Patricia: Ponte 25 de abril

 This week, we visited one of Lisbon’s most iconic landmarks: the Ponte 25 de Abril. It’s the massive red suspension bridge that connects Lisbon with Almada – and yes, it really does look like the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco. No surprise, since it was built by the same American company and painted in the same colours!

We actually visited the bridge from both sides of the river this week. The first time, we stayed on the Lisbon side where we found a beautiful promenade right near the bridge. There were lots of little restaurants and cafés, and the harbor was full of yachts and sailboats. The atmosphere was so relaxed, and the view of the bridge from there was amazing.

Then on Thursday, we decided to explore the Almada side. We took the ferry across the river, which was already a cool little adventure. Once we arrived, we walked up to the Cristo Rei statue – the huge Christ statue that overlooks the city. From up there, the view of the bridge is absolutely breathtaking. You can see the entire span of the bridge with the city of Lisbon in the background. It was definitely a highlight of the week.

Our original plan was to watch the sunset at Jardim do Rio afterwards, but unfortunately the sky was completely cloudy – so there was no sunset at all. Just grey skies and a bit of wind. Oh well, it was still a fun day and the views were worth it!