As usual, let’s begin with a bit of history. Both Portugal and Spain come under the Iberian Peninsula which also includes Andorra and a bit of southern France. Because of this a large part of the history of Spain and Portugal is common. The ancient history of Europe is dominated by Celtic tribes. These tribes came to the Iberian part around 6^th century BC and tried their best to conquer this part of Europe and establish their dominance similar to northern and central Europe. But they were not successful in their endeavor and the existing Pre-Celtic tribes retained their culture. All of this changed after the Roman occupation around 3^rd century BC. This lasted for several centuries and influenced a lot of architecture in this area. The tribes from Germany also invaded this region and controlled it from 5^th to 7^th century AD. These tribes were called Barbarians in this area. It is mainly because of their different form of language and the people down south considered them as babbling instead of talking. 7^th century saw the advent of Islamic Caliphate in this area and they occupied this region bringing Islamic influence and the traces of this can still be seen in present day. 15% of Spanish vocabulary has arabic origin.

Now the history of the two countries start diverging. The Portugal side of Iberia started to be conquered by Christian kings during 9^th century and by 12^th century most of the Portugal that we know today was under a new king. Gradually they became a big superpower of their time and the empire extended till Asia and South America. In fact a part of India remained a Portuguese colony till late 20^th century. Slowly the English and Dutch influence increased and Portugal ceased to be a house of power. Later democracy took over and within the same geographic boundary the country of Portugal as we know it today was formed.

Throughout the history of Portugal, Lisbon remained the center of all activity. Owing to the large port in town, Lisbon was the hub for trade and commerce. Even now the city continues to be as lively and happening and this was our main destination during the trip to Portugal.

Things to do in Lisbon:

• Tram Ride: It might sound funny but the tram journey in Lisbon is one of the best things that the city has to offer. Compared to the modern day trams in other European cities, Lisbon still operates some old manual gear trams. These trains go through narrow hilly lanes and the driver keeps using the lever to switch gears and change the tram’s pace making a distinct sound of gears locking and unlocking themselves. The most popular of these trams is the tram no. 28. This one cuts through many popular places and gives you the perfect feel of this city. Instead of a single journey ticket, it is advisable to get a day pass costing EUR 6.70 which will give you unlimited access to all forms of public transportation for 24 hours. We purchased it from one of the kiosks in the metro stations. And if you take the EUR 10.20 pass then it will cover suburban trains all the way till Sintra.

• City View: The city has typical brown roofs and densely packed houses in the back drop of hills and ocean. One of the best places to get the city view is near the stop Grace on Tram 28. After getting down keep moving towards the left side and you will see the view point.

• City lights: We were there around Christmas time and entire city was fully decorated. Every square had a gigantic Christmas tree and beautiful lights were hung all through the streets. So if you happen to be in Europe in December then make it a point to stop over in Lisbon. Just taking a leisurely stroll through the bright streets is very much enjoyable.

• Aqueduct: This is an 18^th century aqueduct aimed to bring drinking water to the people of the city. It is an engineering marvel of that time and a very photogenic place as well. We covered it while returning from Sintra by getting down at the station Campolide. It is right next to the station.

• Commercial Square: This is huge square located near the sea and right next to metro Terriero do Paco. It is one of the happening places in the city and has nice restaurants near by. This also comes under the route of Tram 28.

• The Street Arts: Lisbon had some of the amazing collection of street arts. It goes to such an extent that even the suburban trains and trams are marked with graffiti. So be extra mindful and take some time to pause and appreciate the art work all around your city tour.

• Sintra Day Trip: Sintra is a small town which is nearly an hour away from Lisbon. One-way ticket will cost nearly EUR 1.50 if you don’t have the pass. You have to catch the train from Rossio station. There are many places to visit in Sintra and you will easily need 6-7 hours to cover them all. Right in front of the station there are few tour operator offering hop-on hop-off bus service. We chose the one operated by City Sightseeing. The per person cost is EUR 20. They have a short route labelled as blue line and the longer route labelled as red line. If you are going all the way to Sintra then our recommendation will be to take the red line and explore all the places. The frequency of the bus is every 40 minutes and you do need that time to fully explore the stop. We spent nearly 2 hours in stop no. 4 itself. Here are the key must visit attractions in this trip:

– Quinta da Regaleria: This is the 4^th stop on the route. This huge estate was built for a very rich trader of Portugal and it was designed by an architect from Italy. The home is a palace with beautiful gardens and a cathedral inside.

– Initiation Well: This is in the same complex. Although it is not very clear how this was used, still the architecture is beautiful and you can take the stairs to go all the way to the bottom of the well.

– Coba da Roca: This is the western most point of the mainland Europe as documented by Geographers. And the poet’s say that this is the place where the land ends and the sea begins. You can do a small almost flat trek here to reach near the tip and take pictures of the light house. This is the 9^th stop on the route. There are some restaurants around in case you want to grab a quick lunch before catching the next bus.

– Pena Palace:  This is considered to be the most beautiful palace in this region. Unfortunately, owing to bad weather we couldn’t fully explore it. This is a very colorful castle and it went through several restorations to bring it to its current form. This is mainly used by government officials now and it is the 14^th stop in the route.

Food: A trip to Lisbon is incomplete if you don’t try some of the great food that the city has to offer. We recommend two places which were really amazing.

– Taberna da Rua das Flores: This is a small restaurant and was highly recommended by my colleagues. Their menu keeps changing every day depending on what fresh supply they are able to get. It is located near the old area of the city and is also on the route of Tram 28. Reach there early to avoid long waiting times. We reached around 6 PM and were able to get a seat immediately. And while we were eating, we saw the queue which kept increasing.

– O Cacho Dourado: This was right next to our hotel and a very popular joint for the locals as well. It was near the main square of the city.

Accommodation: Stay at the heart of the city. It is worth paying little extra and have the main square within walking distance. You don’t have any mental time limit even if you are roaming around late at night enjoying the city.