I THREE DAYS IN LISBON A walking tour of one of Europe’s most underrated cities WORDS AND PHOTOGRAPHY James Perkins I was dancing to African-inspired electro music in a vacant house filled with happy dancing people somewhere near Alfama when I realised there was more to Lisbon than pretty buildings and yellow trams. The receptionist at the hostel I was staying at had insisted that I come out to dance with her and her friends instead of visiting the tourist hotspot of Bairro Alto for a few beers following my arrival on a late-night flight. Don’t get me wrong, Bairro Alto, both night and day, is a must-see in the capital of Portugal – that’s why I wanted to go back there – but when you get invited out by a local to an underground African party, it is very difficult to say no. So that’s how I found myself in a sweaty pit of humans who were very different to anyone I had seen in London for the 18 months I had been living there. And I really wanted to stay a little longer and get to know my new friends. They did have to work though, so I had to fill a few days in Lisbon without them. I decided to spend the time walking around, learning more about this inexpensive city that is entering a dynamic period as the country emerges from the financial crisis. It is a haven to a diverse set of entrepreneurs and creatives, and the town centre and its surroundings are filled with independent restaurants and boutiques, rather than multinational chains. It is steeped in history and it’s progeny have had an outsize impact on the modern world. MERCEDES-BENZ PARRAMATTA 12 DESTINATION