Okay, you may be reeling with shock from such a direct and profound statement. Yes, I absolutely hated Lisbon. Even I surprised myself. But oh no, I simply cut short my planned 2 night stay and got out of the capital of Lisbon after 18 hours. Well, so are Greece, Spain and Ireland.
But they still do fantastically well for tourism. When I mentioned to my friends and travel bloggers alike about my impending visit, they enthusiastically claimed its a fantastic place to visit. I still had no clue what to expect there and so I imagined it to be a cosmopolitan city, brimming with high-flying locals, friendly atmospheres, a gorgeous beach and stunning architecture.
Sadly, that was not the case. Last time I spoke to you, I was leaving Madrid after coming back from Andalusia. From there I headed straight to Lisbon on a 12 hour bus journey. Climbing on board, I was excited. I would have my first glimpse of Portuguese people. I imagined them to be Caipirinhas-swilling, laughing and generally happy people and wearing far less clothes than they should have.
Also, they would have amazing teeth and be very friendly to everyone. I found this to be the case with the Spanish people so a country that has a shared history with Spain should have similar traits, right? As I was the first to climb aboard, I would see all the passengers arrive. Dark, moody, frowns my way, disrespectful of the bus and not at all friendly. I even feared for my hygiene.
It smelt like a pig had died in its own poo. And they were coming from the people on the bus who were perturbed to see me covering my noseβ¦well with anything. Unwashed they were. Hugging my rucksack containing my valuables to my chest, I would fitfully sleep until I was jolted awake by a thwack on my seat.
