It was quite a new experience my time in Morocco but I’m also quite happy to be back in Europe where you get what you order and pay whats on the label. Even if everything is more expensive than in Africa what I realized again when I took my Bus leaving from Seville into Portugal. Fargo was my next destination. A small town which becomes alive during high season on the coast in the south west of Portugal.

The official fire station of Fargo. It seems like that these guys are not that busy. Luckily there where also some more modern vehicles in the garage. Anyway, those trucks might only be used during the summer when the town is occupied by thousands of tourists or simplified Australians and Canadians!

Best part about Lagos is a walk along the coast line. Great views from the cliffs and beautiful natural beaches which will disappear if there is the high tide. Also some amazing wildlife. Was lucky and got scared by a wild snake. Just wondered who was scarred more…
Night life is pretty busy but also quite simple and you have to get along with young teenagers and early twenty people. Feels like going out when you were young!

For some reason I really wanted to move on that stupid day … a Wednesday. The day the public service workers went on a general S T R I K E. Was happy my bus left the station in Lagos on time. Didn’t think about my arrival in Lisbon cos I thought the bus terminal would be close to the center. I was wrong, it was an hour walk away and that at 3pm when the sun was burning down.
Didn’t realize it in the first moment but after I entered the huge metro station at the bus terminal I remembered! No people and all gates shot must be the strike! :-/

The walk itself was quite hilly and I wasn’t surprised when I found these kind of elevators. Small funiculars going up the hills in the city. Even the tramways are like those in San Francisco. Going steep up in the narrow streets.

Something you also recognize in Portugal are all those abandoned buildings and factory halls. Buildings with collapsed roof tops, missing ceiling and house walls which are supported by heavy metal frames. It’s a very slow process to renovate those buildings. Somehow it gives the country an interesting contrast but on the other hand are the locals not very amused!

Just a jump from Lisbon is the natural park of Sintra. A very green area having its own climate. Mild temperatures all year around compared to the rest of the country very stable conditions. For that reason many wealthy families built their palaces around this area in the past. Nowadays some of these parks and buildings can be visited. For sure not for free …

Whole area is quite nice to see the only thing you need is a car or private transport. Many natural beaches and small places along the cliffs. Also in the park europe’s most western point on the mainland.

In the north of Lisbon is Porto. The rival football team of Lisbon and right now the more successful is from this place. Compared to Lisbon more laid back but also interesting. Its the main place of the area where port wine is coming from.

The old town is running from the hill top all the way down to the water site. At this place the wine used to be delivered by the old classic wooden boats and was finally stored in the warehouses around there.

And again … another elevator rising up the steep hill site in the middle of old town. Healthy people will beat it in average. Only leaves every 10min or so where as the walk would be a few hundred meters.

The wired thing about Porto is their tile art. All the nice houses have a facade made up of tiles. Where as the tiles are painted with blue color for a better contrast. The old train station has about 25k tiles in the main hall which tell the development of transportation in this area. It also displays the life in early days and the for seasons. But sometimes it also feels like you are standing in front of a gigantic bathroom even if it is one of the nicest tile arts 😀

Porto is a great place and I might go back there quite soon. Not really big but worth to see it and also perfect for a break. Nice old town, great people and good food. What do you want more?
A good stay? Alright, go to Gallery Hostel one of the best hostels I stayed so far 🙂