Letter to Lisbon

Dear Lisbon,

for ages I've been dreaming to visit you. I've been told your are beautiful and full of style. So this summer, Lisbon, I travelled through Portugal and I could't wait to stop by and to finally visit you.

Maybe it was a bad decision to visit you by car, or even a worse decision to pick a hostel in the famous Alfama. However, the combination of arriving by car and having to drive through the narrow lanes of the Alfama maze almost made me lose my mind.

Never mind, though, it was a difficult start, but I had two days to get to know you and I was all excited because I was sure we would get along well with each other.

So I did like my Lonely Planet recommended. I strolled through the lanes of Alfama, visited the Castelo de Sao Jorge, the famous Sè, the Praca de Comércio and plenty more. I also went to Belém to explore the Mosteiro dos Jerónimos, the riverfront Torre de Belém and the Monument to the Discoveries.

However, Lisbon, I'm sorry to tell you there are some things I really don't like about you. If someone is not into fish or once in a while would like to have a tasty alternative it's almost impossible to find it. Maybe, coming from Italy I'm pretty spoiled when it comes to good food, but Lisbon, I'm sorry, I was rather disappointed by your cuisine.

Secondly, I don't like all the drug-sellers on the streets. It's simply impossible to stroll around Rua de Áurea without being offered Marihuana or Cocaine every second meter. Maybe it's because I'm very much against drugs but I find it rather disturbing.

Thirdly, I've been warned to be careful as there are many pickpockets and other criminals (apparently drug dealers?) around. So I watched my handbad and my boyfriend his camera like a mother her child but his camera had been stolen anyways, only within a second of distraction...

Fourthly, I missed the beautiful buildings. I saw a lot of dilapidated, abandoned shacks, covered with graffiti and streets full of rubbish.

I like you, Lisbon, for your shabby charme, but ours will never be a love story.

All the best
Manuela

P.S. If my camera wasn't stolen I would add some pictures now.