Lisbon, Portugal
Portugal was a much more undulating and colorful city than I was expecting. Everywhere I looked, the jacaranda trees lining the streets were in full bloom with bright purple petals raining down. Not only was the city showered in natural color, the walls were painted the most beautiful vibrant shades and patterns imaginable. I was not very familiar with the hand-painted tile work that adorned so many of the buildings in Lisbon, but I definitely learned a lot about it after I visited the national museum on the history of the tiles. My favorite sight was seeing rows of buildings with varying tiles in contrasting colors that cheered up the streets with their vibrance.
The more surprising aspect was the hills of Portugal. The incline walking from east to west was very large and some points in the city were on two levels, with streets running 40 or 50 feet below the streets above on the tight city blocks. The very famous Gloria Lift was a lifesaver on that long 45 degree incline from the main street to the west side of the city. While the climb was rough, the views from the top were worth it.
The more surprising aspect was the hills of Portugal. The incline walking from east to west was very large and some points in the city were on two levels, with streets running 40 or 50 feet below the streets above on the tight city blocks. The very famous Gloria Lift was a lifesaver on that long 45 degree incline from the main street to the west side of the city. While the climb was rough, the views from the top were worth it.