Lisbon, Portugal!!

Lisbon is one of the prettiest cities I’ve ever stepped foot in. A labyrinth of narrow alleyways with houses doused in colour, sided with tiles and topped with terracotta, this city was built on hills—a lot of them. Wherever you roam, you’re bound to lose a battle to a tall, ancient and uneven staircase. Castles, cathedrals and trams are part of daily life in Alfama, the city’s oldest neighbourhood. Cafés & restaurants line the busier streets, but if go off the beaten path—like, one block over—you’re sure to find a hidden mom-and-pop serving 2-euro vinho verde by the glass. Yellow & red trams snake through Alfama’s ancient streets, stopping at several of the city’s small squares and lookouts. A small hike uphill leads you to an especially spectacular view of Lisbon and the waterfront: the lookout at São Jorge, an old Moorish castle guarded by a flock of surprisingly friendly peacocks. Perhaps odd for an old, touristic part of town, people genuinely live here. You will walk past houses, covered in today’s laundry. Bird cages hang from every window. Old ladies cram onto their small balconies and wave to tourists taking photos. It's a bit magical, and you wonder how you found something so seemingly authentic!

Views from Castleo de São Jorge Photo by Farah Khan @house9design

More from Alfama Photo by Farah Khan @house9design Photo by Farah Khan @house9design Photo by Farah Khan @house9design

The Baixa Neighbourhood is located in central Lisbon. Completely rebuilt after the earthquake of 1755, it's a trendy yet affordable part of town. It's the perfect place to stay if you want to feel like you're in a real city neighbourhood—not too residential, but it's not hotel-central either. Think Le Plateau in Montreal.

Photo by Farah Khan @house9design Photo by Farah Khan @house9design

Fiera da Ladra (Thieves Market). Don't let the name put you off, it's a flea market that happens every Tuesday & Thursday. I bought some old plates & Portuguese table cloths at very reasonable prices, so I'm guessing they call it "Thieves Market" because it's such a steal! Then again, someone tried to sell me five matchboxes for 50 euro, so I guess the thievery cuts both ways. Definitely worth a visit, find it in Santa Clara, behind the church.

Photo by Farah Khan @house9design Photo by Farah Khan @house9design Photo by Farah Khan @house9design

Our friend Aaron Langille, a fantastic chef here in Montreal, told us to make sure we got a meal in at Casa De Pasto, quite possibly the best culinary experience we had in Lisbon besides the 2am Sagres-and-Favaito on the sidewalk with a bunch of 20-somethings! Myself, Farah and my sister Claire went here for lunch and literally ordered everything on left-hand side of the menu, plus a bottle of wine. We asked our lovely waitress to explain vinho verde, and she poured us complimentary glasses as a demo! We ended up full to the gunwales and slightly tipsy, just in time for our next activity—hopping on a tram to Belem for the original nata.

Photo by Farah Khan @house9design

Belem literally means Bethlehem in Portuguese. Jerónimos Monastery & Belem Tower are the main attractions here. I found the Belem Tower wait-time too long and too windy: bring a windbreaker and some patience! Jerónimos Monastery, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is absolutely beautiful, so if you have to pick one, choose this. You can also visit Vasco De Gama's tomb next door at the church of Santa Maria. If you get peckish while in the area, you have to go to Patais de Belem. Yes, the line is super-long, but it moves pretty fast, so no, you're not some tourist lining up for Schwartz's like you don't know any better. Locals come here too. We know because, like a couple hipster tourists, we asked.

Photo by Farah Khan @house9design

Manuel Antonio, Costa Rica

Our final adventure began at 6am, we needed to catch an 8am ferry back to Puntarenas. Siri, did her best to send us astray & to a different ferry terminal. This would be a somewhat coastal drive to Manuel Antonio. The sun was shining, the ocean to my right, windows down & the tunes blaring. I was looking forward to a stop outside of Tarcoles, where these huge crocodiles just sit under the bridge. You can park the car, make sure you lock it & head over to the bridge. There was 12 of the biggest feckers I'd ever seen. If you fell in there, you wouldn't be coming out, I can tell you that much. I watched as some people hung over the bridge to get a selfie, madness, in fairness. As we drove on, the most amazing thing happened, two red & blue macaws flew over the windshield of the car. It was the most beautiful sight, the colours were exceptional. To see them in their natural habitat was truly fantastic.

We arrived into Manuel Antonio in the afternoon. The posh part is higher up on the hill. That's where all the restaurants are as well. We were staying at an Airbnb, right next to the entrance to the National Park & right next to the beach. We really wanted to go to the pristine beaches inside the park but it was a $16 entrance fee and a 40min hike in the heat. When I look back now, I am sorry that I didn't do it because the local beach is packed with people. The streets are lined from the beach to the entrance of the national park with people trying to sell you everything you could possibly want, coconuts, ice cream, sandals, hats, t-shirts, wraps, tattoos, hair extensions, water, sandwich, necklaces, towels, beach ball, parking & passes to the park. The beach awaits us, chairs, umbrellas, parasailing, jet skis, kayaks & boogie boards. We end up renting some chairs for $10 when this guy comes along offering to get us Mojito, Nachos, Lemonade & of course I get suckered in. He saw me coming as I paid $16 for cheese nachos & $8 for a lemonade, I tell you that was the last cent he got off me. He tried again the next day. I spend my day reading "Devil in the white city", this is about a serial killer around the time of the Chicago World Fair. He killed possibly more than 200 people yet nobody knows much about this man named Mudgett or his pseudonym Holmes, yet everyone has heard of Jack the Ripper. The books chapters alternate between the world fair & the serial killer, I was so captivated reading how this killer murdered innocent women & children, I ended up skipping to the chapters I wanted. So, here I am tanning on the beach, massages happening on my left, parasailing on my right & I'm there enthralled by a serial killer in the late 1800's.

We woke up on our last day to go find the secret beach. Up on the hill & down a back road is a hidden beach called Playa Biesanz. It is used mostly by locals & has been taken off the road signs to make it harder for tourists to find. You leave your car on the side of the road & hope your mirrors are there when you come back. There is a tiny opening in a ditch and down those steps lies the beach. Was it paradise like the locals claim? Not really, the water is full to the brim with rocks, it is impossible to swim in, i mean every square inch had rocks, the beach is small & had about 40 teenagers on a summer camp trip, screaming their heads off. You'd nearly get used to that but to not be able to cool down without breaking a toe or knee cap was the hard part. The Gaelic Football was on the same day, I had bought a GAAGO pass and was hoping to stream in on the beach with my dongle. Kerry V Dublin, I caught about 2 seconds of every 30 seconds of footage. I gave up & tried Weeshie on Radio Kerry, the signal would not complete, basically, computer says no. After 3hrs of baking on the beach, we packed up & headed back to the car & almost stepped on a scorpion. A mother with about a million babies on her back, it might have been the mankiest thing I've ever seen. So on we went to the airport in San Jose. We shall see you again someday.

Playa Biesanz