Hello friends,
I have been CouchSurfing all over the world and meeting many different people who have been hosting me in their lovely homes. This time it was a unique situation. I have been sharing my CouchSurfing stories with my best friend, Sol and she decided to sign up as well. Sol had business in Spain a few months back and she had always wanted to go to Portugal. This was a great opportunity for her to come to Portugal if she could find a couch and someone to host her. After many attempts on finding a host, she had no luck. Either they did not respond, they were out of town or they had someone else staying with them. Well, she was finally accepted by Humberto. He was a Portuguese born citizen who also had lived in the United States for several years. She had time to stay in Portugal for only 2 nights but she had such a fun time with him. He was a gracious and attentive host who showed her all of the cool sites in Lisbon. Sol had such an unforgettable experience in Lisbon and with her very first CouchSurfing host.
She shared with Humberto that I was also in Europe and asked him if it were okay if he could host me as well. Without any hesitation, Humberto gladly agreed since I was Sol's best friend. :) Usually, the host and the guest have to check out each other's references but Sol was enough of a vouch for me. I was so excited to come so I booked a flight to Portugal and off I went.
Humberto picked me up from the airport and from the minute I got off the plane, we were exploring Lisbon and the surrounding cities.
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| My host lives in the Chiado area and we took a walk around the neighborhood when I first arrived. |
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The Design and Fashion Museum in Lisbon
This museum is one of the top museums in terms of 20th century design and fashion. It houses designs of over 230 designers from all over the world which represents trend and design. They also have an exhibit displaying how fashion and design has evolved during the 20th century. The Mude Museum (meaning "change" in Portuguese) has over 1000 design objects and over 1200 fashion pieces from famous designers such as Yves Saint Laurent, John Paul Gaultier , John Galliano and Cristian Dior. This was a definite sight to see being the "Global Fashionista".
http://www.golisbon.com/sight-seeing/design-museum.html |
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| Humberto and I are both foodies and I was excited that he took me to one of his local Portuguese restaurants. Many famous politicians, sports players and actors have frequented this lovely place. |
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| Calamares with olive oil and paprika |
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| delicious, creamy Portuguese cheese |
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Quinta do Crasto Douro 2008
http://www.quintadocrasto.pt/uk/intro.htm
One of the best red wines I have had in a very long time!! I am not much of a red wine drinker or a drinker for that matter but the flavor was so rich, full bodied and smooth! You must try it! |
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| Bacalao Fish with small potatoes, red peppers, garlic and some other tasty stuff! |
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| Baby goat was sooo tender and full of flavor! |
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| local train station |
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Humberto took me to listen to traditional fado music.
The tiny joint was packed and filled from wall to wall! |
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| Fado singers and musicians singing their hearts out! |
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| Asian singer has only lived in Portugal for a year and a half but he blew people away when he opened up his mouth and started to sing Portuguese fado. |
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| The next day, we went for a wonderful drive along the coast of Lisbon and visited the surrounding cities . |
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Cabo da Roca
This is the westernmost point of Portugal and Europe |
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| Lighthouse at Cabo da Roca |
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| The Park and Palace of Pena is an Unesco World Heritage Site and is one of Portugal's seven wonders of the world. |
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| The Palace is located on the top of the hill, overlooking the town of Sintra. |
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| Nothing like touring the coast of Portugal in a hot, yellow luxury mobile. Yellow is my favorite color! :) |
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| Humberto took me to a couple of different Portuguese bakeries that serves the famous custard tarts and had me determine the better tart. |
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| This place served the flakier, more creamy tart. |
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| steak with goat cheese melted on top |
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| free percussion concert near the home of my host |
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| Humberto is also a culinary master by hobby. He wanted to cook me a delicious meal served with rice and various forms of shellfish. |
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| local fresh market near his house |
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| clams |
Posts
really nice and informative blog. Thanks for share.
ReplyDeleteFlights to Bangkok
Hola, me gustaría visitar Lisboa el último fin de semana de Junio, quedarme en alguna casa y conocer a alguien que me recomienda cosas de interés en la ciudad. Soy de Sevilla (España).
ReplyDeleteUn saludo