Marlies G: Week two in Lisbon – halfway there and finally settling in

The second week in Lisbon is already over, which means we’ve officially reached the halfway point of our stay. Luckily, all of the problems from the first week didn’t follow me into the second. Things have improved a lot! My new job is going really well now. I could even adjust my difficult work schedule from the beginning, which means I now have more time to hang out with friends and we’ve definitely made the most of it!

This week, we explored both sides of Lisbon’s famous bridge. It’s honestly amazing, it looks exactly like the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco. We also visited the Cristo Rei statue, which reminded me a lot of the one in Rio de Janeiro.

One of the highlights of the week was our trip to Sintra and Cascais. I absolutely loved it. Both places are so full of charm and beauty. As a perfect end to the week, we crossed the river and headed to a beach in Costa da Caparica with a really cool beach club. We spent the whole day there. It was super windy, which made the waves pretty wild but also really fun. We finished the day with pizza at the beach club while watching the sunset and playing volleyball. It was one of those perfect summer evenings. I did get a bit of a sunburn though because I underestimated the sun because of the wind.

This week felt much more like what I had hoped for when I came to Lisbon. I’m finally enjoying the city, the people, and the experience. Now I’m excited to see what the second half of this adventure will bring!