Valerie In Lisboa

Exploring Cascais

november 25, 2016

Not only in the summer, but also with colder weather Cascais is a magical place to visit. My cousin from Germany is visiting me for a week and we decided to head to Cascais for a day trip since it's only 40 minutes by train from Lisbon. Instead of going straight to the beach like I always did in the summer, we decided to go exploring and ended up finding some really cool places.

Porto

48 Hours in Porto

november 13, 2016

One of the advantages of studying in Lisbon is that you are just a train ride away from the beautiful city Porto. As I have some friends doing their Erasmus there it was also the perfect occasion to pay them a little visit.

We arrived Saturday morning and left on Sunday evening so time was precious but luckily we had the best tour guide EVER (my friend Lore) to show us around the city.

Since Porto is not as big as Lisbon, the best way to explore it is by walking.

If you are looking for a good spot to have breakfast or lunch O Diplomata is a place to remember.

Sintra

Day Trip To Sintra

november 08, 2016

Sintra is a town 40 min by train from Lisbon and as my Portuguese teacher is a very big fan of this place, Jolien and I decided to jump on the train and see what the fuss is about. Sintra really is as impressive as they say, not only for the architecture and buildings but also for the nature. It's much greener than I would have imagined.
We visited the Pena Palace and the Castle of the Moors. The easiest and fastest way is to start at the top by taking a bus and walk down. This way you will make the most out of your time as everything is quite far apart.

Algarve

48 Hours In Algarve

oktober 17, 2016

When the Erasmus life is getting a little to exhausting and you need a weekend to relax, there is no better place than the south of Portugal. Algarve has a few of the most beautiful beaches and if you're lucky the weather stays nice until the end of October.

I went to the Algarve with an erasmus association but the best way to go is by renting a car with a group of friends. That's the easiest way to reach the different beaches as the best ones are usually a little secluded. I was lucky that our hotel was within walking distance of Praia Da Rocha.

The Best Markets In Lisbon: Feira Da Ladra

september 18, 2016

One of the best flea markets in Lisbon is without a doubt Feira Da Ladra (or Thieve's market) in the Alfama neighbourhood. The market is every Tuesday and Saturday and I've been told that the secret to finding great stuff is to go early in the morning.

If you are not that interested in the bargains it's also a great place for a walk on a sunny day.