pasteis de belem / lisboa

20 March 2012

first thing you should do if you’re visiting lisbon, is emerging in real portuguese culture and head to this spot for your sweet fix!

pasteis de belem was established in 1837 and they sell about 20 000 pasteis de nata – portuguese custard tarts – a day!

this place is always packed, with locals and tourists, but the line is quick and so worth the wait.

you can find them in pastry shops all over the country, but these ones are my favourites – i crave them all the time! some like them with powdered sugar, i like them with cinnamon. and some like them with both.

Pasteis de Belém

Rua de Belem 84

1300 Lisboa

flower power

18 March 2012

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my jaws drop every single time i go to republica das flores for flowers, they have the most beautiful flower arrangements and do it perfect every time. plus, they have a gazillion other temptations to shop – candles, jewellery, scarves and even bikinis.

if i get married one day i know for sure who’s doing the flower decorations!

Republica das Flores

Rua do Alecrim 99

1250 – 243 Lisboa

Tel 213425073

lisbon lover

17 March 2012

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i found this souvenir shop in lisbon with lot’s of fun stuff. i like wearing things that remind me of my city so i bought this silver pendant with saint anthony – i might prefer to wear it as a bracelet though.

saint anthony is known for finding lost objects, he is a matchmaker and is the patron of lisbon – whenever i lose something i remember my mum telling to ask saint anthony’s help in finding it…and it has worked a lot of times!

lisboa

13 March 2012

7 Comments

i know, i know… i’ve been blogging very little lately – been busy running around lisbon visiting friends and family and running boring errands. i had an awesome long weekend with my family in london and now i’m enjoying my city as much as i can before going back to turks and caicos.

the weather is amazing, it feels like spring and lisbon has this beautiful light – it’s one of my favourite things about it, it’s light, the tagus river, the cool trams, the calçadas (portuguese sidewalks), the best seafood in the world, and so much more. it’s a small city, so rich in culture, with lot’s much to do, so close to the beach and i love it!

this is one of lisbon’s lifts, kind of a tram, but it goes up and down the hill – it’s the coolest public transportation method i know! did you know lisbon is also know as the city of the seven hills? so these are kinda handy.

image via four seasons ritz lisbon

surprise

4 March 2012

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guess what friends, i’m in lisbon for a short vacation – i am staying for a while, and heading to london and new york before going back to turks and caicos.

i love surprises and one of my favourites is arriving when no one is expecting me. so i got to that that with my sister, who picked me up at the airport thinking she was picking up a friend, then my dad and mum when they woke up at home, my grandmother when i knocked at her door, and one of my super sweet friends at work. it was hard to keep it a secret from everyone but so worth seeing everyone’s reaction when they expect me to be on the other side of the ocean.

i’ve been having so much fun surprising everyone!

i leave you with this short video on lisbon, it makes me smile and happy to be here, as always.