24 cool things I did in Lisbon, Portugal--Part II

Hey guys, this is the concluding part of my Lisbon adventures. If you missed part 1, please read here. 

 16. Stumbled upon a 500-seater restaurant-- Time Out Mercado da Ribeira

This is one place we stumbled upon by chance.  Time out Lisboa food hall is a newly renovated establishment that houses some of the best restaurants that have been highlighted in the Time Out Lisboa magazine

I have never been more confused about what to eat. With so many food options, it was hard narrowing down my choice.

17. Said a prayer at Jeronimous Monastery

The Monastery is where explorer Vasco da Gama spent his last night before embarking on the India expedition

How grand is the monastery!

Every inch of the architecture was well thought out and intricately crafted

Jeronimous Monstery was fun, but it was time for a little outdoor fun, so we crossed to the other side of the road walked to the Discoveries Monument

18. Visited the Discoveries Monument (Padrao dos Descobrimentos)

Lisbon is famous for its explorers such as Henry the Navigator, Ferdinand Magellan, the first explorer to circumnavigate the globe,  and Vasco da Gama who discovered the sea route to India from Europe. This monument was built to honor the countries explorers and other notable figures.

The northern bank of the Tagus river is a monumental place as this is where ships set to sail to explore and trade

19. Viewed the Cristo Rei Statue from the bank of Tagus river

In the far distance is the 25th of April Bridge and further on is the Christ The Redeemer, a replica of  Rio de Janiero's famous statue

20. We stomped all over Portugal

In the square that houses the discovery monument is a mosaic map of the world and a compass that shows the routes taken by explorers and the dates they embarked on their explorations. Tee and I located Portugal on the map and snap, snap! When we were done here, we made our way to Belem Tower

21. I kept watch over Lisbon from Belem Tower

Belem tower was a military fort and was built to guard the entrance to the harbor. 

How picturesque is Belem Tower

Belem Tower is also a UNESCO World Heritage Site

A view from the top

22. Watched street performances in the DownTown area of Chiado-- Largo do Chiado  

This downtown area features tons of shops is a traditional shopping area that mixes old and modern commercial establishments. We walked down the city’s famous shopping street Rua Augusta, and just took in the lively downtown vibe, and caught few street performances

I even caught this on video

23.Stayed in an uber cool apartment

24. Took tons of pictures

Lisbon is known for its tiles and tile building, so of course I had to take a picture of this pretty blue tiled building

There are colorful buildings on every street!

It was indeed happy times in Lisboa

Peace out Lisboa

Hope you guys enjoyed my Lisbon series. Barcelona adventures coming up soon. Have a fantastic weekend.

24 cool things I did in Lisbon, Portugal--Part 1

Once I nail down a travel city, I spend a significant amount time reading up on the history and researching the various neighborhoods. Because of this pre-trip research, I am able to recognize places and immediately know the history as I come across them while exploring.

However, Lisbon was a city I did absolutely no research on! I had booked Istanbul (lay over),Barcelona, and Lisbon for my fall 2015 travels, and the Lisbon leg of my trip was supposed to be a solo vacation. But when Tee, a fellow travel enthusiast, decided to join me in Lisbon, I left the entire planning to her. I must admit, my lack of research had me feeling lost through out the entire trip. I felt like I didn't have a good grasp of my surroundings, and I pretty much just went along with whatever Tee had planned.It was not until I was putting the pictures together for this post that I began to truly appreciate the trip and understand the unique stories of some of the places we had visited. 

With its Roman and Moorish influences, Lisbon indeed is a fascinating city. The cobblestone streets immediately transport you to an earlier century, and you cannot help but be charmed by this old city.

Below are some of the cool things I did in Lisbon, Portugal. Enjoy guys!

1. I took a funicular ride

Lisbon is a hilly city with buildings on lower and upper ground levels, and funiculars are an alternative to walking down the steep hills. BTW, how colorful is the funicular!❤

We took the Lavra funicular to Restauradores Square and walked to Rossio Square.

2. Had some amazing pastry at Rossio square ( If you ever visit, Portuguese pastries are a must!)

        Lisbon is famous for its pastry, so I made sure to indulge in some yummy treats

3. People watched at Praça do Comércio, (the Square of Commerce)

Praça do Comércio is the city's entrance from the sea

4. Chilled at the bank of Tagus river 

sea side chilling

When we were done at the river, we  embarked on a short walk to Santa Justa lift. This picture (inside joke) was taken on the way to the lift

5. Rode Elevador de Santa Justa (Santa Justa Lift)

The Santa Justa Lift links the ground level street in Baixa area to the higher level streets

6. Enjoyed a  landscape view of  Lisbonfrom the upper level of Largo do Carmo (Carmo Square) :-)

After the gorgeous view, our next destination was São Jorge Castle

7.I became a guard at  the National Guard  museum for a second

While we were headed to the Castle de Jorge, we came across other cool places like the National Guard Museum

Did a brief stint at the Museum and headed on out

8. Saw the ruins of  Museu Do Teatro Romano which was built in 57AD

The exterior of the Roman Theater Museum 

The ruins of the theater 

Stopped by this cute little store to check out hand made ceramic and tiled knickknacks

9. Spent an afternoon in a medieval castle

Finally made it to Castelo de São Jorge

Unfortunately the sun was coming from a direction that did not allow for great pictures :-(

I spied this colorful little building from Castelo de São Jorge. How cute!

Found this telephone box after we exited the castle

10. I became a tuk tuk driver 

Hey look, I  found a part-time job as a tuk tuk driver

On the tuk tuk ride, we came across the famous tram 28 (it is a tram that runs through the touristy sites in the city center)

11. Got a view of the oldest district in Lisbon from a balcony

We alighted the tuk tuk  at Portas Do Sol to get a view of Alfama district at a balcony called Miradouro das Portas Do Sol

A gorgeous view of Alfama from Portas Dos Sol 

12. Ate the most amazing curried seafood sauce in Lisbon's  oldest district 

Alfama is the oldest district in Lisbon, and we thought we'd do dinner there and have some authentic Portuguese meal

13. Attended mass at Lisbon Cathedral

After dinner in Alfama, we visited the Lisbon Cathedral and briefly attended a mass dedicated to the Paris attack victims :-(

14. I obstructed the city's entrance gate to pose for a picture

Built in 1645, Arco da Conceição (Arch of Conception) once was the city's entrance gate 

15. Posed with these metal sculptures in front of  Lisboa city hall at Municipal Square

Lisbon is just an amazing city. If you don't have this charming city on your bucket list, you need to add it in now! 

I hope this post helps and serves as a guide if you decide to visit. Please leave me a comment and let me know what you think of my Portuguese adventure. (part 2 coming soon)

Have a great week guys