Lisbon. Small cobblestone winding streets. Ornate, colorful tiles decorate exterior walls. Antique, yellow trolley cars run up and down the steep hills. Expansive city and river views atop each of them. Locals sip espresso and eat small pastries at high counter bars. Darkness falls and all the young emerge. Buy drinks inside one of the numerous wall to wall bars and socialize outside on the charming, diverse streets. Music heard from every way, luring those listening with rhythmic noise.
Neighborhood square festivals thriving. A black and white film later turns into a concert of electronic beats played by two djs combined with eight eclectically-styled drummers. An intimate indie rap show at a modern art exhibition in an abandoned warehouse. Fado in a dark, smokey bar. Local jazz band entertaining a small crowd. Outdoor barbeque celebrating Sant Antoni at the Museo Arquelogico. Two man band playing a packed, historic bar with an extensive antique radio collection. Sant Jorge castle exemplifies how expansive the city actually is. Inside the city, a hidden botanical garden and butterfly atrium. A personal tour made me scream. Their wings tickling my bare skin. Seeing them at each life stage. Unique within a screened home.
Sintra. A small village outside Lisbon. Tiny pedestrian streets contain tinier shops of authentic crafts and cuisine. Walking through the parks you seem worlds away from any city. An extensive array of flowers and fauna. Giant moss covered rocks. Huge trees with long roots to swing on. As if they are out of a story book. You reach the Moorish castle guarding the palace of royalty. A site of beauty. 
Porto. A short train ride north along the coast to the home of the renown wine. Far below the city center lies the river. Antique ships once used for Port wine transports anchored. Wine cellars encasing the bottled perfection of the Duoro region. 
Cristal Palace and the park within shows the city’s entirety. Loud peacocks roaming with the pedestrians. Two bridges to connect each side. The mouth of the river where it reaches the ocean. Casa da Musica houses every musician's dream room in one uniquely modern monument. An after-hour tour from a sound engineer made even more of the beauty and hidden secrets come to life. One's imaginations become real.
Matosinhos. Small fishing village just outside the city. Each person full of happiness and life no matter their age. A long lunch overlooking the ocean with rain pouring down tasting the Portuguese cuisine at its best. Every local dish, dessert and drink are crafted with passion. A few of my favorites. Bacalhau. Their cod fish cooked numerous ways. Francesinha. A Porto originating sandwich. Fresh sardines. Homemade caramel custard.
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