10 Free Things to do in Lisbon

Lisbon is a city which is meant to be lived outdoors.  Even in February, the temperatures are pleasant during the day and the street life in the evening is fascinating.  Compared to the UK, eating out is very reasonable and fresh fish is top of their culinary specialities.  Austerity measures have hit the Portuguese hard and some activities that used to be free are no longer free of charge.  However, here are 10 things you still can do for free in Lisbon.

1. Street Art
Lisbon is a great city to explore on foot and the local government tolerates and even encourages street art.  Many of the larger murals reflect local political situations, some depicting feelings towards the  austerity measures with slogans like "Until Debt Tear Us Apart"  Lisbon has attracted street artists from all over the world including famous names like C215 and Vhils who have contributed to the artwork around the city.

  

My Earliest Travel Memory

“A half to Ayr, please,” I said to the bus driver as I placed my money on the tray.  Mum was still standing on the pavement making sure I’d asked for the right thing and as I took the change and stuffed it in my pocket; I turned around and waved excitedly to her before the bus moved off.
I was 11 ½ and travelling from Glasgow to my Great Aunt’s house 30 miles away by the sea. “It’s only down the coast,” I heard my Dad tell Mum as they were discussing the wisdom of letting me travel on my own. To me, it felt like I was going to another country.

Old Glasgow to Ayr bus

A Survivor’s Guide to the Adventure Travel Show

In less than thirty seconds we’d travelled  two floors and covered a distance of several thousand miles to arrive in the southern hemisphere.  

 “Adventure Travel Show,”- the lift attendant announced.

As the lift doors slowly parted, colourful head masts in red, green and gold screamed ‘African Safaris’. Self Drive Botswana posters teased us with 4-wheel drive adventures through wildlife-laden savannah while a video of Kalambo Falls in Zambia cascaded silently behind an African woman in a flamboyant traditional musisi dress.

 It’s that time of year again; a month past the shortest day, the streets of London are grey and it’s drizzling most of the time. The brightest things on your daily commute are the reflections of the shop lights in puddles. 

You’ve seen the posters while you wait for your tube and the full page ads in the weekend broadsheets.  You’ve fantasised about winning the lottery and quitting the job to travel round the world but are you really prepared for an Adventure Travel Show?

Experience Taroudant's Weekly Market

From swords, antique silver and spare parts of anything, to some of the world's most colourful  and fragrant spices; a visit to the Arab/Berber market was more than a sense stimulating experience.

 

Early Morning at the Market

Said’s warning to watch out for pick pockets was still running through my head as we were lured across the duel carriageway towards a mass of bodies, bicycles and bellowing stall holders. Had we paid more attention to two men leading a calf along the road, it may have prepared us for the sense stimulating experiences we were about to encounter as we entered Taroudant’s largest Berber and Arab market.

Fresh Veg at the Market

10 Free Things to do in Taroudant

An interesting and relatively inexpensive way to see the town is by horse drawn carriage, called a caleche;  I also thought it would help orientate me but I still got lost within 100m of leaving our accommodation.  

If you're on a budget, here are some free things for you to see and do in Taroudant.

1. Walk around the 5km city walls

 Taroudant has the most complete walls of any town in Morocco. They were originally built in 11^th Century and rebuilt in 16th and early 17th Century after Taroudant was destroyed by the Merinids. The old original walls are still visible in places and restoration work still is still going on today.

A Caleche within the City Walls

Bear Watching in Finland - A Long Night in a Hide

Sunrise at the Russian Border, Finland

A dark chocolate-coloured bear emerged from the forest and plodded into the clearing in front of us.  He lingered briefly by a dead tree, the bark of which had been stripped leaving it scarred with open wounds. The bear sniffed the air with his mouth slightly open, his strong white teeth clearly visible as he ambled around the long coarse grass until he picked up a scent. Facing us, he pushed his muzzle into the ground and clawed at the land with a large powerful paw.  Bones cracked loudly as he masticated his find, crushing it with his puissant jaw.  

Aules

10 Free Things to do in Manchester

Bridgewater Canal

1. Canal Trail
Starting at Deansgate, a walk along the Bridgewater Canal will be a contrast between industrial, historical iron and steel and bright modern, colourful graffiti.  It will take you along the one of the most ambitious engineering projects of its time, a success that heralded the beginning of the canal age in Britain and you will be able to hear the hidden Medlock River and see it emerge near Potato Wharf.  

Modern Urban Art

 

Canal Trail