Europe adventures

So here I am finally jetting off on my travels around Europe. It has took me long enough to pluck up the courage to go solo travelling, but now the day has arrived I’m very excited! People are saying I’m very brave for travelling on my own, I’m just seeing it as living my life!

With enough time spent wondering about whether or not to do a travel blog, I thought why not give it a go and see how it goes.. this could be the first and last one..

Despite my mum mithering me for the past few weeks not to lose anything, to keep safe look after myself and not to get kidnapped! (Great advice mum thanks, like I’d willingly step into the back of someone’s van for the fun of it!) None of it clearly got through to me, as I was enjoying one too many g&ts in the bar before departing and only just made it to my gate literally seconds before it closed! Good job I’ve been practising on my triathlon transitions for the past few years or else I might not have made it to T3.

Anyway I managed to board and find my prepaid seat. With Ryanair already making you pay for everything, you’d think paying for a window seat they would at least clean the windows for you! I was trying to watch the most amazing sunset, but trying to get a decent picture with no dirt or smudges on the window proved very difficult. I’m surprised they don’t already charge you extra for a clean window, with everything else they charge you extra for, I mean I’d probably pay for that!

Above the clouds the sun was setting, the gin was flowing and as the lights were dimming the moment I was dreading; an arm reached out above me to turn on the light! The guy next to me was reading an article titled ‘how to look sexy naked’. First of all, I’m not going to lie Mr.seat 8E, the hamburger & fries, 2 tubs of pringles and the 3 beers you consumed in a very short period of time is not going to help your figure with that one! Secondly I think airlines should situate all the ‘readers’ to the back of plane where no one can be blinded by that bright light. Maybe they should charge for that too. I know you all agree with me!

Leaving the snowy 1 degree weather behind in Manchester I arrived in 16 degree heat in Lisbon. Not to rub it in or anything.. sorry not sorry. I got an Uber to my hostel (fancy I know should have got the metro to save money!) me being me I decided to sing along with the taxi man to Lisbon’s equivalent to smooth fm. What a great first 20minutes in Lisbon!

Totally out of my comfort zone, I walked straight into a hostel full of people, trying to figure out how to introduce myself and start a conversation and what do I do? Head straight for the free sangria to help the situation of course!

I’ve never been happier to say I’m from Manchester as everyone just associates it with football and boom there’s your first conversation right there. Hey this thing is easier than I imagined. Although the first girl I tried to speak to was ignoring me to swipe left and right on tinder, how rude, I snuck off to speak to some other people.. like she noticed I left anyway!

A few sangrias later and off I go to a few bars for my first night in Lisbon with a Canadian, American & an Australian I’ve known for a whole 5 minutes! Well it wasn’t the best night out ‘fake dancing’ because you don’t want to embarrass yourself in the first bar. I was just doing more of the safe two step which isn’t all that fun! With 99% gin and 1% tonic I headed back to the hostel so I could get up in the morning and enjoy my first day in Lisbon!