Lisbon

Lisbon is probably one of my favourite cities. Even though we visited mid-winter, it was a lively city with pockets of colour explosion, some great eateries, shops we never expected to find and a nightlife that would be hard to beat. Unfortunately my camera decided to act up so I only had my phone and it's editing apps to capture memories of this interesting city. There are some awesome lookouts where you can get a great view looking down over the terracotta rooftops leading on to the coastline, and best of all they're free (i.e. no need to pay the pesky entrance fee at Castelo de Sao Jorge) which is great for the budget conscious traveller. Albeit its a bit of a trek up the infamous hills but its worth it as not only are you treated to spectacular views, but there are some real gems to see on the way.
Lisbon also had the best hostel we stayed at, Yes! Lisbon really was so much fun, I would love to go back just to stay there again. Their homely touches, super friendly staff and amazing atmosphere really won me over - there's nothing like coming back from a long day of city-exploring to a nice home-cooked meal prepared by the hostel staff, in the lively atmosphere of the hostel common room. It really was special. And all very affordable as well.
Carrying on from this, our food experiences in Lisbon were hard to beat. We were keen as beans to find the elusive Peri Peri chicken which originated from Portugal, and we lucked out everywhere else. After reading up on Lonely Planet, we managed to find a hole in the wall place called Casa da India tucked inside the heart of Bairro Alto, who excelled in this Portugese chicken dish (I don't think I'd order anything but this from this place). It was great to sit amongst locals in what looked to be a local institution, with old worn out fittings and walls filled with photos of patrons. Although I had to put the same mindset on as the one I had in India when visiting food establishments (being ignorant of the hygiene and cleanliness standards I'm so used to :P - I wonder if the restaurant name is a warning?!), it was great to have one of the more memorable meals of our trip for not much money and a truly different experience. Also around this area just up the hill, a few small blocks away in Chiado, was this amazing chocolate shop called Chocolataria Ecuador. Go here if you like pretty packaging and amazingly good chocolate (especially the different flavoured truffles).
We also managed to fit in a pub-crawl (booked through the hostel) on a Monday that started at 1am, which was new for us Sydney noobs with our 1am lockout and where the thought of a crazy Monday night out is laughable. Needless to say we had a lot of fun jumping from bars to clubs, and it was all worth the pain the next morning.
=) xx