Stopover Lisbon

(First of all, due to the relatively slow internet, the pictures will follow later)

Thanks to TAP's free Stopover program, I decided to stay two nights in the Portuguese capital before heading to Rio. After arriving at the airport, I had to walk through the seemingly endless corridors to get to the metro station.

There was a queue at the ticket machines that could rival the one outside an Apple Store on the release day of a new iPhone, so the first thing I had to do was wait. For 3.50€, I got a metro card loaded with two rides. I used the first ride to get to the accommodation and arrived at the hostel less than 20 minutes later. Of course, only the top bunk bed was available, which I had to conquer for the next two nights.

After a short walk to the supermarket to stock up on essentials, I returned to the hostel due to the late hour. There, I got into a conversation with two women from Schwabia (Schwaben), and as always, traveling breaks stereotypes - not all Schwabs are stingy with money ;) and we didn't hold back on the wine.

The next morning, I slept in and relaxed. Since the recent planning had been focused entirely on South America, Lisbon came as a surprise with no plan at all. So I just started exploring the city after visiting the cemetery. Following the motto of "Go where the locals eat, not the tourists," I went to a small dive bar in a side street. Most of the dishes on the menu were somewhat meaningless, but without googling, I randomly ordered the first dish called 'Bitoque' and was served a delicious pork fillet with fries, rice, and salad, after the bread and olives. For dessert, I had pineapple mousse along with espresso and half a liter of water, all for 8.50€. In Germany, you would only get the water and bread for that price in a restaurant.

With a full stomach, I went up to various viewpoints, of which Lisbon has quite a few, all offering a magnificent view of the city. The rest of the day was spent wandering around the old town and along the beach promenade, although with all the ups and downs, it felt more like a workout for my legs. I passed various churches and cathedrals, the famous tram line 28E, until I eventually surrendered after 9 hours of wandering and took the metro back to the hostel.

After stocking up on the essentials at the mini market, I quickly took a shower and enjoyed a cold beer before falling asleep. Because today, I'm already heading to Rio de Janeiro.