Olá gang, sorry for the lack of updates. It’s been a bit busy! I wrapped up my last week in Tenerife on the 3rd. It was really lovely having my little routine there, doing some yoga, jumping in for a swim, and a few too many sangria’s, dare I say. Much of the last week was also spent planning and booking the remainder of my trip (much of which I have left to do), so there was a certain level of ‘life admin’ that I won’t bore ye with. On my last weekend in Tenerife, there was a windsurfing competition in my beloved El Medano, which I was very excited for. Unfortunately, the wind disapeared for that weekend and in a competition where ‘wind’ is literally part of the title, its success does somewhat depend on the elements. It was a pity, especially given that wind picked up again the day after I left. C’est la vie. Tenerife already feels like a long time ago and so my memory is already caught up in all things Portugal. My own fault for not sticking to the weekly updates. But why don’t we jump into Portugal?

I had a lovely lunchtime flight to Lisbon from Tenerife, but I won’t forget stepping out of the plane into a wall of heat like I’ve never felt before. I usually do like the feeling of hot air on my face when I land in a new country, but this felt like I was being sizzled almost immediately. It was 40C the day I landed, which is the hottest I’ve had so far. I made my way to the hostel using their easy metro system (transport already a whole metro-system ahead of Dublin, ahem). I did have the soul-crushing realisation that I forgot my fan from the Cowboy Carter concert on the flight and in that heat, while listening to Beyonce, I felt incredibly sad and frustrated with myself. If anyone finds it, or wants to get me a new one, please let me know 🙂

My hostel was lovely. It was an old mansion-esque building with its own little bar and gorgeous outdoor gardens. I did some exploring my first night, coming to terms with the fact that Lisbon would be extremely hot and incredibly hilly for my duration. I took myself to dinner (I told you I would get used to getting food/drinks by myself) and thoroughly enjoyed eating a very bland pizza while taking in the stunning views of the hilly city and the turquoise coast. Lisbon is very beautiful, with much of the buildings covered in quaint tiling or painted in bright colours. However, for such a hilly city it has chosen very smooth paving, so seeing tourists slipping and sliding is not an un-common sight. I walked down to the shores and watched the sunset from there before heading back to the hostel and chatting to some of the solo travellers there. I’m getting used to the fact that people come and go from these places very quickly, and many of my ‘roomies’ were only staying for one night. However, I did meet an Australian who was staying a bit longer so we made plans to go to Cascais, a little village around an hour from Lisbon.

I would recommend anyone to go to Cascais if they are ever in that part of Portugal. It’s a stunning little seaside town, full with cobblestone roads, local restaurants in cute stone-arched buildings, and some of the most prettiest beaches I have ever seen. The hills also aren’t as treacherous, so that’s a bonus, and while it is still quite touristy, it was a really nice break from the hustle and bustle of Lisbon. We walked for ages, sunbathed for ages, and got a little cocktail in the most hectic bar that there was – all part of the experience! I should also note that this place has not one, but TWO Irish pubs. In the evening, we had a strange craving for KFC, so we took the underground for 30 minutes in search of chicken (my pescatarian diet has reset).

As day three was almost just as hot, I had to leave the busy-ness of the city again and so off I ventured to another little town just outside of Lisbon called Paco de Arcos, which is just past the famous red bridge (basically the Golden Gate). This was another cute little town, full of locals, colourful houses and lots of plants. I have really missed the colour ‘green’ since being in Tenerife so it’s a welcomed sight to see some trees and grass. I headed for the beach and made myself comfy. I must say that the Portuguese beaches are among some of the most beautiful I’ve seen so far. Complete with white sand and turquoise waters. It’s easy to relax when that’s what you get to be surrounded by. In the evening, I climbed a million steps to a sunset viewpoint where I met some other girls. We then got tapas in a busy little square not too far from our hostel and drank sangria until the early hours of the morning. It was very fun. I then packed up the next morning for Nazaré, but that will be another post!