#(btw not fishing for compliments! i'm trying to get it out of my system to see if i feel better)

[sibelin]

i see it's feeling bad about what i look like o'clock

[100hearteyes]

Hey there! Maybe you didn't get my ask or maybe you didn't want to answer it (which would be totally okay btw), but nevertheless here it is again! I'm doing Interrail in Portugal in August: Lisboa-Porto-Coimbra-Evora. Do you have any tips for me? Do's, don'ts? Thanks so much! Love from Vienna🤗 PS: if you don't want to answer it's totally fine, I just thought I would give it another try:)

Hi! I definitely didn’t get your ask the first time, I’m glad you gave it another try. So first of all: YES an Interrail in Portugal 🎉 and you’re coming to Porto ❤️

First Do is meeting me in Porto haha (only if you would feel comfortable ofc).

More seriously though, a big Do is trying ALL the pastries: Pastel de Nata (I actually like them better than the more popular Pastel de Belém), Bola de Berlim, Jesuítas, Cavacas, Croissants (the Porto ones, which there are two varieties of and you gotta try both), Limonetes, Pão de Deus, Castanhas de Ovo, Cristas de Galo, Broa de Mel, etc etc etc. The best place for pastries is the Confeitaria Porto Rico in Porto - try some almendrados. They’re to die for. And the BREAD. I’ve been to Central Europe several times and I’m sorry to say this, but y’all can’t make proper bread. So that’s another thing on the list.

Two big DON’T’s: high heels and crossing the street outside of crosswalks or with red lights. We Portuguese have developed a special talent for crossing the street when and where we shouldn’t. Don’t try to do the same, it’ll go wrong.

The high heels thing is because a LOT of our sidewalks are very irregular. Also, don’t expect us to speak Spanish (really, some people get really annoyed).

As for DO’s: always say “bom dia” if it’s morning, “boa tarde” if it’s afternoon, or “boa noite” if it’s night when you approach someone. Or, you know, “hello”. Say please and thank you - and excuse me. We value that. Always check if there are services tickets like at the supermarket, the bakery, the pharmacy, and such. Oh and do pay attention to graffitis (there’s BEAUTIFUL art) and expect to EAT - and have dinner late, because no Portuguese person has dinner before 7 pm.

Our summer has been quite shy so I wouldn’t expect high temperatures, but in Portugal you never know. It’s usually definitely warmer in the south though.

Anyway, city by city:

Lisboa

DO’s

Visit the central places, like Praça do Rossio, Praça do Comércio, Avenida da Liberdade, Palácio de Belém. Lisbon is like half pretty and half ugly af, and the (very, very) pretty part is basically only the famous part. Fonte Luminosa, which is a bit off the centre, is definitely worth seeing, too. That area is pretty as well, I guess. Avoid the 28 streetcar during rush hour - there’s a lot of pickpockets there. Actually, stay alert: there are a lot of pickpockets in Lisbon, in general. If you’re not claustrophobic or something of the sort, then try the underground caves, like Galeria Subterrânea do Loreto and Reservatório da Patriarcal. Go to the Park of Necessidades. Also, Villa Bertha is considered the pretties street in Lisbon. The Oceanário is pretty cool too, though I prefer the Vasco da Gama Aquarium, which is beautiful both inside and out and has a GIANT SQUID.

DON’T’s

Again, avoid the 28 streetcar (and streetcars in general) during rush hour. Avoid the more touristy Fado houses - go for the small, inconspicuous ones instead. The music show is free and the food is cheaper and better. Avoid this shit like the plague - it can give you cooties. Look at this if you want to either laugh or feel second-hand embarrassment - it’s basically a giant toilet 😂

Porto

DO’s

Everything? The historical part (Baixa), the seaside (Foz, where you might even stumble into Iker Casillas), the riverside (Ribeira), the Boavista Avenue, the City Park, Serralves, Palácio de Cristal, this beauty, the museum attached to that beauty, the Port wine caves. You can also literally just cross the bridge to Gaia and get up to Jardim do Morro, which has beautiful sights (striking view to Porto). Visit the churches in Baixa, they’re all beautiful inside. Try a francesinha (it’s mandatory! “O Afonso” might be a good restaurant, Anthony Bourdain himself visited it and it’s not too packed and touristy). You can find the best pastries in Porto, too. Do you know what this is? McDonald’s. Yep. Visit the Café Imperial. Obviously, you HAVE to eat fish - I recommend this restaurant in Matosinhos, which is also glued to Porto (imagine a sandwich: Gaia and Matosinhos are the bread and Porto is the ham). Go to Cervejaria Gazela, it has great beer and great cachorrinhos da Batalha. In Avenida da Boavista, go to A Casa da Boavista - it’s gorgeous and the food is good too. Take the many staircases that connect Ribeira to Baixa and take the chance to visit the Sé. Cool fact: the Harry Potter setting/universe was inspired by Porto. JK Rowling lived here for some years and you can really see the similarities. Oh and the urban art is Porto is something else.

DON’T’s

Nightlife in Porto is in Baixa, don’t go anywhere else, it’s not worth it. Don’t eat in Foz - every place there is overpriced because it’s basically where the rich people live (still a GREAT place to visit though). Don’t go to the City Park at night. Don’t expect the metro to work past 1 am (the yellow/D line works 24h on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays though). Again, no high heels. Bring comfortable shoes. Don’t try to speak Spanish - go for English. Do NOT compliment Lisbon. Lisbon sucks. Lisbon stinks. Lisbon is evil. Lisbon is the embodiment of The System™ and our corrupt politicians. Porto represents the fight against The System™ and against a central power that stays afloat on the shoulders of those who actually work. Complimenting Lisbon to a Portuense is like saying that blarke is the best and only real ship to a Clexa fan. Got it?

Coimbra

In Coimbra, I’d say visit the academic area (the University of Coimbra was the first in the country), the botanical gardens, and Portugal dos Pequenitos. And of course, Quinta das Lágrimas, home to the most epically romantic (and quite violent) story in the history of Portugal, dating back to the 14th century.

(basically, Prince Pedro, heir to the throne, loved Inês, who was a handmaiden to the princess he was about to marry; they “dated” at the Fonte dos Amores; but the romance triggered a huge political drama, so the King ordered Inês’s death; she was killed while Pedro was away on a hunting trip - they killed her next to the Fonte das Lágrimas, where legend says her bloody tears as she died stained the water (fun fact: the red stains remain and are unique to that fountain); shortly thereafter, the King died and Pedro was crowned King of Portugal; still enraged over his lover’s death and now able to exact revenge, Pedro killed his Inês’s murderers - TW actually ripped their hearts out; not quite satisfied, he ordered Inês unearthed and dressed like royalty, and crowned her his queen - and then forced everyone in the court, who had once belittled Inês, to kiss her hand; then he “built” the (beautiful) Alcobaça Monastery, where their mortal remnants still lie today - their tombs face each other so that, according to the legend, they can wake up in the afterlife looking into each other’s eyes).

Évora

Visit the Megalíticos and the Roman ruins. Go to Diana’s Garden and the Loios Church. Visit the Art Café and, if you’re feeling like having some regional cuisine, try the 5 Amêndoas restaurant, it’s a nice mix of traditional and modern. Also, remember: Évora is in Alentejo, which means it’s REALLY hot during the day (upwards of 30º C) and pretty cold at night (below 15º C).