I went to Lisbon with my Gen Z niece – this is what I learned (2024)

When I invited my 19-year-old niece for a weekend away to Lisbon, I have to admit I was a little nervous.

Yes, we regularly spend time together, and growing up she was the apple of my eye – but that didn’t necessarily mean that we’d be able to get through a city break without wanting to kill each other.

Perhaps rather unfairly, I had flashbacks to her getting car sick as a child and waking up teary-eyed in the middle of the night whenever she was away from home. I wondered if she’d be okay going away, if she’d get homesick or struggle with the journey over to Portugal. But she’s not a kid anymore, I had to remind myself – a fact that still hasn’t quite sunken in, even as she nears her 20th year.

In the days leading up to the trip, I FaceTimed her to go through what she was packing. In stark contrast to my minimal, streamlined suitcase – that had plenty of room to spare – hers was overflowing with ‘options’, from floaty dresses and linens to every form of SPF you could imagine. I ended up having to be the stern voice of reason. ‘Bloody hell, Ruby! We’re only going for two nights’, I sighed, sounding more like my mother than I care to admit.

The thing that reminded me most of our thirteen-year age gap, however, was her comment as we went through airport security. Having placed her bag and gadgets in the tray, she wore a forlorn expression on her face as her things were carted off on the conveyor belt.

On the other side of the scanner I asked her: ‘What’s up?’ She replied, in all seriousness, ‘That’s the longest I’ve ever been without my phone.’ So strong was my eye roll that it was practically audible to those around us.

Once on the plane and settled into our seats, I gave her a brief summary of what to expect – this was her first time flying, after all. Although she made several jokes and seemed to be in good spirits, I could sense her nervousness – which in turn made me feel anxious.

I don’t particularly mind flying and am much more used to it than her, but suddenly the weight of responsibility pressed down on me. What if something bad happens while she is in my care? What if it puts her off flying for the rest of her life? What if my sister hates me forever for not looking after her daughter?

Just as I had done when she was a little girl, I offered her my hand and hoped to god that it would be a smooth flight. For me and for her. But mostly for her.

Thankfully the flowing booze and boujee business class meal after takeoff was enough to ease both our nerves. So enamoured with the experience was she – after the initial climb above the clouds, that is – that she took a flurry of snaps of the sunset on her phone, using up most of her storage before we had even reached Lisbon. I was suddenly experiencing everything anew, through her lens.

A rather tame Friday night

When we landed in Lisbon some three and a half hours later, we were both ready for bed. So our arrival at the Palácio Ludovice Wine Experience Hotel in the Bairro Alto neighbourhood was made all the better when we learned that our room had been upgraded to a suite – complete with sitting area, hers and hers sinks, a king-sized bed with plush pillows and silky cotton sheets, and a TV that appeared at the press of a button.

When we awoke the next day, refreshed from our sumptuous slumber, we had a bit of a ‘pinch me’ moment – and I definitely scored myself some serious auntie points. It occurred to me to warn her that not all holidays would be as luxurious as this, but I decided against it and instead revelled in her excitement.

As heavenly as the hotel was, we quickly got ready – to my surprise, Ruby didn’t take an age – and headed out in search of espresso and pastel de natas. Although I had visited the city before, I wanted to ensure we saw and did as much as possible during our stay, and that she got to experience the many delights of Portugal.

A day exploring Lisbon centre

Luckily Ruby is just as much the coffee fiend as I am, and didn’t mind taking a little detour to a top-rated cafe. The queue of locals waiting for their daily loaves was a very good sign, and the pastries certainly lived up to the hype.

After our morning pick-me-up and a scout of the wares on offer at the nearby open-air market, we headed towards the Bica funicular – an endearing little elevator built in 1892 that takes some 3.5 million passengers up the hill every year. At the top, the little yellow cart offers views of the Tagus river and the terracota rooftops of the sprawling port city.

From there, we took a quick wander along the Rua Cor de Rosa (or pink street), renowned for its fuchsia-coloured pavement and multicoloured umbrellas, suspended from thin wires above, and took a few pictures. Gimmicky though it may be, it’s one of those things most people have on their to-do lists – and it’s close by to everything else.

Although we perused the Time Out Market on the waterfront and I did pick up a deliciously juicy peach from the old farmer’s market adjacent to the street food hall, we decided to enjoy a glass of vinho verde and some tapas at the nearby Vila Bica instead.

As I explained to Ruby; Lisbon doesn’t have lots of landmarks in the same way most European cities do, but it is full of charming architecture, Azulejo tiles and great food – and also enjoys long bouts of sunshine.

With that in mind, we whiled away the hours in that same spot, catching up, drinking the green wine of northern Portugal’s Minho province, and snacking on croquettes. It was quite easy to forget in this moment that she is a teenager and not one of my 30-something girlfriends.

The afternoon was spent tackling the steep hills, as we made our way past the castle and on to the Alfama neighbourhood – Lisbon’s oldest and, in my opinion, prettiest. While we were there, we couldn’t resist stopping by the Casa São Miguel patisserie and grabbing yet more custard tarts and sweet treats.

As construction was underway for the upcoming Santo António Festival, or Festival of Sardines as it is also referred to, we decided to head back to the hotel to freshen up, then try somewhere local for dinner.

Having had our fair share of tapas by that point, we decided to go for Mexican at Coyo Taco Príncipe Real – but not before we witnessed the sunset at the Miradouro de São Pedro de Alcântara viewing point and enjoyed a schooner of vintage Taylor’s port. It was the perfect end to the day.

Sunday strolls – and a bit of sangria

When the hotel offered us two treatments at the adjoining Caudalie spa, we of course had to take them up on it. We had walked over 15,000 steps the day before and the steep inclines had left us weary and achy – me more so, given that I am much older than my dear niece.

Donning our bath robes and slippers, we went down in the lift and landed straight outside the treatment rooms in the basem*nt, the smell of neroli and ginger welcoming us.

We each opted for the Vinotherapist Sculpting Massage, a 50-minute treatment that works the entire body and plunges you into deep relaxation. This was another first for Ruby, and she was positively blown away by the experience. ‘My back’s never felt so good!’ She exclaimed as she met me back upstairs in our room afterwards. I went to say, ‘Wait until you get to my age,’ but swiftly decided against it, already feeling ancient in comparison.

As it was our last day and we were catching a flight later that evening, I decided to take her to LX Factory once we were dressed. I knew she’d love the knick-knack stores, the bilingual bookshop and its general ‘hipster’ vibes.

Located about 15 minutes from our hotel by Uber, we had plenty of time to mooch the stalls and enjoyed a slow lunch in the sunshine – and a few glasses of white sangria, naturally.

When it was time to leave, I felt a pang of sadness. We hadn’t spent such an intense period of time together before and, although at times she got on my nerves and me hers, this trip had allowed us to bond and reminded me just how special our relationship is. I’m thankful that we got to experience Lisbon together and create such wonderful memories.

In spite of the differences in our age, our tastes in music, food and, well, just about everything, there is something very strong that unites us: love.

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