The Smell of Freedom

It had been quite a while (almost two months, actually) since I've posted on the blog. My life ha been hectic this past two months actually; had exams for the entire month and so was a nightless month. Anyway, I've actually been travelling quite a bit during my Easter holiday (before I started revising), and after my exams. Had been procrastinating to post travel posts, but now that I have more free time, I finally pulled myself together to start writing again.

During the Easter Holidays, I've travelled to Lisbon and Porto, Portugal. I must say, Portugal is a very beautiful country, but I guess the weather didn't like us that much. If I have the chance, I would definitely go back (praying that the weather will be easy on us).

I would say that this Portugal trip is one of the most adventurous and disorganised trip I have ever been on. We arrived in Lisbon with no prior research done what-so-ever and with the word 'improvisation' at the bottom of our mind. I've always been an organised traveller: planning the itinerary, looking up popular restaurants, making a time schedule etc. Surprisingly this time, I did none. I guess improvising gives another experience, which turned to be quite relaxing.

I would say that Portugal isn't a place that would cost you a fortune, the living standards are pretty low, and so for student traveller (like me) whom is travelling on a budget, Portugal is an amazing place go to. My friend and I stayed at hostels in both Lisbon and Porto, and they were both of decent quality, compared to hostels in Athens (which I will talk about in another post). Most of the attractions are free entry, so that won't cost a fortune, either.

I would say that an ultimate surprise was the SEAFOOD!!! I've always been more of a seafood person and was told before the trip that seafood is a 'must-try' in Portugal (custard tarts, of course, were part of the list). I had the world's most amazing octopus in Porto!! It was so soft and tender, deep-fried in a crisp and almost airy tempura batter (salivating as I speak). That octopus is definitely worth going back for (yes, I'm serious about this). As a foodie, I think its worth mentioning the world renowned Pastel de Belem!!!! I've tried many custard tarts but THIS was amazing. I went to the origin of Portuguese custard tarts, where the very first tart was created. The extremely crispy, flakey, delicate pastry; with the eggy custard in the middle...Man, that was good. I was so obsessed with the tart that I went back for seconds the next day (ultimate foodie ALERT~ ).

All-in-all, this was an amazing trip (sorry, I'm starting to lose with writing). The weather was pretty harsh on us this time, so if I ever have the chance, I would definitely go back, and pray for a sunny welcome from Portugal. :)

Hope all is well.

Love,                   

Vivien