Portugal: Day Three // Castelo de Sao Jorge

Day three brought more wanderings around the impossibly charming streets of Lisbon. It seems that the further up the steep side streets you go, edging further away from the commercial centre, the more captivating the city becomes.

I adored the colourful terraces and cobbled streets. They seemed to be soaked in history. In fact, one street even had black and white photographs of it's previous inhabitants hung up. As you walked along, you could literally see the history of the street. I totally feel in love with that idea but somehow don't think it would have the same nostalgic appeal on my street here in Hastings. 

I have no idea why they are crocheting a coat for this tree but I appreciate it!

Some of us braved the hundreds of steps up to the viewpoint over the city. However, some of us (ahem, me!) were far too lazy and when they saw the glass elevator eagerly waiting to take us up with minimal effort, well it seemed rude not to! This is the view of the others waiting for us at the top.

The view point is only two thirds of the way up the hill and so we continued our climb a little further to reach Lisbon's famous castle, Castelo de Sao Jorge. The first fortifications on the site are thought to date back as far as 2nd Century BC but today is home to Moorish ruins and a castle that has been extensively added to and renovated over the centuries. Its majestic and remarkably intact. Better still, the views over the city are unbeatable. It's worth the entry fee for them alone.

After our fill of imagining ourselves as princesses, it was time to listen to our rumbling tummies and find a spot for lunch.

Steve's little friend. 

Tinned fish is BIG in Portugal. I don't get it but I LOVE the shops full of colourful tins. So pretty!

Portugal: Day Two // Of all the bars..

It is no exaggeration to say that we were spoilt rotten this holiday.

In the evening of our second day, the parentals treated us to dinner at The Hard Rock cafe. Hard Rocks are pretty much everywhere and sell (pretty pricey!) American food. The food is hit or miss but what they're famous for is the atmosphere - infamously enthusiastic 'edgy' waiters, a tonne of noise and the whole place is covered head-to-toe with Rock N Roll memorabilia. Our evening (or day for that matter) was not jam packed with Portuguese culture and tradition but sometimes you just fancy a burger. 

These vernacular lifts help make the sheer hills of Lisbon manageable.

At the very top of the impossibly steep hill, we were at a loss. The guidebook had promised a thriving night life. We were met with dark, dingy streets. After a little walk, we finally found a cluster of bars and for some unknown reason we chose the empty one. The bar staff were so happy to see, well, anyone that they quickly laid us up with a round of free shots. The photos certainly show how much we enjoyed them...

Ever the party poopers (well more me, than Steve), we headed home with the grown ups leaving my siblings to party properly. As we were leaving, the bar was heaving so I like to think our group brought the party! :)

It turns out that if we'd taken a right at the lift rather than a left, that is where the actual bars are. Never mind, we had a pretty good time in our empty, dingy bar, watching homemade footage on the screens and listening to Tyler's questionable musical requests, he certainly kept the DJ busy!

Portugal: Day two // Hanging with the monkeys..

After a good breakfast at our hotel, we headed out for the day. Pretty much everyone in my family is obsessed with zoos. I really don't know where it comes from but it's something that those who have married into our weird clan have had to get used to... to their dismay.

Lisbon Zoological gardens was super easy to get to from the main city (it even has it's own stop on the Metro/tube) and the journey only took about twenty minutes. We popped our heads out from the metro station and saw this glorious sight immediately. Our excitement was palpable.

My step-sister, Savannah, was pretty chuffed to find a restaurant named after her ;)

Had to get a picture of the rhinos spotty bottoms!

My step-dad pretending to be a turtle....

This little guy was the biggest show off in the zoo. We had us captivated for about forty minutes with his acrobatic skills and fearless jumps.

Those our people's apartments - how amazing would it be to live looking over the animals?! I can't say i'd love the smell though... 

Steve had his very own Harry Potter moment inside the reptile house. This creepy guy was pretty friendly.

I've seen a lot of dolphin shows and the majority of them were pretty similar, give or take a few flips. What was fantastic about this one was the depth of the water. It's not visible in this photo but the tank was really deep and a lot of the show took place underwater. I was holding my breath the entire show with what the trainers were able to achieve underwater. Incredible!