Last week I did a solo trip to Lisbon and Barcelona. This blog post will kinda be a two-in-one. The first part will actually be about my explorations of Lisbon, and the second some reflection I have had while staying in Sintra.
Part 1: Exploring and Staying in Lisbon
First of all, Lisbon is great. I think it was one of the best trips I have taken on my own. I stayed in a place called Nesha Surfhouse, which is essentially a shared house with special deals for surfing. I loved my stay and I recommend this place to any future travelers. The hosts are dope Portugese snowboarders and the house was in the middle of Lisbon, cute and eclectic. From there I had free-transportation to Ericeira, a famous surfing beach in the area. I spent my days surfing and my nights exploring the city. San Fran resembles Lisbon. But Lisbon has its own European charm.
It was really easy for me to meet people in the Surfhouse I stayed in, so it really did not get lonely at all. But at one point, I did meet a girl named Sarah on Couchsurfer. We met in the city for Nepalese food, which ended up meaning eating delicious, and from what I hear, authentic Mo-mos in a hole in a wall. It was awesome.
So. Five Awesome things about Lisbon:
- Warm, open and laid back people. I felt this way about travelers and locals alike.
- Affordable food.
- Amazingly beautiful beaches. Surfing can get a little crowded, so if you can I would avoid weekends.
- The Subway is amazingly simple to navigate. And it is so easy to make day trips.
- The views. The city views. The natural world views. All of it. It is just mind-blowing.
Quick must-do’s in my opinion:
- Surf in Ericeria. You just gotta. The city will be there in the evening, but you gotta catch some waves in the morning.
- Eat at Pasties de Belem
- Try the local Alcohol. This is where I fail. I cannot remember the names for the life of me, but you ask the bartender and they will help you out.
- Spend time studying the Graffiti. This may be a art nerd thing. But I loved it.
Part 2: Strolling through Sintra: Some Reflections
Now here come my philosophical musings. My favorite day trip was to Sintra, and I went with Lukas, another attendant in the guest house.
Sintra is incredibly beautiful with Castles that are mind-boggling-ly lavish. My favourite was the Castelo Dos Mouros, which is a huge stone castle that wraps around the hills in the city. I interestingly learned that the castle originated from Muslim Moors that had invaded the land. As I looked at the grand city it was hard not to think about the way imperial and militarial conquest has shaped the lives and formation of so many countries in the modern world. Of course, Portugal had led the Western world into its own colonial history, which made the occurrence even more interesting.
It seemed that Lukas was thinking of something similar, as being Brazilian meant that He came out of a Portuguese colony. We strolled the Castle asking one another about our respective worlds, and stopped regularly to take way too many pictures, that often fell short of the real view. At one point I commented, You know.. even though Canada was a British colony we don’t really hate the Brits. And even the States had their Revolution, but there doesn’t seem to be a British resentment in the culture.”
Lukas laughed, “ya. That is because they are rich.”
And that struck a chord with me. It’s so true. Our personal conditions influence how we engage with the narratives we are given. I am middle class Canadian, a product of immigration. I look at Canada as my home, and because my life is favorable I have no reason to critique (atleast at first) my world. I am happy, the British may have done damage, but I am not affected… so all is good. But what about those populations, namely the Aboriginals in Canada. What will their interpretation of the same story be? Indeed, anybody who pays attention would know, “not favourable.” (understatement.)
How easy then, is it to make my interpretation the “right one.” It is certainly more pleasant then re-accounting pains from the past… But what is lost when I fail to inform my perspective of the world with the experiences of another?
Lukas broke my thoughts. “you know, the other day I was at a party and this guy was so stupid. He said it was good that Portugal took over Brazil. He said it brought civilization to the people. Nevermind that it took the culture and livelihoods of the people and left it in such poverty. He was just so ignorant”***
… and that.. that is exactly what happens. The injustices of the past are glazed over and justified, while those directly affected are gas-lighted, told that their stories are not as bad as they feel. I spent a lot of time listening to Lukas’s stories… and I learned a lot that day.
We can’t really change the past, but I think we can be more informed so that our narratives are not only shaped by our own experiences, but of course… those of others.
*** a little paraphrasing by me!
Pictures of surfing Castles and Lisbon below!
