Ah....... Lisbon, Lisboa.... there is a myriad of things to say, and I don't know where to start!
View from Miradouro da Senhora do Monte, Alfama
View from Miradouro de São Pedro de Alcântara, Near Bairro Alto and Principe Real
View from Miradouro de Santa Luzia, Alfama
The famous Tram No. 28 - Take a ride to catch a glimpse of the different neighbourhoods of Lisboa
Since I ended my last post on Fado Coimbra, I shall start with Fado Lisboa!
Without a doubt, I prefer the Fado Lisboa to the Fado Coimbra. The Coimbra one is a bit duller and 'heavy' (if you heard the song in the last post). In contrast, the Fado Lisboa, although also due to sad motivations, is slightly upbeat and is sung by women!
Rainha do Fado (Queen of Fado) Amália Rodrigues, in Alfama
The motivation: the feeling and sense of saudade... Finally the word is introduced! This is an example of a word, that, in English, there is no word which can accurately capture the essence of it.
Now imagine this: When the likes of Vasco da Gama and Afonso de Albuquerque were on their mission to find 'treasure' (spices!), they hired the poorer men, of the Alfama neighbourhood, and ex-convicts as their crew. (Ahem ahem... to all my Serani friends out there, your great-great-great-great-great-great-grandfather might have been an ex-convict... #justsaying...lol)
So when the husbands set sail, their wives, families, etc, obviously missed them, added with a sense of longing, sadness, wondering if they will ever see their loved ones again. That is what saudade means (well, in my interpretation :S. If there are any Portuguese out there, would truly appreciate if you could assist in clarifying... :D).
This influenced the wives to sing songs filled with their emotions, sorrow, feelings - Fado.
The beginnings are also hard to determine. One theory says it is from the Moorish culture (Lisbon was conquered by the Moors in the 700s - 1100s). The sadness and melancholic characteristics, as well as the rhythm, of Fado, are said to be from Moorish culture. The other theory says it originates from the songs of Brazilian slaves - singing of their journey at sea and hardship on land.
Whichever it is, head to the A Tasca do Chico to listen to some live Fado! There are two branches - one in Alfama and the other in Bairro Alto. I went to the one in Bairro Alto. The performance starts at 9pm but be sure to get there early as it gets crowded.
A Tasca do Chico
If you do go after 9pm, you will have to queue outside - my advice, GO EARLY!
The singers are not professional Fado singers, but they are exceptional.. I nearly had goosebumps!
*Just some cool info: Fado was added to UNESCO’s Intangible Cultural Heritage in 2011.*
Now, that's it about Fado.... There is so much more to Lisboa: the different neighbourhoods, the GLORIOUS period of Portugal, the city's glow, the enchanting monastery and much more - which I will detail in my next post(s)... hhehe
One last advice: A fellow traveller once told me, "Wherever you go, ALWAYS go to the highest point to view the city, be it a hill or a tower.... ALWAYS!"
As you can see from the pictures above, my crazy-self went to all the viewpoints in Lisboa! Lol... (There is one more picture missing). Well, it's a good advice to adhere to :)
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.......
Just about an hour train ride away from Porto, is the home to Portugal's oldest cathedral, the Braga Sé, and the sanctuary of Bom Jesus do Monte - the city of Braga.
It is quite a spiritual city - the Braga Diocese is the oldest in Portugal and, in the Middle Ages, the city competed with Santiago de Compostela in power and importance.
On the way from the railway station to the Braga historical city centre
Entrance wall
The Sé (Cathedral) is one of the most beautiful with diverse architecture: Romanesque, Gothic, Manueline (Portuguese late Gothic ~early 16th century), Baroque, a bit of Moorish elements and not forgetting the azulejos.
*An interesting fact: Manueline is Portuguese architecture which incorporates elements and representations of the discoveries brought from the voyages of Vasco da Gama and Pedro Álvares Cabral.*
So, architecture students, forget Barcelona or Vienna, Portugal is your paradise!
Entrance to the church
Twin baroque organs - beautiful
Outside the church
If there is one thing you must do in Braga - it is the Bom Jesus do Monte. AN ABSOLUTE MUST!
There are very few monuments that are a must-see, or talked about by many, that make me go "WOW!" The Bom Jesus do Monte is one of them. It's awe-inspiring! There is a city bus that goes up to the foot of the Bom Jesus do Monte - about a 20 min ride. On the way up, it looks like it is floating amongst the trees.
At the bus stop, you can either take the funicular up to the sanctuary or walk up. I seriously recommend walking up as you can see many statues (that signify different stories) on the way up and the view of the sanctuary is not to be missed. The walk up is approximately 20 mins.
The view from the top is simply breathtaking.
I honestly felt at peace here. I walked further up and came across a 'fairy-tale' lake and garden. Amazing!
Oldest funicular in the world moved by water balancing
You can go further up to the Sameiro Sanctuary, about a 30-min walk. Over there, you can catch a glimpse of beautiful Braga and go inside a beautiful church- has many paintings and gold decorations.
Convento dos Congregados
Praça da República
After spending the day (& evening in Braga), I headed back to Porto to pack up and bid farewell before I shifted to my next stop the next day. My last night in Porto, I had dinner at Cantinho do Avillez. The restaurant is by Chef José Avillez (who has a 2 star Michelin restaurant under his belt!!) which serves traditional Portuguese dishes with a modern twist to them.
Appetiser: Scallops and Avocado
Main: Bacalhau with egg and veg
Hazelnut dessert
OH MY DAYS... I was in heaven! The food is extremely delicious! (I don't know if I can find a word to describe how amazing the food is!!) I want to marry him!!
It was at this visit that I found out he has a 2 star Michelin restaurant, Belcanto, in Lisboa. Why isn't he famous like Gordon Ramsey or Joe Bastianich!?
I immediately called Belcanto up to make a reservation - but guess what - IT IS FULLY BOOKED UNTIL JULY!
Would I go back to Lisboa just to dine at Belcanto? - 195%!
He has other restaurants and a bar in Lisboa as well:
1) Catinho Do Avillez - the same one as in Porto (the first restaurant was opened in Lisboa)
2) Cafe Lisboa
3) Pizzaria Lisboa
4) Mini Bar
(I went to both Cafe Lisboa and Pizzaria Lisboa - but, in my opinion, the best amongst the three is Cathinho Do Avillez).
Things I discovered about Portugal, after 5 days:
1) Produces good leather shoes (at a good price)
2) Has excellent coffee - especially the Buondi and Delta
3) Produces some fine wine (and cheap too!!)
4) Gave birth to an AMAZING CHEF!
5) The Portuguese language - although may have some similar words as in Spanish, is more difficult to grasp and speak (for foreigners like me). It has some French influence - many tongue-twisting words (unlike the Spanish language). For example Guimarães (requires some twisting which I fail miserably at!). Also, another difference compared to the Spanish language is the way 'José' is pronounced. In Portuguese, it is pronounced with a 'J' unlike Spanish, 'H'.
6) Oh yes, and females - please say 'obrigada' and not 'obrigado' :)
Anyways, that's a wrap of Porto. Tchau Porto! Vê-lo em Coimbra....
