#courage and heart [rua]

[puzzledmemories]

@prxnce-of-chxos asked: a smol nekoboi lands in front of Rua...lands would be the nice way of putting it, more like faceplanting into the ground in front of him. "...ack-"

"Ah!"

Rua had just been taking a walk to a nearby store to get ice cream for himself and Ruka. Honest! He didn't mean to make anyone faceplant in front of him!

He had been in the middle of taking a shortcut across some grass, since taking the full corner on the pavement would've taken more time. Hopefully that led to a softer landing. Rua would feel really bad if this person was hurt. What if they needed bandaids? Rua didn't have any on him! He could buy some, though.

Rua got down on his knees. He was trying and failing to not panic. "Hey! Are you okay? Do you need help?"

[puzzledmemories]

Rua gasped as he ran up to Winderider. "Hi! My name's Rua! Can we be friends?"

@puzzledmemories happy birthday rua! here's your own dragon! her name is windrider!

[ophelia-network]

"Toxic relationships are dangerous to your health; they will literally kill you. Stress shortens your lifespan. Even a broken heart can kill you. There is an undeniable mind-body connection. Your arguments and hateful talk can land you in the emergency room or in the morgue. You were not meant to live in a fever of anxiety; screaming yourself hoarse in a frenzy of dreadful, panicked fight-or-flight that leaves you exhausted and numb with grief. You were not meant to live like animals tearing one another to shreds. Don't turn your hair gray. Don't carve a roadmap of pain into the sweet wrinkles on your face. Don't lay in the quiet with your heart pounding like a trapped, frightened creature. For your own precious and beautiful life, and for those around you — seek help or get out before it is too late. This is your wake-up call!" ― Bryant McGill

I'll Be The Hyena, You Will See by Joao Ruas

[commanderkats]

“When you touch me I feel a little less broken.”

Rylan sat next to her, they had resumed their friendship pretty quickly once they both realized it was each other. It had been a few years since she had seen the playful starkhavener and Rua was surprised at how her heart swelled seeing him. He had made her time at the Starkhaven Circle somewhat bearable though it still remained in memories she didn’t like to think about. 

“I think you should tell him.” Rylan said taking a drink of his beer, it was a night off for the Knight-Captain and he was back in Skyhold for a little while. 

Rua took a drink too, “I don’t think it’s that easy Rylan, you know what happened.” She said pushing the memories away, lately they had been testing her. 

He set his cup down and turned towards her, “Of course I remember and I hope you remembered what I did to those bastards.” He gave her a small smile as she nodded, he had saved her when no one else did. “I think Cullen deserves to know some of what happened to you since training. We all know his story or some of it anyways.” 

“I know it’s just,” She paused, a flash of the attack bright in her mind as she closed her eyes pushing it away. 

“It’s just he wasn’t raped.” Rylan finished her sentence, Rua opened her eyes and looked at him, “And he’ll never know if you have your way but darlin’ if you don’t tell him it will eat you up. The same way his eats him up.” He took a drink of his beer, “You two are damn perfect for each other.” 

It was true she would need to tell him, he would eventually see the signs just as others did but most wouldn’t ask. Cullen would. He would want to try and help her like he did all those years ago when they were just young kids becoming what they thought were heroes. Rua finished her beer and left to find Cullen, knowing he was most likely in his tower. She went up the stairs of the tavern, through Bull’s room to make it quicker to Cullen’s. Her heart pounded against her chest as she reached up to knock but stopped, she always knocked, always made sure it was okay to come in. This time she didn’t care and instead grabbed the handle, throwing open the door as she stepped into his office. 

Cullen startled at the suddenness, his chair nearly falling over as he quickly stood reaching for his sword. “I need to talk with you.” Rua said trying to find that courage she had a few moments ago. She closed the door behind her and walked over to him, standing just within his space. 

“Are you alright?” He asked, those gold flecked eyes watching her with worry.

She nodded, “I need to talk about what happened to me after we both left training, when I was in Starkhaven.”

“I know a little, Rylan said that’s where he knew you from and that he had taken a liking to you. Is that what this is about? Rylan and you?” His voice slightly shook and Rua did her best not to smile, she knew what that shakiness meant.

“There’s nothing like that between Rylan and me.” Rua took a deep breath, “There was an incident when I was at the Starkhaven Circle,” The memories swarming her thoughts, the attack replaying itself clearly in her mind. A hand grabbed hers and Rua opened her eyes, not remember closing them and saw Cullen holding her hand. “You know,” She started, “When you touch me I feel a little less broken.” Her voice going soft at the end. 

Cullen squeezed her hand, stepping just a little closer, “I understand the feeling.” A blush burned against his cheeks and Rua couldn’t help but fall more in love with him. 

She took a deep breath, “I was attacked,” Rua started finding it easy to tell Cullen with his hand in hers, keeping those demons at bay, keeping her safe.

[puzzledmemories]

Rua is SO PUMPED to have a small dragon! They're gonna be best friends!

Yusaku bends down to look at this small, green cat. He can admit it's cute. "Don't be like Ai." The warning comes with a sigh; the last thing he needs is this cat to watch soap operas and mess with his life in general.

Yuri looks down at his new creature. "We'll see if you're strong enough to keep up."

what’s this? @puzzledmemories is being gifted more eggs! and they’re hatching!

congratulations rua! you’re now the proud owner of a dratini!

“draaa?”

congratulations yusaku! you’re now the proud owner of a sprigatito!

“purrrrr!”

congratulations yuri! you’re now the proud owner of a…oh…um…

“…….”

[managician]

ARC V Anniversary Day 4

Discussion prompt:  Who’s your favorite character(s)?

Hoo boy, I ended up making a top 10 because there’s so many lovable characters in this cast and I want to talk about them all... Warning for incredibly long descriptions as the top goes on (I’m sorry for mobile users)

10. Reira Akaba

Look at this precious bab. Right off the bat I knew I would like them — I have a kind of weakness for child characters (Rua is one of my faves from 5DS too for a reason), but I never actually expected to love them as much as I do right now. Seeing this little afraid kid with no sense of self grow into a person of their own and playing a literal key role in the resolution of the final conflict was so satisfying. 

09. Ray Akaba

Aand naturally, with me loving Reira it probably comes off as no surprise that I love Ray too. Even with the extremely limited screentime, she shot through the roof as one of my favorites. She was no goddess or super powerful entity that had the equal means to fight Zarc, but she did so anyway. And she won. She’s the porter of an incredibly inspiring message and pretty much symbolizes the core of ARC V’s narrative; she saw trouble and she knew cowering in fear would solve nothing, so she took a step forward with courage and believed in her own worth. POINT IS, Ray is awesome.

08. Rin 

Ahh, Rin... It’s one of the few cases where it’s hard for me to articulate what I like about her the most. I actually wasn’t super invested in her when I first finished watching the show, but one of my friends really likes Yugo and Rin and that got me to think more about her beyond her lack of screentime, and I found myself suddenly appreciating her a lot. She has all her pragmatic yet caring personality and goals scattered throughout the show if you pay attention to her interactions with Yugo, and you can actually get a extremely solid grasp on the kind of the person she is — even her deck plays into it (a logical and ruthless Burn Damage deck, which showcases she’s not here for anyone’s bullshit). 

07. Shun Kurosaki

Shun is a fairly biased case for me, I’ll totally admit. I didn’t actually like him that much during my watch of the show though, and it wasn’t until the XYZ/Fusion Arc that I looked at the events of ARC V in retrospective and realised how much Shun had been involved in. I’m a sucker for stoic and ruthless characters learning to trust people again, and Shun fit into the mold perfectly. And he definitely did strike me as cool from the first go, with Rise Falcon’s insane OTK against the LDS Trio back in Standard, so even if I wasn’t actively rooting for his character I wanted to see what direction he’d take. Seeing him grow and finally make peace with the Yuto/Ruri situation at the end of the show made me incredibly happy; I think that he could finally start leaving all the bitterness and pain behind and begin a new journey of hope with his comrades. 

06. Serena

Another case of me being somewhat (okay, really) gay and biased for girls. I loved Serena right from the first go; her pushy and pretty aggressive personality caught my interest, and we got a glimpse of her backstory with Reiji pretty soon after her introduction, which made me feel connected with her very easily. Yet another misguided Academia student — though her arc is completely different compared to say, Sora’s or Dennis’s. She had even less information about the outside world than the rest of the Fusion gang did, and so of course the key for her was learning the truth. Thanks to Yuzu and Shun she was able to check by herself how horrorific her Academia comrades’s actions had been, and she immediately decides to fight against the injustice. There’s something admirable about her relentless courage and will to do what’s right, and she never stops being herself and fighting like she wants to the very bitter end. Pretty inspiring for me, honestly.

05. Reiji Akaba

And we enter Top 5, starting off with Reiji, who is frankly the trickiest character for me on this list. Unlike many people I know I didn’t ever think of him as an evil or dettached rival, because of... His scarf. Yes, his stupid gravity defying-scarf. Red symbolizes heroism in many Japanese shows, so I had the hunch that Reiji would end up acting nicer than he did at the beginning of show. And boy, did he. He’s an incredibly compelling and well-rounded character who is a clear contrast to Yuya’s bright entertainment, and he expresses his emotions in a very subtle way. He’s an unexpected rival who subverts tropes left and right, just like the protagonist; and while it’s clearly a case of the “I Had To Grow Up Too Early” trope, it’s executed so brilliantly well that you can’t help feel sorry for him, even if you don’t particularly like him. ...Which was actually what happened to me, I barely cared for him in my first watch of the show... And then I loved him and suddenly he was in my top favorites. He’s so great.

04. Sawatari Shingo

I’ll say it right from the go, I didn’t ever think a character of Shingo’s type could get me so interested. From the beginning of the show I saw him as Yuya’s ‘rival’ in a purer sense of the word than Reiji; they’re both Entertainment Duelists and have a more direct confrontation in the championship’s Action Duel. But that’s all he really was to me, another showcasing of Entertainment and a fun character to see when he was on screen, nothing else. And yet I found myself taking a deep liking to him when he finally tried to steer his own path; despite being a loud, kind-of comedy relief character if the situation requires for it (somewhat akin to Jounouchi in DM, perhaps), at the same time he’s a quite talented Duelist who enjoys pulling a crowd’s attention towards him. He wants to impress people and that’s something I could relate to in a very intimate way, as much as I preferred Yuya’s ideology. And he grew so much during the BB Arc with Crow too, it was so cute.

Tied for 3rd spot - Yuto and Yuzu Hiragi

Aka... I tried really, really hard to pick one... But I had to give up. Sometimes I say Yuto’s 3rd and Yuzu 2nd and some other days it’s the other way around, and then sometimes I straight up can’t decide. Like today. 

I wasn’t big on Yuto at first at all. He did intrigue me, especially because thanks to him we were introduced to the same-face plot that set off the whole Standard arc in the first place, though that was it. I thought he was cool, a character you can appreciate if he comes up with screen, but don’t actively think of outside of that. Broodingly dark characters tend to piss me off unless they quickly grow on me, which probably added to me not feeling very interested in either him or Shun at the beginning of the show; even with that, I appreciated his rather calm and pacifist nature in comparison to his partner... 

And then Episode 37 happened and I was completely thrown off the charts. His desire to bring smiles to people and to not hurt anyone anymore to the point of refusing to attack Yugo pulled at my heartstrings, and I’m a complete sucker for self-sacrificing characters, so when he protected Yuya at the expense of his own soul and entrusted that desire onto him... I was sold. His influence is rather subtle but shows passionately many times, and I found myself falling in love with his character despite the lack of screentime and dubious characterisation that every XYZ character suffers from; I think he’s the best one out of the trio in that matter, though. And his interactions with Yuzu, Ruri and Yuya are so sweet; overall he’s just a character I can find myself easily toying with and I love his role in the show.

What can I say about Yuzu? She’s my favorite female lead from all YGO series. I found her rather annoying but cute during the first... Ten or so episodes. And then I fell in love with her because holy damn, she’s such an amazing character. She actually Duels, has a beautiful and kickass deck and is deeply involved in the plot from start to end (which is already more than can be said for the other shows), not to mention she’s such an inspiring role model. Yuzu always actively worked to improve herself and it’s refreshing to see her be so open with her feelings and caring for people. She’s so strong and I really enjoyed all the bonds she had with the rest of the cast — when you had half of them going through hell and back to help her, it felt legitimately heartwarming and believable, because she always does her best to forge a connection with people and isn’t afraid to say what she thinks.

She felt like one of the most human characters in the show for me, as her best strength was the power of encouraging and inspiring other people (Yuya, Serena, Yugo just to name a few) rather than being unbeatable or not being allowed to fail. She’s everything and more I could hope from a female lead and she inspires me everyday.

01. Yuya Sakaki

*falls to the ground and sobs*

I can’t even begin to describe how much I love this precious ball of sunshine. Anime protagonists are always without fail a 50/50 chance for me, I either love them with all my soul or I hate them and I’m 200% more invested in other characters. Yuya (un)surprisingly fell into the first category from the very first episode, he’s so adorable and seeing him go on a journey to leave behind his years of bullying and depression and turn into someone he can be proud of is hands down the most inspiring thing in this series. 

He genuinely makes me so happy and his character development is the very thing that made me invested in ARC V in the first place, I will never get enough of what an amazing and compelling protagonist he is. His attitude of trying to stay happy and make the people around him happy as well, but ultimately falling victim to his own emotions and crashing hard against reality is so brutally and openly real that my heart aches just from thinking of it. I’ve learned with him as I watched the show; as an audience we experienced the same happiness, sadness and pain that he went through, and I’m so proud of him for getting so far and never giving up despite all the odds always being against him.

He’ll always hold a special place in my heart, he’s so important to me and I’m just really glad he exists! 

[darkvalkyria]

6, 7, 19, 27!

6. Favorite Yugioh rival

In terms of being a supportive friend and a good competitor I think I have to go with Jack, in regards to both Yusei and Yuya! He’s a powerforce with a really funny personality who knows when it’s time to be serious, and he has such a strong and confident will. His relationship with Carly and their adventures to regain his confidence were endearing, and his duel against Aporia with Rua and Ruka is one of my favorites because he does a really good job of coaching them both without treating them like incapable children. That one time when he beat up those dudes for sabotaging Aki’s duel runner exam was so good, I was very proud. He and Crow are good friends, good brothers; I love their arguments and misunderstandings that come as a result of Jack being used to a richer lifestyle. They had cute bromantic moments in Arc V too (even I’m disappointed Crow didn’t cradle him in his arms after Zarc almost killed him). One of my favorite Jack moments is at the end of the series when Jack has that montage of training really hard because he wants to surpass Yusei, and even after he loses he congratulates Yusei in a really heartfelt, pure moment. In Arc V JACK IS SUCH A GOOD MENTOR TO YUYA I LOVE IT! I was mad at him at first for beating and being a dick towards Yuya but he makes up for it lol. I also liked how they made us question his character further in that scene where he gave the supposedly “trash” card to that boy whose name I forget. Even though he meant to be encouraging the kid just read his signals wrong. His interest in Reira and how he reminded him of himself was a nice introspective look as well. I love when he smiled at the end of the duel where Yuya beat him and you could tell he was really proud.

IN OTHER NEWS EVEN THOUGH HE’S A DICK I LOVE KAIBA AND HE’S MY BOYFRIEND OKAY HE’S THE ORIGINAL EXTRA AS FUCK HOT JACKASS NERD TECH-GENIUS RIVAL WITH DADDY ISSUES WHO IS ALSO PRETTY. I love the whole “end war with card games” thing he did and his love for Mokuba is some pure heartwarming shit. Also my heart explodes every time he mentions wanting to build Kaibaland; Sakaki Yusho wishes he could get on his level. Pretty much I just looooove how extra he is about everything. I just wish he had been more of a competition for Yugi.

7. Favorite Yugioh female

Yooooo I’m gonna have to say Mai from Duel Monsters. I really love her a lot. She’s got such a cool, tough personality and her deck is strong too. I love that she’s probably one of the first (if not THE first) top female duelists and I’m sure she’s legendary for that. She was one of the first people to give Yugi a real run for his money in their Duelist Kingdom duel. Her speeches in that duel were so on point and she toughened him up exactly the way he needed. She was KILLIN THE GAME TOO upon rewatch I was really salty she lost. The moment afterwards that duel where she gave her prize card to Jounouchi while giving him courage is one of my favorites too. Her relationship with Jounouchi is one of my favorites in the whole series, and I love the big sister vibe she has with Anzu and the other girls in the series. One of my favorite moments is when she lost intentionally/surrendered to Anzu. Her duel with Marik was amazing too. She’s so smart and I wish Yugi would have taken her more seriously as a true rival. My mind right now is hazy regarding what she did Post-Battle City so I don’t really remember what she does afterwards lol… Her outfits are always great tho. I think most of all I love the tough love she hands out. I wish she had been in Arc V or DSOD, I miss her! I truly think she is the Yugioh female we’ve always deserved, a perfect mix of emotions, strength, maturity, and will.

HONORABLE MENTION TO ISHIZU THAT’S MY GIRL RIGHT THERE!

19. Favorite 5Ds OP/ED

YAAAAAAAAS NOW WE’RE TALKIN IMMA LET YOU FINISH BUT “FUTURE COLORS” IS THE BEST YUGIOH OP/ED OF ALL TIME!!!!!!! FIGHT ME OVER THIS!! VISUALLY AND MUSICALLY! SO GOOD! THIS SONG MADE THE END OF 5DS SO MUCH MORE EMOTIONAL! I will never be over this ending okay?? Best 5D’s opening visually and musically for me is “BELIEVE IN NEXUS!” I love the instrumentation of this one, the gritty guitar and the build up of the song. The animation is also gorgeous and I love the visuals they chose, it always feels like a really full, comprehensive opening.

27. Favorite antagonist

You know Marik has always been memorable to me. He was over the top when it came to blaming the Pharoah for all the wrong in his life but I love the relationship he has with Rishid, and how his recognition of  Rishid’s brotherly affection and dedication to him was strong enough to contain his dark half. The worst thing Marik ever did was risk Rishid’s life by giving him that fake Ra card and saying that he was only worthy of the Ishtar name if he could use it successfully. That was cruel. His Rare Hunters were creepy too. Plus LittleKuriboh has made so much fun of Marik it’s made me love him so much more.

Also shoutout to Yubel for probably being the most evilly evil of antagonists... seriously she did so much evil it still surprises me how easily Judai forgave her. Devine was one creepy ass motherfucker and I’m glad he died. Z-ONE had a good story and he was a good person; the whole Yusei revelation was wack. I’ll also give Noah Kaiba some props because I loved his arc and I he was a nice kid for choosing to sacrifice himself at the end.

[sejasomos]

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Irena Sendler (em polaco: Irena Sendlerowa, nascida Krzyżanowska) (15 de fevereiro de 1910 - 12 de maio de 2008), também conhecida como "O Anjo do Gueto de Varsóvia," foi uma ativista dos direitos humanos durante a Segunda Guerra Mundial, tendo contribuído para salvar mais de 2.500 vidas ao conseguir que várias famílias escondessem filhos de judeus no seio do seu lar e ao levar alimentos, roupas e medicamentos às pessoas barricadas no gueto, com risco da própria vida. Em 1939, Irena era assistente social[1] no Departamento de Bem Estar Social de Varsóvia, trabalhava com enfermeiras e organizava espaços de refeição comunitários da cidade com o objectivo de responder às necessidades das pessoas que mais necessitavam. Quando Irena caminhava pelas ruas do gueto, levava uma braçadeira com a estrela de David, como sinal de solidariedade e para não chamar a atenção sobre si própria. Irena vivia os tempos da guerra pensando nos tempos de paz e por isso não fica satisfeita só por manter com vida as crianças. Irena ja suportou a tortura e negou-se a trair seus colaboradores ou as crianças ocultas. Quebraram-lhe os ossos dos pés e das pernas, mas não conseguiram quebrar a sua determinação.Foi condenada à morte. Após sua morte Irena Sendler foi apresentada como candidata para o prémio Nobel da Paz pelo governo polaco. Em 2008, a CBS produziu o filme The Courageous Heart of Irena Sendler que mostra os fatos mais importantes da luta de Irena. A intérprete de Sendler, Anna Paquin, foi indicada ao Globo de Ouro de 2010. . Via nossa parceira @mulhershistoricas Veja mais em @sejasomos #nazismo #mulheresincriveis #empoderamentofeminino #mulhereshistoricas #lutecomoumagarota #grlpwr #feminismo #feminist (em MASP - Museu de Arte de São Paulo Assis Chateaubriand) https://www.instagram.com/p/BsTr7ocgPcp/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=bjyndbtsy88n

[euroviajar]

Lisbon is the European capital with the most spectacular beaches nearby.

Endlessly long, extremely wide, often natural or even wild Atlantic beaches are definitely some of the best in Europe. All the coastline facing west offers you the perfect dreamlike sunsets melting with the ocean – a truly romantic experience you’ll never forget.

Moreover, Portugal is a paradise for surfers, kitesurfers and windsurfers – and seeing hundreds of them in action is a real spectacle.

Lisbon is also one of the absolutely most sunny places in Europe, so get your swimming suit ready!

Visitors coming to Lisbon for the first time often assume that the city is located by the ocean. Not really! What you see on the map is the estuary of the Tagus (Tejo) river. The good news is that there are numerous attractive beaches close to Lisbon – and it’s easy to get there.

Here is a quick guide to choose the best Lisbon beach for your needs:

Large Truly Atlantic Beaches: Costa da Caparica (1), Praia de São João da Caparica (2)

The Most Spectacular Beach & Lagoon: Lagoa de Albufeira (3)

The Closest Beaches from Lisbon: Praia de Carcavelos (4), Praia de Tamariz (5)

Surfers’ and Kitesurfers’ Paradise: Guincho (6) and Costa da Caparica (1)

Best holiday resort towns nearby Lisbon: Cascais, Estoril, Sesimbra

1. Costa da Caparica beaches

The Widest Truly Atlantic Beaches

Costa da Caparica Portugal

Boats on Costa da Caparica beach Portugal

Surfing at sunset in Caparica – Portugal

Perfect sunset on Costa da Caparica Portugal

One of pretty piers along Costa da Caparica beaches in Portugal

Costa da Caparica offers extremely pleasant beaches quite easy to get to.

Definitely a truly Atlantic experience nearest to Lisbon. It’s a 15 km-long strand of the beach divided by beautiful piers in between them. These beaches offer anything you want: some are equipped with umbrellas and sun beds, others are fully free, on some you can play beach volley, but mostly – you can rent a surf board and hit the waves! Surfing is extremely popular in Portugal, with good conditions both for beginners and advanced surfers.

Highlights: Sunset, Bars & restaurants by the ocean, Surfers

How to get there: Bus TST 161 from Lisbon from the bus stop at Avenida Praça Manuel Da Nóbrega (Praça Do Areeiro – station of green metro line) to the bus stop Costa Da Caparica (Mercado).

From Costa da Caparica to Lisbon Take the bus from the bus station in Avenida Dom Sebastião, the main road along the edge of Costa da Caparica, with the the entrance to the station from Rua Padre Mario Lopes street.

2 buses every hour Monday-Sunday between 8:00-20:00.

Price of the ticket Lisbon-Caparica is €3.20 for a single ticket which is purchased directly from the driver.

You’ll love:

Crossing the 25 April Bridge with its breathtaking view of Lisbon from the height – a memorable experience!

Along the beach there is a long promenade with a comfortable boardwalk, great for walking, rollerblades, running, cycling, or just sitting by the ocean.

Lovely long stone piers perfect for a walk, for a great photo or for watching surfers from close-by: there are always hundreds of them and it is a really cool spectacle!

It’s an excellent place to have a nice drink in one of numerous bars – again watching surfers or gazing at the ocean.

In the evening it gives you the opportunity to have an unforgettable romantic dinner watching the beautiful sunset from one of many seafood restaurants.

2. Praia de São João da Caparica

The Widest Truly Atlantic Beaches

A beautiful bar on Praia de São João da Caparica beach

Wide and spacious Praia de São João da Caparica beach

Praia de São João da Caparica beach on a summer weekend

Highlights: Wide and spacious, so usually not crowded, Sunset, Beautiful restaurants by the ocean

How to get there: By car (by public transport it’s rather complicated)

You’ll love:

Crossing the 25 April Bridge with its breathtaking view of Lisbon from the height – a memorable experience!

This beautiful beach is surrounded by nature: pretty sand dunes and a pine forest behind.

It’s an excellent place to have a nice drink in one of comfortable chic bars with a view – watching windsurfers or just admiring the ocean.

In the evening it gives you the opportunity to have an unforgettable romantic dinner watching the beautiful sunset from one of a few pretty restaurants.

3. Lagoa de Albufeira

The Most Spectacular Beach & Lagoon

Unique lagoon of Lagoa de Albufeira, Sesimbra

Sandy horizon of Lagoa de Albufeira, Sesimbra

Lagoa de Albufeira, Sesimbra

Wild Lagoa de Albufeira

View of Lagoa de Albufeira

Long, wide, wild beaches near the pretty town of Sesimbra.

Highlights: Perfectly beautiful lagoon (with warm water, very rare in this part of Atlantic!), with infinitely wide, wild beach with sand dunes and view at cliffs and a lighthouse. Absolutely stunning!

It’s an extremely romantic spot for a couple for a perfect quiet evening with the sunset.

How to get there: By car. This gem is not very easy to find and parking may be difficult, but it’s certainly worth the effort!

You’ll love:

The Lagoa de Albufeira lagoon and its sandy “islands” constantly changing their shapes and sizes.

The warmest water in this part of Portugal – the lagoon is very shallow (great for children), so it warms up quickly – it’s very pleasant to swim here.

The perfect views of endless sand – it’s really impressive!

There is a nice beach bar and two restaurants a bit closer to the lake for a nice dinner or drink.

4. Carcavelos

The Closest Beaches from Lisbon

Carcavelos beach with Fort of São Julião da Barra

Windsurfers on Carcavelos beach

Carcavelos is a nice resort just out of Lisbon.

Very easy and quick arrival by frequent and cheap train, with pleasant small towns along the way.

Definitely recommended for a short beach getaway for just a few hours, with an easy return to the centre of Lisbon.

Highlights: Fort of São Julião da Barra – you can’t visit it (it’s owned by the Portuguese army), but it makes a beautiful background to the beach – and it’ll look great on your photos!

Things to do: 1.5 km of soft sand beach, surf rental, SUP (stand up paddle) rental, beach volley, many events throughout summer, restaurants, bars, cafes, nice promenade

How to get from Lisbon to Carcavelos: By train

Station: Lisbon, Cais do Sodré train station (a nice walk from Praça do Comércio or the last stop of the green metro line).

The frequent trains run every 15-20 mins from early morning till 1:30 in the night.

A journey to Carcavelos station will take only about 20 minutes.

Price of the ticket: super cheap, only €1.90 adult (€0.95 child) for a single ticket (return ticket €3.80 adult; €1.90 child)

The train ticket is charged to the reusable “Viva Viagem” card, used for all the public transport in Lisbon, plus initial cost for the card €0.50 (keep the card and reuse it).

Other options: 24-hour unlimited train ticket for €6.00 for the Sintra railway and travel from Carcavelos to Cascais

“Beach Pass”, 7-day unlimited ticket for the Lisbon-Cascais railway for €12. Available  from the 20th May to the 30th September.

About Praia de Carcavelos beach:

You’ll love:

The view from the train: a glimpse on the famous 25 April Bridge, Torre de Belem, the point where the estuary of the Tagus river meats the ocean, and a series of pretty historical towns with elegant villas and palaces and a very pretty lighthouse Bugio.

Beach with a view at a fort (Carcavelos).

Pleasant promenade to walk along the beaches.

Nice bars to cool down.

You won’t love:

The crowds – these beaches are usually very crowded in the summer (as all the beaches along the Lisbon-Cascais train line).

5. Praia de Tamariz – Estoril

The Closest Beaches from Lisbon

Romantic evening in Praia de Tamariz – Estoril

Forte da Cruz in Praia de Tamariz – Estoril

Highlights: Forte da Cruz – a charming medieval-style faux castle.

Things to do: rockpool for kids, restaurants, bars, cafes, nice promenade, 15 mins walk along the ocean to beautiful town of Cascais.

How to get from Lisbon to Tamariz beach (Estoril): By train

Station: Lisbon, Cais do Sodré train station (a nice walk from Praça do Comércio or the last stop of the green metro line).

The frequent trains run every 15-20 mins from early morning till 1:30 in the night.

A journey to Estoril station will take only about 25 minutes.

Price of the ticket: super cheap, only €2.25 for a single ticket, €4.50 return ticket.

The train ticket is charged to the reusable “Viva Viagem” card, used for all the public transport in Lisbon, plus initial cost for the card €0.50 (keep the card and reuse it).

Other options: 24-hour unlimited train ticket for €6.00 for the Sintra railway that lets you travel also from Estoril to beautiful resort of Cascais, well worth a visit.

“Beach Pass”, 7-day unlimited ticket for the Lisbon-Cascais railway for €12. Available  from the 20th May to the 30th September.

About Praia de Tamariz beach:

You’ll love:

The view from the train: a glimpse on the famous 25 April Bridge, Torre de Belem, the point where the estuary of the Tagus river meats the ocean, and a series of pretty historical towns with elegant villas and palaces and a very pretty lighthouse Bugio.

Beach with a view at a castle (Tamariz).

Pleasant promenade to walk along the beaches.

Nice bars to cool down.

You won’t love:

The crowds – these beaches are usually very crowded in the summer (as all the beaches along the Lisbon-Cascais train line).

6. Guincho (Praia Grande)

Surfers’, kitesurfers’ and windsurfers’ Paradise – even if you are not into these sports, watching them is quite amazing!

Kitesurfing in Guincho Praia Grande

Sand dunes on Guincho Praia Grande beach

Highlights: Wild beach, Romantic Sunset

How to get there: By car

You’ll love:

Scenic sand dunes, view at the cliffs, beauty of the surroundings.

A fascinating spectacle of surfers, kitesurfers and windsurfers showing off their skills – harsh ocean conditions of the bay are not for faint-hearted, only advanced surfers have courage to hit the waves here!

Perfect sunset by the ocean – it’s a very romantic spot for a couple.

There is a surf/kitesurf/windsurf rental shop and a nice bar, so you can grab a bite or a drink with a perfect view.

General Tips about Lisbon beaches

Water Temperature

Many people are surprised that the water in this part of the Atlantic ocean is always cold, including the summertime. The range of temperature is somewhere between cold, very cold and freezing, depending of the tides, so don’t expect too much – on average the water is around 18°C or less. A good idea is to invest in a wetsuit (you know, the “surfer’s suit” – you can find a good choice at reasonable prices for example in Decathlon in Lisbon), which will keep you isolated from the cold. For those of you planning on doing some water sport, it’s a must. It is also possible to rent a wetsuit from a surf rental service.

Best Period to Visit

The weather in Lisbon is mostly sunny throughout the year. If you plan sunbathing and spending time on the beach, visit Lisbon any time between May and (the end of) September. July and August are the most crowded months.

Don’t Take Risk with the Ocean!

Remember that the ocean is powerful: its waves can easily overthrow you, so be careful while swimming or surfing/windsurfing. Be aware of the underwater rocks and currents. If you are not a good swimmer, swim only on protected beaches.

I hope this guide will help you to make the most of your trip to Lisbon. Portuguese beaches are truly amazing!

  Best Lisbon Beaches Lisbon is the European capital with the most spectacular beaches nearby. Endlessly long, extremely wide, often natural or even wild Atlantic beaches are definitely some of the best in Europe.

[puzzledmemories]

@universestreasures asked: “I’m not trying to baby you. It’s called taking care of my brother.” (Ruka to Rua!

Hurt/Comfort Starters (always accepting!!)

Rua tried with little success to push his sister away. He didn't have the strength to really push anyone away right now. "You're are babying me. I shouldn't need help, I..."

He coughed. His body felt like it was on fire. His throat hurt to talk or swallow. Even his usual constant stream of energy was gone. He was definitely sick. He wasn't allowed to be sick, though! Not when his sister depended on him!

His arm fell to his side. Rua looked towards the floor and forced himself not to cry.

"I'm the one that's supposed to take care of you..."

[puzzledmemories]

so...Rua...you made a new friend today, huh? Cute little neko boy. He even duels before you ask.

"I always want to make new friends who want to duel! This is awesome! And I got to meet a duel spirit which is even cooler!"

"Wait, who are you--"

[puzzledmemories]

Not like that...just ask Yusei what I mean, he'll...explain. probably. I dunno

"Remind me to call Yusei later."

[puzzledmemories]

looks cool, eh? Hehehe...man, I cannot wait for you to understand how crushes work. Anyways, good luck in that duel! He may actually be a challenge-

"I mean, Jack says he's always going to crush his opponents, and we are about to duel, so..."

"I'm gonna do my best!"

[puzzledmemories]

Fair enough...do you think he looks nice, at least? He seems to have appeared from nowhere..

"Yeah, he looks nice. Looks cool. I bet it would be really cool to be part duel spirit." Rua is oblivious.

"You're right, he did appear from nowhere... Do you think he got abducted by aliens? Or maybe it's time travel. Or do you think the ice cream store is a secret alien hideout where they kidnap nekos?" He's watched too many movies recently.

[puzzledmemories]

...how can a duel spirit even duel then, Rua? Like, full functioning duel disk and all? As for who I am...mysterious force of the universe.

"Well, mysterious force of the universe, I, um,"

"I don't know the answer to that. Ruka knows that stuff better than me."

[puzzledmemories]

"Best birthday ever!!"