Lisbon as a city has been awesome so far. I went to from a hot and humid Florida to cool 70s and breezy. I hadn’t been here before, but it has so much going for it. The views, the food, the people and history have all been great. I’ve always appreciated how well Europe does public spaces. The way the cities encourage people to get out and about on foot and gather is infinitely better than most American cities aside from the Northeast and parts of the west coast. It’s probably because they were built with people in mind, and not cars. Lisbon is no different, and the first night I was here the city was shutdown for a massive festival and parade for Santo Antonio. Thousands of people were out to enjoy it and it was fun to watch. It feels great to be surrounded by fellow travelers from around the world again.
I didn’t realize how hilly the city was until I started walking around. In the main valley of the city things are relatively flat, but the moment you go into the side streets you’re looking at 150ft+ climbs. I’m glad I have some conditioning time before the Camino(450mi) which starts tomorrow. It certainly keeps everyone in shape. The hills also mean plenty of great views though! It’s a very photogenic city with big plazas and a waterfront. There’s a lot of similarities between San Francisco and Lisbon including the bridge which was done by the same architect as the Golden Gate! Both cities are prone to earthquakes so that might be why. Although I speak Spanish fairly well, Portuguese is pretty much non-understandable to me. The sounds are completely different even though the written words are interpretable. I was speaking with a Spanish guy about it and apparently they can’t understand it either! Luckily Portuguese people can understand some Spanish or English.
It’s time to change mindsets from a stationary, homey and comfortable one, to a nomadic and daily walking one. They are very different and I enjoy both in their own ways. I look forward to seeing the Portugues countryside and other cities along the way! Nilanj will be joining me in two weeks at Porto, so until then it’s just and the trail.
