Lisbon is one of Europe’s most popular destinations for a couples weekend away, but for me, it has become a “running away” city. The Portuguese capital is synonymous, in my mind, with the concept of the great solo escape. It’s where I go when I want to break free, to get away from the constant demands of life for a few days — alone — with no one to consider except myself.
That has happened by accident. Being a full-time working single parent is fulfilling, but undoubtedly taxing — we’re the demographic most at risk of burnout. Prioritising others’ needs can mean you neglect your own, and the bond between parent and child is so intense that you start to forget where you end and where they begin. That’s a beautiful thing, but it can’t be 100 per cent good in the long term, for either party. You have to invest in yourself, your own interests and identity outside motherhood and it’s good for children to see you do so too.
In 2016 I went to Lisbon to see Arcade Fire play the Nos Alive music festival, blissfully alone, with all the freedom and independence that brings. I stayed in an Airbnb rooftop apartment, in a blue and white tiled building in the Bairro Alto, the city’s bohemian district. I had coffee and a pastel de nata in the Praca Luis de Camoes in the mornings, tosta mista for lunch at the Cais do Sodre and vinho verde on the balcony at night, listening to the lovely nasal twang of Portuguese emanating from the street below.
I was only going there for four days, but you’d swear it was the Brendan Voyage. The batch of dinners I cooked to cover my absence were a saga in themselves. I also left recipes in the case of my untimely death, and a lengthy list of instructions and emergency numbers in case the world fell apart in my absence. My son and I had never been apart for any significant amount of time, and so I got a dose of the nerves about it and shortly before I left, I found myself googling “separation anxiety” only to find all the search results related to resolving it in children, not in parents.
What I’ve learnt from breaking away solo a few times since is that the tight band of worry does vanish by the time you reach the airport. By then, I’ve been replaced by another version of myself and am soon ordering prosecco cocktails in the departures lounge, as though life was ever thus. At a certain point during my trip, I start fantasising about staying there for ever and have to drag myself home. But by the time I get back, I’m thrilled to be reunited and am refreshed, energised and ready to go again. I come back better.
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For me, Lisbon ticks all the boxes for a solo escape just like this. Flight time is less than three hours, it’s cheap to stay in, easy to get to, it’s almost always warm and is in the same time zone as Ireland, with the same currency. Once there, its hilly terrain is easily navigated, with a neat tram system and fun but functional funiculars.
I seized on the chance to go to Lisbon again last year, for a brief two-night stay, flying with TAP Air Portugal to stay in the chic, 28-bedroom townhouse hotel, the AlmaLusa Baixa/Chiado. I was due to fly out on March 13, 2020 — the day after the pandemic shut the airport. My trip was rescheduled twice before I finally got there in November, and I was willing to take the hit of a mandatory two-week home isolation on my return. I took the opportunity to go while I could, as I had a feeling things would only get worse, as they did.
My Lisbon visit fell right in the middle of a horrible six-week winter lockdown, the memory of which still makes me feel dead inside. Never mind privileged notions of parental burnout; if ever I needed a relief from life itself, this was it. I remember looking down from the aircraft at a twinkling Lisbon, the City of Seven Hills, and feeling excited simply because it looked alive. I will never forget the taxi driver who took me from Humberto Delgado airport to the hotel — when we pulled up outside, he held out his hand to help me out of the car. The human touch of a stranger was electrifying. His name was André Mateus, from Portugal Travel Solutions, and it meant so much to me, I kept his business card.
The AlmaLusa Baixa/Chiado hotel was open, open, open! and filled with lights and with real, living people inside. A unique, atmospheric gem in the heart of one of the most central districts, it is set on one of Lisbon’s many beautiful squares, the mosaic-tiled Praca do Municipio (Municipal Square) that houses the elegant Lisbon City Hall. It’s dotted with kiosk cafés and an archway that provides a sea view onto the nearby Cais das Colunas, where deckchairs are set out for table service.
Located in an 18th-century building (erected after the notorious 1755 earthquake that flattened Lisbon, killing some 50,000), it is an artistic mix of old and new, with high ceilings and window shutters adding charm to modern, minimalist interior design. Its reception area is all stone floors and alcoves.
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The in-house restaurant, Delfina, was so good that I had to force myself out to eat elsewhere. Steak and steak sandwiches known as pregos are very popular on Lisbon menus, along with sardines and salads. The steak and salad I got in Delfina was the best food I had there, served by friendly staff, and as is typical in Lisbon, the bill was about half the price you’d pay in Dublin.
For the following evening, hotel staff recommended the nearby Sala de Corte steakhouse in Praca Dom Luis, where you get to choose your own cut of meat, from entrecote to chateaubriand, from a glass case. A luxury restaurant, all glass and banquet seating, it looks out onto the sea and the square, and has a New York feel to it. I had a delicious bife da vazia (sirloin) with lettuce heart salad.
Time was limited, so I confined myself to the Baixa/Chiado area near the hotel, which is primarily known for its luxury shopping and cultural landmarks. Yet some of its best features are the little nook and cranny bars you find up hidden hills, and the eclectic boutiques and shoe shops on every street.
I took the Elevador da Bica, the smallest funicular, and dropped into the Mercado da Ribeira, Lisbon’s main fish, fruit and vegetable market. I loved the magnificent Praca do Comercio, with its distinctive yellow buildings.
One of the highlights was a trip to O’Gilins Irish Pub, where a live band was playing. I hadn’t seen a live band for months and I still haven’t seen one in Ireland since. In retrospect, I can see how Lisbon managed to keep indoors open while most of Europe shut itself in — ventilation was a key priority everywhere, capacity was limited and tables were significantly distanced. During the time I was there, masks were mandatory everywhere, even outdoors.
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Don’t leave Chiado without a visit to A Brasileira on Rua Garrett, the city’s most famous café, opened in 1905 and historically the scene of many intellectual and artistic gatherings. Its interior is an art nouveau tunnel of paintings and mirrors, unchanged since its 1920s heyday. I sat at one of the tables outside, known as the most coveted in Lisbon. A street musician played Tom Jobim numbers as I tried a beef croquette with mustard, the house special. Happiness is eating food from a different culture, in a different city, among people speaking a language that is not your own, while listening to the music of Jobim.
I’m not sure when I’ll next get to go on a solo run; I’m not sure I’ll even need to any more. Children get older and I’m getting older too, as Stevie Nicks sang in Landslide. Now that it looks as though we will get to travel freely again, I think I’ll want to take my near-teenager all over the world with me. But if Lisbon in the middle of a pandemic was my last great solo escape, well what a way to go out.
Larissa Nolan was a guest of Lisbon’s AlmaLusa Baixa/Chiado, where doubles are from €130; almalusahotels.com
