Well, this has sat in my drafts folders for over two years now. Apparently a year ago I sat down and wrote:

I have to preface this post by saying that it has now sat in my drafts of a fairly ignored blog for over a year now. “Update blog” flits on and off my always changing to do list. A few times over the past year, I would think today is the day but never actually open the page. I’m not sure what has changed. Things are opening up again in New York, the weather is finally sunny and beautiful. I’m vaccinated and ready to see the world again.

An update a few months after that (or perhaps before?): given the devastation that COVID-19 has caused around the world, it feels strange to be writing about travel and a time when we didn’t have to fear leaving our homes. I hope that soon we will all be able to travel again, but in the meantime, we can arm chair travel.

It is funny to think how much has happened since this draft was started, I got engaged, married, promoted, I am up to three vaccinations for COVID looking at a fourth. But here goes nothing, blog I am coming back! We left off traveling on the overnight train from Madrid to Lisbon…

We arrived at the main train station early in the morning. Luckily, the wonderful staff at the Chiado Apartments were able to accommodate storing our luggage before our rental apartment was ready for use.

Our first stop after dropping off our bags…breakfast! Freshly brewed coffee and sweet flaky croissants were just what we needed to fuel our day of walking the city.

One of the most iconic symbols of Lisbon are the colorful streetcars that wind their way up and down the twisty, hilly streets of the city. We followed the Time Travel Turtle’s guide to walking along the Tram 28 Route, this is the iconic tram you see in pictures.

Winding out way through the streets of Lisbon, we saw a lot of interesting street art.

Street views in Lisbon.

Azulejos are the classic blue tiles seen all over the city. One of our first stops Was the Igreja Dos Anjos, a 16th Century Baroque church. Little did Jared know, this would be the first of many, many. Although after Spain, I am sure he felt it coming.

 Igreja e Convento da Graça is well worth the visit. Here, the Azulejos are unique in that they depict gruesome scenes of martyrdom throughout.

They did not shy away from depicting all the different ways people were martyred.

Inside the cloister of  Igreja e Convento da Graça

Our next stop was the National Pantheon with its large domed ceiling.

Interior of the National Pantheon.

The view from the top of the National Pantheon was well worth the price of admission! It’s sweeping 360 degree views of the city were spectacular.

For lunch, we stopped in Floresta das Escadinhas, a popular restaurant in the Baixa district. The fresh grilled seafood hit the spot!

Stopping to take a picture with blue tiles.

City views.

After a long day of walking around, we took a break at the world’s oldest (still operational) bookstore, Livraria Bertrand.

As the sunset on Lisbon, we wound the evening down with a few local beers at the Beer Station. They have a great selection of local craft brews, we enjoyed trying a variety. For dinner, we headed to La Brasserie de L’Entrecôte. Unfortunately, the pictures I took didn’t capture how delicious the meal was! Their specialty is Entrecote, sirloin with an herby sauce. Our first day in Lisbon, we really covered a lot of ground in exploring the central city.

Stay tuned for more travels in Europe, the US, and exploring new places and restaurants in NYC!