I was 20 when I went for a 2 week road trip around Europe. Here’s how.

To dream, to love and to live, would be the motto that I adopt ever since a young age and that has shaped the way that I lead my lift. Dreams are important, insofar as they bring you hope, bring you the possibility that anything is possible as long as you are willing to work hard for it.

We’ve all had aspirations to get our dream job, do things that we love but how many of us actually fulfil them? 

Well, I wasn’t going to let myself be one in which I get overly caught up in trying to get ahead in a rat chase, chasing after material goods, conventional success and end up losing elements of myself, my happiness and more importantly my dreams

 When you love the life that you live, you start treasuring the things and people that you have. Only then, would your life be filled with meaning, be filled with hope!

What’s with the introduction?

Well, to be honest, at my current stage where I have yet to have more realistic and tangible goals to fulfil, such as the age in which I would get married, the type of housing I would want, my financial goals etc. 

While I’m at the age in which I can afford to let loose and do things I want with my youth, I decided to live life to the fullest, live life for myself.  One of my dreams has always been  to travel to Europe, to enjoy every moment of my life, which was why I decided to travel to Europe back in November.

 I’ve previously written about Spain and how my trip went. So today, I would be bringing you to another week of my trip, this time, in the context of Portugal. 

If you haven’t had the time to read it, do give it a read and check it out and if you have read about the first part of my trip, a big thank you to you and I hope you would enjoy today’s article as much as last week’s one! 

Portugal, the land of Magic

Portugal, as you may commonly know it as Cristiano Ronaldo’s hometown, actually has so much more to it than what we know of. Your impression of Portugal may stop at its Portugese egg tarts, codfish, or even Fado music but my trip to Portugal has really surprised me!

Portugal has been real special and exotic, carrying elements of surprise. Upon landing at Lisbon, the country’s capital, I was already blown away by how beautiful and breathtaking the country is. Here are some pictures which I’ve captured that made me fall in love with the architecture and scenery the moment I saw it!

The country’s history and culture, gastronomy and wines are among the main attractions and selling points of this beautiful country. In this welcoming nation with magnificent mountains and endless beaches bathed by the Atlantic Ocean, I truly felt like the city was like a sight which came out from a painting.

The grandiose castle and palaces were like the top of the cherry on the sundae, making the whole scenery even more breathtaking.I was particularly intrigued and amazed by the rich history and how intrinsic and exquisite each building and streets were!

Enough about the scenery!

Food wise, I would definitely recommend heading to Time Out Market in Lisbon, where you can find the best of Lisbon under a roof! With 26 restaurants, 8 bars and a dozen shops, Time Out Market serves all the very best in Lisbon, from fresh seafood caught off the Atlantic Ocean, to the best steak, to the best cheeseburger, you name it, you get it!

 Time Out market is a modern Portuguese food hall located in the historic Mercado da Ribeira in Cais do Sodre. I’ve enjoyed my meal so much that I would say it is a must-visit for every first timer to the city.

I’ve had Grilled Octopus with Potato Puree and salad on the side and I would say it is one of the best meals I’ve had in Portugal! The octopus was so fresh and chewy, grilled and seasoned to perfection, to the extent where I would award them a Michelin star if I could!

What’s next?

Shopping there was good too! The experience which I’ve had is largely similar to the one I had in Spain so I shall not rumble on and on about it but in terms of the goods they carry and price point, it would be similar to Spain’s. With inhouse European brands such as Massimo Dutti and Zara being so much more affordable and stylish, these shops are a must go!. Moreover, what makes it better would be that the clothes are half the price you can find as opposed to when you’re shopping in Singapore!

Now, time to get to the exciting part, the nightlife would be the best part of my trip there! The streets of Lisbon are always filled with youngsters at night, social drinking and partying and each street is always so vibrant and lively, with people living life to the fullest. My friends and I went to a club and the people there were just so inclusive!

They welcomed us to the dance floor and offered us drinks, providing such good vibes throughout our time there, really making us feel included and providing us a safe space to have fun with them! Don’t believe me? Here are some photos to back it up!

Is it safe? What you need to know before heading to Portugal

The people there were really friendly and they spoke really eloquent English. I would say I felt real comfortable and safe on my trip there. What I’ve noticed would be that the people there, while they do have a strong character, are generally really nice and friendly.

What I liked most about my trip to Portugal would be that the people there are really welcoming and that they have been really nice to me, which elevates the experience there and makes me feel comfortable and at ease in a foreign country.  The streets at night were brightly lit and there were a lot of people on the streets at night so it was generally quite safe to walk around at night! 

All in all, this was definitely a safe 10/10 experience and I wish you can feel that too!

In conclusion…

My trip to Europe has been one of the best I can ever ask for and that I am real glad I got a chance to fulfil my dreams because these memories would live with me for a long time. I would say that would be one of the best trips I’ve ever had!  To whoever that is reading this, I hope that you can seize this opportunity to do what you love, travel to places that you have always dreamt of going and live your dreams! I’m glad that I was able to recount my experience in Portugal in the form of this article and I hope you enjoy reading it too! Well, I guess that marks the end of my trip down memory lane, recounting my experiences in Europe to you! Thanks for reading and, stay tuned to more articles that we will be coming out with!