Lisbon is, as they say; ‘having a moment.’ The Portuguese capital has become something of an international hotspot of late, with a deluge of, not just global tourists, but those decamping to become ‘alfacinhas’ – the local term for those living in Lisbon, which adorably (though mysteriously) translates as ‘little lettuce.’
The appeal is abundantly clear from the moment you arrive. This is a city which has atmosphere in spades. Aside from the sunshine, there is a feeling to Lisbon that immediately grips you: colourful façades, grand squares leading out to the Atlantic Ocean and the distinctive yellow trams cutting a precarious path down vertigo-inducing streets. The architecture is a glorious hotchpotch of gothic, baroque and Neo classical, woven together by distinctive Pombadine flourishes – think of those vast, photogenic patterned squares for which Lisbon is famed – which were used to rebuild much of the city after the 1755 earthquake. Forget the uniformity of Paris or Vienna – no two streets in Lisbon are the same.
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