T1alfama: Short term rental apartment in Alfama, Lisboa

Fado is Intangible Cultural Heritage!

2011-11-29T14:07:00.005Z

Fado - Património Cultural da Humanidade!
Fado - Intangible Cultural Heritage!
Fado - Weltkulturerbe!
Fado - Patrimoine Culturel Immatériel de l'Humanité!
Fado - Patrimonio Cultural Inmaterial de la Humanidad!

Yes ... Fado isn't just Alfama, Lisbon & Portugal anymore :-) Since this week it belongs to Unesco's Intangible Cultural Heritage list, which entrance you can consult HERE.

As you may read in Unesco's site, "The dissemination of Fado through emigration and the world music circuit has reinforced its image as a symbol of Portuguese identity, leading to a process of cross-cultural exchange involving other musical traditions." I couldn't find better words to express the role played by Fado in disseminating Portuguese Culture :-)

Lisbon's Hidden Treasures

2011-11-18T10:57:00.003Z

Lisbon Lux (yes ... again! but they do deserve the mentioning) has a nice post on Lisbon's hidden treasures. Not all of them are (regularly) open to public, and not all are in whole so well preserved as suggested by the pictures (this is me talking, and based on what I know and have seen). Anyway, it feels good to know that Lisboa, the city I love and where I live, has such nice things & places :-)

Among the "10 secret interiors" comes Igreja de São Miguel in Alfama, just 30 mts from the apartment :-)

You can access the complete list with descriptions & pictures HERE.

Pensão Amor - Lisbon's new hot spot

2011-11-18T10:23:00.004Z

Located in a district formerly known for it's night life, Pensão Amor (not a pension anymore, the name was just kept) is Lisbon's new artsie center. The whole of the building was transformed into a hub of ateliers and small office places, and the ground floor was transformed into a bar. It is decorated in a style reminding us of the original use of the pensão, a place where prostitutes would go for unexpensive rooms for short (or less short!) moments of pleasure :-) I was there yesterday and loved the atmosphere :-)

For a more detailed story of the place try this LINK ... it's in Portuguese (sorry guys!), but will still help you getting a better idea of it :-)

Azulejos - the panel at #10

2011-11-17T15:34:00.003Z

Just found another site on Lisbon ... and it's a good one, with nice articles, pictures, suggestions on what to do & see :-) It is called Lisbon Lux :-)

Among the interesting articles there is one on Alfama's tile panels, where I was happy to find listed the panel at the front of the building where the apartment is located, with the following reference:

"Walking back down the street you’ll find another example on number 12 of Rua de São Miguel. It dates from the second half of the 18th century, completely painted in blue and with a rococo frame. Once again it illustrates Our Lady of the Rosary with baby Jesus appearing to St. Dominic who’s accompanied by a dog at his feet. The panel was originally topped by a cross that no longer exists"

You can check the complete list clicking on the link HERE ... and maybe it inspires you at making your own list on your holidays :-)

Igreja and Convento dos Paulistas

2011-11-16T10:35:00.003Z

This is another flier collected from somewhere in the city, and sounds like another interesting thing to do :-)

The Paulistas Church & Convent dates from the 17th century (prior to the earthquake), and is one of the dozens of churches we pass by on the streets of Lisbon, without giving a guess about what they are hiding inside :-) It is located at Calcada do Combro 82, right outside Bairro Alto, and on the 28 tramline route.

The flier shows some of the dates for special guided tours, if you are in town on one of these days, perhaps you can give it a try :-)

You can also access more photos and information on the church in Lisbon's Tourism Office official webpage, clicking HERE.

Miguel Bombarda - a psychiatric hospital

2011-11-16T09:52:00.003Z

Open in 1848, Miguel Bombarda hospital was Portugal's first psychiatric hospital. The hospital occupied a large ground in the heart of the city, and once it's old buildings were no longer fit for patient care, they are now devoid and awaiting a new life.

Before this new life arrives (a major part of the hospital building will be demolished), the hospital's historic grounds are open to visitors. Aside the terrible personal experiences which must have taken place inside, there are "art brut" paintings & drawings displayed, there is also a display of medical and other objects related to the hospital. The buildings themselves are also unique, specially the bath houses, the office where Miguel Bombarda (a politician) was murdered, the round building where dangerous and aggressive patients were kept in reclusion (shown above, in the scan of the flier), which are open to visitors.

The hospital is well worth a visit, ask me for more details if you are interested in going there :-)

Jardim Botanico Tropical

2011-09-10T12:54:00.002+01:00

Lisbon's gardens are one of the city's well kept secrets. Some of them are obvious visiting spots, others are just easy to miss, even if right in front of our eyes. Jardim Botênico Tropical is one of these cases, it lies in the heart of Belem, behind the world famous Pasteis de Belem pastry shop. This is a beautiful garden, with more than 500 different species, many of them coming from the former Portuguese colonies. It is just great for an afternoon walk, or a rest from a hard walking day :-) Go and give it a try!

You can look up more photos & information HERE!

Alfama isn´t just fado, anymore!

2011-01-11T12:07:00.004Z

"i" is a reference daily newspaper, which published an interesting article some time ago, called "Alfama isn't just Fado anymore, 10 + 1 stops where to derrail" :-) What is suggested is that there is more than Fado in Alfama, and the article mentions some nice, trendy spots, urban, but well integrated with the district. Some of the places are the terraces at Portas do Sol, Santo António de Alfama and Supercalifragilistic restaurants, Cruzes Credo and Ferroviário bars. But of all places mentioned, my favourite is Bela, a super place with super atmosphere, and still a touch of ... Fado!

The article in Portuguese may be accessed HERE.

Price Update at Trams in Lisbon

2010-12-28T15:27:00.003Z

Here comes a new year, and together with it, new prices for the various and different goods & services. This is how it works at the beginning of each year in Portugal, and everywhere else, I guess :-)

Carris, the company running public bus services in the city, is announcing a raise of 70% in the price of tramline tickets (line 28 and elevators included ...), from 1,45 € to 2,50 €, which is a bit too much. The company says that this is to avoid tickets being purchased onboard, delaying the tram and jamming traffic, but it does sound more like a terrific revenue increase :-)

So, please, once in Lisboa, do get your rechargeable transportation cards (ask me when and where to get them!), as these prices will not change :-)

The full article with the new prices can be accessed through this link.

360º View over Alfama

2010-10-26T14:52:00.003+01:00

My friend Alex sent me this link to a 360º view over Alfama, from the terrace up at Portas do Sol ... obrigado Alex :-)

Click HERE for the link!

A Special Bus Tour

2010-09-01T12:48:00.004+01:00

Here is a suggestion for a different tour in the city :-) Carris, the bus operator, is organising tours in the city with some of their old bus models. Buses range from double-deckers still preserving their original structure and colours to even older ones, which operated in the city along the 1940s, 1950s, up to the 1980s. Tours take place on the 3rd Saturday of each month (except August) and seats must be booked in advance.

This really sounds like fun :-)

Praia das Maçãs - a nice beach in Sintra area

2010-08-27T10:23:00.004+01:00

One of the nice beaches in Lisbon is Praia das Maçãs, a beach close to Sintra. When guests at the apartment ask me for a beach where to go, I always inlude this beach in my suggestion list, not just because of the beach itself, but also of the way of getting there :-)

Streetcars more than 100 years old flow along secondary streets sided by beautiful vegetation. They cover the distance between Sintra and the beach (11km), making a nice, different experience out of it. From what I heard, the tram works from June 18th to October 31st, essencially on weekends. Tickets cost 2,00 €.

An exhibition at the Pantheon

2010-06-22T17:21:00.004+01:00

The National Pantheon, located at the grounds of the Feira da Ladra, is also known by it's original name, Igreja de Santa Engracia, Santa Engracia Chuch. This church took centuries to be completed, and in Portuguese, when something takes very long to be acomplished, we usually say that it is like "the works at Santa Engracia".

There is now an exhibition being held at the Pantheon, dedicated to the 400 years of church, which seems to have been under construction all this time :-) A visit to the church itself is worth it (quite a nice view from the terraces!), and the exhibition is also nice, showing how it has evolved.

Enjoy :-)

O Hospital das Bonecas - The Doll Hospital

2010-06-20T16:29:00.004+01:00

(imagesource: Timeout)

Baixa is a box of hidden treasures and secrets, you just have to look for them! If you are looking for out of the range shops, here is something for you, the Hospital das Bonecas, the Doll Hospital. It is located at Praca da Figueira 7 since 1830, it is a place you can take you old porcelain dolls or teddy bears to repair, or just make a visit, out of fun and curiosity :-)

The hospital has its own site, which you can access here :-)

A different school

2010-06-18T11:44:00.004+01:00

Located at Rua Costa do Castelo, 1 to 7, Chapito is more than a trendy spot with a fantastic terrace view over Baixa and the Tejo, it is a ... Circus School, or rather, a "school of performing arts" :-)

The terrace view & location are, of course, excellent reasons for visiting the spot, but besides that, do find out what is going on, as there are regular shows held by students taking place in the tent set on the premisses. Pay it a visit, you will get addicted :-)

Access Chapitos website with updated information here!

A TVE documentary on a paradise called Portugal :-)

2010-05-20T08:38:00.003+01:00

Portugal and Spain have fought long battles over centuries, and now, even with the EC, still have some problems in coming together :-) When one of the two country praises the other, it feels good to have a compliment from your next door neighbour...

TVE, the Spanish television broadcasting company has the documentary covering Portugals nice spots from North to South, we get a good idea of the beauty of our landscapes ... so much diversity in such a small corner :-) enjoy :-)

http://www.rtve.es/alacarta/la2/ultimos/index.html#659940

A tornado outside Alfama

2010-04-15T07:24:00.003+01:00

This is a picture of yesterday's tornado, taken from Alfama ... impressive!

Guided Tours at Museu do Fado

2010-04-06T17:26:00.004+01:00

Museu do Fado, located at Largo do Chafariz de Dentro, one of the main entrances into Alfama, is organizing special guided tours, where hosts are renowned Fado singers who accompany visitors along the tours. The museum itself is worth a visit (not just for being Alfama's reference museum), but the presence of these singers there is an extra reason for going. These special visits take place on Saturdays and Sundays, at 16:30, and places are reserved. The flyer I show above has the programme for upto May, and it can be read more in detail at the museum's website, which can be accessed here!

Benedict XVI in Lisboa

2010-03-23T14:43:00.009Z

Guests coming to the apartment in May will have a big surprise, Pope Benedict XVI, formerly Cardinal Raztinger, will be holding a mass at Praca do Comercio on the 11th. For those who are Catholic, this will be a great opportunity to attend a mass celebrated by the Pope so close home. For those who are not, or pay little attention to such matters, there will be an opportunity to watch the crowd, which is expected to reach large thousands.

On his visit to Portugal, the Pope will also be attending Fatima, a Portuguese pilgrimage center known and worshipped all over the world, where the Holy Lady appeared in 1917. Fatima is only around 125 km away from Lisboa, and getting there is easy. Busses leave every hour from Sete Rios, and bus timetables can be accessed here.

Lisbon before 1755's earthquake

2010-01-09T11:06:00.002Z

I came accross a site dedicated to Lisbon before 1755's earthquake on the net, it aims to digitally recreate what the city was then, and has some interesting articles and studies on the history of the city. The project is presented as

"Using written documentation and iconography found in archives and national museums, we propose to reconstitute the city, including not only the urban design but also the architectonic fabric of the whole and the interiors of the most noteworthy buildings, such as the Royal Palace in Terreiro do Paço, the Patriarchal See, the Opera House, the Corpus Cristi Convent and the All Saints Hospital. This re-creation will include an audio component that provides the background noise of city-dwellers, as well as performances of the opera and other noteworthy events of Lisbon of the time. It will be complemented by small texts giving the historical context. It thus strives to recreate the spatial, architectural, social and cultural dimensions of Lisbon in the early 18th century."

and can accessed through this link.

Thank you, Sabine!

2009-12-10T14:13:00.002Z

Sabine stayed at the apartment in October, and she left me such a nice review on Fewo, where I have an ad posted. One of the good things of running the apartment is that we meet so many and such nice people :-)

The picture above was also taken by her.

Thank you Sabine :-)

"Nicht nur das Appartment mit seinen liebevollen Details und seiner gemütilchen Lage verzaubert den Gast, auch der Vermieter nimmt seine Rolle als Gastgeber sehr ernst. So bietet er dem Reisenden ein wunderschönes zu hause und heißt uns mit all seinem Wissen über Lissabon, das er gerne bereit ist zu teilen, herzlich Willkommen. Lissabon ist eine wunderschöne, romantische Stadt, dessen Character in dem Appartment in Alfama wunderbar wiedergegeben wird. Nicht nur die traditionellen portugisischen Möbel und Bilder bringen uns Portugal ein wenig näher, auch die Liebe und die Wärme mit der die Wohnung eingerichtet worden ist, lässt uns von der ersten Minute an fast wie zu hause fühlen. Ob man alleine oder zu zweit reist, das Appartment im Zusammenhang mit Lissabon ist ein Muss um den eingentlich Character der Stadt kennenlernen zu können. Kein Hotel wird diese Eindrücke je vergleichsweise wiedergeben können. Ich fühlte mich absolut sicher und hervorrangend betreut von dem Vermieter, dessen freundliche, herzliche und zuvorkommende Art meinen Trip um Einiges verschönert hat. Lissabon ist meine bislang eindrucksvollste Reise gewesen und ich würde mich jeder Zeit wieder für die Reise in dieser Form mit dem Appartment in Alfama entscheiden. Vielen Dank für eine unvergessliche Zeit! "

Quinta da Regaleira

2009-12-07T10:53:00.004Z

In the old heart of Sintra lies the fantastic Quinta da Regaleira, a rich man's folly from the turn of the 20th century. The man was believed to be a mason, and the house and it's grounds are full of mason and templar symbols, making it a very esotheric place. My favourite item at the Quinta is the initiatic well, shown in the picture, where each of the underground floors represented one level in the hierarchy of the secret society, climbing in the direction of day light, representing enlightment. It is quite a special thing, which I highly recommend.

Quinta da Regaleira is only 5 - 10 min walking from Sintra trainstation, and has a website which can be accessed here.

Lisboa a Pé - Lisbon on Foot

2009-11-19T16:37:00.004Z

Last week's TimeOut Lisboa published a sequence of suggested walking routes in an issue made "for keeping" (uma revista para guardar). Once again, the routes are not new, but the attitude in the writing, the photos, and descriptions establish the difference in a cool way :-)

There are suggested routes for Alfama (of course!), Principe Real, Baixa-Chiado, Bairro Alto, Campo de Ourique, Graça, Santos, Cascais, Oeiras and Sintra, which take between one and two hours.

Of course the magazine is in Portuguese, but I keep it for consultation at the apartment anyway :-)

Alfama in 360º views

2009-11-17T10:49:00.004Z

www.360cities.net is a website which publishes images of various cities in a very special way, allowing us different perspectives through 360º rotations. There are some rotation views of Alfama, try them out at this link .

Views include narrow alleys, the old 28 tram line, small Alfama squares, panoramic views, old street shops. It will help you getting a different idea of what expects you on your trip, or remembering what you have already seen. Alfama is really the ideal place where to stay visiting the city, at old Lisboa's heart :-)

At 360cities.net you may even find views of other spaces familiar to you. Enjoy! :-)

One-day trips outside Lisbon

2009-11-09T09:30:00.005Z

Many guests staying at the apartment ask for alternatives outside Lisbon, trying to know a bit more of the country. I usually try to understand people's interests first, and then make some suggestions, also taking into account the time of the travel - one day trips of 8 hours sitting in a bus is not to recommend as fun :-)

The area of Portalegre, with beautiful villages of Marvão (in the picture) and Castelo de Vide is a must, although it is better to get there by car. This is subject to an article in the travel section of the New York Times, called "Alto Alentejo, Unsung But Not For Long", which you can access here.

Here are is an extract of the article, just to arise your interest :-)

"There is no shortage of historic sites in Alto Alentejo and one of the most beautiful is Marvão, a walled town that sits on a narrow spit of rock overlooking the rugged plains that reach across into Spain. Marvão is home to perfectly restored, whitewashed houses and a castle built in the ninth century as a Moorish fortification by Ibn Marwan. "

Lisbon Walker

2009-11-06T11:04:00.003Z

I usually say that walking is the best way to get to know the city, and I am obviously not the only one :-)

Lisbon Walker organizes several walking tours, subject to different themes, such as "Oldtown", "Downtown", "Legends and Mysteries". By reading their website, it all sounds very interesting. I suggest you visit their website and look into detail to the planned walking tours ... if you are already in Alfama, you can contact my neighbour from the 1st floor, she is one of the guides, and can certainly help you.

Access their website here for more information.

Secret gardens

2009-10-08T16:53:00.003+01:00

Lisbon is not particularly known for having many trees and green areas, but there are some nice parks where to have a decent walk, in the city. Some of these parks deserve better attention & care, and also more visitors, due to their individual singularities, such as location, design, existing species.

My favourite "less known" parks in Lisbon range from the palace of Necessidades to the Ajuda palace botanical gardens, the Botanical and Tropical garden in Belem to the garden at the top of Torel lift. My favourite of all, however, is the garden located at the old Faculty of Sciences, in Principe Real area, located at Rua da Escola Politecnica 58. Give it a try, it is quite special, unexpected beauty in the heart of the city :-)

Palacio de Queluz

2009-08-27T12:11:00.003+01:00

Queluz national palace is known to be the “Portuguese Versailles”, due to the French influence of this 18th century building. Initially built as a weekend resort, and due to its closeness to Lisboa, the palace was regularly used by the royal family, which accounts for the richness in its decoration and the quality of the objects displayed there.

Nowadays only half of the premises are open to public (the other half is reserved for the services of the Republic, such as the reception and accommodation of foreign dignitaries, for instance), but a visit to the part open to public and its gardens is well worth it.

Getting there is not too complicated, just take the train heading to Sintra at Rossio, getting off at Queluz / Belas stop. The palace is not far from the train station, just 10 / 15 min walking, and the way to the palace is perfectly signed.

Lisbon by Bike

2009-08-13T09:20:00.003+01:00

The other day, on one of my walks around Baixa, I found this bike rental shop, and thought this could be something nice for guests at the apartment. Down at the river, from Santa Apolónia train station to Torre de Belem, there are some bike trails, great for exercising and relaxing, and a bike ride could also be a an alternative way of enjoying the riverfront. Sunday mornings are usually the best time for outside exercise, this is at least when there is less traffic, and lisbonians bring out their cycling apparel :-)

Besides of biking along the river, there are other possibilities, such as the Expo area or even the way from Cascais to the fantastic Guincho beach, where bikes would have to be transported halfway by train.

Enjoy the ride :-)

A Fairytale Castle

2009-07-30T09:25:00.006+01:00

Sintra is a town located 20 kms outside Lisbon, it is the place where the Portuguese royal family had its Summer residence. The town is a Unesco World Heritage site, on account with it's 19th century Romantic architecture houses. The attractions there include the Village, Pena and Monserat palaces, the moorish castle, Quinta da Regaleira (also a must!), the mountain range itself, which is a beautiful park, great for long walks.

Palácio da Pena, in the photo, is great! It is an 18 th century building, located up in the mountains above Sintra, which draws our attention due to its chromatic and architecture variety, much to the taste of Romanticism. The walk uphill itself is also nice, worth the effort, although there is bus 434 connecting the train station to the mountain palace, tickets cost 2,00 euros. Perhaps you would like to reserve your energies for walking the way down :-)

On your holidays in Lisbon, try to reserve a day for Sintra. Getting there is easy, there are direct trains leaving from Rossio train station, you just need to travel the whole way from the first to the last stop. Sintra's train station is centrally located, close to the old town center, walking from there to the main attractions is easy. The train trip takes around 40 minutes, there are trains leaving every 20 minutes. Each way ticket costs 1,70 euros.

Just another hint ... in the old town look for "Periquita" a famous pastry shop, and ask for "travesseiros", Portugal's second favourite sweet, after the "pasteis de nata"!

A Nice Shop

2009-07-09T14:23:00.004+01:00

One of the many books I have on Lisbon and on Baixa is called "Old Lisbon Shops", which is a reference book on old shops in the city center (I bought it second hand the other day for 5 euros :-) ). One of the shops mentioned there, and which I have meant to write about for some time, is Perfumaria Alceste, and old time perfumer.

The reason I like it is not because it is simply old, but because perfumes are made and combined there, we can have one tailored to ourselves! It is quite an experience to go through so many different scents, trying to figure out what combines best with what, and for what time of the year ... of course the lady working there knows of the business and makes her (good) suggestions.

Perfumes are sold in containers of various sizes, prices range from few euros up, which makes them much cheaper than brand products sold throughout the world. Make Perfumaria Alceste a visit, it is worth it! Who knows you find there presents for the whole family :-)

Just another thing ... the book I have still locates the shop at Rua da Prata 173, but it is now located at Rua da Conçeição 185, the street crossing Baixa with tramline 28.

Another Nice Terrace View Over the Tagus

2009-07-06T09:23:00.003+01:00

Right above Baixa, on the slope of Castelo hill, there is a fruit market called "Mercado do Chão do Loureiro". The top of the terrace was open to public, and 3 or 4 years ago someone had the brilliant idea of openning a bar there. I call it "brilliant", because even if it looks so obvious now, the spot was there, unused for years, even with so much potential.

Anyway, there are now rows of lounge chairs installed along the terrace rails, overlooking the city ... it is the perfect spot where to relax at the end of a hard walking day, watching the city, the river, the sun going down behind the city hills. Try not to miss it, it gets you addicted. :-)

There is a blog with more (nice) pictures of the terrace, which can be accessed here. Google Maps also has a link to it, which you can access here.

Brunch!

2009-06-08T17:40:00.004+01:00

" i " is a new Portuguese Newspaper with a cool style of writing, which has been gaining me as a regular reader. I was reading through it's online edition, when I spotted an article on places where to have a decent brunch (mid term meal between breakfast and lunch) in Lisbon, and in Porto.

The list includes "Pois Café", one of Alfama's trendy spots, which is introduced the following way: "read the day's papers sitting on an austrian couch, in a place where you can find scrambled eggs, salads and chesse & ham plates", prices are refered to range from 5,50 to 11 euros.

The suggestion which made my mouth water was "Estrela da Bica", at Bica, described as "the true English brunch, with orange juice, coffee or tea, eggs with sausage, bacon, tomatoes and mushrooms" :-) now, tell me this doen't open up your apetite :-) medium prices range around 6,70 euros.

The article with the complete references can be found here.

A New Praça do Comércio

2009-06-02T16:05:00.003+01:00

This is a picture of the approved (?) project for the new Praça do Comércio. As recent visitors to the city certainly know, the area down there is a giant building site, a reinforcement of the structure of one of the towers is taking place, at the same time sewage pipes are being deviated from the river. Both works are supposed to be concluded this month of June.

What now comes to light are more news of more building (will it ever end? ...), this time the redesign of the square. Of course it's structure is to be maintained, what changes is the traffic restricted areas - there will be only one traffic lane on each side, supposedly releasing more room for pedestrians.

Having no clue of what the semi-closedown will mean to traffic in the city center, I subscribe other critics I have read to the project: it is a pitty the opportunity is not used to plant some trees around the square, and that portuguese cobblestone pavement is not introduced to it. In fact, when Summer comes, standing out there in the sun in impossible, and cobblestone-paved sidewalks are so much nicer!

Titanic Artifacts

2009-06-01T11:00:00.005+01:00

There is an exhibition being held at the top floor of Rossio's train station called "Titanic, The Artifact Exhibition". As the name of the exhibition clearly suggests, it is dedicated to the great Titanic, and objects rescued from the sunken cruise liner are at display. My first reaction was "I want to see that!".

Looking closer into it, the artifacts displayed are quite a few, of a various nature, there is even a real size reproduction of what were passenger compartments on the ship. There are also clothes and other personal belongings of passengers, items from the ships apparell, and from the ship itself.

But then comes what makes me hesitate in going to see the exhibition: tickets cost 14,50 euros on weekends and 12,50 euros on weekdays. It is a bit expensive, yes! Specially considering normal prices of museum tickets, in Portugal :-(

Anyway, the exhibition will be on for some months, there is time for me to decide whether to go there, or not. In the meantime, I can always watch the films available at the exhibition web site, which you can access here. :-)

A Day Out

2009-05-28T11:55:00.004+01:00

For guests who stay a bit longer at the apartment, and who ask me about other things to see besides Lisbon, I usually recommend one day out in Porto, or "Oporto", as said in English. Porto is Portugal's second largest city, known among us as the "capital do Norte", and is the home of the famous Port wine. The city itself is quite different from Lisboa, as the the Tejo and the Douro are different, too. While Lisbon spreads lazily out along the Tejo, Porto is a clutch of houses perched over the Douro. While Lisbon is bright and shiny, Porto is dark, cold (try ot out in Winter! :-) ). Both cities have their own kind of unique beauty.

Looking it up in the map, the 320 kms separating both cities seem quite a distance, but in reality are not. The Alfa trains cover the distance in just under three hours, and leave regularly from Santa Apolónia station, just 10 minutes walking from home. Catching the 8:00 train, for instance, would put you there before 11:00, but trains start leaving at 6:00, plenty to choose from.

Prices range from 19,50 euros (for Intercidades trains, trips taking 15 min more) to 27,50 euros (for Alfa trains), each way. Prices and timetables can be checked at CP, the Portuguese train company, access it's website here. For some suggestions on what to do and see, ask me, I have my own routines up there, and quite enjoy the city :-)

One of the nicest views over the Tejo

2009-05-07T10:54:00.005+01:00

( Image credits ACISJF's blog at Blogspot)

I have been meaning to write about ACISJF's self-service restaurant in Chiado for a while, but it was hard to find a picture with the view! Now that I found one, here it goes :-)

ACISJF is a Christian organisation, which runs a self service restaurant (it is more like a canteen, actually), as a way of extra source of income. It is located on the last floors of a building in Chiado, and the view of the terrace over the river it is fantastic! We can sit outside, enjoying the view and the river, quietly chatting and watching the birds skipping from table to table, looking for an easy meal of lost crumbs.

ACISJF's canteen is only open for lunch, only during week days, and is located at Travessa do Ferragial, 1 (just enter the open door and take the stairs going up to the last floors).

A Baiuca - A restaurant almost right next door

2009-04-27T22:10:00.014+01:00

Image source NYTimes

When Guests ask me about Fado places, I usually recommend Fado Vadio restaurants, places where the atmosphere and the singers are slightly different from the reference places mentioned in all guides & magazines. Not that they are a lot better or much worse ... they are simply different, a bit more laid-back, informal, less done-up.

A Baiuca is located at Rua de São Miguel, and is a place where you can listen to Fado Vadio in Alfama. While searching the net, I found the following reference to it in a post called "eating and drinking in Lisbon" which I link here, and find quite nice, as it is written under a foreigners point of view:

A Bauica: In the heart of the Alfama the oldest surviving neighborhood in Lisbon. Delicious food, great service. Décor was fun and eclectic – a fado shawl here and there, shelves with music-related bric a brac everywhere. My grilled dorado was outstanding, fresh and just a little bit charred from the grill. Throw on the sea salt, olive oil and lemon, and voila, a filling and delicious lunch. Jon and Ray both tried the restaurant’s bacalhao a bras (photo above), which is a Portuguese comfort food dish much like a hash, and even though I can’t get excited by the ubiquitous salted cod, it’s not bad when mixed in with onions, eggs and potatoes. All the main courses here were generous and less than 10 euros, so for a simple, good lunch in the Alfama, it’d be tough to beat A Bauica.

A Baiuca is located at Rua de São Miguel 20.

Ein Deutscher Reiseführer

2009-04-25T08:05:00.014+01:00

Ich habe diesen Reiseführer vom 1982 über Ebay gekauft, wo ich immer alte Bücher und Ansichtskarten von Lissabon suche. Die Erklärungen sind sehr gut, die alte Bilder so schön :-) Im Buch wird es viel von Alfama erzählt, der folgender Teil, eine art Zusammenfassung von das, was Alfama ist, ist besonders gut, kurz und knapp geschrieben:

"Der zweite Weg: Gassen, die sich umarmen

Wo fängt die Alfama an, wo hört sie auf? Man kann es nicht sagen, immer waren die Grenzen fliessend, immer war sie ein Stadtteil zwischen Flussufer und Kastell, schon im gotischer Zeit, schon im maurischer Zeit, auch nachdem sie den christlichen Glauben annahm.

Von der Alfama geht ein Zwang aus, sie in bequemen flachen Schuhen zu entdecken, im wahrsten Sinne des Wortes "entdecken", denn die Stadtplänne reichen alle nicht aus. Sie wissen nichts von schlüpfrigen steilen Wegen, von holprigen Pflastersteinen, von ausgepuckten Melonenkernen, von Holzkohlenöfen in den einmannbreiten Gassen. Man kann die Treppen und Treppchen, die Winkel und Balustraden, die Mauerreste und die Mauerlücken ganz einfach nicht restlos erfassen und kartographieren.

In den labyrinthischen Gassen, die sich kreutzen, schlängeln, umarmen, verflechten, in der eine der anderen ähnelt und doch keine der anderen gleich, verirrt sich jeder. Aber das Verirren wiegt nicht schwer. Unten ist immer der Tejo. Oben ist das Kastell.

Der hier vorgeschlagener Alfama-Bummel soll nur eine Leitlinie sein. Geheimnisvolle Wege gehören zum Ambiente der "Lisboa Oriental". Ich will sie nicht davon abhalten."

Klingt schön, nicht?

One of Praca do Comercio's Historical Marks

2009-04-20T09:45:00.003+01:00

This is a photo coming from Life magazine, whose collection of photography has been recently open to public. It shows an article on the murder of Carlos Fernando Luís Maria Victor Miguel Rafael Gabriel Gonzaga Xavier Francisco de Assis José Simão de Bragança Sabóia Bourbon e Saxe-Coburgo-Gota, more know as D Carlos I, the second last king of Portugal. The king was murdered together with his oldest son on February 1st 1908, his younger son succeeded as a ruling King for a short period, and the republic was established on October 5th 1910.

The picture shows the place of the murder, at the corner of Praca do Comercio with Rua do Arsenal, where today is a shield remembering the tragedy.

An alternative way to know Sintra

2009-04-15T09:22:00.004+01:00

Attention please! This is a post reserved for people who are not yet tired of walking up and downhill in Lisboa! :-)

Most guests staying at the apartment reserve one day to spend in Sintra (Sintra was where the Portuguese royals kept their weekend homes, besides of the village and the palaces, there is a beautiful forest. Getting there is easy, trains are caught at Rossio). For those who enjoy walking, there are groups who organise pedestrian tours, some of them free, where we can enjoy Portuguese nature and get a breath of fresh air. ICN (nature conservation institute) organises walking of various lenghts (some of 10 km, taking up to 4 or 6 hours), SAL, another group which organises walking tours in different pleaces, also makes some very interesting suggestions.

If you are interested in doing such a thing, bring proper walking shoes, and let me know in advance, so that I can try to find out schedules and programs!

Narrow alleys

2009-04-02T11:20:00.005+01:00

One of the images visitors retain from Alfama are the narrow alleys, houses piled up against each other. From afar, or just from the terrace at Portas do Sol Alfama already looks packed enough ... by walking through it we get a better idea of the resemblance to a moorish kashbach.

This is an old picture taken at Beco do Carneiro, on the way from São Miguel to Santo Estevão, where two buildings were literally sustaining each other. Once there, the alley is so narrow that we open our arms and touch both buildings. Once in Alfama, come and look for it :-)

For French speakers

2009-03-23T09:39:00.003Z

Now and then I find some of these special magazine issues dedicated to Portugal, which are so good. They are well written, have such nice photos, make us feel proud of the country we live in!

This Destination magazin, presented as "le magazine du voyage avant le voyage" (the travel magazine for before the travelling) covers Portugal from North to South, and still has some nice articles on general culture issues - the article on "azulejos" is particularly nice, the photos amazing, once again :-)

On page 35 Alfama is described as "avec ses escaliers et ses venelles serpentant au-dessus du Tage, le plus vieux quartier de Lisbonne est aussi le plus simple et le plus charleureux", which roughly translated means more or less "with it's stairs and alleys which go twisting over the Tejo, Lisbon's oldest quarter is at the same time the one with more simplicity and more warmness" - so true!

Another postcard

2009-03-18T10:03:00.004Z

This is another postcard I have in my "Alfama case", where I keep and collect material and information on Alfama. It is an aerial view of São Miguel, with the church in the middle, the eternal palm tree to be seen in front of it. I was trying to locate the apartment, and think I am pointing out the right building :-)

We can see how thick-packed Alfama is, how difficult it is to guess how and where streets come and go ... from the air it looks like a village within the city.

A different postcard

2009-03-16T09:31:00.007Z

The other day I bought this postcard on a Sunday morning at the collectors market, with a nice text on Alfama on the back. Who ever did it, did a good job :-)

The original text is written in French, and here is a rough translation of it:

"Of all Lisbon's quarters, Alfama is the only one which preserves it's typical, old atmosphere. It was built under the occupation of the moors, although it already existed at the time of the visigoths. It's name derives from "al-hama", "fountain", in arab. During the roman occupation Alfama's thermal waters were already well known, King John III's fountain, composed by 6 fountainheads, was one of the most visited. Only the "Fonte das Ratas", the "Rats Fountain", survived to our days, but is now closed, due to water pollution. During the 12th century Alfama was occupied by the soldiers who helped King Afonso Henriques in the conquering of the city to the moors. During the 16th century Alfama was inhabited by Jewish families in the section along Rua da Judiaria, Rua da Conceição, etc. Around the 17th century noble families arrive to the quarter, they will be responsible for the building of their private premisses. This was when palaces of Sousa Coutinho family, of the Counts of Arcos, of the Counts of Azurara, later transformed into the Museum of Decorative Arts, were built. From the architectural point of view, we can still see the following moorish characteristics: all streets are so much alike, and compose a labirynth among themselves, they are crooked and steep streets, composed by steps and archways, sometimes just leading to dead ends. There are some places where parts of the old moorish walls can still be seen, like at Portas do Sol, or Rua São Pedro, the same for the old castle walls built by king D Fernando I, in the 14th century. Alfama also has several churches, like Santo Estevão, São Miguel, Santo António, etc, all of them were built after the terrible earthquake of 1755."

What a detailed description!

More of Alfama in Photography

2009-03-12T10:24:00.014Z

Alfama is really unique, full of atmosphere and intimate corners and alleys, resembling old Lisbon. This makes the city quarter quite "photogenic", so attractive, a small haven for photography lovers.

As usual, I was surfing the net the other day, and found the web site of Santo Estevão Parish, which at the moment exhibits photographs taken by students of the Instituto Português de Fotografia. The photo from the exhibition poster was taken at Arco do Rosário, a passage leading to the apartment, coming from Rua do Terreiro do Trigo.

Besides the exhibition itself, try accessing the webpage (link supplied above), and look for "banco de imagens" (image database, not translated into English) on the left ... nice photos from Alfama there!

Historical Maps

2009-03-09T15:46:00.013Z

ATL - Lisbon's Tourism Board, has defined in it's website Travel Planner section 7 historical maps, to discover and follow throughout the city. These maps suggest pinned visiting items, which help to determine and better undertsand the historic and urban evolution of Lisbon.

The mapped items are subject to the following themes:

The Dutch Tile
The Facade Tile
Trams and Elevators
Flandres in 15 and 16th Century Lisbon
Gardens and Botanical Heritage
Rome in 18th Century Lisbon
The Felipes in Lisbon (a royal Dinasty, when Portugal and Spain were ruled by common kings, between 1580 and 1640)

Baixa seen from the sky

2009-03-04T10:07:00.006Z

I was doing some research for a post I have in mind, and found this aerial picture of Baixa, soooooo nice, where we clearly see how it was planned and built. The clean cut blocks separating Rossio from Praca do Comercio, small Praca da Figueira next to Rossio ... everything on the side looks immediately different, doesn't it. Statues apear as small dots ... nice again!

A Nice Museum

2009-02-26T12:11:00.004Z

Casa Museu Dr Anastacio Goncalves houses the private collection of the man who gives name to it, and is also known as "Casa Malhoa", once it belonged and was actually built for the portuguese painter. This is a small museum working in a well preserved turn of the century house, located at the entrance of Saldanha, in Picoas area.

The pieces displayed are, of course, great quality ones, but what is also nice about this museum is the building itself, with many art noveau details (the butterfly main gate is hard to see in the picture), which also shows what was the normal day life and ambience of rich bourgeois people.

Traffic cuts for the next 4 months :-(

2009-02-18T16:04:00.003Z

As I have written before in a previous post, Praça do Comércio will be closed to traffic for four months, due to some main and urgent works taking place there. For visitors, and up to June, access to the statue is restricted ... no more sun bathing of short rests, sitting at it's base, walking in the square will have to be made around the building site, amidst noise and dust. For drivers, difficult times are to come, and the city hall has been very active, trying to make divers select different routes.

Up to now, and contrariwise to what was expected, traffic for people living in the city center has never been better!

Igreja de São Domingos

2009-02-08T16:13:00.007Z

(Image credits MiguelVF at Flickr)

Located in the heart of Baixa, right beside Rossio, São Domingos church is so special. What makes me love it is not just it's history (this was where the Holy Office of the Inquisition was based at, in Lisbon), it's location, but the way it looks. Originally from the 13th century, it was also destroyed and rebuilt after the earthquake. Not enough, it burnt in a fire in 1954, and after that the church was never completely restored. For years it resembled the aftermath of the fire, in a recent restoration, the burnt stonework and altars were kept the way they were, the ceiling was redone, the church painted in a colour that does not spoil the atmosphere. Going into the church is like visiting a forbidden, underground place, a bit like a church working in a wartime atmosphere, where the aura of destruction so much opposes to the usual golden and bright magnificence of churches. Give it a try, it is really special!

Coffee Shops in Lisboa

2009-01-22T11:22:00.005Z

Diario de Noticias, once again, one of Portugal's reference newspapers, published some years ago booklets comparing places of Lisbon and Oporto, our two main cities. The one I have in my hands was dedicated to "cafés", coffee shops.

Traditionally places of culture, coffe shops were more than places where to have a coffee, it was there that people would meet, sit, talk, they were important references in people's lives. Downtown Lisbon has the older, best known references: Martinho da Arcada (under the archways of Praca do Comercio), Nicola and Suica (at Rossio), super famous Brasileira (in Chiado). More recent examples are Versailles (at Avenida da Republica), Grafina, Vavá, Mexicana, Império. Among these last mentioned ones, Versailles is well worth a visit, for the decoration and delicious cakes :-)

An old Alfama booklet

2009-01-13T15:53:00.007Z

The other day I bought this 14 page booklet on Alfama, in a second hand bookstore, which in Portuguese are called "alfarrabistas". I love these shops because of the sort of thing we can find, not to mention the process of searching for them itself. The booklet is not dated, but from the pictures it seems to be from the late 70s / 80s.

The first image is from the cover, where Rua de Miguel is honoured to be present. I am not quite sure, still have to go and find out, but it seems to have been taken by coming from the other side of the church, into the square.

The second photo is taken from the square, into "our" side of street ... and hellas, there it is, number 10 to be seen through the narrow alley. Not easy to tell on which side the laundry is hanging, but the picture was certainly taken before the whole builiding was restored.

It is nice to find these old images of the apartment!

Lisbon is like Venice

2009-01-09T14:10:00.006Z

A great part of Baixa lies on unstable terrain and is sustained by wood pillars, which have survived centuries under water. This is turning out to be a problem, since with all the works involving underground digging, there are deviations to underground water flows. The pillars which were totally submersed in water, are starting to be in contact with air, accounting for their rotting process, and the loosening of the ground. In fact, "simple" things like the building of underground parking, of new building structures, and of the subway system are interfering with soil stability.

Diario de Noticias publishes this article on the subject, referring that one tower from Terreiro do Paço is already 1,4 m lower than the other one. This difference interferes with stability of the buildings, making them less resistent to earthquakes, for instance. During the digging for the subway there was constant monitorizing of the towers, and it was found that one sunk 18 mm in the last 6 years.

The works now being done on the sewage system will also be used as an opportunity to sustain the terrain under our beautiful square.

Museu de Sao Roque

2009-01-05T16:50:00.004Z

In the 18th century, Portugal lived through big political and social turmoil, after the earthquake. It was then that religious orders were expelled and persecuted, deprived of their riches and patrimony. São Roque was a Jesuit church, and was then handed over to Santa Casa da Misericórdia de Lisboa, an association which manages lottery games in Portugal, and whose aim is to help the poor.

One of the richest associations in Portugal, Santa Casa has been very successful in keeping and managing it's patrimony. The most important pieces are at display at the São Roque Museum, beside the beautiful São Roque church, right outside Bairro Alto. The museum finally opened, after long months of works, and is now so much nicer than before. The largest relicar collection in Portugal is exhibited there, besides of other great pieces of religious art (many coming from the Jesuits, other from the church - the pieces from the São João Baptista chapel are just stunning!), and a visit to the museum is well worth it!

Cais das Colunas

2008-12-16T09:17:00.003Z

Cais das Colunas, the Column Dock, is a symbol for Praca do Comercio, which has been hidden away for years, due to the subway works. Before we could go down the steps leading into the river, just sit there or on the stone benches existing on the side, there was a much closer connection to the river. Then came the subway, all things done wrong (the tunnel under the river had to be dug twice), the dock structure was dismantled and it's location secluded.

Now that the subway works are finished, come the next works, this time the repair of main and essential sewage pipes. Access to the dock, which was opened this week, will be closed again after New Years Eve, two thirds of Praca do Comercio will be shut down to public, there will be traffic restrictions, once again.

Sad and silly ... I am sure there must (or should) be a reason for not having done both things at the same time.

Sigh ....

Accurate time at Cais do Sodré

2008-12-11T10:03:00.003Z

For generations, lisbonians have adjusted their watches to the clock at Cais do Sodré, a square next to Praça do Comércio, where trains leave to Cascais, and ferries to the south bank of the Tejo. Before there were bridges crossing the river, this area was even busier than today, with vessels of various kinds arriving all the time, and people going to and fro. In the beginning of the XX century there were over 30 hotels and pensions and many businesses related to maritime activities located in the area, aiming to serve the many travellers.

This clock, existing at the corner of the square since 1914, was set there to determine the "legal time", as a result of Portugal having adopted Greenwich time in 1912. It has always been a symbol for Cais do Sodré, and was recently restored, which that is why it is again news :-)

Associação Bacalhoeiro

2008-12-09T11:41:00.002Z

Quite close to Alfama, and right next to Campo das Cebolas, at Rua dos Bacalhoeiros 125, lies Bacalhoeiro, a lively cultural association. The association is located on the second floor of one of those solid buildings of Baixa, where the atmosphere is quite relaxed, furnishing is unique, made of second hand items, of mixed styles, colours and condition. In their blog there is always the schedule for the current month, and activities include music, theatre, poetry, film projection. Vegetarian food is also served there. The atmosphere is great, and I do recommend a visit for people who like alternative lifestyles, and like to go a bit beyond the obvious suggestions made by tourist guides for people visiting Lisboa.

Igreja de São Julião

2008-12-03T12:30:00.008Z

Image tributes to Dias dos Reis

Igreja de São Julião - São Julião Church, is located in Baixa, right next to the old city hall. People are astonished, when they find out the church is not quite a "church", but a parking lot ... this is unfortunately true, no matter how silly and strange it may sound.

According to RevelarLX, another web page sponsered by the city hall, this church, originally from the 13th century, was rebuilt after the earthquake, keeping it's name and location (as the other churches in Baixa). A fire destroyed it in 1816, and it was once again rebuilt between 1824 and 1854. It worked as a church untill 1934, time when it was bought by the Bank of Portugal, who still uses it as a parking lot, although it has been approved as the future location of the bank's museum.

Chiado

2008-12-03T11:53:00.006Z

Chiado was named after a bartender who once owned a tavern in the vincinities. There was also a poet-priest with the same nickname, he is the man sitting in the statue in front of Brasileira.

This was one of the entrances to the old walled city, and traditionally an exclusive area within it, where noble houses, convents and important churches were located. Today's Chiado is a result of the rebuilding resulting from 1755s earthquake (most buildings are from the 18th and 19th centuries), and 1988s fire, and is still known as the city's exclusive center, not just for shops and commerce, but also for culture and religion. This is where the operahouse (Sao Carlos, where the picture from the leaflet was taken), theaters, important churches (Mártires, Loreto, Encarnação, Sacramento) are located, still existing among solid walled buildings, giving it such a special atmosphere.

Portuguese Wikipedia has an abbreviated history of Chiado, and some nice pictures. Access the webpage here.

Autumn Rain

2008-12-02T11:07:00.002Z

Lisbon is not quite like other european cities, but we still have our cold, rainy days! This weekend was terrible, so much rain! Albeit the unavoidable disturbance, people are happy, as rain was much needed, and we were missing these Autumn days ... above is a photo of Terreiro do Paco on Saturday :-)

Patronage in Chiado Churches

2008-11-27T12:05:00.007Z

Lisbon is not quite like Rome, but there are certainly many churches in the city, sign of old times, when being catholic actually meant going regularly to church. Like all catholic countries, Portugal is facing a situation where Church is not what it used to be, and with less priests and people attending mass, there are many churches closed, and some in need of repair.

The situation is not just of a religious nature, as there is more to churches than just praying. There is the cultural and patrimonial side of the question, the artistic one as well. Each church building encloses its own works of art, which is not easy to maintain.

With less people bringing in money, the Church alone does not have the capacity to maintain such a vast patrimony. Above I show a scan of a leaflet I picked somewhere, where patronage is wanted for Igreja do Sacramento, in Chiado. The existing church was rebuilt after 1755 earthquake, it is known for being the only church in Lisbon facing West, and the list of necessary repair is a large one. As examples of ways people can help:

floor renovation at 15,00 per sqm
cleaning of cut stone at 1.030,00 each
ceiling restauration at 650,00 per sqm
cleaning of each of 17 Pedro Alexandrino paintings 8.000,00
restauring of holy images 500,00 each

And the list goes on ...

Anyone interested in finding out more about the project, please contact bas.martires@mail.telepac.pt.

Palacio Foz

2008-11-11T12:34:00.005Z

Palácio Foz - Foz Palace - is one of the great surviving palaces in the city, and is located right in the city center, at Praca dos Restauradores. The palace now works as a base for cultural activities (the main tourist board offices and the central museum shop facilities are also located there), but has a long history behind it.

Built between the XVIII and the XIX centuries, it was home of counts, marquis and other noblemen, stage of intense social life with its richly decorated interiors. With the uprise of hard-working tradesmen, and decline of hard-spending nobility, the late Marquês da Foz was forced to literally sell-out all the furnishings of the palace in 1901, in a much attended auction. According to the records of the time, only the walls were not for sale.

The palace itself was then mortgaged, and finally sold in 1910 to a rich tradesman immigrated in Brasil. Up to 1939, time when the State finally took over it, the palace sadly worked as working grounds for people of various origins and professions, who rented space there. In 1944 large restoration started taking course, which produced what we see today.

The story of the palace, and images of the inside and of what it is today are available here.

Pasteis de Nata - Portuguese Custards

2008-11-07T21:38:00.007Z

Pasteis de Nata are famous all over the world, and are one of the inevitable things visitors to Portugal come looking for, and with veeeeery few exceptions! :-) The main reference for the "lillte fellas" is the "Fábrica dos Pastéis de Belém", a shop founded in 1837, and centrally located in Belém area. The place is not just famous among tourists, but also locals, who make it a usual part of a promenade to Jeronimos. The crowd there is specially huge on weekends, where people wait outside, waiting for an opportunity to get closer to the counter :-) They are sold by the 6 or 12 in proper carton packs, and are quite good, warm or cold, with or without powdered sugar and cinnamon on top!

But since I am not a regular visitor to Jerónimos, I usually buy mine around Baixa, as they are available almost everywhere. I have found them at a place down at Rua Augusta 267, called "Pastelaria Brasileira" (not to mix with the one in Chiado, where Fernando Pessoa's sitting statue lies), where I feel they are even better! Coming from Rossio, it is located at the beginning of the street, on the right hand side. It you go there, give the "queijadas de Évora" also a try :-)

Here is a suggested recipe for more talented people for cooking than me, which I found here, but there are also videos available on Youtube:

Pasteis de Nata (makes 12)

Prepared puff pasty – defrosted but kept cold

1 ¾ cups whole milk

¼ cup cream

4 egg yolks

3 Tbsp white sugar

Pinch salt

2 Tbsp Plain flour

½ cinnamon stick

2 strips lemon peel

½ tsp vanilla extract

Pastry Cream Instructions

1 - In a sauce pan add milk, cream, egg yolks, sugar, salt, flour mix well with a whisk to ensure all the ingredients are well combined, do not turn heat on yet.
2 - Once all ingredients are combined and there are no lumps of sugar or flour add cinnamon stick, lemon peel and vanilla.
3 - Turn heat on to low stirring continuously and gently with whisk. *Note it’s very important to heat the milk slowly, if the milk is heated too quickly, egg yolks could coagulate like scrambled eggs and ruin the consistency of the custard.
4 - Continue stirring until it cream becomes quite thick and resembles a rich pudding. Watch for thickening around the edges of the pan, you want a really smooth cream so make certain to get in the sides and bottom edges of the pan.
5 - Let cool completely. When cooled, remove cinnamon stick and lemon peel.
6 - To avoid milk skin from forming on custard you can place parchment paper on top of warm custard and it will lift out easily when you go to use it to fill puff pasty shells.

Preparing Pastry Shells

1 - Preheat oven to 300 F (148C)
2 - Roll out cold puff pastry dough with pin on floured surface, until 1/4 cm thick.
3 - Once rolled out thin, dusk off excess flour and begin rolling puff pastry like a long cigar. Roll pastry snugly but not tight, just enough to avoid a lot of space or air pockets in roll.
4 - Place pastry roll length wise and cut in 4cm lengths
5 - Then take each cut piece in hand and push down center of roll to meet center of opposite side, gently press pastry with fingers to spread out dough to create what will feel like half of a hallow pastry ball. Work in circular pattern and pastry will start to thin and from a cup shape. If dough gets sticky use a little flour to help it along. Finished shells should be about 1/4cm, thin but not enough to see your hand through. If you like puff pastry you can make the shells a little thicker, but a couple of tries of the finished version will let you know your preference.
6 - Place pastry in muffin tray, and spread out to sides but don’t stretch dough upward, just gently press against side of muffin tin to ensure it won’t shrink too much when baking.
7 - When all pastry shells are ready fill with pastry cream, do not fill to top. Fill to ¾ or a bit more but leaving 1- 1.5cm at top of pastry.
8 - Place custards in oven and bake for 15min, but keep eye on custards as some ovens can burn top quite quickly, while others don’t cook the pastry quickly enough. If pastry around sides looks deep golden colour pastries are done.

Good luck!

November 1st 1755 - the earthquake

2008-11-04T09:14:00.003Z

November 1st is an important date for Lisboa, but not for good reasons, it was the date of the terrible earthquake which destroyed the city, and made much of what its' historic center is today.

It was 9:40 in the morning, when the city started shattering ... in 10 minutes impressive 85% of the city was destroyed. Then came the tsunami, floods, fires, plague. Since November 1st is a religious holiday, a large part of the population was in church, and many people died under shattered buildings. More than 10.000 people died, it was the largest earthquake in the History of Europe.

It is difficult to imagine what the catastrophe must have been, but it is due to the earthquake that rebuilding and renewal of the city was possible. 18 th century Baixa & Chiado were built on top of debris, in a planified way, which allowed for Baixa's clean cut blocks. Many of the important buildings of what the city was then were lost, and together with them all they had inside, precious things, works of art, furniture, books, paintings. Lisboa was then the capital of a rich collonial empire, with all the assotiated richnesses. What was letf, now figures in the collections of the city's main museums.

Lisbon Comes Alive - A NYT article

2008-10-29T16:00:00.006Z

I came accross an article in the New York Times from July 2008 by chance, which is just sooooo nice :-). The article is very much culture - focused, and this is just a simple quote from it:

Perhaps the last of the Western European capitals to experience a cultural resurgence, Lisbon is avidly making up for lost time. All over the city, an upstart generation is gleefully constructing edgy and forward-looking ventures amid the time-worn monuments.

Access the full article here.

And select the slideshow ... nice pictures, the one above was taken from it.

Garbage collecting

2008-10-27T10:20:00.006Z

Once again, here is another flyer I found in my mailbox ... my mailbox is such a source of inspiration! :-) I don't need to go around searching what to write about, it just comes to me :-)

This flyer is about garbage collection in Alfama. To many people's surprise, garbage in Lisbon (and in Alfama, of course) is collected in the evening, usually from 8:00 on, and every evening except Sundays. As Alfama has no garbage containers, what people do, and does not work particularly well, is just leave their garbage at a street side, usually where there already is another bag :-) Around other parts of the city, each building has its' own container, which is left outside in the evening. Some areas also have larger common underground containers, where people take their waste to. In Alfama, and due to narrow streets and small buildings, which makes it impossible do keep private containers inside, this system is really just leaving waste bags on the narrow streets.

What is now hapenning, is that the City Hall is trying to make Alfama a bit more aware of the importance of recycling. Plastic bags of different colours are being given to the neighbours, paper & cardboard is collected separately on Thursdays, package material on Tuesdays and Saturdays. As for the rest of the waste ... everyday but Sundays, just left on the side of the street, preferably where you already have someone else's bag :-)

Bairro Alto - Visitors vs Neighbours

2008-10-24T12:09:00.011+01:00

Here is another interesting article from Diário de Notícias on Bairro Alto, a reference for visitors to the city. There are some issues discussed, but the question which essentially arises is how can neighbours and visitors coexist.

Bairro Alto is known for its' night life, people go there because of that, and specially on weekends the atmosphere is great. But of course this is from the visitor's point of view, as we should not forget that there are people living there, and who try to sleep, albite the noise which goes on untill early morning hours.

When potential guests at the ask me about night life in Alfama, I always point out that Alfama, from the moment restaurants close, is quite quiet, and everybody gets their night's sleep. And there no bars as in Bairro Alto, the atmosphere is of a normal residential area. This kind of situation, with thousands of people drinking out on the street and the mess associated to it (noise, trash, dirt, smell, ...) makes it unpleasant to sleep there, specially on the main streets, so do bare this in mind when looking for a place where to stay.

Just to summarise the discussion, what is now being considered is that bars and restaurants start closing at 2 am, which people making business there oppose. Cleaning of the streets will be held more often, there will be more police patrol, streets will be better lit. Lisbon's City Hall will be cleaning walls from grafitti, and people living in Bairro Alto will then be given products to maintain these walls clean. Does not sound much to me ...

Dr Sousa Martins - Half a Doctor, Half a Saint

2008-10-20T10:32:00.004+01:00

Even in the beginning of the XXI st century, Lisbon is full of strange and surprising things. One of these things is the veneration paid do Dr Sousa Martins, a doctor who lived in the XIX th century, and who was respected for treating tuberculosis, a very serious disease at the time.

It does not surprise me that by then people would search for the doctor for difficult treatment and cure, and that he was regarded as half a saint by those who he did manage to cure, what surprises me is that this veneration still exists today. There is a statue dedicated to the doctor at Campo Mártires da Pátria, in front of the old Faculty of Medicine, quite close to Miradouro do Torel, whose foot is just covered with marble plaques people leave there, thanking the doctor for conceded graces. More than 100 years after his life, people still pray to the doctor, and search for him for faith in medical cure.

Doesn't it sound strange that people pray to a dead doctor? And look at the way the foot of the statue looks ...

Miradouros de Lisboa - Viewing Points in Lisbon

2008-10-16T16:07:00.006+01:00

image credits: Arnaldo Interata

Due to its' natural display, of hills and slopes, Lisboa has so many spectacular views, specially over the old city. Some of them are associated to gardens, and are there for people to relax and enjoy.

I am just going to give you some examples, and will not be detailed about them, as that would make this post a bit too long.

For a start, around Bairro Alto there are two famous miradouros, Santa Catarina and São Pedro de Alcantara. The first, Santa Catarina, overlooks the river, and is associated to Fernando Pessoa, the famous portuguese poet, who went in search of it for peace and inspiration. It is also know as "Adamastor", due to a statue existing there, paying an homage to Camões and his "Lusíadas". To get there, go along Calçada do Combro, coming from Largo Camões in Chiado, turn left on the first street after the Elevador da Bica.

Miradouro São Pedro de Alcantara is on the other side of Bairro Alto, and overlooks Avenida da Liberdade and oposite Graça. It is one of the most famous ones, the view is in fact very nice.

Right on the opposite side there is Miradouro do Torel, much less known. Getting there is not difficult, take the Elevador do Torel from the right side street of Restauradores or walk uphill, the garden is on your left.

In the heart of Baixa there is the Miradouro de Santa Justa, at the top of the elevator. Either take it up, or walk to the top, up Rua do Carmo coming from Rossio, then Rua Garett, turning right at Rua do Sacramento, then reaching Largo do Carmo, which the elevator connects to Baixa.

On the way from Baixa to Graça, and following the old 28 tram line, there are another two miradouros, one right next to another. Miradouro de Santa Luzia has a nice river view and nice view over the western part of the old city, Miradouro das Portas do Sol has the stunning view over "our" Alfama, giving us a different perspective of its' twisting streets and alleys.

Around Graça there are another two well known miradouros, Miradouro da Graça, and the spectacular Miradouro da Senhora do Monte, the lattest with the nicest view of the city. Absolutely not to miss. When riding 28 tram, hop off Calçada da Senhora do Monte, that is the way to get there!

Rebuilding in Alfama

2008-10-13T11:27:00.005+01:00

This is a letter I received in my mailbox, calling people's attention to a large hotel being built outside Alfama, and which will occupy the place of 5 buildings, which are at the moment half in ruins.

It is true that buildings in ruins honour nobody, and that it is good that the initiative is there, but what is questioned is the size of the building approved, a 7 floor hotel with 182 rooms, with four times the size of what stands there now! This will naturally affect Alfama's normal daily life, with all the people coming and staying there.

Looking at the way those buildings are now makes me sad .... but imagining such a large building there even sadder! There should be a half way solution. I understand that this is private property, and that outside people's opinion does not count much, more even if we are talking about money invested, but the city hall must have some common sense in analysing the project.

Alfama has such a consistent atmosphere, unique in Lisboa, which has survived "development" over the centuries, and should be preserved. Like any other such things, once this gets started, there is no way going back ...

Museu do Fado

2008-10-08T10:51:00.004+01:00

After some months closed, Alfama's Museu do Fado is reopening! These are good news, as so many people have gone in search if the museum, and found it closed.

The museum announces new exhibition areas, with more Fado-related objects displayed, and the use of new technology showing what is Fado, what has been its' evolution, who are the people who have brought it to our days. There is also a large collection of old recordings.

Alfama is the ideal place for the musem, which is located at the Largo do Chafariz de Dentro, 1, at the street connecting Santa Apolonia to Campo das Cebolas, and closes, like most museums in Portugal, on Mondays.

Grandella Department Store

2008-09-08T14:11:00.003+01:00

This is another clip from this weekend's news papers, remembering the grand openning of ..... an escalator! True! This was in Grandella department store, back in 1959, and the hounour was given to the wife of the President at the time. And look how she carefully holds on to the rail ... escalators were something new :-)

Grandella, located in the heart of Baixa, was one of the city's main shopping references for many years, and was one of the places destroyed by 1988's fire in Chiado. Like other buildings destroyed, the outside walls were preserved and the inside completely redone. This is now where large retail shops like H&M, Stradivarius, and so on, are located, facing Rua do Carmo, the street reaching Chiado, coming from Rossio. For those who have been in Lisbon before, it is the street going under Santa Justa elevator's passage, Grandella was located on the left, when coming up. (remember it?)

Tram Line 28

2008-09-08T12:07:00.004+01:00

Tram line 28 is one of Lisbon's symbols and main attractions, not just because of the old carriages themselves, but also because of the tram route, once in travels through the old city. Everyone coming to the city must have done the full route, or just part of it, covering Martim Moniz to Prazeres cemitery, sitting at an open window letting the breeze in, or standing up, facing the waggling of the tram with a smile, it is just one of those things ... :-)

This weekend there was an article in Diário de Notícias on the 28 tram line, but not on the good, nice & sunny side of it, unfortunately. The title of the article was "cuidado com a carteira", "watch your pocket", and tells how relaxed tourists are robbed on the tram, by people who seem to master pick-pocketing like true artists, and who stage plays, aiming to distract others. Some of the tourists interviewed don't just complain about money, but above all about lost documents and credit cards, so, once travelling on the 28, do pay a bit of attention, trying to avoid unpleasant situations.

And besides the possible inconveniences, don't stop riding the tram ... it really is fun :-)

Getting around Belém area

2008-09-06T14:12:00.007+01:00

One of the FAQ (getting an expert at this ... already using jargon, heheheh) asked at the apartment is "how do we get to Belem?", because Belém area is unavoidable, of course. And maybe a post on the subject simplifies the expalantions.

First of all, the simplest way of getting there is taking tram line 15 heading towards Algés, leaving from Praca da Figueira, right next to Rossio square. There is a stop at Praca do Comercio, in front of the Rua August arch. Tram tickets can be bought at machines on board (keep small money on you), the prepaid tickets with valid charges are also accepted, as on all busses & trams.

The ride takes about 20 to 30 minutes, and once in the area, the main attraction is really the Jeronimos, the huge World Heritage monastery built in Manuelino style, with complicated sculptured stone work. It was built in the height of the Portuguese discovery time in the 16th century, when gold, precious stones and produce still poured in. Part of the monastery is the church and the cloister, the other part houses the Maritime and the Archeology museums.

Next to the main builiding is the Gulbenkian Planetarium, with its' projection dome, which is also worth a visit, although I don't know if projections are carried out in another language but Portuguese.

And then Belem Culture Center, CCB, with Berardo's Modern Art collection, which I have already written about in previous posts.

A bit before reaching the monastery areas, there is a garden, with Palácio de Belem, the oficial home of the Portuguese Republic President. The palace has it's own museum, where some of the rooms and gardens are shown, besides of a collection of presents made by official visitors, and the painting gallery with all presidents represented.

On the corner of the palace grounds there is the famous Museu dos Choches, the coach museum, the largest in the world in it's kind ... obviously a recommended visit as well.

On the other side of the railway track, where trains going to Estoril area travel, there are some other of the city's main attractions, the Torre de Belem, and the Padrão dos Descobrimentos. Both of them are nicer from the outside than from the inside.

I am trying not to make this post too long, as there is plenty where to get information on all these things from, but would still like to mention the red brick bulding of the Museu da Electricidade, another nice museum with a beautiful location, and interesting temporary exhibitions.

After all these things, and if you still have some energy left, I would recommend the crossing by ferry to the south bank of the river, where ferries make the connection between Belém and Porto Brandão and Trafaria, small villages on the other side of the Tejo. The crossing itself is nice, and Trafaria has some nice restaurants with fresh fish, with better quality than you would normally get in the city.

Ask me for more details, if there is anything you would like to know better about ....

Chiado in 1988 - The big fire

2008-08-26T11:11:00.008+01:00

The big fire in Chiado was 20 years ago ... difficult to imagine 17 buildings on flame, in the heart of Lisboa, the caos and destruction. Here are some photos I collected on the net ... if any of their authors object to me publishing them, please say so ...

Igreja de Santa Engrácia - The Pantheon

2008-08-26T10:41:00.002+01:00

When something takes very long in Portugal, the saying "como as obras de Santa Engrácia" is usually applied, "like the works at Santa Engrácia", coming from Santa Engrácia church. And why? because the church took over 300 years (from the 17th to the 20th cenrturies) to be completed ... it was like a never ending task.

Santa Engrácia church, located in Graça, and around which the flea market (Feira da Ladra) spreads, stands out in the old city's skyline, and works since 1916 as the National Pantheon. Some of the tombs displayed there are just symbolic, working as an homage paid to venerable citizens, but others are for real ... Amalia Rodrigues, THE fado singer, rests in the pantheon, and was the last person to be tombed there.

The building resembles more a church from the outside than from the inside, I have been there some times, and essentially recall the beautiful marble floor and the view from the terrace around the dome, which is unfortunately not alwas open to public.

Cacilhas

2008-08-18T12:22:00.003+01:00

(image credits Antonio Melenas)

One of my turnons at the moment is Cacilhas, an old fisherman's village on the south bank of the Tejo, right across Lisboa.

Getting there is easy, you just have to take the orange ferries at Cais do Sodré, right behind the train station. The crossing takes about 15 minutes, nice to see Lisboa from afar, but still right there. :-)

And why do I find Cacilhas special? Not just because of the huge cranes of Lisnave, the old ship repair facilities right at the river, but because of the view from the city, the atmosphere, how easy it can be to run away from the big city only in 15 min, and without having to drive. The walk along the harbour side, at Cais do Ginjal is very special, a half an hour / 45 min walk right along the river down to the far end, passing old ferries, fishermen, Atira-te ao Rio and Ponto Final restaurants, with their tables strategically placed outside. Then there is the park / lawn at the base of the elevator, the museum, another harbour with little use, and some unkept storage facilities. Great walk, accompanied by the chittering of small birds, happy with their fig meals, so many falling ripe on the ground.

Once back to the ferries, and before travelling back to Lisboa, look for O Peralta restaurant, at Rua Candido dos Reis, nº 41/45. I advise you the "sopa da cação" or "sopa de peixe", besides the usual "choco frito", "feijoada" and "açorda de marisco", and the inevitable "arroz de marisco". Go for it! :-)

Culture - Fábrica do Braço de Prata

2008-08-13T12:34:00.004+01:00

(image credits Dionisio Leitão)

For those who need some cultural activity even on holidays, and who like to sniff around and see what is happening in other places, I have a good suggestion: Fábrica do Braço de Prata.

Located down at the river area, but a bit beyond Santa Apolonia train station, in an old factory, this is a common project of two alternative bookshops. Along 700 sqm, 12 rooms, the display and array is huge, and there is an associated cultural program, with cinema (visitors are welcome to suggest films!), conferences (also open to people from outside the center), exhibitions (aiming to promote new artists and ideas), music concerts, always something going on, sometimes more than one thing at a time. I try to go there often, as I think this kind of project deserves to be properly supported, working as a breath of fresh air in a space more and more controlled by massified projects and shops.

This is a nice place to visit, on a warm Summer evening!

For more detailed information on location click here.

A Secret .... Pois Café

2008-08-04T11:03:00.003+01:00

This weekends' edition of Diário de Notícias has this article on Pois Café, located at Rua São João da Praça, which nobody staying at the apartment misses, at is on the way to the Sé.

It is owned and run by two austrian girls, who have managed to create a very eccletic atmosphere, decorating it with various pieces, giving it a relaxed flea market look. Very nice.

There are books to read and international press available, stop over for a coffee and a piece of cake! :-)

Artcraft

2008-07-29T12:11:00.005+01:00

This post does not have much to do with Lisboa, it shows a flier of an exhibition held in Barcelos, up North, in the heart of Minho.

I have it here because Barcelos is an area with great tradition in creative handicratf, which I love, and could not resist in showing this figure made by Julia Cota. There are some shops in Lisboa selling this kind of thing, which can be expensive, depending on the size of the figures, I have already mentioned Santos Oficios, at Rua da Madalena, and Artes da Terra, at Rua Augusto Rosa, close to the Sé.

Other names I might suggest are the Mistério family, Julia Ramalho, Emilia Cota, Baraça family. Ask me for more details, if the subject interests you :-)

Palácio Fronteira

2008-07-29T10:26:00.004+01:00

Palácio Fronteira is one of the important Portuguese palaces, still in private hands, belonging to the Fronteira e Alorna family, a family carrying a great number of Portuguese noble titles.

From what I know, most of the palace is not open to visitors, what can be seen is essentially the gardens, with beautiful and unique tile panels, and some rooms from the inside.

Visits are made by appointment through email fronteiraalorna@mail.telepac.pt, or telephone 217782023, the back of the flyer I show here has a detailed map on how to ge to the palace.

Enjoy the visit :-)

Suggestion for a day out

2008-07-25T10:45:00.004+01:00

One of my favourite days out is a tour to Peniche, a fisherman's village about 90 km outside Lisboa, to the North. Besides the tour itself, I quite enjoy having a "proper" fish meal there for decent prices, down at the harbour. Getting there by car is easy, but so is it by bus, taken at Sete Rios, accessed by Metro directly from Baixa through the Blue Line, Jardim Zoologico stop. The bus ride takes about 1:35 hrs, there are busses along the day, access timetables here.

When I go to Peniche, I usually then go to Óbidos as well, a medieval village closed inside castle walls, and quite nice to visit, but there is something else worth visiting: Berlengas islands.

These are small islands located ouside Peniche, where very few people live, and are regarded as a birdnesting paradise. During the Summer there are small boats making the crossing to the main island, which work up to mid September, and take about 35 minutes doing the crossing.

One of the companies operating these boats is Viamar (click here for accessing its' webpage), telephone 262 785 646. Price of tickets is around 18,00 euros for both ways.

It is possible to spend the day there at the beach (last boat leaves at 18:30), and also possible to stay overnight at the fortress on the island, sleeping bags are necessary, and bookings should be made through telephone 262 750 244.

Le Cool Guides - Another Guide on Lisboa

2008-07-24T12:34:00.003+01:00

Le Cool magazine describes itself as "a free, weekly magazine presenting a selection of concerts, djs, exhibitions, odd movies and other cultural events and happenings. It is also a clever guide to the city's most worthwhile bars, restaurants, shopping and other experiences, without being necessarily trendy - just really good. Instead of printing and distributing a paper magazine it is sent every Thursday to its subscribers as a graphical e-mail, laid-out in a horizontal format with pages, as if it were a traditional magazine", and I really recommend it, as it makes cool suggestions in a cool way and nice layout, as what to do in the city.

I have now found out they also have printed guides, take a look at the one on Lisboa here. It is presented as "Designed by Silva Designers, A Weird and Wonderful Guide to Lisbon shows you that beneath the city’s calm façade beats a lively heart that loves to show off its magic. Edited by Joana Pinto Correia, it leads you through Arabic backstreets, African bars and old corset shops, via the hippest clubs, best restaurants and amazing local characters, to share a side of Portugal’s capital that the tourists never see". ("arabic backstreets has to be Alfama!)

Curious? Of course I have already ordered mine! :-)

Tourism Board Offices

2008-07-21T15:56:00.004+01:00

Now and then I go through Tourism Board offices, looking for information for guests, which will also to work as inspiration for updating the blog ... not always easy to find what to write about, although there is so much, and right in front of our eyes.

In general, printed information available is very good, there is much more than the traditional free maps covered with publicity on the back side, leaflets with information on what to see, and with "information" I really mean going beyond the basics.

This pamphlet is published by IGESPAR, the institute responsible for the management of cultural patrimony, and is on Mosteiro dos Jerónimos, Torre de Belém and Panteão Nacional in Lisboa, and then other important monuments in other places, which are essential in our History: Mosteiro da Batalha, Mosteiro de Alcobaça, Convento de Cristo and Parque Arquelógico do Vale do Côa.

Tourism Board offices are available in Baixa at the Praça dos Restauradores (open until 20:00), at Praça do Comércio, and there is also a mobile office down at Rua Augusta, and may be reached through the telephone 217 808 800.

Ice Cream

2008-07-21T09:35:00.004+01:00

There is a place in the heart of Baixa I try to avoid ... Fragoleto, an ice cream house with many excellent things (calories included!), and I was quite surprised to find a complete page dedicated to it in this weekend's Diário de Notícias.

The place is still managed by the owner, who personally attends customers (yes, it does make a difference, unfortunately ...), and who describes all ice cream flavours (traditional and less known ones), leaving your mouth watering :-) Besides the flavours there are yoghurt and soja ice cream, much where to choose from!

Fragoletto is located at Rua da Prata 74, almost at the corner with Rua da Conceição, the giant ice cream cone on the sidewalk makes it difficult to miss. Oh, and it is closed on Sundays and holidays, just like many important places, hehehehe

Getting to the beach

2008-07-17T09:31:00.005+01:00

There are many beaches close to Lisboa, and there are several ways to get there. The closest and the easiest beaches to access are the ones in Estoril area, and getting there is easy, as this area is accessed by train leaving from Cais do Sodré, 20 minutes walking from Alfama. This train line goes from Lisboa to Cascais, and there are beaches starting from Caxias, to Paço D'Arcos, Oeiras, Carcavelos, São Pedro, São João, Estoril, Cascais, all of them relatively close to train staions.

Although these beaches are easy to access, I usually try to avoid them, as they are usually very crowded, being right in metropolitan Lisboa (the name sounds fancy :-) ).

As an alternative, there are the beaches in Sintra area, as Praia das Maçãs and Praia Grande. Getting there is a bit more difficult, you would have to catch a train from Rossio to Sintra, and then a bus or the old tram. Takes a bit longer, but the ride is nice, and beaches are also nicer.

Another alternative are the beaches from the south bank of the Tejo, along Costa de Caparica, and these would really be my suggestion. There is no straight way of getting there, you would always have to take at least two busses, among the various getting there.

Busses leave from Lisboa (Areeiro, line 161 from Transportes Sul do Tejo, Praça de Espanha, line 153 from the same company, and both Areeiro and P Espanha are acessed by Metro leaving from Baixa), from Cacilhas (various bus lines, Cacilhas is acessed by ferry leaving from Cais do Sodré, right next to train station).

My favourite beach in the area, and reached by public transports, is Fonte da Telha, beautiful, and much less crowded than Costa de Caparica. Getting there is not difficult, and it ends up not taking much more time then getting anywhere else. Bus line 127 leaves from Cacilhas, and takes more or less 50 minutes getting to the beach.

There are even more beaches accessed from Lisboa, such as the ones in Setúbal / Sesimbra and Ericeira areas, it takes a bit longer getting there, and it would be a bit tiresome to describe all possible routes in this post. Ask me for more, will be glad to give you further explanations.

There are some timetables available at the apartment which can help guests out, I also have beach towels and a sun umbrella which are at guest's disposal.

Ceramics Classes

2008-07-14T12:20:00.004+01:00

This is an interesting suggestion for visitors staying a bit longer in the city, who wish and like to do a bit more than just walking around and seeing things, participating in what the city has to offer.

The Associação de Artesãos da Região de Lisboa, located at Rua de Entrecampos 66 A, telephone 217 962 497, is holding ceramics courses, where parents are invited to learn how to model clay together with their children. There are also classes for adults alone on clay working, modelling and tile making, as well as t shirt painting. Classes with children are on Saturdays, and, as the other classes, require previous booking.

With eyes wide shut in Alfama II

2008-07-14T12:15:00.004+01:00

Also completing another previous post about discovering Alfama from a blindman's point of view (silly sentence, a blindman's point of view :-) ), this is a photo of the tours being held on Saturday mornings. In this case, Alfama's narrow passages and alleys help in finding the way between buildings ... we just have to open our arms!

Exhibition - The Planning of Baixa

2008-07-14T11:56:00.005+01:00

This is the flyer of the exhibition being held at Terreiro do Paço, and which I have already mention in a previous post.

Just found it interesting to complete the other post with the image of the flyer, which is not too clear in the scan I made. Behind the lettering in the upper part of it there is a scheme of the "cruz de São Filipe", the wooden pillar system, which hides inde the walls of old buildings from Baixa, and which is then filled with stones and gravel.

Sundays at Praça do Comércio

2008-07-14T11:42:00.003+01:00

On Sundays the streets around Praça do Comércio are closed to traffic, aiming to release the square to pedestrians. This makes traffic chaotic, which ends up driving people away, instead of to the square, but the attempt to do something there is still to be valued.

Connected to the traffic cut, there are things happenning there all weekends, trying to attract more visitors. Still to come in July is a band festival and a day dedicated to grandparents ... I wonder what is reserved for grandparents ... :-)

Artcraft Fair at FIL

2008-07-11T12:03:00.003+01:00

The Artcraft Fair is taking place at FIL , Lisboa's International Exhibition Hall, at EXPO, and is usually one of the most attended fairs there. It will be on untill Sunday 13th.

The fair is usually divided in three sections / halls, where the first one (my favourite, really) is dedicated to Portuguese handcraft, the second to international one (african, indian, european, and so on), and the third is essentially taken by restaurants serving portuguese local produce food, from differente sources. This is usually one of most sought after places at the fair ... guess why! :-)

A nice museum - Casa Museu Medeiros e Almeida

2008-07-11T11:48:00.004+01:00

This museum was the old home of business man António de Medeiros e Almeida, and houses what was his art and antique collection (the clock collection is displayed separately, there are amazing things there). Part of the house was maintained in its' original condition, showing how art pieces were displayed, and people lived at the house.

(my favourite rooms are the inside patio and the bathrooms ... the lattest are museum pieces in their own right)

The museum is quite centrally located, on a side street of Avenida de Liberdade, and admission is free on Saturday morinings. It is one of my favourite in Lisboa ... of course I recommend a visit there!

The museum has its' own webpage, which you can access here.

20 years after the big fire

2008-07-10T21:09:00.004+01:00

Almost 20 years after the big fire which hit Chiado and threathened the whole city center, the subject comes up again. This will be an opportunity to review what went right or wrong, what was done in and to Chiado, since.

The architects guild is organising a guided walking tour to the changes introduced after the fire ... sounds like a great opportunity to learn a bit more about the city and its' evolution.

The flyer I reproduce here shows a picture of the fire's aftermath ... for those who do not live in the city, and were not here by then, it gives an idea of what the fire was. I will be collecting more and different pictures before August, as I am sure the fire will be remembered and discussed through press, with many photos being shown.

Casas de Fado - Fado Houses

2008-07-10T12:15:00.005+01:00

TimeOut magazine publishes a very complete list of Casas de Fado (Fado Houses), which is worth to have at hand, when it comes to chosing when and where to go.

You may open the image from my blog and see that the list includes addresses, phone numbers, information on prices, singers who sing when and where, it is all there!

Clube de Fado, Esquina de Alfama, Marquês da Sé, Mesa de Frades, Parreirinha de Alfama are all in Alfama, then there are some references in Bairro Alto, another one at Castelo.

Need any help? Let me know ... :-)

With eyes wide shut in Alfama

2008-07-08T08:49:00.004+01:00

Alfama comes in the papers for various reasons, and this weekend I found this article about a new way of discovering Alfama, with blinded eyes.

The aim of the experiment is to learn how to use our senses, and to draw people's attention to the needs of the blind. These blinded eye walks take place on Saturdays, between 11:00 an 12:00, so don't be surprised if you come across with people finding their way around in a different way ...

The Berardo Collection Again

2008-07-07T16:12:00.003+01:00

The Berardo Collection was celebrating its' first anniversary, and some thousands of (free entrance) visitors, with a 24 hour celebration programme. As I already said in a previous post, many of the visitors go to see the collection because it is located at the CCB, other many simply because entrance is free. Of course there are people who go there because of the collection itself, or because they like modern art, but surely they represent a small percentage of total visitors.

Not so much to celebrate, in my opinion ...

Threat of another major fire

2008-07-07T10:24:00.005+01:00

image credits to Nacho Doce/Reuters

This is a photo of last night's fire, at Avenida da Liberdade, which took the firemen all night to extinguish.

Next month it will be 20 years since the big fire in Chiado, which the city has not yet completely recovered from, and when such things happen, people come to light discussing how urgent it is to solve the problem of void buildings in the city.

Once in Lisboa, look around and see how many inhabited buildings there are around the city center, and then think that most of their structure is made of wood ...

Watch Publico's photogallery here, and get a better idea of what was at stake ...

Palácio da Junqueira - A Palace Open to Visiting

2008-07-07T10:03:00.006+01:00

The old home of the Burnays, a weathly family from the first half of the last century, will be open to visits until the end of this year. It is an 18th century building, prior to the earthquake, whose interiors are in much need of restoration. The building is empty, due to the original furnishings having been sold by the family back in 1936, most of which is today part of the collection of the Ancient Art Museum, but this is a unique opportunity for visiting a building which is usually closed to public eye, and see how portuguese bourjois lived.

The complete article on the exhibition is to be read in the webpage of IICT, a public institute based in the palace, in Portuguese.

The palace is located at Rua da Junqueira 86, on the way to Belém coming from Praça do Comércio, and is reached by tram line 15.

Galo de Barcelos - The Barcelos Rooster

2008-07-07T09:14:00.003+01:00

Barcelos is a city in the North of Portugal, in the heart of Minho, a province known for luxurious nature and strong culture and tradition. It is also a province know for its' clayworkers, "barristas", people with no learning in the area, who work marvelous figures out of clay.

One of Portugal's symbols is the Barcelos rooster, the black clay rooster decorated with red hearts and other colourful items.

There is a legend associated to the rooster, which I will simply copy from a flier I collected somewhere:

"The medieval stone cross, which forms part of the patrimony of the Archaeological Museum of the town, is related to the curious legend of the cock. According to this legend, the inhabitants were very disturbed by a crime of which it had not been possible to discover the author. One day, however, there appeared a man from Galicia, who was suspected of having committed it. He was arrested and, notwithstanding his protestaions of innocence, nobody believed him when he said that he was on his way to Saint James of Compostelle (Spain) to fulfill a vow and that he was a ferverent devotee of the Saint venerated in Compostela on a par with St Paul and Our Lady. And so he was condemned to be hanged. But before the execution he asked to be taken to the presence of the judge who pronounced the sentence. His request was granted and they took him to the house of the magistrate, who was dining with some friends. The Galician once again protested his innocence and, to the amazement of those present, pointed to a roasted chicken on the table and exclaimed: "As surely as I am innocent will that cock crow if I am hanged!" There was an outburst of laughter and comments, nevertheless nobody touched the cock. And what seemed impossible actually happened. When the pilgrim was being hanged, the cock stood up on the table and crowed. No one any longer doubted the innocence of the condemned man. The judge rushed to the gallows and horrified saw the wretched man with the rope round his neck, but the knot was caught and thus prevented him from being stangled. He was immediately released and sent on his way in peace. Years later, he returned to Barcelos and built the monument to Saint James and to the Virgin."

Not a story with much imagination, but these old stories seldome are ...