Our Portugal adventure officially began on Sunday, June 15, after a restful night of sleep. We stayed at the My Story Rossio hotel, right on Rossio Square, a historic square in the heart of Lisbon. After a hearty breakfast at the hotel, we welcomed the second half of our party – Kerry and Michael – as they arrived from NYC that morning.

Lisbon has several unique neighborhoods, each with its own distinct style. We stayed in the Baixa neighborhood, right next to the Barrio Alto and Chiado districts. While Kerry and Michael settled in, the five of us followed a Rick Steves walking tour (from his guidebook) to further explore these adjoining neighborhoods.

Our first stop was the Miradouro de São Pedro de Alcântara, a beautiful viewpoint where you can see unobstructed views of the city, including São Jorge Castle, the Baixa district, the Alfama district and the Tagus River. A colorful beer garden in the park here made for a lively vibe, with lots of different vendors. We all enjoyed a fresh fruit slushy to cool off after the climb to this viewpoint (Lisbon is very hilly).

After a little more time exploring the hoods, we made our way back to the hotel before meeting with Chill Out Lisbon later that afternoon for our real walking tour.

I always love a good walking tour when I first arrive in a new city – it’s a great way to get your bearings while also learning more about the history. Our guide, Rita, filled us in on over 5,000 years of Portugal history. It was quite fascinating to learn how Portugal was a major world power for several centuries, before a decline in the 17th and 18th centuries. More recently, Portugal was under a dictatorship ruled by Antonio Salazar for almost 40 years. The country only became a democracy in 1974, after the Carnation Revolution.

One of the major challenges the country faced was the 1775 Lisbon earthquake – a catastrophic event that rocked the country. This event really stood out to the girls, so we visited the Lisbon Quake museum a few days later to learn even more (more on this later – it was super cool).

The walking tour took us back through the Barrio Alto and Baixa districts we’d visited earlier, and also gave us time to learn more about Chiado and the Alfama. The Alfama neighborhood is one of the oldest neighborhoods in Lisbon, full of winding cobblestone streets and narrow alleyways. You could easily get lost here! We only got a taste for the Alfama so this is definitely an area I’d love to spend more time in next time I’m in Lisbon. 🙂

We ended the day in the Barrio Alto for dinner at Tapa Bucho – a lovely tapas restaurant. We enjoyed local wine and unique dishes like mushroom croquettes, codfish fritters and ceviche.

Exhausted, we made our way back to our hotel with a quick stop for gelato at Santini (best gelato in Lisbon) before bedtime. Ciao ciao!