October 2016

People say you cannot complete seeing a country, unless you have seen the capital. However, Lisbon, which is the capital of Portugal, has a charm of its own and is not like any other typical capital. While the contemporary culture is pretty evident in most parts of the city, Lisbon is also great on history and sights. Also, it is among the few cities in western Europe that faces the ocean, which clearly defines the looks and beauty of it. Right from the white limestone buildings to the great museums, this is a place for anyone looking for a lazy yet happening vacation. In this post, we will talk of some of the best tips for traveling to Lisbon.

• Lisbon is built on seven hills, just like Rome and Istanbul. It boasts of warm climate, with winters that are mind. The weather of Lisbon is largely influenced by the Gulf Stream. From May to October, the summer season is on and can be very dry, while rains aren’t rare in winter. If you are new to the city, keep an umbrella handy for the winters and autumn, when rains are sudden and unexpected.

• To get around, public transport network is the best possible choice. You can travel to all places easily and the metro and buses will connect to most places of tourism. Do note that metro announcements are made in Portuguese, which is the official language, but the signs are also found in English, so traveling in public transport isn’t a hard deal at all. Even if you have the money to spare, cars aren’t a great choice in Lisbon as the traffic jams are insane.
• Once here, don’t miss on taking Tram 28, which is one of the old but operational trams in Lisbon. You might want to check some of the Funiculars, and for a slice of architecture, you need to see Castelo de São Jorge, Museu do Teatro Roman and Aqueduto das Aguas Livre. Don’t miss Ponte Vasco da Gama¸which is the longest bridge in Europe with a length of 17.2 km. The two must-see museums include Museu Nacional de Arte Antiga and The Calouste Gulbenkian Museum.

• In terms of seeing the city, make sure that you talk small walks to get a better feel. The food in Lisbon is amazing, and the Portuguese dining rituals are great like the Mediterranean diet. Don’t rely on cab drivers to find places to eat, because they tend to take you to expensive places. The smaller restaurants in the city are way better and are managed by families, with special dishes every day. In many restaurants, you may be served special starters without ordering, but do touch them after considering that you will be charged later.

If you aren’t sure of how to check the places around or want to plan an extended stay, you can take help from one of the tour operators that can customize the package and travel for you. Check for options now!

If you love to rough it in the wild or you simply enjoy camping, you probably know the desirability of owning and using a knife for setting up a campsite and other camping-related activities. You can attribute the invention of the pocket knife to first-century Romans, who developed the first knife that featured a folding capability. They made the knife easy to carry for explorers and soldiers. However, as the use of sheathed knives became more popular, the use of the pocket knife fell by the wayside.

A Time-honoured Tradition

However, by the 1500s, the pocket knife began to regain its once-popular status. Both lawyers and farmers started to carry the small yet useful knife. The portable tool could be used for a variety of tasks, including eating on the go or clearing brush. Needless to say, men have been carrying pocket knives for hundreds of years. Therefore, it is one tradition that happens to be time-honoured, especially by campers, adventurers, and thrill-seekers.

How the Knife is Used

The knife can be used for various activities, like cutting ropes or making sparks for a fire. You can also use a Swiss army knife for cutting moleskin and cleaning your nails. The tasks of splitting wood and preparing kindling are also more easily facilitated with this kind of knife. Do you need to open packets of food? Then take out your handy pocket knife.

While the above activities do not sound exceptionally robust, they offer enough reasons as to why you should carry a lightweight knife, especially if you’re venturing into the backcountry or when you are on a camping trip. If you wish to plan for any eventuality, having this kind of knife in tow is one way to do so.

Other Ways You Can Use the Knife

After all, how many times have you been in a certain situation and said, “I sure wish I had a knife right now!” Besides the aforementioned activities, you can also use a pocket knife for opening boxes or for cutting tags and strings. If you wish to cut fruits or berries, you can use a pocket knife. You can even use this type of knife to defend yourself if push comes to shove. Whilst it may not be the most efficient weapon, it is certainly better than having no weapon at all.

On a camping trip, you may not need the knife for opening a letter. However, you can use it to sharpen a stick into a point. Then you can use the pointed stick to stab your prey – the prey, in this instance, being a frankfurter. Whilst selecting a knife is a personal undertaking, most users of the common pocket knife happen to love the Swiss army variety. This is one knife with which you can bond – one that feels good in the hand and makes you feel proud that you are carrying it.

The Most Popular Pocket Knife

With that being said, there are still three common designs employed in the manufacturing of pocket knives. They are made in the form of a pen knife, a multi-purpose knife, and a jack knife. The multiple purpose Swiss army knife is the most well-known pocket knife, as it features a number of amenities. These amenities include such tools as scissors, screwdrivers, and even tweezers. Naturally, this is the knife to take with you when you are backpacking or camping.