Discoverlisbon - Blog Posts

Now when it’s all cold, dark and so autumn like it’s good to remember the perfect first summer days..

I visited Palace of Queluz last January which is one of the best kept secrets in Sintra / Lisbon located literally between the the fairytale town of Sintra and the portuguese capital. This is the most beautiful room I’ve ever been visited. And the best part was that I was the only person there! 

They say that Olaias is the most beautiful metro station in Lisbon and even one of the most outstanding ones in the world!

Jeronimós Monastery, an UNESCO heritage site and not for vain! Truly worth paying the entrance fee for! 

I’ve visited the Belém, the famous and historical district of Lisbon plenty of times but never entered the monuments which the tourists line up for hours. Here are some shots from the Monument of Discovery and the Jerónimos Monastery. 

Merry Xmas! Feliz Natal! Hyvää Joulua! 

Less known Lisboa. Monsanto park and Marvila. Worth stepping out of your normal path. 

Random Lisboa when it was still summer and warm!

Lisbon Tips vol. II

DON’T COME HERE DURING WINTER ... AND NOT 

ESPECIALLY IN THE SPRING

Despite of being the sunniest capital in Europe winter which means from November ’till February is chilly, windy and rainy. The problem is not the temperature but the humidity and the fact that houses aren’t heated. Spring is not only rainy but super rainy. There can be 30 rainy days in one months trust me. March-April are is the worst time to visit here. Unless of course you like the rain.

 Photo of Kerry Murray! 

NO SPECIAL COFFEES (they have their own)

Portugal has a very strong coffee culture so they don’t need frappuccinos and fancy lattes – they have their own and they keep it simple. In the center you can find Starbucks and other international coffee shops but in general the traditional portuguese way is clearly more popular here especially among the locals. Take a look here how to order a portuguese coffee:

https://lisboasecreta.co/made-in/15-formas-de-pedir-cafe-em-lisboa-o-guia-que-te-faltava/

(not my pic)

PORTUGUESE FOOD AIN’T SPANISH FOOD OR ANYTHING SPICY (my opinion obviously)

A lot of people confuse this or expect these countries have similar food culture – not. They have the same ingredients but the way of using them is clearly different. Seafood is obviously in especially codfish in which there are over 300 recipes to cook it. Fish in general comes in all forms of cooking. Sardines seem to be another big hit. They use spices but carefully. Olive oil is the queen of portuguese cuisine and the local one is told to be the best in the world. Eggs are popular also so don’t wonder if you’ll find an egg on your steak or in your burger. The local cheese of goat’s or sheep’s milk are worth trying for.

ELECTRICITY AND TECHNOLOGY IS EXPENSIVE

When living in here even though many things are cheaper than elsewhere in Europe, housing is not of those things. Rents are a one thing but like having electricity and Internet + other technology is expensive. ”Bill included or not” are usually mentioned for a reason in the adds when rooms are being rented.

LISBON IS NOT A BEACH DESTINATION

To get to the beach you have to take a train or bus (1h-) depending which beach you wanna go to. There’s no beach in Lisbon. I’m sorry! 

METROS RUN BETWEEN 10MIN AND THIS IS NORMAL

When I left Helsinki they had just renewed the metro timetable so that during the rush hour there’s a metro every two minutes. In Lisbon the normal waiting time is 10 minutes. Sometimes it’s shorter like 6 minutes but.. yeah. You don’t wanna have a minute schedule in this city.

Olaias Metro station (red line) - Not my pic!

PAY ATTENTION WHAT YOU PAY

Lisbon and Portugal are experiencing a huge tourism boom which has caused the price getting higher what comes to eating and drinking out + accommodation. I wish people while travelling would find out what is a normal price in a local range before buying a product with three times more expensive rate. But this is not a simple problem which would have a simple solution.

PEOPLE ARE HONEST AND ALWAYS APOLOGIZE

If you forget money on the machine or are given wrong amount of change back – people will come after you. Not that I wouldn’t keep a good care of my money but this goes for anything you might drop from your pocket or bag. But don’t think that pocket thieves or criminals don’t exist here! Another thing is if you bump into someone on the street or in the metro or wherever - make a gesture that you’re sorry and didn’t mean it. A simple gesture with a hand will do it. People appreciate this a lot in here.  

VEGETERIANS ARE A MINORITY

Portuguese food is all about the fish and meat so vegetarians especially if you’re a vegan are struggling to find a proper meal in the local restaurants. However people are quite flexible sometimes, they can prepare something outside of the menu aaand the vegetarian diet is quite trendy at the moment so there a growing number of restaurants that are specialized vegetarian dishes...even in Portugal. 

BOOKS, CD’S AND VINYLES STILL EXIST

The other side of the coin of Portugal being slow, traditional and old fashioned is that BOOKS, CD’S and VINYLS still very much exist unlike anywhere else where all the literature and music has gone online. Obviously there are plenty of strores that sell these things. This is what I love about Portugal!