🇵🇹 Portugal

Hej! I share an extract of my experience of visiting bright and contrasty Portugal. I was there in the spring of 2024. Below are some notes on what I tasted, saw and listened to.
Important: I only share my own experience and recommend the things I personally tried and liked. Therefore, everything written below is extremely subjective, and also does not cover all the wonderful local attributes and places ☺️.

🗺 Places: Lisbon, Algés, Cascais, Sintra.

🏛 Top sights visited:

1. Lisbon
   • Santa Justa Lift (Elevador de Santa Justa)
   • Rua Augusta Street & Arch (Arco da Rua Augusta)
   • The Commerce Plaza (Praça do Comércio)
   • Lisbon Cathedral (Sé de Lisboa)
   • Saint George’s Castle (Castelo de São Jorge)
   • The Jerónimos Monastery (Mosteiro dos Jerónimos)
   • The Monument of the Discoveries (Padrão dos Descobrimentos)
   • Belém Tower (Torre de Belém)
2. Algés
   • Algés Beach (Praia de Algés)
   • Anjos Palace (Palácio Anjos)
   • Algés Market (Mercado de Algés)
3. Cascais
   • Seixas Palace (Palacio Seixas)
   • The Citadel of Cascais (Cidadela de Cascais)
   • Marechal Carmona Park (Parque Marechal Carmona)
   • St Sebastian’s Tower (Palácio dos Condes de Castro Guimarães)
   • Boca do Inferno (Boca do Inferno)
4. Sintra
   • The Pena Palace (Palácio da Pena)
   • Sintra National Palace (Palácio de Sintra)
   • Quinta da Regaleira (Quinta da Regaleira)
   • Moorish Castle (Castelo dos Mouros)

🎧 Local musicians:

• 🇵🇹 Kura (DJ). Genre: house
• 🇵🇹 Os Quatro e Meia (band). Genre: pop
• 🇵🇹 Diana Lima (singer). Genre: pop
• 🇵🇹 Murta (singer). Genre: pop
• 🇵🇹 Resistência (band). Genre: retro-pop
• 🇵🇹 Ivandro (singer). Genre: pop

🥘 Local food & drinks:

• Caldo Verde Soup (Caldo verde)
• Bifana Sandwich (Bifana)
• Salt Cod Croquettes (Pastéis de Bacalhau)
• Grilled Sardines (Sardinhas Assadas)
• Portuguese Stew (Cozido)
• Cod with Double Cream (Bacalhau com Natas)
• Serra da Estrela Cheese (Queijo Serra da Estrela)
• Portuguese-style Octopus (Polvo Grelhado)
• Portuguese Pastry (Pastel de Nata)
• Port Wine (Brand: “Ferreira”)
• Green Wine (Brand: “Muralhas Vinho Verde”)
• Lisbon (Regional Special): De Belém Pastry (Pastel de Belém)

🎬 Local movies:

• A Sublime Life (Uma Vida Sublime). Year: 2018. Genre: thriller / drama
• Ice Merchants (Ice Merchants). Year: 2022. Genre: short
• Momentos (Momentos). Year: 2010. Genre: short
  

🪔 Authentic artifacts:

• The Fado Music (Fado)
• Portuguese Guitar (Guitarra Portuguesa)
• Portuguese Architecture (A Arquitetura Portuguesa)
• The Azulejo (Azulejo)
• Portuguese Seamanship and Maritime Exploration (Marinharia e Exploração Marítima)
• Authentic Garb: Portuguese Traje (Traje Português)
• Lisbon Yellow Trams (Eléctricos Amarelos de Lisboa)

🦉 Local wisdom: “If horseshoes brought luck, donkeys wouldn’t pull carts” / “Se ferradura trouxesse sorte, burro não puxava carroça” — Portuguese proverb

👨‍🎓The oldest university: The University of Coimbra (Universidade de Coimbra), Coimbra, est. 1290.