Leaving Portimao and the Algarve had felt like stepping out of a dream. Our legs were tired, our voices were gone, and our bodies were still buzzing from the music. Lisbon was the perfect next chapter, a city that didn’t demand anything from us except to wander, breathe and exist.
We stayed in Lisbon for two nights, giving us one day to explore as much of the city as possible. Lisbon had this calm confidence to it; it had colourful streets, trams rattling past, and warm air that felt softer than the Algarve sun. It was busy, without being overwhelming, beautiful without trying too hard.
On the first day, we wandered up a hill, unintentionally, to find ourselves standing in front of the National Pantheon.
The building was beautiful. We caught our breath and sat on the steps to take it all in, all while deciding where to go next. It was here we realised, through searching Google Maps, how long it would take us to see anything, then at that moment someone offered a tuk-tuk ride. They do these so they can go through the narrow streets of Lisbon. Now usually, we would take our time exploring the city on our own, but the heat was testing us, and the comfort of a ride sounded good. So we negotiated a price, sat down and let the tour begin.
Lisbon is a city that offers colours: yellow buildings, pink walls, blue tiles that looked like they’d been painted by hand centuries ago. Every corner, every street had a story. The tuk-tuk carried us through neighbourhoods we wouldn’t have reached on foot, letting us see the city’s layers, old, new, quiet and loud, all stitched together with colour and light.
Then, as the sun began to set, the calm confidence of the daytime gave way to something louder, brighter and a little chaotic in the best way. We made our way to Pink Street, the famous strip painted in bubble-gum pink, glowing under neon signs and bar lights.
The whole street felt alive, music spilling out of every doorway, people laughing, bartenders shouting drink deals, tourists lining up for photos on the pink street like it was a landmark carved in stone. We drifted between a few bars before finding ourselves in one that looked like a ship inside, ordered a drink, and just watched the city night unfold in front of us before heading home to plan the next part of our trip.
Lisbon had its own rhythm. The kind that makes you feel young, free and exactly where you’re supposed to be.
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