Lisbon: Top 5 Top 5s

View from Elevador de Santa Justa

Here's a post I've been planning to do for a while, but I kept getting distracted by goings on in Dublin and putting more layers of clothes on... There are so many great things and places and sights in Lisbon that I want to tell people about so I thought I would compile a few Top 5s to give you a sense of what the city's like to spend time in. And then I'll calm down with the effusing about the place, I promise. Without further ado...

Consider me Outfitted

Backtracking a little, I know, as I've already moved onto Dublin things again, but I needed to post this, and it's better late than never: the branch of Urban Outfitters in Glasgow is a little Awesome. It's huge and well stocked and has taken the "wooden art installation in a big ol' warehouse" vibe a lot further than the Dublin branch, making it quite a pleasant place to browse through. They've got a pretty nice range of furniture in stock, and loads of cool bikes hanging from the ceiling of the second floor over the mezzanine level. Though a UO homewares section is usually full of pretty naff nick-nacks, I managed to weed out a slick eco-cup, below, and firmly believe the coffee tastes better from ceramic than it does from paper.

Drawda is on the Up

Naturally, it's not until I move away from Drogheda that I realise there's a brand new cool cafe there. I went to visit my parents last weekend and stumbled upon Trader's Coffee House on Laurence Street and I'm quite a fan already. All I sampled while sitting in its tasty interior was the coffee (also tasty), but they seemed to have a range of great looking sandwiches and even better looking cakes, all baked and prepared in-house. The coffee is roasted in Galway, so it's a little more local than usual, and I'd be sure to drink it a lot if I were still a local myself...

In other news, I saw Mickey Joe Harte having a mooch around Scotch Hall Shopping Centre after my coffee. Result!

While I'm Away

Right, I'm off. Copenhagen beckons and as you might have noticed I'm never one to ignore it. While I'm away, I suggest you check out 3fe (Third Floor Espresso), and get one of these:

Print and Press

Every time I visit Edinburgh I make a beeline for Analogue Books on West Bow, just at the Grassmarket. A bookshop and exhibition space, Analogue is home to a really good selection of art and design books and magazines, one of which I couldn't leave without (pictured below: the reason for its purchase will be revealed soon...). I'm also told the exhibition space in the back will host work by the dreamy Anthony Burrill in the near future.

Coffee and Cool

LYNfabrikken is a set of design studios, design boutique, coffee shop and all-round hip hangout on Vestergade in Århus. I've enjoyed many a coffee or ginger ale there, and have spent a lot of time fawning over the merchandise, but have yet to buy any of it. Featuring in the photo above are ceramic pieces by Rainy Days (sorry, can't find a web link or any other info on them) and below is a blazer made of reclaimed fabric by Daniel Kroh that I would very much like to own, but my mum says I need to stop buying grey clothing and she's probably right.