LISBON

Laura and I visited Lisbon 9 years ago. It was the summer before she started grad school. We had rooftop drinks every night, ate delicious seafood and walked and walked. We had a blast and one week was just not enough. Yet I haven’t been back….until now.

My memory of Lisbon is that it is charming all at once — an endearing mix of now and then. Vintage trolleys shiver up and down its hills, bird-stained statues mark grand squares, taxis rattle and screech through cobbled lanes, and Art Nouveau cafés are filled equally with well-worn and well-dressed locals — nursing their coffees side-by-side. It’s a city of proud ironwork balconies, multicolored tiles, and mosaic sidewalks; of bougainvillea and red-tiled roofs with antique TV antennas; and of foodie haunts and designer boutiques.

I actually thought I’d try Sydney this year, but I kept hitting a brick wall in my search for the perfect apartment. Since this is my 14th Shirleyfest, I know now the universe is trying to tell me something when that happens. It was whispering. “Lisbon”.

Why not Lisbon? Absolutely no reason. It is one of the oldest cities in the world and the second-oldest European capital city (after Athens) predating other modern European capitals by centuries. It is mainland Europe’s westernmost capital city (second overall after Reykjavik) the only one along the Atlantic coast, the others (Reykjavik and Dublin) being on islands. So history and geography conspired to create Lisbon for my next Shirleyfest.

Once I got it in my head that this is where Shirleyfest must be, I had a simultaneous thought…stay longer. So my friends Nick and Ivan put me in touch with a relocation company they had used and lo and behold they had the perfect apartment. It’s in the area of Lisbon called CAMPO DE OURIQUE. I’m staying longer this year so look for lots more posts!

Here’s a few snaps of my new place:

So as always please pass along to me ideas, tips and any people that would make my stay interesting. I look forward to sharing my adventure with you.