LisbonJet's Travels

Aeroteca / Barceloneta (full of beachgoers)

Barcelona, May 2026

This was my last layover of the month. I usually like to walk but since the weather was too hot I bought the Metro daily pass for €13,50.

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Aeroteca/Simuteca

The first stop of the day was this aviation hobby store that I became aware of in 2023, while on holidays, but I couldn't visit because they were closed for the "siesta time". They still have that opening schedule in place but this time I could plan the visit! The nearest metro station is Joanic. They have lots of aviation books, some models for sale, key holders, lanyards... You can also book simulator sessions.

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Barceloneta

With such crazy summer temperatures I really wanted to check on Barceloneta and feel its vibe. And yeah... the beach was full of people sunbathing even though it was a working day!

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Skyscrapers

Architecture is a favorite subject of mine... Below you can see the Mapfre Building and Hotel Arts Barcelona:

Per roster, I shall be visiting Barcelona again in June. I plan to take some pictures of Sagrada Família which has its main structure now complete.

London, already a Summer feel in May

London, May 2026

So far this year I've been lucky with recurrent layovers in London, my favorite European capital. And I've been lucky with the weather too.

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Buckingham Palace

I took the Piccadilly Line from Heathrow Airport to Hyde Park Corner. I wanted to see the Buckingham Palace first and then cross the St James Park. I'm not using my Oyster card anymore. I got mine in 2010 so it was a previous generation card with many restricted functions today... But you can add a Revolut card on the TfL Go app and use it as a contactless payment on all underground stations. The daily cap still applies as long as you use the same payment card all day long. So, absolutely no need to get another Oyster.

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St James Park

Whenever the sun shines in London, you can see Londoners being Londoners...

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Household Cavalry

Next place of interest was this gravel square, the Household Cavalry...

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London Eye

... and the London Eye with a clear blue sky!

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Big Ben

This was the first time I was seeing the Big Ben after the recent major renovation works. It looks beautiful!

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Miscellaneous

It was by chance that I spotted this tile "EXIT BREXIT HERE" on a low wall at the Westminster Pier. I thought it was funny.

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Trafalgar Square

Trafalgar Square is always an imponent sight to see in London.

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Fortnum & Mason

Fortnum's is an upmarket department store famous in London. It also has a tea shop like the Harrods. I took knowledge of Fortnum's while talking with a colleague the previous day.

The inside of the building in general and its two staircases, is really very impressive.

I found this table very curious because it had on display several ceramic pieces of a very famous Portuguese ceramics factory: Bordalo Pinheiro.

When returning to the hotel I used the Elizabeth line for the first time. The fare is a little bit more expensive than the Underground's but it only took me 30 minutes from Tottenham Court Rd to Heathrow Terminals 2 & 3. It was worth it even because my daily transport expenses in London were capped at £16.30, having exceeded it by £8.60.

Sunset departure at Lisbon...

In-flight, April 2026

... on our way yo Brussels...

Brussels, Zinneke-Pis sculpture

Brussels, April 2026

I was on standby when I got this layover in Brussels. The weather was nice so it was the perfect opportunity to complete the trilogy of pissing sculptures in this city.

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Zinneke-Pis

After Manneken Pis and Jeanneke, it was time to finally see Zinneke Pis. Differently from the previous suculptures, this is a dry one.

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Grote Markt

... and I cannot avoid Grand-Place. I was impressed by the amount of tourists that were visiting Brussels this day and the insane vibe that was all over the city.

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Miscellaneous

Since I was close to it, I decided to check on Jeanneke that was decorated with Easter motifs, including the Moai statue of Easter Island. I also tried an artistic photo at the Royal Saint-Hubert Galleries.

During this layover I also tried to visit aviation.brussels hobby store and I actually went to the place where it sits. But it seems to be in a building with other businesses running inside too where you have to ring a door bell... so I gave up. I had previously checked on the their website and all items seemed a bit pricey and I didn't want to bother anyone just out of my curiosity.