Portugal is a country located in the westernmost part of Europe, occupying the Iberian peninsula together with Spain.
I had always known the existence of this country, but somehow in my vision of Europe it had never gained a big spotlight. I was then positively surprised when the destiny put it on my path.
I would have liked to visit Lisbon as a tourist, but in September 2020, when all the international borders still remained closed, I received a job offer from a French Company, Webhelp, that wanted me to work for a popular brand that really sparked my child wishes and prompted me to relocate: Disney +
With the huge success of the streaming platforms like Netflix and Amazon Prime, the multinational entertainment company had decided to compensate the money lost due to the closure of the parks during the pandemic, launching a platform that collected all the movies and series that they belonged to it, into an unique online space.
My role would have been to be part of the Customer Service for the Italian market, which meant answering the calls and chats of the people who were facing issues during the streaming of a movie.
I was looking for a job and I had recently achieved my Master degree in International Relations in Scotland, so I accepted the offer and in two days the company had already sent me the contract and requested me board a flight in direction of the Portuguese capital.
The Bohemian City
I arrived in Lisbon and found a city that is really AMAZING! The weather is sunny and warm, from March until October it is possible to enjoy many beaches that are reachable by train or public buses, where it is also popular to practice surf thanks to the perfect waves that the Atlantic Ocean creates on its shores.
Also, the area in which I was leaving, and I the house that the company provided me was a huge building in Rua Morais Soares, 93 closed to a the giant park of Alameda and full of crazy young people from the countries of France, Italy, the Netherland, Spain and Mozambique, that by the time started knowing each other, gave birth of a real Big Brother House, in which the company had to surveil on us in order to keep the building organized and not let everything fall apart.
In addition, the city went quickly in the Second LockDown, so I found myself in a situation of working from home, that had that point had become a huge office where people slept inside
and not going out if not for some walks in the parks or to buy groceries, shopping, and some sneaking around from the police that in Portugal was not even that strict.
Sintra
At 23 km by train from Lisbon, there is a Mystical Place, the palace of Sintra, that has so many colours and beauty to remind me about the Prices and Princesses fairy-tale that I was hearing a lot when I was a little girl.
Sintra is really one the Palaces that you get to see only one time in your life! It is very colourful and the rooms inside are at the level of Versailles, Neuschwanstein and the other Loire Valley castles. My favourite Disney Princess is Aurora in The Sleeping Beauty, so at ten years-old, when I visited one of the Loire Castles devoted to The Sleeping Beauty Movie, I was so thrilled that that from day my whole life felt like a book where I could write all my memories and pictures.
For all these reasons, Lisbon is for me a place that keeps a special place in my heart. Moreover, it is a city that is hard to live, as the atmosphere there is just magical and you want to keep coming back over and over.
Last but not the least, the food in Lisbon is amazing, mostly if you are a sweet tooth, for a few Euros you can have the best delicacies you could ever dream of.
Thank you for reaching the end of this article, I am sure Portugal has been or is already on your travel list, so please, share with me something that you really liked there or a fun fact about your experience in that country.
Are you a fun of Lisbon, or do you prefer Porto? Let me know in the comments below!
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