Portugal

Portugal has been another slice of beach meets partying and great food. First we hit up Lisbon, where to be honest we were slightly concerned when we entered the train station to get to our hostel. However, after the initial concern and a few jabs at Chelsea for booking what we thought was going to be a crappy 3 nights we the found this to be the best hostel we had ever stayed in, with an awesome common area and big communal kitchen. Our room was a 6 bedder so we had that to ourselves, that is Jen, myself, Holly, Chels, Kate and Giselle. The boys were, by chance, staying in the same hostel and in the room next door. Destination hostel was only €20 a night and well worth every penny, if not more.  Lisbon was nice and we enjoyed the sights, the parks, the flea markets, and a big Portuguese dinner consisting mostly of seafood. We were expecting the beach to be a little bit more accessible than it was but that was the only downside. Drinks were cheap and we were able to cook some cheap dinners too in the well equipped kitchen. We were also lucky enough to find the place that serves the original portuguese tarts which hit the spot well for afternoon tea.  After three nights in Lisbon we made our way to Lagos, where we stayed 4 nights. There has been little to see in terms general tourism, but the beaches are stunning lined with dramatic cliffs and rocks that stand freely in the sea.  This would be the last time we saw the boys on our travels as they head north for Germany and Belgium. As such, a couple of good dinners with them and a resulting big night following, we have certainly enjoyed what Lagos has to offer. The highlight apart from the beaches has been a place called Nah Nah Bah where they have one of the top 50 burgers in the world. I'm not sure how they assess this but naturally curiosity got the better of me. It was bloody good.  We had planned on going kayaking around the grottos but we were cancelled on two days running with conditions too rough to navigate through rocky waters. Oh well, back home for lunch and another trip to the beach will have to suffice.   I would certainly recommend coming to portugal, Lagos in particular. Food and drink are cheap and good, with the accommodation being amongst the best priced and styled in Europe. Obrigada Portugal!