Lisbon photo highlights by Nathaniel Ileto, a 3rd year Portuguese & Spanish student at King’s College London who is currently on his year abroad.
Year Abroad Destinations:
Semester 1: Studied at Universidade de Lisboa in Lisbon, Portugal
Semester 2: Studying at Universidad de Cadiz in Cadiz, Spain
So I recently came back from Lisbon, and Omams asked me to contribute to this series. I decided to pick 5 pictures that would sum up my lisboeta experience, so here it goes…
Pastéis de Nata from Manteigaria (Photo 1)
You’ll be spoilt with lots of food in Lisbon. Of course, there’s the famous custard tart (yes, the ones from Manteigaria in Chiado are the best). As well as the famous grilled chicken that inspired the one at Nando’s and salted codfish – or what the locals call ‘bacalhau’, usually served with these walkers-style potatoes. In terms of drinks, there are plenty of nice wine…you can even get a decent bottle for 1.50 euros! Food and drink are clearly very cheap in Lisbon, but of course, you gotta budget (and not spend all your money on pastries).
Sunset in Graça (Photo 2)
In Lisbon, I learnt how to treasure the simple things in life such as the sunset. There are lots of viewpoints where it’s possible to see aerial views of the city. When I first saw the sunset at Graça, I was simply mesmerised by the whole sight of it…since in London, the sun almost never comes out. This nearly became a hobby during my final weeks – I’d usually go and drink beer with my friends and watch the sun go down over the River Tagus. But yes, you gotta treasure what you have in front of you, no need for grandiose..
Tram 28 (Photo 3)
Almost all the tourists take Tram 28 because it goes through all the main touristy bits of the city. I’d usually wake up in my central Lisbon flat because of the rickety noise made by the tram outside my window. But let me warn you, you need these trams because Lisbon is HILLY! Lisbon was in fact built on seven hills (like Rome). But yes, I’d say do a lot of research about the public transport and the weather of your year abroad destinations…
Beco da Madalena (Photo 4)
There are a lot of hidden treasures in Lisbon. To quote the bloggers, Damon and Jo – “life just spills out in the streets”. It really does, the colourful tiles, traditional styled houses, the old folk hanging out in the street during the day. A chance to practice your target language I’d really advise you to explore what’s on your doorstep, you might be missing out on something marvellous.
Waiting for the Metro (Photo 5)
Lastly, I think I turned more Brazilian in Lisbon. I was scared I was gonna turn more Portuguese, but I’d say living in Lisbon had allowed me to understand both European and Brazilian variants. I made plenty of Brazilian friends (and they taught me plenty of slang). During your year abroad, you also meet people you’d never expect to meet, you make lots of memorable experiences and connections. You might meet a stranger one day…and the next you might be spending New Year’s Eve with them! Things can quickly go from 1 to 100 with the people you meet. I’ve definitely learnt more about myself and the way I react to situations during the Year Abroad, so my advice is be open minded!
If you’d like to connect with Nathaniel, share year abroad stories or give some helpful advice, follow Nathaniel at:
Facebook: Kyle Ileto
Instagram: @kyle_ileto
