American On my birthday, I crossed the pond to Lisbon, Portugal, the gateway to continental Europe.
Lisbon is second to none, with an authentic blend of artistic tiles along many of the city’s buildings, highlighting the natural beauty of the coast.
There’s a stargazing view as the plane meets the Portuguese coastline. You have a 50/50 chance to see the fantastic sight of the Christ of the Kings statue, inspired by Rio de Janeiro’s famous Christ of Corcovado statue.
The city blends a rich history as Europe’s second oldest capital, complemented by modern feats such as the longest bridge in the European Union. Lisbon is home to Livlaría Bertrand, the oldest bookstore in the world.
“If Lisbon and Portugal belong to the same group as other Southern European countries, it is a quiet country with slow music,” says Sergio Pereira from Portugal, describing the city’s quiet atmosphere. was properly explained.
The navigable, centralized capital of Portugal is a maritime city of about three million people, roughly the size of the Minneapolis metropolitan area.
Arrival is easy with the clean and comfortable 20 minute metro ride from the airport to the city for a reasonable €2. The majority of Portuguese speak fairly fluent English.
Isaiah Peters, assistant digital editor, and his friend Sérgio Perreira, master’s student at the University of Lisbon, in Praça do Comércio, August 7, 2022.
Portugal’s story is complicated
One of the longest reigning empires in Europe was the Portuguese Empire. Portugal once held Brazil, which was the largest landmass to become a single country after Canada. Today, Brazilians make up about 211,000 of Portugal’s 10 million population. The high degree of cultural exchange and movement between the two countries is evident in street performances and music.
The first day revealed an interesting observation. Lisbon and San Francisco have considerable similarities.
The first thing I noticed was when Lisbon’s street hill suddenly steepened.
The 1755 earthquake destroyed 85% of the buildings in Lisbon, and the 1906 earthquake destroyed more than 80% of the buildings in San Francisco. The city he built on seven hills, both of which have the iconic city symbol of a cable car to deal with the steep hills.
Both cities also have impressive giant dark red suspension bridges that adorn their vast seafront skylines.
With more than six centuries of infamous colonial rule, Portugal rivals much larger and more populous Britain, France and Spain. Portugal controlled parts of Asia, Africa, Australia, and South America.
When I visited the Palacio Nacional de Belemazar Presidential Palace, I was intrigued by how diverse Portuguese culture is.
Despite black Portuguese making up less than 2% of the country’s population, it should come as no surprise that in the national sport, soccer, a quarter of the players on the team are black.
Four black MPs have been elected since Portugal became a republic in 1974, with the most recent one being elected in 2019.
The city is home to three UNESCO World Heritage Sites and iVisa ranked Lisbon the happiest city in 2022.
Lisbon offers a range of interests that many cities can’t match, including museums, galleries, streets full of beach activities, and endless preserved history. Castles and palaces dot some corners.
The atmosphere is unique, with seafood being a staple and nostalgia-inducing Fado music complementing the sunset and Bairro Alto’s exciting nightlife.
Must eat:
Pasteéis de Belém is a pastry to die for. A crunchy, sweet and thick mixture of custard, eggs and sugar.
Must see:
Visually, the city has some of the finest architecture in the world.
Notable mentions: Belem Tower, Sintra Palacios, Comercio Square, Jeronimos Monastery.
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