I might work in education, but even we get some perks. One of those perks is my annual college counselor and university admissions conference. You might remember the location last year and this year was also a gem. We headed to sunny and warm Lisbon, Portugal. Justin and I visited this town last Fall Break and I fell in love with Lisbon and I was very excited to go back. After working hard for three days, some of my fellow counselor girlfriends decided to stay for a girl's weekend in Lisbon and what a fabulous idea that turned out to be. I have to give myself some props for finding an absolutely fabulous little apartment in the center of town and if you ever find yourself in Lisbon stay here. I don't mean to brag, but it was probably the best one I have ever found to date. We literally could walk to almost anything in 10 to 15 minutes. We felt like locals at least for a few days. I have to say, one thing I love about Lisbon is how funky and unique it is compared to many other European cities.
Alison and I on the street where we rented an apartment. Very authentic wouldn't you say?
Our view of the docks about a two minute wall from our apartment
I absolutely love the tile in Portugal and by the end I think the girls loved them too or they just told me they did
Not sure what this was for but these ladies were wondering the shopping streets
The amazing store fronts
Old meets new and what great contrast
Artwork on the side of buildings
My Frankfurt counselor buddies, I am really lucky to work in the same city as these wonderful woman
Rua do Comercio
Rossio- Lisbon's historic center
The famous tram 28-definitely worth a ride around the city
The Alfama district known as the sailors quarters and the oldest part of Lisbon. I would also label it the most unique, see exhibit A
Belem Tower
Inside the Belem Tower
Monument of Discovery
The stunning cloisters of the Monastery of Jeronimos
Known as Manueline architecture named after King Manuel I, the Fortunate, 1495-1521
My girl Jessica looking great amongst the cloisters
The outside of the church at the monastery
Great conference and an even better weekend in Lisbon with my girls. I can't say this enough but if you are deciding on countries to visit in Europe, Portugal needs to be on that list. It is an amazing country with so much to offer. I feel like it is low priority especially for my American friends who want to get more bang for their buck when flying all the way to Europe. But trust me Portugal is absolutely amazing and you can't beat warm weather in November. Thanks Alison and Jess for a weekend to put in the memory books. Hope to see you again soon Portugal!
--Marisa
