Marlies G: Week three in Lisbon – the best weekend so far

Week three has come to an end, and I think this might have been the best week so far, or at least the best weekend of the whole trip!

We started off with a stunning sunset at Jardim do Rio, a peaceful little riverside garden with a beautiful view of the Ponte 25 de Abril. Watching the sky change colors behind the bridge was such a calm and beautiful moment, a moment that makes you fall in love with this city all over again.

Later in the week, we returned to Sintra, this time to visit the famous Palácio Nacional da Pena. It looks like something straight out of a fairy tale, colorful and dramatic, perched high on the hill. After exploring the palace and grabbing something to eat, we continued our adventure to what has now become one of my absolute favorite beaches: Praia da Ursa on Portugal’s wild west coast.

Getting there wasn’t easy because it’s tucked away in

the middle of nowhere, and we had to climb down a steep, rocky path to reach it. But wow, was it worth it. The beach was absolutely breathtaking. The water was freezing cold thanks to the open Atlantic, and the waves were massive. We stayed until the sun set, painting the sky in the most amazing mix of colors. That evening, we all cooked dinner together at our place , tired and sandy, but happy.

And since we clearly hadn’t had enough of the ocean yet, we decided to wrap up the weekend with a spontaneous trip back to Costa da Caparica. This time, we signed up for a two-hour surfing lesson with a local instructor. It was my first time ever trying to surf, and although the waves (true to Portugal’s reputation) were huge and made things challenging, it was so much fun. Our instructor was really nice and super encouraging, which helped a lot.

Now week four, the final week, is already starting. It’s crazy how fast time has flown by...