Why is the title of the post 'Slowly Falling in Love with Lisbon...?' When I first got to Lisboa, I thought, "Yeah, not bad. It's alright!"
But the longer I stayed and explored Lisboa, the indifference => like => liking more => falling! Hahah..
I felt a tinge of sadness when I was about to leave this endearing city... (or it could be because I knew my holiday was coming to an end, and I would return to confining myself within the four walls at work! Lol). On a serious note, it was because I was leaving Lisboa.
Lisboa is cultured, but at the same time, modern, hip and has this cool, '
Yuppie' vibe, whilst still preserving its 'local-ness'.
The Airbnb apartment I stayed at is located in Baixa, on Rua da Prata (Silver Street). The location is excellent - it is walking distance to everywhere.
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| Santa Justa Lift |
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| Arco da Rua Augusta (Augusta Street Arch) |
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| Statue of King José I, Praça do Comércio |
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| Status of Dom João I, Praça da Figueira |
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| Statue of King Pedro IV, Praça do Rossio (Rossio Square) |
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| Praça dos Restauradores |
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| Avenida da Liberdade (Liberty Avenue) |
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| View from Eduardo VII Park (Statue of Marquês de Pombal) |
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| The affluent Chiado neighbourhood |
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| Chiado |
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| Chiado |
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| Praça Luís de Camões, Chiado/ Bairro Alto |
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| The cool Bairro Alto |
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| Jardim de São Pedro de Alcântara, Bairro Alto/ Príncipe Real |
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| The also cool Príncipe Real |
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| Príncipe Real |
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| Príncipe Real |
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| The poorer neighbourhood of Alfama |
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| Alfama |
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| Typical house in Alfama |
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Sé de Lisboa (Lisbon Cathedral), Alfama - built on the site of an old mosque
There is an elaborate cloak, embroidered with gold, in the cathedral - stunning! |
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| Panteão Nacional (National Pantheon), Alfama |
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Feira da Ladra (Thieves' Market), Alfama (near the National Pantheon)
-Only on Tuesdays and Saturdays- |
Other than the Baixa, it is uphill almost everywhere!
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| Uphill |
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| More hills |
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| Hills are a common sight! |
There are trams (on the road next to the
Museu da Farmácia (Pharmacy Museum)) that transport people up and down. My suggestion: Just walk - it's good exercise (after eating all the good food!) Lol
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| & more hills....lol |
I love that mural so much, I
'brought it back' to my room.
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| My 'Wall of Fame'..lol |
And there are
azulejos (tiles) everywhere!
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Oldest bookstore in Portugal, Chiado
A side note:There are independent bookstores/ libraries in every corner in Portugal - totally love this! |
Heck, even the Miu Miu (on Avenida da Liberdade) is covered in azulejos - a clear way to distinguish that you are in Lisboa!
The
azulejos were introduced by the Moors and have become an integral part of Lisboa. The reflection of the sunlight from the
azulejos and
Rio Tejo (Tagus River) gives Lisboa its unique glow. No camera can capture it, you will have to witness it for yourself :)
The best time to visit Lisboa? JUNE!!! Why? The whole month is a month of PARTY. The city of Lisboa celebrates
Festas dos Santos Populares (Popular Saints Festival) leading up to the main event: Santo Antonio Festival (Feast of St. Anthony) on June 12th and 13th. St. Anthony is a patron saint, to whom many miracles have been attributed to. As he is linked to miracles, June 12th and 13th are considered auspicious and many people get married those dates. Also, the biggest party in Lisboa is celebrated then - amazing isn't it?
Throughout the month, there are pop-up stalls around Lisboa selling booze and grilled sardines!! Yes, the 'Lisbonites' eat a CRAZY amount of sardines in that month. The record is
13 sardines per second!! That makes it an astounding
16,848,000 sardines! (Assuming eating sardines for 12 hours/a day, 30 days straight :S).
There is also a marching competition among the neighbourhoods. The people put in a lot of effort into decorating and practising the march - truly an amazing way to bring people together!
*St. Anthony was declared a saint on June 13th, a year after his death - hence, the reason why the main celebration is on June 12 & 13*
Unfortunately, I did not partake in this as I was in Lisboa a few months earlier. However, some areas were already being decorated!
Before I end my post today, I just want add, if you are a fish person, like
moi, you will love Lisboa (& most parts of Portugal, other than the inner regions like Alentejo). There are many types of fish available in abundance: Sardines, Mackeral, Scabbard, Tuna, Salmon, Sea Bass, Hake, Cod (
Bacalhau) and many others - the funny thing about the
bacalhau though, it is all over Portugal, (a local delicacy) but it is imported! Hahah...
Anyways, I am off to stare at my 'mural'.......jokes! There is more to Lisboa, I am not done yet! Next post :D
Nighty night...
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