Belem and Barrio Alto

Belem is a neighborhood in western Lisbon, reachable by the Tram 15. Two very famous monuments grace the shores of the river there, including the Monument of Discoveries and the Tower of Belem, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The monument of Discoveries celebrates the Portuguese Age of Discovery in the 15th and 16th centuries and features important figures in Portuguese history such as Henry the Navigator and Vasco da Gama.

From Belem, you can see fantastic views of Lisbon's iconic Ponte 25 de Abril, which is very reminiscent of the Golden Gate bridge.

A humongous gothic monastery, the Jeronimos Monastery, is located right across the road from the river. It boasts high ceilings, incredibly detailed walls, and gorgeous stained glass windows. It also contains the tomb of the Portuguese navigator, Vasco da Gama.

We had lunch at a local restaurant, where the seafood tasted like it was caught right off the coast that day. And if you've ever heard anything about Belem, you've likely heard that trying a Pasteis de Belem is a must. It's a small custard tart with a filo dough crust that's perfectly crisp, and a custard center that's the perfect amount of sweetness. It's served with powdered sugar and cinnamon on the side, and the cinnamon on the custard tastes absolutely delicious. And of course, there's no better place to get a Pasteis de Belem than the Pasteleria, Pasteis de Belem.

Later that night, we met a bunch of Erasmus students and travelers on vacation from our hostel for a night out in Barrio Alto, the bar and nightlife center of Lisbon. The streets become almost impossible to navigate, but the atmosphere is incredibly social. The difference between a night out in Lisbon and a night out in Boston is that everybody wants to talk to each other here. People are all exchanging stories about their home countries, what they study at university, why they're in Lisbon. Nobody seems to care what time it is or to check their phone for messages, which is a nice change of pace from what I'm used to in the States. We had a fun late night, but were eventually happy to get away from the hustle and bustle of Barrio Alto and back into the quiet streets around our home base, Rossio square.