• Home
  • Reviews
    • Flight Reviews
    • Hotel Reviews
    • Lounge Reviews
    • Trip Reports
  • About
    • Press
  • Contact
  • Privacy
  • Award Expert
Live and Let's Fly
  • Home
  • Reviews
    • Flight Reviews
    • Hotel Reviews
    • Lounge Reviews
    • Trip Reports
  • About
    • Press
  • Contact
  • Privacy
  • Award Expert
Home » Trip Reports » An Unexpected Extra Day + New Years in Lisbon
Trip Reports

An Unexpected Extra Day + New Years in Lisbon

Matthew Klint Posted onFebruary 27, 2010November 14, 2023 Leave a Comment

Day 0: Introduction: Perfecting My Trip to Europe Using United Miles

Day 1: LAX-YVR on Air Canada, Vancouver, and YVR-LHR on Air Canada

Day 2: BD Number One Lounge at Heathrow and London to Lisbon on TAP Portugal

Day 3: A Day of Sightseeing in Lisbon

Day 4: An Unexpected Extra Day + New Years in Lisbon

Day 5: 12-Hour Bus Trip from Lisbon to Algeciras, Spain via Seville

Day 6: Monkeying Around in British Gibraltar + Ferry to Tangier, Morocco + Overnight Train to Marrakech

Day 7: My Five Star Hotel Room in Marrakech

Day 8: Bartering for Mont Blanc Pens + RAK-MAD on Royal Air Maroc

Day 9: City Tour of Madrid on Foot

Day 10: Escape to the Madrid Airport Hilton

Day 11: MAD-FRA-CPH on Lufthansa

Day 12: CPH-IAD on SAS, IAD-PHX-BUR on US Airways

— 

Day 4: An Unexpected Extra Day + New Years in Lisbon – 31 Dec 2009

I arose at 0645, grabbed a quick bite to eat downstairs (fresh squeezed orange juice, fresh baked breads, and cereals), and hopped on the Metro to get over to the bus depot in time for my 0800 bus.

At the bus station, there was a special counter to purchase international bus tickets and only one person in front of me. When it was my turn, I told the woman at the desk that I wanted to buy a ticket for the 0800 bus to Algecerias. She looked up and at me and said the bus had been cancelled today. No further explanation. It was New Year’s eve, but the bus station appeared to be in full swing. She confirmed that the bus would be running tomorrow and I purchased my ticket. Thanks to my ISIC card, my price dropped from EU95 to EU50. Still a high price for a bus ride, but much cheaper than flying.

a building with a crosswalk

With an extra day in Lisbon, I decided to return to the same hostel and spend the day outlining material for law school. I’m on a quarter system and my Christmas break came in the middle of my quarter. It was a good day. I got a lot done and patted myself on the back for actually taking time to study on a trip.

Late in the afternoon, I went for another walk, this time in the opposite direction. I stopped at a cathedral and also climbed one of Lisbon’s seven hills to get a great view of the sunset. The picture below does not do it justice.

a large stone building with a rose window

a church with a altar

a statue of a woman in a robe

a gold statue of a woman and child

a narrow street with buildings and a person walking

a stone wall with a tree growing over it

a sunset over a city

I returned to the hostel where I was accosted by a group who were planning a trip to the New Year’s Eve fireworks near the Jerónimos Monastery. I agreed to join them and ended up having dinner with them in the hostel’s bar. The ringleader of the group was a guy from San Francisco who got himself completely wasted two hours before the dawn of the New Year. The others in the group hailed from as close as Porto and as far as Beijing. Another reason why I love hostels is the chance to meet people from all over the world who share my love of travel. It’s not difficult to start a conversation with a beautiful German girl when you have something in common (and can speak a little German). Sadly, this German girl had to excuse herself every 20 minutes to smoke a cigarette. Huge turnoff in my book.

a city street at night

About 15 of us left the hostel at 2245 to get to the fireworks. The venue was a few miles away so we crammed on to a packed (think Tokoyo) tram and after some idiot pushed the emergency stop button, delaying us 20 minutes, we made it by 1130. There were thousands of people waiting to get into the prime viewing area, so we staked out a place across the street that still afforded us an excellent view of the fireworks.

a group of people on a train

As the clock struck 12 and Lisbon welcomed in the New Year, my new pal from San Francisco was busy downing a jumbo size bottle of champagne.

fireworks in the sky

fireworks in the sky

Half of the group went bar hopping after the fireworks, but I went back to the hostel and crawled into bed just after 0200—with a wakeup call less than five hours away.

The next morning he was still down in the bar, slumped over with a martini glass in his hand.

Get Daily Updates

Join our mailing list for a daily summary of posts! We never sell your info.

You have Successfully Subscribed!

Previous Article A Day of Sightseeing in Lisbon
Next Article Thanks for Flying StarTeam

About Author

Matthew Klint

Matthew is an avid traveler who calls Los Angeles home. Each year he travels more than 200,000 miles by air and has visited more than 135 countries. Working both in the aviation industry and as a travel consultant, Matthew has been featured in major media outlets around the world and uses his Live and Let's Fly blog to share the latest news in the airline industry, commentary on frequent flyer programs, and detailed reports of his worldwide travel.

Related Posts

  • a man in a suit sitting on a bed

    Not Glamorous, But Kind Of Fun: A Travel Blogger’s Trip To NYC

    May 16, 2025
  • a group of people standing in a crowd

    Introduction: A Return To Morocco On Royal Air Maroc

    April 8, 2025
  • Day In The Life Of A Travel Blogger

    A Day In The Life Of A Travel Blogger

    April 5, 2025

Leave a Reply

Cancel reply

Search

Hot Deals for May

Note: Please see my Advertiser Disclosure

Capital One Venture X Business Card
Earn 150,000 Miles Sign Up Bonus
Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card
Earn 100,000 Points
Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card
Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card
Earn 75,000 Miles!
Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card
Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card
Earn 75,000 Miles
Chase Ink Business Unlimited® Credit Card
Earn $750 Cash Back
The Business Platinum Card® from American Express
The Business Platinum Card® from American Express
Earn 120,000 Membership Reward® Points

Recent Posts

  • Motion Sickness Uber
    I Used To Get So Much Done In Ubers. Now I Just Try Not To Puke. May 24, 2025
  • American Airlines Flagship Lounge Philadelphia
    Premium Progress: American Airlines Flagship Lounge Opens In Philadelphia (PHL) May 24, 2025
  • United Flight Attendants Tentative Deal
    At Long Last, United Airlines Reaches Tentative Labor Deal With Flight Attendants May 24, 2025
  • Aegean Airlines Feast
    A Feast Fit For A King On Aegean Airlines May 23, 2025

Categories

Popular Posts

  • a room with a table and benches
    Where To Smoke At Paris Charles De Gaulle Airport (CDG) April 26, 2025
  • United Airlines Polaris Lounge Chicago Review
    Review: United Polaris Lounge Chicago (ORD) May 1, 2025
  • United Airlines Refresh Polaris Lounge Chicago
    First Look: United Airlines Reopens Renovated Polaris Lounge In Chicago (ORD) April 29, 2025
  • a hand holding a blue card
    Chase Sapphire Preferred 100K Bonus Offer Ending Soon May 2, 2025

Archives

May 2025
M T W T F S S
 1234
567891011
12131415161718
19202122232425
262728293031  
« Apr    

As seen on:

facebook twitter instagram rss
Privacy Policy © Live and Let's Fly All Rights Reserved. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this site’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Live and Let's Fly with appropriate and specific directions to the original content.