's like a "hop-on hop-off" vehicle without all the tourist commentary. I had a pleasant ride through the rolling hills of Lisbon, but cut short my ride at Baixa-Chiado station. I had to go back to Terreiro do Paço station one more time to catch a walking tour of Alfama.
Alfama had a lot of "miradouros" (belvederes or terraces) which offered great views (what the word belvedere literally means), some of which included:
- Miradouro Santa Luzia
- Miradouro das Portas do Sol
- Miradouro do Recolhimento
I saw the Celebrity Equinox ship from the first two miradouros.
The Elétrico 12 (Tram 12) also passes by Alfama, and is often advised as the better option to ride than Tram 28 (which gets crammed with tourists during peak hours). Tram 12's route also goes in a nice circle around Alfama and so it is a wonder why it isn't more popular.
Other sights worth seeing in Alfama also included:
- The Cathedral of Lisbon (Sé de Lisboa)
- Castle of St. George (Castelo de São Jorge)
- Old Alfama Square (Largo do Chafariz de Dentro)
In the late afternoon, it was time to go back on the ship, which sailed westward on the Tagus. From the ship, I saw from afar:
- the Monument to the Discoveries (Padrão dos Descobrimentos)
- the Tower of Belém (Torre de Belém)
If I had to come back to the Lisbon area, I would definitely go visit those first!
Post-trip reflection
I left Lisbon feeling satisfied, but it was not my type of city. There was nothing wrong with it. It wasn't the language barrier, as most people spoke English well. I didn't need any of the very basic Portuguese I had learned just for the trip. Lisbon's architecture and limestone sidewalks also impressed me in their intricate attention to details.
However, I just have a greater fascination for the ultra-modern and futuristic design. I felt that Lisbon only liked to romanticize the days when they rebuilt and restored their nation in the 18th and 19th centuries. I knew not to expect the ultra-modern and the future when visiting this city, so I wasn't disappointed. Lisbon was well maintained and had a decent public transit system (although their subway could have had more downtown stations).
Lisbon would not be a place I would move to, but should the occasion arise, I would not mind coming back for a day or two to visit some more sights in the Belém area.