Part of the reason I waited so long to go to Lisbon was so that I could have the opportunity to go to Sintra. I wanted to really have an experience so I packed FOUR sites into my itinerary. Sintra is town just outside of Lisbon that is filled with mansions, castles, and palaces. It’s an easy day trip and it’s sure to take your breath away.
It’s been almost two weeks since I went to Lisbon, but I’m still blown away by how awesome it was. Honestly, I went to Lisbon with no expectations, which I think was a great thing to do. I was able to experience the city and make my mind up for myself. Last week, I told you things you needed to know to enjoy the city, but today, I’ll let you know what to do and see in Lisbon.
It took me three years of living in Spain to finally make it to Portugal. I always thought the flights were too expensive or that the train took too long … it was just cheaper to go to another country. Finally, finally, I thought it was time to stop making excuses and just go. Man, am I glad I sucked it up.
I originally wanted to go to both Lisbon and Porto, but due to a lack of time and an increase in airline prices, I decided to only go to Lisbon. That was a great choice because it gave me enough time to see the city. Well, actually, there are still so many things that I want to do. I guess I will just have to go back again.
There’s something about a castle that I’ve always admired. Maybe it’s the history, the story behind the castle. Or maybe it’s just the hope many little girls have of being a princess. No, I’m still not bitter, Prince Harry.
Neuschwanstein Castle has been on my list for a few years now, mostly because it serves as the inspiration for the Sleeping Beauty Castle at Disneyland in Los Angeles. (The castle at EuroDisney is slighty different.) But once you hear some more history about the castle, it makes it even more fascinating.
I’m fresh back from my vacation through the German-speaking countries! Vienna was great and I got to meet up with a friend there to make it even better. It’s a gorgeous and historic city, but there are some lessons I learned while in Austria.
Spain has so many problems. Many government officials are corrupt, the unemployment rate is still high ten years after the crisis, and the banks run the economy. Yet for some reason, so many of flock to Spain and want to stay. There have to be SOME redeeming qualities. Actually, there are tons. I recently talked about what boggles my mind about Madrid, but now I think it’s time to talking about what makes it amazing.
I’ve now been living in Madrid for nearly six months. It’s not too much different than living in the US other than the fact that I live in an apartment in the center of the city. Unlike the rest of Spain, stores are still open on Sundays, I go for my runs, and I go to work. However, there are some things that I’ll never get used to, no matter how long I live here.
There’s something absolutely magical about London. Admittedly, I was a little salty about going back to London at Christmas time after I found out the Tottenham Hotspur game was postponed until AFTER we left. I have no idea why … London is 100% my favorite city in the world. I could live there if someone would be willing to hire me and go through the whole visa process. Haha. Half-jokes. But here’s why.
Paris is one of those cities you either love or you don’t. Some people fall in love with the perceived romance of the city, other people say the city smells. For me, Paris has always been one of the cities I knew I needed to go to, but I wasn’t very interested. Honestly, the main reason I wanted to go was to take a day trip to Normandy and see the Omaha Beaches (but that tour was cancelled …) Still, there is plenty to see and do in Paris, and I felt that I needed a little more time.
Being back overseas means getting to spend a Christmas abroad. This year my parents and I had decided on going to Paris for Christmas and London for New Years. To be honest, Paris is one of those places that I know I needed to go to but didn’t really have much desire to visit. The main reason I wanted to go to Paris was to go to Normandy and see the D-Day Beaches. We booked a tour, but unfortunately our tour was cancelled ten days out.
Once we decided on our destinations, we had to decide our order. Should we do London first or Paris first? Unlike London, things are actually open on Christmas. If you’re looking for a European destination at Christmastime, Paris is a great place to go for this reason. The trains and metro are open, which is fantastic! We used them both several times on Christmas day.