What is your relationship with Lisbon?
Soledad Álvarez Garcia: In 2004, I came to study. I was at the Catholic University of Lisbon, on Erasmus, for four months and I liked it very, very much. I was enchanted, I fell in love with Lisbon and Portugal. The city is a spectacle of contrasts, it has history, the Portuguese language is a wonder. And then the surroundings, the beaches, the coast of Portugal which are precious. And Maria, my older sister, had been living in London for 15 years and, just with the Brexit exit, she decided to move to Lisbon, 5 years ago. I usually come to Lisbon every two or three months.
Maria Álvarez Garcia: The quality of life is incredible. I can walk everywhere, I have everything nearby. My pilates studio and my office are very close. And the fact that in 15 minutes I can be at the beach or in the mountains is something rare in cities. I'm from Barcelona, and for me Lisbon is the city most similar to Barcelona in all of Europe. I love how welcoming people are with expatriates who come here. And it's also attracting qualified professionals from all areas. There are many artists, investors, startup companies. The international community of highly qualified professionals is growing and developing new businesses, and this is another reason to like living here.
How is a day in your lives in Lisbon?
SAG: I go a lot to Costa de Caparica, because my sister likes it a lot. Then, there are many weekends when we go to Comporta. We stay in a very small, very beautiful hotel. We go there to rest and I love it, it's a marvel. The beaches here are incredible. And then the city, the center of Lisbon. I do sports, jogging or yoga, then we go shopping in the center, and in the end we stay very quietly here at home with family.
MAG: On Saturdays I always have breakfast at Fábrica. I love going to the Príncipe Real market, where we can buy beautiful flowers and the quality of the products is incredible. The vegetables and bread are great. Then I train at Core Collective or Amplify, I love the gyms here. Probably Club 7 is one of the most beautiful gyms I've ever seen. It's a privilege to work in the middle of the park. I feel in my happy place, I have many Portuguese friends, expatriates, Lisbon is my home.
SAR: And I don't know if the Portuguese have realized it yet, but Lisbon is very fashionable!
Do you have favorite restaurants in the area?
SAG: When I was on Erasmus I really liked going to a restaurant near Lux, Bica do Sapato. We went to sushi a lot. I heard it's going to reopen, I want to go back there. Lisbon is very fashionable, there are many cool people coming. It's like Barcelona, it's a city that, in the end, the foreigner also brings new things, and I think it's important.
MAG: I usually stay near Praça das Flores, and I love Magnolia and Bar Alimentar. Sometimes I go to the bar at JNcQuoi, downstairs, to eat alone, where there are always very interesting people. I also really like Da Noi and Sem. There are many restaurants and cafes that are incredible. I tend to eat simply, I love fish and on weekends I go to Caparica and only eat grilled fish. I also love Bacalhau à Brás. There are many options in Portugal, mainly fresh food, and the quality of the food is similar to that of Barcelona.
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