Portugal

Lisbon DIY Graffiti (Street Art) Tour

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Lisbon has a great selection of public/street art. There are also lots of tour on offer that would take you around and lead you to fantastic pieces around the city. 

I spotted the first piece in Alfahma during the Lisbon Photography Tour I took. Just walking around that area was full of little (and big) colourful surprises. Most Street Art walking tour go around that area. In attempt to spread tourists around the city of Lisbon, Graffiti artists collaborated to paint across the city. To properly see them all, you would need a car. 

We didn't have a car, so we started by going to the Under-Dog Art Store, which is located inside the Montana Lisboa Art Store (Address: Rua da Cintura do Porto, armazém A, nº 20 Cais do Sodré, Lisboa). The Underdog section of the store has a big map that shows you where the major pieces of art are located. You can also purchase a paper map -for €1.50- with the main spots and locations. We didn't have a lot of time, so we went to the Hall of Fame, which had lots of major art that was completed in a previous event. It was basically a very long circular wall (photos below). We also found a few other pieces by chance and walking around. 

You can also arrange a tour with the Under-Dog Art Store, but that needs a minimum of three days notice! 

Restaurants in Lisbon 

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I don't usually write extensively about food on this blog, but since I found that the food in Lisbon and Sintra was a hit and miss, I thought I will share the hits. In the six days I was there, I got a couple of mouth watering meals and a couple of really bad meals that I couldn't even finish. Be warned this post will make you hungry! I am already craving them.  

Few pointers about eating in Lisbon: 

- I know Cod fish is very popular in Portugal, but unfortunately all the Cods I tried were very poor and came from the bottom of the freezer. I would advice you to get sea bass or sea bream instead since all the ones I had were VERY good! 

- All bread and little plates of cheese, cold meat, olives, butter and other things that come to your table when you sit down are NOT FREE! Thankfully, I knew that before visiting from the blogs I read.

- It's very difficult to find decent lunch/dinner from 3pm to 6pm. The only places open are fast food or just below average food. So make sure you eat lunch before 3pm and just wait for after 6 or even 7 for dinner to get better options. 

Breakfast in Lisbon: 

Fábrica Lisboa

We stumbled across this gem by chance. It's small and it doesn't seat more than 20 I don't think, but it's cozy and very quirky. Plus, the croissants, which is their specialty is really fresh and just yummy. I had an egg, cheese and tomato croissant that was just YUM! They have a few other options too. 

Breakfast in Lisbon

Gelato in Lisbon: 

Fiori Gelateria
Cais Do Sodré, 1200 Lisbon

I know not a meal, BUT I really liked this little place and ended up going twice! 

Dinner in Lisbon:

Sea Food dinner in Lisbon: Valbom
Avenida Conde de Valbom 104 112, Lisbon 1050-070, Portugal

Freshest sea food I have ever eaten! SO good that the fish melts in your mouth. They are such pros and you can tell from the fish on ice at the entrance and the special fish knives. The atmosphere was nice, but the interior is very basic. We went late at 10pm, so it wasn't too busy. This was out of the toursity area and had mostly locals. 

Fresh Fish in Lisbon

Fancy Dinner in Lisbon:

Bistro 100 Maneiras

Be aware this is not an affordable option, but well worth the money! It was a birthday treat for my partner and he loved it!! So if you are looking for a very special place to celebrate a birthday or an anniversary this is it! We were very lucky that we got a table without a prior reservation. They even have a list of delicious mocktails that are made to perfection. I got to try Dragonfly while waiting. You should say yes to their bread! It's so fresh and yummy. The starters and dessert were my favourite. I almost made a dance eating them! We tried the egg, mushroom and asparagus starter that came in a jar and the shrimp mini sandwiches without the ham. The mains we tried were very good. We had the vegetarian pasta and the shrimp risotto, but I would love to try something else if I ever go back. The dessert was the chocolate mouse with mint and berries in a jar. That was an epic finale! Their portions were really good and we were super stuffed by the end. By the way, the decor is also lovely! Their bar area and ground floor dinning hall are creative. The upstairs one is nice but not as gorgeous as the downstairs. 

Oh yes! And of course the Pastel De Nata was my addiction that whole week. I think I had two a day, which I thought was quiet good considering that I wanted two each time I have one... I confess, I didn't even make it to Belem and I didn't try them in the most pastry in Portugal, BUT I had one from almost every shop that sold them that I saw on my way! The only thing you need to look for is that they are fresh and warm. They were all so yummy and custard-y! Would love to learn the secret to learning how to make the prefect one. 

Pastel De Nata

Hope you find these recommendations useful and I really hope they remain as good by the time you try them! 

Over to you: What were your favourite places that you have tried and absolutely loved in Lisbon and the areas around? 

The Guesthouse I stayed in in Lisbon

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It was really hard to find a good priced place in Lisbon, but I knew they had a good metro system, so I expanded my search to include areas that are accessible by metro, which lead me to find this lovely gem, the Flower Court Guesthouse

The building itself is just an average building, but the rooms inside the flat were beautiful! Maria, the owner of the place has put in so much effort to personalise each room with gorgeous vintage pieces that she bought and refurbished herself from antique and vintage markets. She has a great taste and all the decor ideas are her own. I loved  supporting a local female who is working hard to provide and excellent service to the visitors of Lisbon. 

There a few rooms in the apartment with three bathrooms. The sunset shed -where we stayed- has its own bathroom. There is also a shared lounge and a fully equipped kitchen. Each room has a cute name and a little board that has the name of the country where the guests have come from! My absolute favourite thing was the recommendation folder that Maria has prepared for her guests of places to eat and visit. I tried one of the restaurants she recommended and it was as delicious as promised!  

The location of this guesthouse is fantastic. It is away from the touristy areas, which means the restaurants around serve really nice food with decent prices. Plus, it's not crowded at all and very accessible to other parts in the city and the airport. I would love to go back to the same guesthouse or that location when I visit again! 

To book your room at the Flower Court Guesthouse, go to booking.com. 

Disclaimer: I got a press rate for this accomedation, but all opinions are my own. 

Over to you: Where was your favourite place you stayed in Lisbon? 

Lisbon Photography Tour + Photography Tips

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Going to Lisbon for the first time and staying there very briefly I was worried I will get overwhelmed by all the possibilities and miss on seeing the city from the eye of a local, So, I decided to book a photography tour! I have never done one before and I am so glad I did. 

After a quick google search and reading some reviews, I contacted Miguel Helfrich -also known as- Lisbon Photo to ask about the available options. He was very responsive and helpful. We settled on Lisbon Photo Lisbon Photo Tour: Around Castelo and Alfama. The tour started at 8am and lasted until 12pm with half an hour break. It was an interesting experience because we got to see the city quietly before all the tourists woke up. We didn't even run into anyone until the last half an hour. It felt like we were alone in the city because Miguel knew the best routes to avoid the crowd.

From the first moment we met Miguel, we started talking about photography. Miguel is a professional photographer who is certified from the Portuguese Photography Institute. He has very cool photography experiences.  He was very helpful in directing us on the best angles and the nicest compositions. We also got to hear few fun stories about Lisbon and the areas we passed by. 

Photography Tour in Lisbon

Five Photography Tips from Lisbon Photo

  1. Kis: Keep it Simple
    No need to complicate things and include too many elements. Just keep the composition simple and focus on specific things rather than fitting everything you see in the frame. 
  2. Follow the Lines
    The amazing thing about many buildings and windows in Lisbon is their sharp, obvious lines, so focus on one line when taking the photo to create interesting geometric compositions. 
  3. Colours the Camera loves
    There are a few tones that the camera loves especially grey ones and when you find such compositions take time to explore how the camera react to those colours. We found one spot like that and all the photos from there were absolutely gorgeous.   
  4. Level up
    I did this mistake a few times, where I found a subject and just took a picture without moving, but if you want a truly great photo, get close and personal to level yourself up with the subject to get great results. 
  5. Add depth to your images  
    Having layers in your image makes their impact stronger. Have a few angles one in the front and another in the back. 

Relevant Posts:

Below are some of the photos that were taken on the tour and more information about the tour options. 

Other photography tour options:

Of course you can go to Lisbon Photo's website and see all the options for yourself, but here are a few that I thought some of you might be interested in:

  •  Day tours in specific neighbourhoods in Lisbon like Alfama (which is the one I did) or a Night tour to play with light and different compositions. 
  • Honeymoon/Hen Do/Personal Photoshoot and photography tour: I get the feeling most of you would love this! So you don't only get to photograph the city, but you have a professional photographer with you to take photos of you!! I think that will be so much fun if you were on your own, on a hen do with the girls or of course a honeymoon!  
  • VIP Tour: If you want to go all out to see and photograph Lisbon from sea, land or air, you can book this on. Miguel will book a private helicopter without doors for you! 
  • Family photo challenge (Amazing for kids!!)
    This one might be great for the parents who are looking for something creative for their kids to do because the kids get to solve some challenges then get to shoot them!

To book your photography tour, workshop or experience, go to Lisbon Photo and book directly!

Disclaimer: This tour was purchased with a media rate, but all opinions are my own! 

Over to you: Have you tried a photography tour before? Where was it and what did you think?