Starting tomorrow, I’m heading to Portugal for 15 days, my first of what I hope will be two trips across the Atlantic to Europe this year. I don’t have any plans yet for the second trip, but I always try to travel at least twice a year, as time and budget allow. Planning this trip to Portugal involved more back-and-forth than I expected.

I’ve been wanting to plan my next adventure for a while. Over the winter, especially, the idea of warmer destinations and better travel timing was hard to ignore. I started jotting down ideas: cities I wanted to visit, then ways to connect them and make the most of my time across the Atlantic.

Lisbon is the capital city and the largest in Portugal. It is the second oldest European capital after Athens, Greece. Exploring Lisbon will take you through numerous neighbourhoods ranging from lively shopping and nightlife districts to older, more scenic areas. I travelled to Lisbon for a few days this month to explore, enjoy, and photograph the city. I spent three days exploring the top spots in the city, including Baixa, Rossio, Bairro Alto, and Alfama.