Portu-geezers

Well, this post is embarrassingly overdue...

On our way back from Casablanca, the cheapest way back home was to take a 20-some-odd hour layover in Lisbon. Shockingly, we were not upset about this situation. Because we are very flexible and easygoing travelers. Our ready acceptance of our fate had absolutely nothing to do with the fact that none of us had yet been to Portugal.

Lisbon is a hilly city. A welcome change from flat old Copenhagen.

Buildings faced with elaborate tiles seem to be fairly common in Lisbon.

To be honest, I at least didn't know much about Lisbon going into this trip. As it turns out, there's a whole lot of history in that city. In our incredibly brief time there, we managed to see two UNESCO World Heritage sites: Jerónimos Monastery and Belem Tower. Pictures do more justice to the beauty of these places than I can, so just enjoy them.

Jerónimos Monastery.

It has some incredibly elaborate stonework.

So many carvings.

White on blue.

Padrão dos Descobimentos.

Depictions of famous Portuguese figures associated with exploration.

A view from the top of Padrão dos Descobrimentos.

Pretty sweet mad of the world, viewed from the top of the cross.

Belem Tower.

Presumably it was approaching high tide.

We also happened, by mostly dumb luck, and some good hostel researching, to wind up in one of the highest rated hostels in all of Europe there: Oasis Backpackers' Mansion. T'was indeed an excellent place- clean, super friendly, and they gave spectacular directions for how to reach it. We went on a semi-organized evening of exploration with a bunch of Germans and Canadians who were staying with us, and walked up and down many more hills. 

A fairly famous funicular right near our hostel.

Long story short, Lisbon was great. Portugal as a whole seems great. And I would very much like to go back for a rather longer period of time.

Also, Portuguese custard tarts rank among the top ten things that have ever graced my mouth with their presence. Visiting without trying them would be a travesty.