At sunset, as I walked out of the Cais do Sodré train station towards the aptly named Sunset Destination hostel I’d booked for the next five days, I looked up to the pastel colored sky – a calm blue chasing away the pink and orange hues of the setting sun that had already disappeared beyond the horizon – and at that moment, I knew that taking that leap of courage and embarking on my first ever solo trip would prove to be worth it. I sat down on the platform at the end of the road, facing the Tagus River and the small Christ the Redeemer in the distance, to take it all in.

I’d booked this trip more or less on impulse, fueled by the desire to experience travelling by myself at least once in my life, and to see with my own eyes the beauty of Lisbon that I’d heard so much about from my friends who had been there before me. As the date of my flight to Lisbon loomed closer, I started to worry about travelling alone. What if I lose all my valuables and get stuck in Portugal with no way of coming home? Thankfully, googling ‘is Lisbon safe for solo travelling?‘ led to reassuring results, and since I’d already paid for the flights and accommodation, I decided to just go. Best. Decision. Ever.

After almost eight hours of travelling, I was hungry for some good Portuguese food. My first stop in Lisbon was the nearby Time Out Market, otherwise known as Mercado da Ribeira, a large and lively food hall where some of the best Portuguese food can be found. I worked my way through the stalls slowly, spoilt for choice about what I could fit into my stomach. There’s an abundance of seafood to be found in Portugal, and bacalhau (cod fish) is one of the must-try dishes, so I started with a cod fish cake from one of the smaller stalls in the centre, followed by yet another bacalhau dish from Alexandre Silva, all the while lamenting my lack of companions to share more food with. The highlights of my dinner, however, were yet to come.

No meal would be truly complete without dessert, especially when one is in the city of egg tarts. I’d had my eye on the freshly baked pastéis de nata from Manteigaria at the corner of the Time Out Market since walking in, and so I returned after my main course, eager to fill up the remaining stomach space I’d reserved. I held the small warm plate in my hand, took a bite, and tasted heaven. The pastry crust was crispy, flaky, but not hard, and its warm eggy core was slightly sweet, without the artificial taste of excessive processing and sugar that I’d expected from an egg tart.

I later found out that Manteigaria is one of the most famous dessert shops in Lisbon, but without that knowledge, I was blown away by how unexpectedly good the pastel de nata was. I closed my eyes to shut out all other distractions, properly savouring my first ever authentic Portuguese egg tart, and when I opened my eyes again, I made eye contact with two female tourists standing a short distance away, who had evidently been watching me eat. One of them said to the other, “Whoa, that must be good. Let’s get that.” It made me smile, because from her words I knew that my satisfaction was written all over my face, and I had shared it with them without having to say a single word.

To wash down the food, I ordered a shot of ginja – a deep red, almost syrup-like sweet liquor made from sour cherries. I took a small sip, and that was the start of my love for ginja. Aside from the fiery warmth that spreads through your body when downed, ginja was quite unlike any other liquor I’ve had because of its sweetness. From then on, I bought ginja every time I passed by a shop selling it. Sometimes it came in a shot glass with a piece of fruit at the bottom, other times it came in a smaller, edible chocolate cup. Even so, it wasn’t enough for me, and later, before I left Lisbon, I hand-carried a bottle of ginja back to Paris. Portugal is well-known as the birthplace of pastéis de nata, but Portuguese liquor deserves a whole lot more praise too, and I can’t recommend ginja enough.

The next morning I set off on my own walking tour of Lisbon, past the Praça do Comércio and the Sé Cathedral to the beautiful Alfama district with its stunning viewpoints overlooking the brick red rooftops of the houses. With its tiled walls, mosaic street floors and painted graffiti, Lisbon is a city that rewards well for taking the time and effort to walk up and down its many hills.

In 1755, a great earthquake with a magnitude of about 8.5 to 9.0 hit Lisbon. This was followed by fires and a tsunami, which resulted in the almost complete destruction of the city and a large number of casualties. Walking through the city as it is today, with its large plazas and wide streets, it’s amazing to see how the people bounced back and rebuilt their city despite such tragedy.

As I walked further into the alleys, I stumbled upon a painted wall that piqued my interest. Fado refers to the traditional Portuguese folk music that’s supposed to evoke melancholic and nostalgic feelings… and so I walked back into town and booked myself a ticket for the Fado in Chiado live show. I’m not sure if it was because I had too high expectations from what I’d read about it, or because I’d naively walked into a tourist trap. Perhaps it was because I couldn’t understand the language, and therefore couldn’t really grasp the meaning of lyrics. In any case, I wasn’t impressed by the show, and although I really tried to enjoy it, I left feeling like I should have been moved, but wasn’t at all. Still, if I hadn’t gone for the fado performance, I would have probably regretted later on.

Lisbon is a beautiful city, and I cherished the opportunity to explore a new city alone. Perhaps because it was my first solo experience, Lisbon will always have a special place in my heart.

Travelling alone meant that I had no one to share my food and experiences with, no one to get lost and ask for directions with, and no one to take photos with. And so I had to learn to be fully independent and to look out for myself. I chose what I wanted to eat, see, and do, and committed fully to my decisions. I planned out my days beforehand, solved my own problems, found my own way around at my own pace, stopping to shop for souvenirs or to drink wine wherever and whenever I wanted. Importantly, I also learned to shamelessly ask for help and photos when my selfie stick couldn’t make the cut, as well as to offer my help to other travellers wherever I could.

As a relatively short, dark-haired Asian girl, I did feel somewhat conscious about standing out from the mostly European crowd as it wasn’t the peak tourist season when I visited. Nonetheless, taking the usual precautions, I felt safe, and I had a great experience in all my interactions with the locals. Obrigada, Lisbon, for the memories, and most of all, for the greatest gift I could have received – the sweetness of freedom in a foreign land.

This is Part 1 of the Portugal series.
If you enjoyed it, leave a like and let me know with a comment below, or better yet, share it with your friends!In Part 2, I visit the fairytale land of Sintra, and in Part 3, I take a day trip to Porto.

Do also check out my short video of my experiences in Portugal here: https://youtu.be/kFlcVNYoCoo