In January I got the chance to visit Portugal for work. Whilst I mainly stayed in Cascais, a beautiful seaside region just outside of Lisbon, I also got to visit Lisbon for one evening. I was actually quite lucky because the company I work for arranged for a tram tour of the city which enabled us to see a lot of the city in such a short amount of time. I'd definitely recommend it if you're short on time when visiting.

We started our tour of the city after a 30 minute coach ride from Cascais. The coach dropped us off just west of the centre of Lisbon next to a beautiful church which I couldn't resist photographing. Unfortunately I didn't stay long enough to catch the name of this church, so if any one knows I'd really appreciate it in the comments. 

I was really excited when I saw our mode of transport for the evening - a wonderful old tram that is used exclusively for private tours. However if you don't want to take a private paid for tour, you can still ride the tram through Lisbon's network of public transport but you'll find that the trams used for this are slightly more modern. The interior of the tram was simply stunning - fitted with wooden panelled walls and floors. The seats were also prodominantly made of this mahogany coloured wood, but they did have some emerald green cushions on top for extra comfort when riding. There are no seat belts fitted on the tram however it doesn't go fast at all so you have nothing to worry about. 

I think the above shot was my favourite photograph I took in Lisbon. It is of one of the main streets in the city. What I love most about this is the way the arch at the end of the street is framing the view out to the sea. The arch is a part of a building called the Arco da Rua Augusta. This translates into English as Arch of Augusta Street and was built in 1755. I also adore the tiles on the street in this picture too. Hundreds of Lisbon's streets and buildings are made of these kinds of tiles, which this region of Portugal is famous for. 

While the above and below images aren't the best (please forgive me, I was working the best I could with the moving tram and quickly diminishing light), they really illustrate a truly beautiful part of Lisbon - Miradouro das Porttas do Sol, which translates to sun gates viewpoint in English. From here you can see the tops of the terracotta roofs and out to the estuary which leads to the sea. If I ever come back to Lisbon again, I'd love to come here to see the view during the day which I am sure is even more beautiful.