Obrigado, Lisboa

Aaaah Lisbon. Where days begin at 2pm and end at 5am, and Jamon Iberico is the primary food group, and water with meals is an afterthought. Lisbon, the city by the sea, where the buildings are colorful and covered in tiles, the hills are steep, the people are friendly, and the drinks are cheap. Lisbon, you're a tough one to leave, that's for sure.

Before I left New York in January, my close friends all committed to dates to come visit me in London or elsewhere (I really do have the best friends). The last in this procession of adventures was Lisbon with my friends Sam, Mike, Brock and Wes. 

Our trip to Lisbon was initially anchored around NOS Alive music festival, which featured big acts including: The Weeknd, the xx, Alt-J, Foo Fighters, Bonobo, Phoenix, Glass Animals and many more. In actuality we only made it to one night of the festival (which got going at 10:30pm and finished at 4am!) and used the remaining time to explore the city and its surroundings. 

Lisbon is known to many as San Francisco's European sister city, as the two share identical Golden Gate Bridges, and cable cars, and very (read: VERY) steep hills. Seriously about the hills though... in 3.5 days I walked 20+ miles and climbed 150 flights of stairs. Unfortunately the weather wasn't entirely on our side this time, so I'll obviously have to go back to check out the beaches. A few highlights from this round:

• TimeOut (yep, the magazine) Market - an massive indoor food market that reminded me of Foodhallen in Amsterdam. Sam and I began each day here (typically around 3pm) with prosciutto toast and red wine, naturally. If you're in Lisbon this is an absolute must. 
• LX Factory - a mini-city filled with adorable little stores, coffee shops, restaurants and a beer garden located a couple miles outside of Lisbon's city center
• Quinta de Regaleira - a lush estate, UNESCO World Heritage site, palace and chapel located in Sintra, a 45 minute drive from Lisbon's city center. Extensive underground tunnels culminated in the "Initiation Well," a 29 meter underground spiral staircase used for Tarot initiation rites. 
• Castelo dos Mouros - also a UNESCO World Heritage site, located a few steep miles up the mountain from Quinta de Regaleira (tuk-tuk recommended), this eighth century castle sits high above the clouds. 
• Beaches: Unfortunately weather did not permit this time, but Cascais and Troia were highly recommended to us by locals
• Belem: Home to Mosterio Jeronimos and the infamous Pasteis de Nata, Portugal's crown jewel... a delicious custard pastry.

We covered a lot of ground in a relatively short time this past weekend. More than anything, though, my trip to Lisbon serves as a reminder of just how nice it is to have close friends nearby. It was such a treat having my pals on this side of the pond. Can't wait for the next adventure!