Lisbon, Portugal: A Cosmopolitan City with a Small Neighborhood Vibe

Located on the banks of the Tagus River in Portugal, Lisbon is the westernmost capital city in continental Europe. The city is quite lively and has the charm of a quaint coastal town that offers all the sounds and sights of a metropolitan area. The history is rich and diverse here and the architecture is absolutely stunning.

Spectacular Views, Books, and Liquor

We started our day with a delicious breakfast at a 180 year-old bakery that used to be the official confectioner of the royal family. Upon entering the store with its elegant marble counter, beautiful carved woodwork, and mirrored ceiling, we were tempted with traditional Portuguese pastries and biscuits. How to resist! Well, we couldn’t!

After having loaded up on carbs and sugars, we meandered through the narrow cobblestoned alleys of Chiado and Baixa.

The gorgeous and often colorfully glazed ceramic tiles named azulejos, immediately caught my eye. Some were very intricate and depicted entire stories, while others simply made for a beautiful decoration of a façade. They seemed to be everywhere! On houses, benches, fountains, street signs, churches, you name it! How marvelous! I could have enjoyed an entire day just taking pictures of these gorgeous tiles!

We made our way to the oldest cathedral in the city, the Santa Maria Maior, also called the Lisbon Cathedral so we could snap a picture of the famous and iconic yellow tram 28 that passes by on regular intervals. A rattling and screeching sound caught our attention, and sure enough, there was the tram hauling a truckload of tourists up the hill.

The Santa Maria Maior, the oldest cathedral in Lisbon (1147) looked more like a robust castle than a delicate cathedral. No wonder it survived the devastating earthquake in 1755! Over the years, the church underwent many restorations and alterations and the mixture of romanesque, gothic, and baroque styles inside definitely reflected that.

We criss-crossed the spiderweb of narrow streets towards the Praça de Comércio, one of Lisbon’s largest squares. It was surrounded by 3 sides of bright yellow Pombaline styled buildings that had arcades with shops on the bottom.

Originally, this square housed Portugal’s royal palace but it was destroyed on November 1st, 1755 by the Great Earthquake. And great it was with a magnitude of 7.7! Fires caused by knocked over candles that were lit for All Saints Day and a tsunami almost completely destroyed Lisbon.

It was the Prime Minister, Marquès de Pombal, who was in charge of rebuilding. The new city was laid out on a grid plan with 12 meter (40 ft) wide roads and all facades were constructed in a simple neoclassical style due to the lack of funds and because rebuilding needed to happen quickly. There was no time for intricate details! I was impressed when I learned that Pombal implemented an anti-seismic design by using a flexible wooden structure that was covered by pre-fab material. That is really very similar to how houses are still being constructed in California!

The southern side of the plaza faced the Tagus River. From the historical pier, where foreign dignitaries used to arrive and from which now only the marble steps and two columns are left, we had an amazing view of the river.

To the right, a bridge identical to Golden Gate Bridge spanned the river and for a moment I was confused and thought I was in San Francisco!

Through the regal Rua Augusta Arch, built to commemorate the reconstruction of the city after the Great Earthquake, we entered the city again.

The Rua Augusta, a lively, mosaic patterned street, boasted many shops, cafes, and restaurants but it was too crowded for our liking. So we decided to only buy an ice cream and move on. And this was probably the prettiest ice cream cone I had ever eaten!

At one of the intersections, we saw a fascinating wrought iron structure that reminded us a bit of the Eiffel Tower. Sure enough, this contraption, which turned out to be an elevator (Elevador de Santa Justa), was designed by Raoul Mesnier de Ponsard, who was one of Gustave Eiffel’s students. Apparently this elevator is a real tourist attraction and the extremely long line to ride it was clear evidence. We admired the in Art Nouveau style apparatus from the street and decided that either the houses surrounding it were sinking or the elevator itself was crooked. You be the judge!

In preparation of our trip, I read that Lisbon is home to the oldest working bookstore in the world. Livraria Bertrand has been in business since 1732! A little voice in my head kept telling me, “Go. Go. Go,…” And…I did!

There was nothing distinctive old looking inside the store but the multiple arched rooms created a peaceful and charming atmosphere. I was a bit disappointed by their limited English language books collection. Nevertheless, I ended up buying a classic because I really, really, really wanted a book with that stamp stating that I purchased it at the worlds oldest bookstore. What an incredible addition to my home library this would make!

We were getting hungry and Bert led us to a tiny restaurant he had read about online. There, we enjoyed a Piri Piri Chicken meal. This traditional Portuguese dish of grilled chicken covered in a homemade chili sauce was finger-licking good. It tasted a little spicy, a little sweet, and a bit salty and we gobbled it all up!

Rossio was our next stop. It was a a lively square surrounded by many bars, restaurants, and souvenir shops. The ripple effect cobblestoned pavement was an absolute aesthetic wonder! From every angle, I was treated to a new wave pattern and at times it even messed with my balance.

This square had been around for 700 years and I could easily imagine it being used for public executions, political demonstrations, markets, and exhibits. In fact the UN Ocean Conference was happening at the time we were visiting Lisbon and there was a neat photo art exhibit on Rossio. The pictures had a very clear message.

A visit to Lisbon would not be complete without tasting homemade Ginjinha, a sweet, strong liquor infused with cherries, cinnamon, and sugar. Strewn all over the city are tiny family operated Ginjinha bars that offer their own variation on the drink. Originally, this very strong alcoholic drink, was used as a tincture that cured all and every ailment imaginable. After tasting this wonder drink, I totally understood how it would cure someone because it makes your entire inside numb! Yuck! This was not my thing!

Time to try the pastéis de bacalhau to get rid of that burning feeling! The Portuguese like their bacalhau or cod and you’ll see the dry, salted pieces of fish hanging everywhere.

A very popular snack or appetizer is the pastel de bacalhau or cod fish cake, which is a deep-fried combination of potatoes, cod, and cheese.

After my first bite, I knew this was not for me. It tasted very dry and flavorless and the added cheese did not do it justice either. Luckily, we had a glass of tasty port to wash it all down!

Labyrinthine Alfama and Fado Music

We left early today so we could beat the crowds when visiting the Covento do Carmo. And it paid off!

The ruins of the Convento do Carmo are a grim reminder of the devastation left by the Great Earthquake. A the time of the quake, this church was the largest in the city, but today all that is left is a roofless nave flanked by majestic arches that seemed to be holding up the sky.

The ruins also served as an archeological museum and 14th and 16th century treasures such as sarcophagi were housed here. It was a fascinating and astonishing place.

Lisbon is quite the hilly city and on our way down from the convent, we walked by one of the famous funiculars. These funiculars were installed in the late 19th century to make conquering those many steep hills more manageable.

Because it was still early, there was no line and we decided to ride this iconic vehicle and it was a lot of fun!

Towering dramatically over the city, the 11th century Castelo de São Jorge, had a very turbulent history. It saw the fall of the Romans to the Visigoths, was part of the violent disputes between Arabs and Christians, and it witnessed the birth of the Portuguese seafaring nation. While this history was very impressive, our visit wasn’t. The recent restoration made the castle look too clean and less authentic. So I was honestly a bit disappointed. Thankfully, the views from the ramparts were spectacular and it made up for all the rest!

Alfama is one of Lisbon’s oldest areas and St. George Castle is its highest point. So we now had to walk down towards the sea and wander the narrow alleys of the neighborhoods. The steep streets were lined with small stores selling groceries, meat, electronics, souvenirs, in short, anything you could think of. It was quite lively with all the hustle and bustle going on.

Getting lost in the labyrinth of Alfama was inevitable. Luckily we were walking downhill!

We walked by the São Vicente de Fora Monastery and decided to visit. There were no tourists, which was odd and it made us wonder if we had made a mistake. I was happy that we didn’t! The monastery is known for its well preserved and original 18th century azulejos and they were incredible! Not a single flat surface was left untiled!

I learned that this art form of using tiles, was originally Arabic and that the word ‘azulejo’ comes from the Moorish word ‘az-zulayj’ meaning polished stone. Now I’m starting to sound like the dad in the movie My Big Fat Greek Wedding! It’s a bit of a running joke in our family.

The tile work we saw was not only decorative. It also told stories of Portuguese history and fables of La Fontaine. It was all very impressive.

Our visit to the monastery concluded on the roof where we were treated to a splendid 360-view of the city below us. What a view!

We ended our day at a Fado restaurant, where we enjoyed a not so delectable, very bland dinner and live Fado music.

Fado is a traditional Portuguese music genre that is mostly known for how expressive and melancholic it is. The lyrics are mainly about the hard realities of life, the dangers of life at sea, and the pain of loneliness. The music didn’t necessarily shake me up, but I had to admit that the singer was very talented. I could definitely feel the nostalgia and melancholy and I felt Lisbon’s soul ringing through, for sure.

Ostentatious Belém

Another early day was on the menu today because we were visiting the very touristy and popular area of Belém. No visit to this area was complete without sampling the famous Pastéis de Belém, a delicate pastry invented in the 18th century, by monks at the Jerónimos Monastery. These entrepreneurial monks sold their sweet treats to raise funds for their monastery, but in the beginning of the 19th century, the inevitable happened and they had to close their doors. They sold the recipe and to this day, it is still being used by one local bakery. What better way for us to try these delicious pastries than eating them for breakfast!

OMG! OMG! OMG! This little dainty pastry, filled with egg custard, was so buttery, flaky, and rich! It was utterly delicious! No wonder this bakery sold about 50,000 of these tiny tarts per day during peak season!

Still trying to beat the crowds, we made our way to the iconic Torre de Belém. This very ornate defensive tower was built in the 16th century as a military outpost to protect the Tagus River Estuary from enemy attacks. The tower used to sit on a small island in the Tagus so it was pretty difficult for ships to pass by without being seen.

While waiting in line, I was already blown away by the many details visible on the tower. Everywhere I looked, I noticed symbols and striking features. What an architectural work of art!

Once inside, we were treated to a superb example of the Manueline building style, an approach that incorporates gothic and Italian Renaissance features such as gargoyles, parapets, round arches, and a bastion.

Another characteristic of Manueline architecture is the presence of maritime motives and sure enough, adorning the water facing façade sat a twisted rope and armillary spheres.

To me the whole thing had a bit of a Games of Thrones-ish vibe. I wonder if it was used during the filming of this popular series.

I read that the crosses that rested atop the watchtowers and parapets were a symbol of Portugueses exploration because the many voyages were funded with money from the Order of Christ, an order derived from the Knights Templar. That’s also why this same cross could be seen on the sails of the Portuguese ships. Who knew?

After taking a gazillion pictures of this small tower with its larger than life personality, we strolled along the banks of the Tagus towards the Monument of the Discoveries.

Sitting on the spot where trade ships and voyagers departed, this massive and dramatic monument, shaped to resemble the prow of a caravel, commemorated Portugal’s most famous explorers.

Henry the Navigator, who started the “Age of Discovery” in the 15th century, stood at the front and Vasco da Gama and Ferdinand Magellan were right behind him. We couldn’t really figure out who else was depicted but they rather looked like mathematicians, writers, and kings. A sign with a bit more explanation would have been nice.

From here it was a short distance to the Jerónimos Monastery. After admiring the outside of this grand edifice, we took a guided tour so we could skip the humongous line.

The splendid Mosteiro dos Jerónimos as it is known in Portugal, was the country’s largest symbol of power, dominance, and wealth during the “Time of the Discoveries”. In fact, King Manuel I ordered the monastery to be built in honor of the successful voyage of Vasco da Gama to India. So we were not surprised at all to learn that this was also da Gama‘s final resting place.

Remember those monks who used to sell those delectable pastries? They were this flamboyant building’s original inhabitants and they provided spiritual guidance to the many sailors. By now the monks were long gone and were replaced by thousands of visiting tourists.

Like the Bélem Tower, Jerónimos is hailed as as one of the finest and most beautiful examples of the Manueline architecture so not surprising we, again, recognized many nautical symbols, intricate arches, and lots of gargoyles camouflaged by carvings of fantastic beasts.

It seemed like no expense was spared when this enchanted Mosteiro dos Jerónimos was built and everywhere we looked we were in awe of the extraordinarily carved details. It was simply magnificent!

We ended our day with a delicious seafood meal where we tried our hand at barnacles (I know!) and devoured freshly caught jumbo shrimp!

Cristo Rei

The Christ statue is one of the most iconic monuments in Lisbon. Inspired by the Brazilian Christ the Redeemer Statue in Rio, it stands high above the the Tagus River.

We didn’t go to the top of the monument because we were here for the view. And that view of Golden Gate Bridge, uh I mean Ponte 25 Abril, with Lisbon in the background, was worth it!

Too Short!

Rising from a thickly wooded peak, the colorful Pena Palace looked like a crown jewel sitting on top of the town of Sintra. I would have loved to see it like that but unfortunately the palace was shrouded in a blanket of fog when we visited. And it was cold, oh so very cold!

The slight rain and freezing temperatures made me not enjoy the walk through the gardens and the woods. Oh, how I wished there was a shuttle bus to the top!

Pena Palace was originally build as a summer palace for the royal family but because they had to flee during the revolution of 1910, it was turned into a museum. The vibrant shades of red and yellow, the mythical creatures, the Moorish windows, and all the different whacky domes fell nothing short of a fairytale castle plucked out of a Disney movie. Apparently that was what Romanticist architecture looked like.

Going through the palace itself, being herded by a slow moving hoard of tourists, wasn't very exciting. Sure some of the rooms were interesting and I will forever be a fan of azulejos, but it only held my attention for so long. Luckily, once outside, we were treated to a little bit of a view through the disappearing clouds.

Because we came here on a tour (transportation only), we had a too long mandatory lunch stop in the village. I wished we could have used that time to explore more of the other palaces and castles. But we had to make do with just a view of the Moorish Castle.

From here we drove to Cabo da Roca, the most westerly point of mainland Europe.

The rugged dramatic landscape really reminded me of the California coast and I felt right at home. We could have spend much more time hiking some of the many trails but, yet again, we had to rush to the shuttle bus. Maybe next time…

A Museum City

Breakfast in hand, we boarded an early morning bus to Évora. The driver immediately scolded us and told us there was no eating allowed on the bus. Our fellow Portuguese passengers showed us by example to simply ignore the warning and to still eat the sandwich.

Évora is rich with history, culture, and architecture and it dates back more than 2000 years. No wonder it is classified as a World Heritage site and often called Portugal’s Museum City!

While Bert (don’t even ask!) had an emergency board meeting so I decided to get lost in the spiderweb of cobblestoned alleys. And like in many European cities, the best place to start that journey is at the town square. Picturesque Praca do Giraldo, once the site of some gruesome episodes thanks to the Inquisition, was lined with small cafes, restaurants, and tons of shops selling clothes, housewares, and souvenirs.

I made my way to the Church of St. Francis to admire the spectacularly decorated altar and to be freaked out at the Capella dos Ossos, a chapel decorated with the bones of 5000 exhumed bodies. Unfortunately, I saw neither because the church was closed to visitors due to a special event.

After criss-crossing more narrow medieval streets, I came across a strange looking globular fountain. Apparently it was build in the Renaissance style and dated from the 16th century.

I needed a break from the heat and because most places don’t have air conditioning here, fleeing inside was no use. So I opted for a refreshing, ice-cold soda and an ice cream.

Visiting the Roman Temple was next.

I was thoroughly impressed by how well the 14 Corinthian columns, dating from the 2nd or 3rd century, were preserved. After reading the sign, I found out that the entire temple had been walled in during the Middle Ages and it was used as a slaughterhouse. It wasn’t until the late 19th century that the actual temple was discovered.

The Roman ruin sat in the middle of a small square surrounded by classical Portuguese buildings and that made for some neat, contrasting pictures.

Just outside the Medieval city walls, the impressive Aqueduto da Água de Prada (Aqueduct of Silver Water) jutted into town. It was completed in 1530 and designed by Francisco de Arrudo, the man who also designed the Bélem Tower. No frilly details on the dam though!

Here and there shops and houses had been perfectly fitted and built into the arches of the aqueduct. It was really funny.

I had skipped visiting Évora’s cathedral or also called the Sé (short for Sides Episcopalis, meaning the Bishop’s Seat) so Bert and I could visit this medieval church together.

The relatively plain looking cathedral looked a bit like a medieval fortress with its ramparts and stone towers. The Romanesque-Gothic interior, however, was anything but.

It featured an 18th century high altar, beautiful azulejos, and a unique Iberian organ.

Before climbing to the top of the walls for a view over the city, we wandered through the less impressive cloisters. The shade was welcoming because it provided some much needed respite from the brutal sun. It was extremely hot in Évora and temperatures easily reached 40 degrees (100+F) in the afternoon.

The Sé sat directly across from the Roman Temple so we strolled over to take some additional pictures. Afterwards, we made our way to the aqueduct so Bert could marvel at this architectural wonder too.

By now it was time for a shower and a long siesta in our air-conditioned Airbnb so that we would be all refreshed to enjoy our delicious dinner at the end of our day.

Menhirs!

We asked a taxi driver in Évora if he could drive us to the megalithic sites outside the city, wait there, and bring us back. He unfortunately couldn’t, but naturally, he had a cousin who would be happy to help us.

Although Stonehenge is probably the most famous of the world’s megalithic structures, the area around Évora has several megalithic sites that are much older.

Our first stop was Almendres Cromlech where about 100 large menhirs formed 2 concentric rings. It seemed that the true meaning of this place was unknown and the info sign only talked about assumptions like it being some sort of solar calendar or it could have had religious significance. I also read that some menhirs used to have carvings but we were not able to find any. Our guess was that erosion had attacked the unprotected stones.

Visiting this place was quite surreal. It was like stepping back in time and expecting to see Obelix materialize any minute!

On the walk down to the site, I was fascinated by the cork tree forests, mainly because I had never seen a cork tree and because many trees were partially stripped of their bark. Our driver, the cousin, told us that the precious cork can only be harvested once a year and that it took about 9 years for the bark to regenerate. On top of that, the trees needed to mature for 30-40 years before a harvest can even take place! No wonder cork comes with a price tag!

Next we visited the Almendres Menhir, a single monolith standing 4 meters (13 feet) tall. Although this site was about a mile away, it was related to the previous one because this single menhir aligned perfectly with the Almendres Cromlech during summer solstice sunrise.

Lastly, we stopped at Anta Grande do Zambujeiro. Here we found the remnants of a dolmen or megalithic tomb. Originally, the entire cave was buried and only the entrance was visible. It was cool to see this place even though it had lost a bit of its charm due to to it being covered by a large metal structure.

On the drive back, my mind drifted to those ancient civilizations who left this testament to their culture and I was glad to have had the opportunity to glimpse into their past.

We loved our short trip to Lisboa and thoroughly enjoyed the beautiful architecture, the mix of old and new, the rich history, and of course the delicious port wine. Cheers!