First impressions from Lisbon

Leon and I arrived in Lisbon two weeks ago and we already feel very at home here. Our apartment is beautifully decorated and just as big as we expected. It's on the ground floor of a six-story building in one of the city's richer neighborhoods. Since our windows face the backyard, it's pretty quiet. We have a purple tiled bathroom and two lemon trees in the yard. Especially in the first week in Lisbon, I spent a lot of time in the apartment because it rained almost constantly. The sun has been shining more and more for a few days and Leon and I are starting to get to know the city. Here are three observations I made:

1) Lisbon is steep! You almost never just walk straight ahead. It's always either uphill or downhill. If I continue to walk a lot, I will definitely stay fit.

2) The people here are extremely friendly and approachable. A lot of people speak English really well and are always trying to help me. This makes me feel very welcome.

3) The seats on public transport are usually a bit too small for Leon and me. And elsewhere you notice that everything is designed for slightly smaller people. For example the size of the equipment in the gym :-)

Overall, the city seems very likeable to me. There are many pretty corners with old houses, winding streets and shady parks. From the numerous viewing points you have a very good overview of the various city districts and the bay of the Rio Tejo, which flows into the Atlantic near Lisbon. I'm very happy that I have so much time to explore everything in peace!