Lisbon Shook My World

Me at the Mosteiro dos Jerónimos

Tour de Belem at sunset

My favorite Professor of English and me at Cabo de Roca

Castles, rivers, beaches, palaces, monasteries, Fado....Lisbon Portugal has been one of the most incomprehensibly marvelous places i have ever visited, and to think, i almost didn´t get to go. Early Friday morning i raced through the metro, up three escalators, and out into the coldness of early morning. The streets were deserted, and the only light came from the rusty streetlamps. It was almost 630, and i knew that my tired feet might be forced to return this same way in a few minutes. Choking on the frigid air, i spied the bus, already filled with chatting students, scarves and gloves being tossed as the heat sun- in through their wrappings. I knew i was on the list but...Amy came out of the bus, shook her head, told me there was no room. I stood, the cold penetrating my coat and scarf, swirling around in my throat in stomach. I could not think. Moments later she returned, having recounted, no change. I pushed my small bag over against a low wall and tossed by lunch of tortilla on top, not wanting it crushed. Another student on the list was told to enter the bus; there was room-for one. And then, the cold stopped, the wind clamed, and my bag was stowed under the bus. I climbed the stairs, sat down, and breathed in the warmth-I was on my way to Lisbon. After 8 hours in a cramped bus, the group arrived at out hotel, dropped our bags, and was off to the Mosteiro dos Jerónimos, where Vasco de Gama is buried. Then, the group sampled custard treats in a local cafe, but for me, i took a shot of espresso and was off the Tour de Belem for sunset. The views were magnificent, and the water, even at night, was like bathwater. After riding a cable car to the Plaza de Comercio, the group met for dinner and Fado. Our next day was spent outside Lisbon, viewing the Cabo de Roca, the westernmost extremity of Europe, and then the town of Sintra. Sintra is situated at the base of a great mountain, covered in palaces, castles, and their surrounding parks and gardens. The town itself, with the chateaux above it, is simply magical. The houses are quaint and the streets are winding. There are gorges, with bridges and rivers, and panoramic views onto the surrounding countryside. Nothing in Europe can come as close to a fairytale village, as Sintra. After a harrowing ride along the steep cliffs and winding roads of the mountainside, we reached the top, where we then walked uphill to the Palacio de Pena, the greatest of all of Sintra´s castles. Built by an eccentric King and his jeweler friend, containing almost every architectural style since ancient Greece, and precariously situated at the very top of the mountain, Palacio Sintra is one of the greatest pleasure palaces of Europe. The interior is equally as varied as its exterior, providing the visitor an intimate look into the private life of the Royalty of Portugal. The day was soon spent, and after some pottery shopping in the village, we returned to the hotel. On Sunday, after packing our bags, we saw the castle of Lisbon, a great medieval style fortress, which offered spectacular views of Lisbon and the sea. I peeked into the cathedral before heading to lunch, and then, with sighs, we left for Madrid. Though Lisbon was 8 hours by bus from Madrid, the trip is well worth the excitement of its beauty or the calmness of its warm sea breeze.