This is part of the “Places That Changed Us” series, a compilation of 20 trips that have had a lasting impact on the Matador Network team. To see the other 19 places, click here.
It was very late at night when my now-wife Caro and I arrived in Lisbon in 2020. It was our first international trip together, and also our first time in Europe. The airport taxi dropped us on a quiet street in the heart of the Chiado neighborhood, right outside the sealed doors of our hotel. After 15 minutes of knocking and dialing the hotel’s number, a sleepy staff member finally appeared, explaining in broken Spanish that the night entrance was just around the corner. Palacio das Especiairas, our home for the night, was an astounding old manor that felt like a palace. We were overflowing with excitement. Even the sight of a giant cockroach during the impromptu late-night tour led by our groggy host couldn’t shake the feeling.
