Going away for a few days to Lisbon with friends

Lessons learned:

1. Make sure to ask at any transit bus station if the city has more than one station!





2. If you happen not to ask, don't despair if you are stranded in an unknown city in the middle of the night - there is always a way out.


3. The value of having a network can never be underestimated: If you make a nightly emergency-call to the only person you know in the city, and you're told that "no problem, you can crash at my place for the night," you feel very grateful. Thank you, Chris!!!


4. Dancing Merengue can make you feel better no matter how tired, stressed and hungry you are.


5. A Spanish tortilla tastes like the most amazing thing you've ever had when you're tired, stressed and hungry at 4:00 am.


6. An extra blanket will help you freeze less during the night.


7. Don't despair if you're made to wait and wait and wait, while given a thousand contradictory messages at the bus station the morning after you should have left.


8. A call from Tito telling you everything will be all right while waiting for further notice, can almost make you cry. And as usual, Tito is not wrong. Your ticket, that you were told was lost several times before, is finally changed. You can lean back, start breathing again and enjoy the 6 hours bus-ride to Lisbon.

Highlights:

1. The castles of Sintra.


2. The amazing greenness of the region (green grass, green trees and green bushes as far as you can see.)


3. Having an authentic bacalao with port-wine.


4. The view from the São Jorge castle.


5. 17 degrees in December.


6. Meeting lots of great people.