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Before I even jump into our day exploring Belem, I’ve gotta talk to you about THESE SNEAKERS! If you happened to click on the link when I’ve talked about them previously on here (numerous occasions at this point!), you’re probably glad to finally see them in a post right? As I mentioned before, my friend Haven picked these up at Le BHV (basically the Paris version of Nordstrom) when her feet were hurting really badly from her sandals and flats. I didn’t think I had room in my luggage to buy one. more. thing., but after she told me how comfortable they were I searched the second we got home from Paris! Luckily, they’re available at Nordstrom and come in four pretty colors.
Being the neutrals lover I am, I opted for the Desert Sand/Sail and was thrilled when I received the package a week later! They truly are the most comfortable pair of sneakers I own. And that even includes the ones I work out in! They are pretty wide in the toe area, so there’s no chance your toes will rub when walking. The soles are super cushioned (like pillows), so they really came in handy while walking up the massive cobblestoned hills of Lisbon and Porto. If you need comfortable shoes for everyday wear or travel, PLEASE BUY THESE SHOES! I cannot recommend them enough! You can thank me later.
One of my favorite days in Lisbon was discovering the western area of town called Belem. We started the day early at Pastais de Belem for some of their famous natas. This was just one of a hundred natas we ate over the course of our trip, but the recipe at Pastais de Belem came in first place for me. It was super gooey, warm from the oven and the crust was flaky without being too crunchy. We then hit up the Torre de Belem and the Jeronimos Monastery, both of which were beautiful and worth the trip. Before heading back towards the town center, we walked up yet another big hill to the Palacio National de Ajuda.
If it weren’t for our WonderVan guide, Diogo, we never would’ve taken the time to visit this place. He told us it is the most underrated attraction in the city, and he wasn’t wrong. Meghan and I were one of five people touring the building at 11am, which was actually really nice! We took our time perusing each stateroom, taking photos without our views being obstructed. As if you couldn’t tell from the photos, this palace is truly beautiful. Definitely recommend taking the trip over and up to this treasure in Belem!
PS: I did my very best to get the wrinkles out of this darling linen dress! I asked for a steamer at the hotel (they sent an iron, which I was a little scared to use) and I used wrinkle release spray… but the wrinkles prevailed. Good to know if you plan on traveling with it! Highly recommend this travel steamer for domestic travel.