September
07
An-Daz-zling Lisbon for a perfect stay
Reporter Sally Windsor had the ultimate city break in the stylish Portuguese capital…
It had been so long since I’d managed to get off the sofa, let alone get out of the country, that the idea of a trip to Lisbon felt like something of a minor miracle.
A beginning-of-summer escape to Portugal’s capital was exactly what I needed – sunshine, beautiful buildings, good food and, hopefully, a little bit of inspiration.
And Lisbon certainly didn’t disappoint.
There is something immediately different about Lisbon. It has the warmth and vibrancy you might expect from a Mediterranean city, but it doesn’t feel like Spain, or anywhere else for that matter. Portugal has a very strong identity of its own, and Lisbon wears that identity proudly.
It is a city of tiled buildings, steep cobbled streets, grand squares, tiny cafés, beautiful viewpoints and an extraordinary amount of history. But what struck me most was how effortlessly the old and the new sit alongside one another.
You can spend the morning wandering through centuries-old streets and then find yourself in a stylish restaurant, bar or boutique a few minutes later.
For my stay, I was at the Andaz Lisbon, right in the heart of the city at Praça do Comércio.
The location is hard to beat. Lisbon is a city made for exploring on foot, and being centrally based meant that so much of what I wanted to see was right on the doorstep.
The hotel itself has a very contemporary feel, but it doesn’t feel as though it could be anywhere in the world. There is a real sense of place, with Portuguese influences worked into the design and details.
After a day spent walking Lisbon’s hills and cobbled streets, coming back to somewhere comfortable and stylish was a welcome luxury.
And it was the little details that made the stay memorable – the combination of modern design, Portuguese character and the feeling that you were genuinely in Lisbon rather than simply staying in a generic luxury hotel.
One of the things I loved about Lisbon was discovering that there was so much more to it than simply looking at beautiful buildings.
The city has an incredible cultural history, and everywhere you go there seems to be another story attached to a street, a building or a person.
One of those people is Fernando Pessoa, Portugal’s most famous poet and one of the country’s most fascinating literary figures.
I discovered just how important Pessoa is to Lisbon while visiting what is said to be the oldest bookshop in the world.
Walking into a place with that kind of history is quite extraordinary in itself, but being told about Pessoa and his life added another dimension. His story is fascinating, and his presence can be felt all over the city.
Lisbon seems to have embraced him completely. There are references to Pessoa everywhere, and you quickly realise that he isn’t simply a famous writer from Portugal’s past – he is woven into the identity of the city itself.
Another highlight of the trip was getting the chance to experience some of Lisbon’s creative side.
Jewellery-making might not be the first thing you associate with a city break, but it turned out to be one of those experiences that gave me a completely different connection to the place.
There is something wonderful about being able to make something with your own hands while you’re travelling. Rather than simply taking photographs and buying souvenirs, you create something that actually reminds you of the experience.
It also gave me another glimpse into the craftsmanship and creativity that are such an important part of Portuguese culture.
Of course, no trip to Lisbon would be complete without trying some of the local food and drink.
One of the things I was introduced to was ginjinha – a traditional Portuguese cherry liqueur.
It is served in small glasses and has a wonderfully sweet, warming flavour. It is the sort of drink that feels intrinsically connected to Lisbon: simple, traditional and best enjoyed as part of the experience of being there.
If you like a good sherry, I’d definitely recommend trying it.
And that, really, is what I came to love about Lisbon.
It isn’t just a city you look at. It is a city you taste, walk through, listen to and experience.
There are the grand landmarks and the postcard views, of course, but some of my favourite memories came from the smaller discoveries – the old bookshop, learning about Pessoa, making jewellery, stopping for a drink and simply wandering around and seeing where the streets took me.
Lisbon manages to be historic without feeling stuck in the past, stylish without losing its character and lively without becoming overwhelming.
After spending so long feeling as though I hadn’t managed to get very far from home, I hadn’t realised quite how much I needed to go somewhere completely different.
Lisbon gave me exactly that – a change of scene, a dose of sunshine, plenty of history and culture, and the chance to remember just how much fun it can be to discover somewhere new.
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