Lisbon – a city rich <strong>in</strong> his<strong>to</strong>ry; the w<strong>in</strong>dow <strong>to</strong> the oceans; one of the beautiful capitals of the world; the beat<strong>in</strong>g heart of Portuguese culture… Lisbon W<strong>in</strong>dow <strong>to</strong> the Oceans …tear yourself away from the golden Algarve coast for a day or two <strong>and</strong> you’ll discover just why so many people leave Portugal’s capital city so entranced. Lisbon was once one of the world’s wealthiest cities, second <strong>in</strong> <strong>in</strong>fluence only <strong>to</strong> Venice. <strong>The</strong> port of departure for discoverers <strong>and</strong> adventurers, such as Vasco da Gama <strong>and</strong> Pedro Cabral, it was here where the riches of the newly discovered world arrived from Brazil, India <strong>and</strong> Africa, <strong>and</strong> from where spices, gold <strong>and</strong> precious wood were sold <strong>in</strong><strong>to</strong> Europe. In the 15th <strong>and</strong> 16th centuries, Lisbon boasted 3,000 palaces, 100 churches <strong>and</strong> was a magnet for artists, adventurers, architects <strong>and</strong> scientists. 34 Qu<strong>in</strong>ta <strong>Properties</strong> 35
THE JOURNEY Gett<strong>in</strong>g there by car is straightforward: the Portuguese have <strong>in</strong>vested <strong>in</strong> some important pieces of <strong>in</strong>frastructure, <strong>in</strong>clud<strong>in</strong>g the A2/IP1. Put on the cruise control at the legal limit (stiff f<strong>in</strong>es beckon above 130kph!) <strong>and</strong>, from the Via do Infante (A22) turn off at Paderne; you’ll be there <strong>in</strong> less than three hours. <strong>The</strong> drive through the ma<strong>in</strong>ly un<strong>in</strong>habited vastness of the Alenteijo takes you through sooth<strong>in</strong>g vistas of endless fields <strong>and</strong> meadows, <strong>in</strong>terspersed with scattered, majestic cork oaks <strong>and</strong> discipl<strong>in</strong>ed l<strong>in</strong>es of olive groves, st<strong>and</strong><strong>in</strong>g like serried ranks of soldiers. At Setubal it’s decision time. Cont<strong>in</strong>u<strong>in</strong>g on the A2 will take you <strong>in</strong><strong>to</strong> Lisbon across the <strong>spectacular</strong> ‘old’ bridge, ‘Ponte 25 de Abril’ <strong>and</strong> straight <strong>in</strong><strong>to</strong> the centre of <strong>to</strong>wn; veer<strong>in</strong>g off on the IP1 takes you across the even more <strong>spectacular</strong>, 18km-long ‘Ponte Vasco da Gama’ bridge <strong>to</strong> the Parque das Nações (the Expo grounds) area of Lisbon. This, <strong>in</strong>cidentally, is also the best way <strong>to</strong> Lisbon Airport. Of course, you can always take the tra<strong>in</strong>, so spar<strong>in</strong>g yourself the headache of park<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong> Lisbon <strong>and</strong> driv<strong>in</strong>g with<strong>in</strong> the city. Neither is recommended. From Faro, Loulé, or Albufeira, five tra<strong>in</strong>s daily will take you <strong>to</strong> Lisbon <strong>in</strong> 31 / 2 hours; alight <strong>in</strong> down<strong>to</strong>wn Lisbon (Entrecampos) or cont<strong>in</strong>ue <strong>to</strong> the fantastic new station ‘Oriente’ with<strong>in</strong> the Parque das Nações. Taxis are cheap <strong>and</strong>, of course, there’s the underground system <strong>and</strong> good buses <strong>and</strong> trams. EXPLORING <strong>The</strong> great way <strong>to</strong> explore Lisbon is aboard an old style tram, the number 28 electrico, a delightful vestige of days gone by, <strong>and</strong> the route rem<strong>in</strong>ds you that the city is built on seven hills. Services operate about every seven m<strong>in</strong>utes, mak<strong>in</strong>g it easy <strong>to</strong> hop on <strong>and</strong> off. Eastbound trams for the Alfama are <strong>in</strong>variably crowded by the time they reach the Rua da Conceição <strong>in</strong> central Lisbon, so travel <strong>to</strong>wards Estrela <strong>and</strong> Prazeres <strong>and</strong> return <strong>to</strong> the Alfama from that end of the route. <strong>The</strong> tram delivers you <strong>in</strong><strong>to</strong> the heart of the city. Cameras out for the splendid Praça do Comercio, a three-sided piazza on a par with anyth<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong> Rome or Venice, beh<strong>in</strong>d which you’ll discover the Baixa. This area is dom<strong>in</strong>ated by specialist traders easily identified by street names: Rua do Ouro (goldsmiths), Rua da Prata (silversmiths) <strong>and</strong> Rua Augusta (clothes <strong>and</strong> footwear). Marvel at the geometric layout of the streets <strong>and</strong> the way they funnel cool breezes off the River Tagus. Although Lisbon goes back millennia, few ancient build<strong>in</strong>gs rema<strong>in</strong>. In 1755 the city was rebuilt after a powerful earthquake. <strong>The</strong> Marques de Pombal seized the opportunity <strong>to</strong> remodel it entirely, construct<strong>in</strong>g a modern city with efficient sewage, wide avenues, parks <strong>and</strong> a host of miradourus – open spaces afford<strong>in</strong>g excellent views over the hills of this <strong>in</strong>trigu<strong>in</strong>gly beautiful city. <strong>The</strong> best views on the route are <strong>to</strong> be savoured from the Miradouro da Nossa Senhora do Monte. But first we climb the steep <strong>and</strong> <strong>to</strong>rtuous streets of Alfama, the oldest part of Lisbon spared <strong>to</strong>tal destruction. Some houses hail from the 16th century, completely clad <strong>in</strong> azuleijos, beautiful h<strong>and</strong>-pa<strong>in</strong>ted tiles, the streets so narrow that opposite balconies almost <strong>to</strong>uch. <strong>The</strong> clank<strong>in</strong>g tram threads through twist<strong>in</strong>g cobbled streets with an Arabic atmosphere, acres of laundry provid<strong>in</strong>g a shady canopy. From t<strong>in</strong>y restaurants, <strong>in</strong> every little square <strong>and</strong> backyard, waft smells of grilled sard<strong>in</strong>es. Once dilapidated build<strong>in</strong>gs are now be<strong>in</strong>g renovated <strong>and</strong> converted <strong>in</strong><strong>to</strong> artists’ studios or galleries… a new stage <strong>in</strong> the life of Alfama. Lisbon Cathedral is a heavy pile <strong>in</strong> the Romanesque style from the 12th century. Dur<strong>in</strong>g the Moorish occupation, like so many other churches all over Portugal, it served as a mosque. It survived the earthquake relatively unscathed, a fate not shared by the elegant <strong>and</strong> lofty Gothic church of São Roque, on the opposite hill <strong>in</strong> Chiado; the skeletal ru<strong>in</strong>s pay witness <strong>to</strong> its former glory. See Lisbon <strong>and</strong> read a page <strong>in</strong> his<strong>to</strong>ry Art Culture Shop Food Walk Laugh Enjoy Relax Lisbon has delights <strong>and</strong> surprises <strong>in</strong> abundance <strong>The</strong> Castelo São Jorge, dom<strong>in</strong>ates the old <strong>to</strong>wn. It’s true s<strong>to</strong>ry is obscured <strong>in</strong> the mists of myth <strong>and</strong> his<strong>to</strong>ry, but we know the Romans built a fortress here <strong>in</strong> 48 BC. <strong>The</strong> Chiado, <strong>to</strong> the west of the Baixa, rises up yet another hill. This is the Knightsbridge of Lisbon, thick with elegant boutiques <strong>and</strong> designer shops. A disastrous fire <strong>in</strong> 1988 destroyed a huge area, but made space for elegant boutiques. Follow the Rua Garrett <strong>and</strong> slip <strong>in</strong><strong>to</strong> the mahogany booths of Brasileira, Lisbon’s oldest <strong>and</strong> most respected café. This was once the favourite water<strong>in</strong>g hole of poets, such as Fern<strong>and</strong>o Pessoa; <strong>to</strong>day a bronze statue of him has taken a seat, eternally <strong>and</strong> pensively, at a curb-side table. If tea is your tipple, f<strong>in</strong>d ‘Bernard’ <strong>in</strong> the Chiado. Refurbished, air-conditioned <strong>and</strong> famous for its pastries, it is a popular meet<strong>in</strong>g place for government officials, bus<strong>in</strong>ess people <strong>and</strong> shoppers. Tea, remember, was brought <strong>to</strong> Europe by Portuguese seamen <strong>and</strong> <strong>in</strong>troduced <strong>to</strong> Engl<strong>and</strong> by the Portuguese queen of Charles II, Cather<strong>in</strong>e of Bragança. <strong>The</strong> pleasant black tea from Mozambique is well worth sampl<strong>in</strong>g. <strong>The</strong> Bairro Al<strong>to</strong>, or upper <strong>to</strong>wn, is the Lat<strong>in</strong> Quarter of Lisbon, the district for restaurants, bars <strong>and</strong> fado nightclubs. Fado, the soulful Portuguese national music, recently made popular <strong>in</strong>ternationally by Mariza, is played slowly <strong>and</strong> dramatically on special guitars <strong>and</strong> lutes, <strong>and</strong> sung with passion <strong>and</strong> vigour. Fado is more than mov<strong>in</strong>g folklore. It is Weltschmerz, saudade, long<strong>in</strong>g, repentance <strong>and</strong> confession, self-pity <strong>and</strong> self-mourn<strong>in</strong>g, suffer<strong>in</strong>g <strong>and</strong> passion <strong>and</strong> the most sublime form of happ<strong>in</strong>ess – all wrapped <strong>in</strong><strong>to</strong> shared tears <strong>and</strong> quiet observance. Remember: real fado aficionados listen without comment or disruption. Go<strong>in</strong>g <strong>to</strong> a fado club early <strong>in</strong> the even<strong>in</strong>g is only for <strong>to</strong>urists; go late <strong>and</strong> stay late. As our tram ride cont<strong>in</strong>ues westward the roads straighten <strong>and</strong> the gradient eases. This is Estrela, where Lisboans work <strong>in</strong> offices <strong>and</strong> shop <strong>in</strong> street markets. From this plateau one has views across the terracotta roofs <strong>to</strong> the Tagus river <strong>and</strong> <strong>to</strong> Alcantara, the docks. <strong>The</strong> white <strong>to</strong>wer of Belem <strong>and</strong> the Jeronimos Monastery as well as the new Cultural Centre of Belem build<strong>in</strong>g are well worth a visit. Above it all <strong>to</strong>wers the enormous statue of Chris<strong>to</strong> Rei on the other bank, look<strong>in</strong>g down not only on the stupendous suspension bridge, but the mouth of the river that pours out its waters <strong>in</strong><strong>to</strong> the vast Atlantic Ocean. From here, courageous seamen once ventured <strong>to</strong> sail <strong>in</strong><strong>to</strong> unknown waters <strong>and</strong> discover mysterious shores on the other side of the world. EATING OUT Try one of the many typical restaurants of the Bairro Al<strong>to</strong>; the ‘Bota Alta’ on Travessa Queimada 35, tel: 00351 213 427959, or ‘Pap Acorda’ on Rua da Atalaia 57, tel: 00351 213 464811, are both popular <strong>and</strong> reservations are recommended. John Malkovich co-owns one of the trendiest restaurants <strong>in</strong> Lisbon, the Bica do Sapa<strong>to</strong>, <strong>and</strong> this is not <strong>to</strong> be missed. <strong>The</strong>y offer traditional Portuguese food, but the restaurant is better known for its sushi on the <strong>to</strong>p floor. Be sure <strong>to</strong> book! Tel: 00351 218 810320. Another experience is Lisbon’s oldest restaurant, ‘Tavares’ on Rua da Misericordia 37, tel: 00351 213 421112 – over 200 years old <strong>and</strong> very fashionable; don’t be surprised <strong>to</strong> f<strong>in</strong>d yourself sitt<strong>in</strong>g next <strong>to</strong> someone famous. Reservation is a must, <strong>and</strong> if you fail, try the ‘Tr<strong>in</strong>dade’, tel: 00 351 213 423 356 or “Aviz”, tel: 00351 218 876472. WHERE TO STAY We recommend ‘York House’. This is a charm<strong>in</strong>g small boutique hotel with a very colourful his<strong>to</strong>ry, <strong>and</strong> which began life 1606 as a convent. Each room is completely different <strong>and</strong> they vary from plush <strong>and</strong> cosy <strong>to</strong> m<strong>in</strong>imalistic. <strong>The</strong>re is a restaurant <strong>and</strong> bar, as well as a very charm<strong>in</strong>g courtyard where you can breakfast <strong>and</strong> take your afternoon tea. Tel: 00351 213 962435. For more palatial accommodation try the ‘Lapa’. This is a truly magnificent hotel. Ask for a room high up with a view <strong>to</strong> the Tagus River. Tel: 00351 213 949494. 37