Walking Lisbon
Where plans loosened and the city spoke
People from all over the world.
Excited.
Expectant.
Waiting for Tram #28.
We waited at least twenty minutes. When the tram finally came, it was empty. We all boarded, careful plans firmly in place, squeezed together like sardines and ready for what we thought would be a small but memorable journey.
Five minutes later, the tram came to a stop.
The conductor announced, “It’s done! The ride is over! Everyone get out!”
And left the tram himself.
Everyone was confused.
Then he popped his head back in and said, “Go!”
We exited the tram and started laughing. As planned, we headed toward Belém instead, walking, finding lunch along the way.
The ride we had carefully planned turned out to be brief and entirely unremarkable.
The day that followed was anything but.
Between stops, Tram #28, Lisbon. Photo by Wendy Stieg
Our expectation of what we would experience didn’t quite match what actually happened. It’s a theme I returned to in December’s Expand.
I had imagined myself riding through the city and seeing unique parts of Lisbon. We clearly didn’t do a great job understanding the routes the tram took.
Still, that short, strange journey set us up for an incredible day.
“Let’s just walk,” Paul announced.
We knew we wanted to see Belém.
Walking instead of riding. Alcântara, Portugal. Photo by Wendy Stieg
We had a loose idea of what we wanted to see.
I remembered watching a travel show about Portugal and hearing something about the LX Factory, though I couldn’t have told you exactly where it was or what we’d find there.
We had been walking for a while when we stumbled into the area.
We found an excellent café and had a delicious lunch, it was one of those moments that feels unplanned even when it’s quietly informed by something remembered rather than mapped.
Attention changes the experience. Alcântara, Portugal. Photo by Wendy Stieg
Somewhere along the way, the need to hold tightly to a plan fell away. Lisbon didn’t ask for precision. It offered proportion, detail, balance. The kind that rewards slowing down and paying attention.
Basilica Estrela Photo by Wendy Stieg
We never made it to the Belém Tower.
Instead, we ended up by the river, standing beneath the Padrão dos Descobrimentos, the Monument to the Discoveries.
Padrão dos Descobrimentos, Belém, Portugal. Photos by Wendy Stieg
