Jamie & Kim's European Adventure: Trip 10: Lisbon, Portugal

Another fantastic long weekend trip . . . this time to Portugal! With it's subtropical Mediterranean climate, Lisbon has one of the warmest winters in Europe. The sunny 60 degree weather was a welcome change from the 30 degree gray cloudy days in the Netherlands.
We visited many districts/neighborhoods of Lisbon including:
* Baixa - meaning downtown where we stayed, explored during our bike tour and stopped at cafe Martinho Da Arcada on the main square to try the traditional Portuguese egg custard tart (so yummy!)
* Alfama - the oldest district with scenic views and home of the Castle of St. George and the Lisbon Cathedral. We biked through Alfama during our bike tour on Friday, stopped for a wine tasting at Instinctus and also returned on Saturday night for dinner at Claras em Castelo (delicious Portuguese cuisine)
* Bairro Alto - the upper quarter and entertainment district where we stopped for cocktails and watched the sunset at the Barrio Alto Hotel rooftop bar on Thursday night and enjoyed the nightlife on Friday night
* Chiado - the shopping district where we shopped, visited the oldest and most famous cafe in Lisbon, Cafe a Brasileira, and enjoyed yet another traditional egg custard pastry, had dinner at Sacramento restaurant and bar on Thursday evening and dinner at Pharmacia (located inside the Pharmacy Museum with interior decor inspired by old traditional pharmacies and staff dressed as pharmacists . . a very weird/unique experience!) on Friday evening
* Belem - famous for the place where the great explorers set off on their voyages of discovery and now home to many historical monuments - Monastery, Tower of Belem, Monument to the Discoveries, etc.
* Cascais - a resort/beach town where we took a train 30km west from Lisbon on Saturday. This was my favorite part of the trip due to the gorgeous beaches and delicious fresh fish (and white sangria!). We walked around the town and up the coast, stopped at a few beaches and admired the views.