In Lisbon and it’s … not all that?

[sellotape12]

Hmm am I missing all the hype about Lisbon? We’re here with a big family thing and whilst I was really looking forward to it I’m surprised how unimpressed we are. It’s dirty, polluted, congestion means it’s hard to walk or cross roads, we keep getting offered drugs and there’s so many identical tacky souvenir shops. Also it’s cloudy which isn’t helping as everything looks a bit grey and dead. Beautiful in the sun no doubt.
It feels like an upcoming city.

feel like I’m in the minority though!

Wait until you go to the airport to get home, utter shit show

Is it still full of dog shit? There was loads all over the pavements when I was there. I thought it was a dump.

I love Lisbon, I wouldn't go with kids though.

My recommendations:

Great craft beer bars
The doll hospital
Creepy puppet museum
The cocktail bar in an old brothel
Park bar on the top of a car park
Black sheep tiny wine bar
The castle with all the peacocks on the roof
Amazing zoo
Lovely aquarium
The Gulbenkian museum
The janky tram that you fear for your life on
Belem!

No I felt the same way as well. A few years on and I can look back as some of it fondly but it's not somewhere I'm in a hurry to visit again. For all the reasons you pointed out as well as those hills!!

omg yes!!! @SauviGone yes! We saw a dog shit in the middle of the airport baggage claim area and it’s been constant ever since. Dog shit, tobacco, diesel, weed.

I thought it was a shithole, and I ended up in hospital with the worst food poisoning I’ve ever had in my life.

Cute trams, but that’s it.

@goodboystepup can you recommend a neighbourhood? We are staying in Alfama which is quaint in places but getting hawked or run over by Tuk Tuks. Bairro Alto is like a dirty hungover dead zone during the day. Baixa and Chiado are clogged with traffic, tourists and unremarkable shops and cafes. Genuinely don’t know if we’re missing something? We can’t seem to be like “aahhh here’s the good bit.”

Here with my sister & cousins, thankfully no kids. Just crave pretty squares and a selection of nice cages or shops for mooching. But maybe I’ve just described Amsterdam or Barcelona- whoops!

God Almighty, that all sounds hideous tbh

That’s one to cross off my list

Visit Cascais - it's nice.

Could you get the train to either Cascais or Sintra?

i felt equally out of depth when I visited Lisbon 5 years ago. Everyone had raved about it so much and I just found it…….meh. The weather was cloudy and grey when I went as well, so maybe it’s the sort of city that, umm, shines in the sunshine so to speak?

I went to mass in the old Dominican church, and it's absolutely beautiful. Actually, their churches are beautiful.

Definitely get to sintra if you can, amazing place!! I too was underwhelmed by Lisbon 😕

We found those squares you are talking about right in Alfama - loads of tiny squares each with a church, a late night cafe, an elderly lady selling cherry liqueurs in edible chocolate cups from a little table covered in lace, while fada singers' voices floated on the air.

Or the square high up with the friendly cafe with really good value sparkling green wine and tables all with views over the city, Christ the Redeemer statue seeming to float above the clouds. Or the square with the one giant tree that has its branches propped up so that it acts as an umbrella with seats underneath and a craft market.

The main square with all the gorgeous tiny shops was half boarded up when we visited but the custard pastry cafe was still open - really beautiful - and a lovely place to have a coffee.

Belem was pretty for a walk along the beach to the tower, listening to the live music, a visit to the monastery.

Sintra is amazing - well worth a day trip.

All the sunshine did was heat up all the dog shit that's everywhere

We usually stay in an apartment right near Green st, I think it's Barrio alto, we've been every year for the last few years and loved it but maybe we're hardened by other travel, I found it much much nicer than most of Paris and Amsterdam! I also felt safer than in Barcelona where we'd witnessed a few mugging and tourists being jacked of their suitcases.

It's definitely not as well kept or tidy as major Swedish or Japanese cities but I've always enjoyed Lisbon for its rough and readiness, but we've only ever been as a couple, I guess I wouldn't recommend it to my older relatives or people with young kids. I do love it for itself though.

Maybe I'm just a rough gal 😂 I absolutely hate London and most big uk cities though.

It's the only place I've ever tried to get a flight out of early.
It's a shit hole.
A hilly boring shit hole.
Have you been offered class A drugs yet?
That was a particularly low point of that day

I liked Caiscais and the miradouras. Miradoura da Graca had great views and a bar. Also liked the castle. When I was there it was too hot to be enjoyable walking around.

Definitely try and get to Cascais. It’s less than an hours drive and more than likely a train will go there. Been to Lisbon a couple of times and wouldn’t rush back. The Time Out market is good for food.

I live in Porto, which is much better than Lisbon. Go to sintra and outside lisbon on day trips - it's just another capital city imo. Countryside in Portugal is beautiful but the actual city of Lisbon I went once no interest again

What am I reading? I went to Lisbon about a month ago and LOVED it. Beautiful buildings covered in tiles, friendly people, amazing food, incredible history and churches and castles and culture. Beautiful sea views.

We also went to Sintra and the Pina Palace for the day which was stunning although busy.

I am desperate to go back! Didn't see any dog shit or class A drugs at all.

Nah I felt the same

I remember feeling angry most of the time because it rained a lot and I kept sliding down the hills!

I was there for work a few weeks ago and the bits I got to see looked lovely, I thought I must come back when I have more time for tourism! But it was hot and sunny the whole time which might make a difference. The traffic was awful though. The airbnb was technically a 20 minute drive from the airport but I realised early on that I needed to at least double that. Which is good because it took a full hour. But I still want to go back!

I think the cloudy grey skies aren’t helping us see its beauty. All we’re doing is one foot in front of the other to avoid traffic.
Cascais - worth it in the cloud so you think? Would you spend a whole day there?