Lisbon: So Many Surprises!

14/03/2025

"Are you ready?" Leo asks me at 1:30 PM. The train to Bologna departs at 1:50 PM, and I definitely don't want to miss it. I arrive at the station a good 10 minutes early, only to realize there's no train to Bologna at 1:50 PM. Leo shows up shortly after, and we head to platform 1: destination Malpensa. Leo has been keeping a lot of secrets, and I'm very confused. After 45 minutes of questions about our destination, we arrive at Malpensa Terminal 2. My ticket with an unknown destination is Wizz Air, but Terminal 2 only has EasyJet flights. We go through security and arrive at the departure board, where the field of possibilities has narrowed. Copenhagen, Munich, or Lisbon? The secrets are finally spilled: we're going to Lisbon.

We board about half an hour late, and after 3 hours of "Mission Impossible: Dead Reckoning," we land in Lisbon. A very convenient and fast metro takes us to the Alameda stop, where we get off and walk towards the Airbnb. We're particularly struck by the number of kebab shops and Indian restaurants we find along the way. After a 10-minute stroll, here we are in our Airbnb, perched on the third floor. A quick shower while waiting for the rest of the crew. Maddi and Ross are landing from Bologna and will be joining us at our Airbnb shortly for dinner together. After several attempts (apparently kitchens close at 10 PM in Lisbon), we find Ighema, a Portuguese restaurant near the center. Here we try "carne a la purtughesa," a strange but good mix of meat and clams, chorizo, a house bacalhau, and a grilled salmon steak. Excellent and inexpensive food. We leave absolutely stuffed for a digestive stroll, but without forgetting our last mission before going to bed: eating our first (of many) pasteis of the weekend. We stop along the main street and complete the mission. Certainly not the best pasteis in Lisbon, but a valid alternative to satisfy our sweet tooth. The wind and rather cool temperature invite us to roll home this time. Moments later, lying in bed, we're all asleep.

15/03/2025

Even with a little help from the time difference, we're all bright-eyed and bushy-tailed at 8 AM. First things first, of course, we need a pasteis. Leo finds what will later be designated as the best Pasteis de Nata in Lisbon: ___ (we reiterate "de Nata" because it's important). A great start, I'd say. Shortly after, we, the NPC party, avoiding the queue, walk towards the mirador, above the Eiffel elevator, built in 1902. The view from the top of the city is breathtaking, but time is short: another pasteis is needed. Leo immediately gets to work and finds another very delicious spot (_), and chasing these little treats leads us to the famous starting point of Tram 28, "Lisbon's iconic line, which takes tourists through the narrow streets and ups and downs of the Portuguese capital" (quote Leo). We, the party, obviously don't get on the tram, but follow it on foot, particularly impressed by the steepness of some alleys and the skills of some drivers. Furthermore, the tram is apparently attached to the wire by a single handle that occasionally detaches, and it's the driver's job to reposition it. What happens if it detaches downhill? We'll never know, and maybe it's better that way.

Walking and walking, we return to the main square, Plaza du Commercio, and are shocked by the resemblance of the 25 de Abril Bridge to the Golden Gate Bridge. We immediately think of plagiarism, but Chatty helps us discover the dynamic: a single company built both bridges. However, if we're being completely honest, the Golden Gate came first (and is also longer).

We follow the waterfront and arrive at Alfama, Lisbon's historic and best-preserved neighborhood. We see Jose Salgado's house, climb towards the cathedral, and enjoy the view of the city from above. Here, a new crew member enters the scene: Maddi finds a peacock feather that will accompany us for the rest of the trip. The party then votes no to entering the cathedral, and without spending €5, we manage to peek inside. "A cathedral in a clearly Romanesque Gothic style, generally bare but with a fascinating location" - Leo the historian.

It's time to eat again. We opt for a tapas place but end up stuffed like sardines with meat, octopus, a delicious little cheese, and jamon. The desserts (sweet rice with cinnamon and biscuit cake with cinnamon) unfortunately weren't very appreciated, but from the half-asleep control room, they now tell me "that's not true, I liked the rice!" but I think I can speak for Maddi and Ross when I say only he liked it.

The long-awaited moment has arrived: the ultimate surprise. The last two members of the crew are about to join us, but they don't know it yet. We head to the airport with a bit of rising anxiety, where Lila and Nicolò will be landing shortly. The situation is buzzing, Leo and I go looking for paper and a pen, Maddi and Ross quickly go to the bathroom, their flight no longer appears on the flight track app (which Leo, very proud, has been abusing for two days). They've landed. Leo tries to scribble "Cavina" on the paper. Poor guy, he has many talents, but art isn't one of them. Luckily, we have an expert in the party, and in two seconds, Ross fixes Leo's mess. We see them come out and stealthily approach. Surprise! Lila almost has a heart attack, the situation is an absolute mess!!

(Fun fact: in the Battle of Amba Aradam between Ethiopia and the Italian Army in 1936, the situation was so chaotic that the name entered common parlance as an idiom).

We are all happy, and some are incredulous. But time is short, and there's still a lot of Lisbon to see.

We make a quick stop at the house to drop off the new backpacks and head towards Plaza du Commercio. I don't remember exactly (my writing partner has collapsed like a chicken), but it's easy to assume a brief pasteis stop. After all, it had been a while since the last one, and there were new crew members to initiate into the cult (of which the great leader is obviously Maddi, who, remembering her high school graduation trip, often praised these little treats).

Next stop: Belem, to visit the tower and the monastery. There were many ways to get there, but we choose to please Lila and take 3 electric scooters. A winding, dangerous, but extremely fun journey. Interrupted by a dead scooter, we are forced to get back on our feet. We walk along a very pretty waterfront, with sailors on one side and the unique architecture of the Maat on the other, until we reach the Belem Tower, a strategic lookout point defending the city. Unfortunately, the monastery is closed, and we can't visit it, but we promise to return the next day. After a final brief break at the monument to fallen sailors and a piña colada drunk directly from a pineapple, we decide it's time to return to the center. Despite Leo's incredulity, who, as he likes to remind us, had spent €40 on taxis in Sicily, Bolt proves to be the preferred return option for the NPC party. Apparently, taxi services in Portugal are very cheap.

Back in the central square, we are washed by the rain and decide to take refuge in a brewery for a drink or a croqueta de bacalhau. No one joins Nic for a beer, but the croquettes are much appreciated by everyone. Unfortunately, for the evening, our paths diverge because I'm meeting a very dear friend for dinner. Both I and the others (despite my friend sleeping next to me not being able to confirm it) eat wonderfully, and we all soon meet back at base camp. I was slightly afraid Leo would fall asleep and abandon me outside the house, but luckily, that didn't happen, and in no time at all, we're all fast asleep.

16/03/2025

The new day starts a little slower than the first, but as soon as we're all out of the house, we head towards Lisbon Castle. Don't be fooled, though, our first stop isn't the castle, but rather the pasteis place near the castle, suggested by our veteran in the field of Lisbon pasteis. On the way to our destination, Niccolò notices a funicular (or elevator, depending on your perspective) thanks to which we quickly reach the top. After breakfast and a few calculations, we decide to get a Lisbon card which gave us access, for only 25 euros, to several attractions and all of Lisbon's transport. After purchasing it and getting some extra pasteis to take with us, we entered the castle, which, besides being immense, offers an incredible view of the city and the sea. As we walk, we let Chatty, the guide loved and glorified by Leo, transport us through the castle's long history. However, the castle's peculiarity is definitely its population: beautiful peacocks with bright blue necks and magnificent feathers that roam among tourists undisturbed.

Time flies, and we need to return to the Belem monastery. We quickly move our luggage from the Airbnb to the Hostel Deseo and head to the train station (no more scooters this time). Here we stop at the Lisbon market for a quick lunch where we try various croquettes, some fish sandwiches, and a dish that was initially not entirely satisfactory, promptly changed by the authoritative Dad Nicolò.

The 200-seat, not-so-elegant but very efficient transport takes us to our destination, and in no time at all (just kidding, there was a bit of a queue), we begin the tour. Chatty returns as a great guide, telling us about the "Manueline" style, a crazy mix of Gothic and maritime influences due to Portugal's history. In fact, the Jerónimos Monastery was built in honor of Vasco Da Gama's glorious conquests and features several elements related to the sea and discoveries inside, such as the armillary sphere, which Chatty kindly helped us recognize.

The return of the pasteis. Here in Belem, we are in the homeland of Pasteis de Belem, the only ones who still preserve the secret recipe of the Jerónimos monks. These are, at least for us, absolutely the best, with a noticeable difference in the pastry. Leo says: "we then embark on an eternal bus journey" (spoiler: he slept the whole time) to get to the Gulbenkian Museum. Unfortunately, tickets are sold out, but we still take the opportunity for a stroll, unfortunately in the rain, in the garden, followed by a herbal tea and pancakes in a small bar (luckily Leo's wipes and sanitizers were there, otherwise Maddi and Ross wouldn't have been able to eat the pancake).

Unfortunately, our Portuguese adventure is coming to an end, and it's time to retrieve our backpacks before departing along the three different routes that will separate our group. Last Blue metro and a shower under a Lisbon that doesn't spare us a final downpour. Leo, Maddi, Ross, and I head to the airport, leaving Lila and Nic to continue the journey for all of us.