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.
Santa Justa Lift
Arco da Rua Augusta (Augusta Street Arch)
Statue of King José I, Praça do Comércio
Status of Dom João I, Praça da Figueira
Statue of King Pedro IV, Praça do Rossio (Rossio Square)
Praça dos Restauradores
Avenida da Liberdade (Liberty Avenue)
View from Eduardo VII Park (Statue of Marquês de Pombal)
The affluent Chiado neighbourhood
Chiado
Chiado
Praça Luís de Camões, Chiado/ Bairro Alto
The cool Bairro Alto
Jardim de São Pedro de Alcântara, Bairro Alto/ Príncipe Real
The also cool Príncipe Real
Príncipe Real
Príncipe Real
The poorer neighbourhood of Alfama
Alfama
Typical house in Alfama
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!
Panteão Nacional (National Pantheon), Alfama
Feira da Ladra (Thieves' Market), Alfama (near the National Pantheon)
-Only on Tuesdays and Saturdays-
Other than the Baixa, it is uphill almost everywhere!
Uphill
More hills
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
& more hills....lol
I love that mural so much, I 'brought it back' to my room.
My 'Wall of Fame'..lol
And there are azulejos (tiles) everywhere!
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
There are two train routes you can take from Porto to Coimbra. I recommend taking the route that transits at Aveiro. This will give you a few hours to roam the city before heading to quaint little Coimbra.
Aveiro is known as 'Portuguese Venice'. There are canals, bridges, and boats called moliceiros, however, in my opinion, it is slightly overstated :S Nevertheless, it is a pretty little city to wander around. There are lovely beaches on its coast, São Jacinto, Barra and Costa Nova, which unfortunately I did not go to, as time and weather were not on my side.
I arrived early in Aveiro to some rather heavy rain. The first place I went to is Cha & Bolachas for breakfast. The cafe is located downtown, in the Mercado Manuel Firmino.
Coffee Loveeeeee
English Breakfast (in Portugal) :S
The cafe is a small, cosy restaurant which is famous for its cakes. The cafe owner is a warm lady who literally embraced me when I walked in (she probably thought "Poor girl walking in the rain with her bag in tow"..lol). She graciously offered to keep my bag in her kitchen while I roamed around the city.
*You may be wondering why the cafe has the word 'Cha' (tea) in it. Tea is prominent everywhere around Portugal. Again, brought back from the maritime expedition in the 15th/16th century in Asia. The Brits owe it to a Portuguese, Catarina de Bragança (Catherine of Braganza), who introduced tea to the kingdom.*
What I really liked about Aveiro is that the shopping mall, Forum Aveiro, is built along the canal - an example of modern-day construction whilst still preserving the natural landscape. Love that!
Forum Aveiro along the canal
Inside roads - away from the canal
You can take a ride on the moliceiros along the canal. One of the stops on this ride is a SALT MINE! Yeap.... the Portuguese produces salt - could this be a reason why they eat so much salt - because they have it in abundance? Lol
Also, when in Aveiro, be sure to try the Ovos Moles de Aveiro (which literally means, Soft Eggs from Aveiro). This was made a Protected Geographical Indication (please click here for more information), in 2006. It is a local delicacy of Aveiro made from egg yolks and sugar.
I tried one in Confeitaria Peixinho - not too sweet, but so egg-y. I love eggs, but this is taking it to a whole new level.
Ovos Moles
*Another fact: The Portuguese love eggs - think Pastel de Nata, Ovos Moles, and many other pastries have an egg-based filling.*
I also had the almond cookie, Almendrados, at Confeitaria Peixinho. That I love! In fact, I love anything almond: almond milk, almond cookies, almond ice cream, the list goes on....
Almendrados
Fully satiated, I resumed my journey to Coimbra!
I AM IN LOVE WITH COIMBRA! It is one of the most charming medieval cities I have ever been to!
Located in central Portugal, it is the former capital of Portugal (in the 1100s - 1200s). Around the end of the Middle Ages, it declined as the political centre of Portugal and began to evolve into a major cultural centre. This was largely due to the establishment the Universidade de Coimbra (University of Coimbra) in the late 1200s. The university is the oldest academic institution in the Portuguese-speaking world - Cool huh! Interestingly, many of the buildings from when Coimbra was the capital still remain.
Outside the city walls
Into the medieval city
Guitarra Portuguesa (Portuguese guitar)
Sé Velha (Old Cathedral) - Romanesque facade
Gothic cloister in the cathedral
Peek-a-boo
You can walk the cobbled streets up to the University. The view of Coimbra and the Mondego River from the university is beautiful. Up at the university, I command you (yes, I am using the word, 'command') to visit the Biblioteca Joanina (Joanina Library), the Baroque library of the University.
It is outstandingly stunning beyond words! (You will thank me for it :D)
I just love libraries and imagine having one like that in your home! :)
Closely linked to the university traditions is the Fado Coimbra - a type of musical genre.
*Fado comes from the Latin word fatum, from which the English word 'fate' also originates.*
There are 2 types of Fado in Portugal - Fado Coimbra and Fado Lisboa. Both have different motivations, beginnings, and use slightly different instruments, amongst other things. The Fado Coimbra is played using the Guitarra Portuguesa and viola. It is said that there is a slight sitar influence in making the Guitarra Portuguesa.
As stated above, the Fado Coimbra is closely linked to the academic traditions of the University of Coimbra and it is mainly sung by men. The university students would sing of their homesickness, longing for their families, leaving youth, or towards the end of their education, leaving Coimbra.
They would also serenade their beloved with Fado, sitting underneath their beloved's window. The men would pour out their sorrows, asking, begging, and pleading for their beloved to become one with them and make these troubles disappear. The girl indicates her 'interest' by switching on and off her lights three times. The students in Coimbra would usually sing in a group, dressed entirely in black.
The beginnings of Fado Coimbra are difficult to be determined, but it is said to have emerged from the minstrels and jesters who provided entertainment to the courts during the Middle Ages. Some say it has Brazilian influence - brought back from Brazil and adapted to the Portuguese culture.
Today, performances of Fado Coimbra have become somewhat of a cultural tradition. Groups of male students will wear the traditional capes while they serenade and honour the faculty at the end of the academic cycle. This tradition has spread to many of the Portuguese universities but remains in its truest form in Coimbra.
You can listen to the Fado Coimbra at the Fado Centre or at some restaurants/ bars in Coimbra. The performance at the Fado Centre is performed by current and former university students. You will need to book seats as it is usually packed.
Statue outside the Fado Centre - love this
After the Fado performance, I went to the very close-by Fangas Mercearia Bar for dinner. There are some vegetarian options to choose from - Hallelujah!
Bacalhau with spinach
Bean stew with mushrooms
The food was delish. Definitely a good place to have a pleasant dinner.
If you do have a chance, do try the sparkling red wine from the nearby wine region. I still prefer my still red wine, though. There are other wines to select from as well - Rosé, White and Red (in still or sparkling form).
That's a wrap of Coimbra. I will now end this post with.......
