Lisbon is the capital and largest city of Portugal, with an estimated population of 548,703. Lisbon is mainland Europe's westernmost capital city. The city lies in the western portion of the Iberian Peninsula on the River Tagus. The westernmost portions of its metro area, the Portuguese Riviera.
Lisbon is one of the oldest cities in the world and the second-oldest European capital city (after Athens), predating other modern European capitals by centurie.

The Alfama is the oldest neighborhood of Lisbon, spreading on the slope between the São Jorge Castle and the Tagus river. It contains many important historical attractions, as well as an abundance of Fado bars and restaurants.

São Jorge Castle (Portuguese: Castelo de São Jorge; sometimes known in English as Saint George's Castle, is a historic castle in the Portuguese capital of Lisbon.[3] The hill on which Saint George's Castle stands has played an important part in the history of Lisbon. Since the 12^th century, the castle has variously served as a royal palace, a military barracks, home of the Torre do Tombo National Archive, and now as a national monument and museum.

Sintra is a town and municipality in the Greater Lisbon region of Portugal, located on the Portuguese Riviera. A major tourist destination famed for its picturesqueness, the municipality has several historic palaces, castles, scenic beaches, parks and gardens.
Sintra's landmarks include the medieval Castle of the Moors, the romanticist Pena National Palace and the Portuguese Renaissance Sintra National Palace.

Belém is a freguesia (civil parish) and district of Lisbon. Belém is located in western Lisbon. Belém is famous as a museum district, as the home of many of the most notable monuments of Lisbon, such as the Belém Tower, the Jerónimos Monastery, the Padrão dos Descobrimentos, and Belém Palace (official residence of the President of Portugal).

Cascais is a town located on the Portuguese Riviera. Cascais is an important tourist destination. Its marina hosts events such as the America's Cup and the town of Estoril, part of the Cascais municipality, hosts conferences such as the Horasis Global Meeting.
Cascais's history as a popular seaside resort originated in the 1870s, when King Luís I of Portugal and the Portuguese royal family made the seaside town their residence every September.
Cascais is known for the many members of royalty who have lived there, including King Edward VIII of the United Kingdom, when he was the Duke of Windsor, King Juan Carlos I of Spain, and King Umberto II of Italy. The Casino Estoril inspired Ian Fleming's first James Bond novel, Casino Royale.

This creative hub is fuelled by companies and industry professionals, but it has also been brought to life by an array of different events in fields such as fashion, advertising, communication, multimedia, art, architecture and music, among others, which have encouraged countless visitors to rediscover this part of Alcântara.

We got to spend Christmas visiting friends & family in the UK.