Lisbon (Portugal) - Mass tourism, cool geography

Lisbon (Portugal)

21 October – 26 October 2017

There’s a lot to love about Lisbon. There’s a charm, elegance and a type of ‘time has forgotten’ type of feel to some its parts, then there’s the bold and modern challengers attempting to make their own statements as to the future of the city.  For me, it’s the city centre and the warren of streets around Alfama, sited below the imperious and impressive Castelo de Sao Jorge, that makes this town what it is. Couple that with Barrio Alto which feels like the centre of the universe for bars and restaurants and Baixa which acts as the connector between these wonderful areas, and my, you have the makings of a mighty fine city full of beauty, beguiling charm and some other intangible quality that lets you breath it in fully.

Baixa - Lisbon - Portugal

Barrio Alto - Lisbon - Portugal

View over Baixa to Alfalma and Castelo De Sao Jorge - Lisbon - Portugal

For me personally, I love Alfalma, a labyrinth and maze of narrow streets that seems to wrap around the base of the hill where Castelo de Sao Jorge resides. It’s atmospheric and contains a part of Lisbon that in many ways is now the ‘oddity’ of the city rather than what’s common place, but in that sense, that’s the way cities are these days, those older, more genuine, authentic areas are no longer that, they’re relics that are preserved for tourists and as such are become parodies of their former, younger selves.

We occupied a room in a lovely boutique hotel on the border of Baixa and Barrio Alto. Perfectly located and quite handy for the view out to the Tagus, which to me, always seems to be reflecting the sun like glass back into the city and lighting it up in that typically Iberian way.

Elevador de Santa Justa - Baixa - Lisbon - Portugal

Lisbon - Portugal

View of Lisbon from near Castelo De Sao Jorge - Lisbon - Portugal

View of Lisbon from near Castelo De Sao Jorge - Lisbon - Portugal

Alfalma - Lisbon - Portugal

We had this Jeep for our tour of Lisbon

Alfalma - Lisbon - Portugal

The Magical Mystery, now into its third city, was not just about arriving at destinations, we had plans to. Quite a few of them. From food tours, to city tours, to a night of Fado, we were able to get a look and feel of Lisbon from a number of angles and enjoyed the culinary delights, of which there are absolutely plenty.

Pastel de nata, I mean how good are these. Portuguese custard tarts in egg pastry, dusted with cinnamon. Delightful, moreish and just too difficult to resist. Then there’s the Bolinhos de bacalau, made from a mixture of potato & codfish, deep fried and absolutely exquisite. My own favourite and the king of discoveries which came from our first foodie tour was Bacalhau a Bras,  a dish made from shreds of salted cod, onions and thinly sliced potatoes, all bound up in scrambled eggs! This literally was THE BEST, I absolutely loved it. It’s said that the dish was to have originated in Barrio Alto, which is not so hard to believe considering this area is your major hub for all activities nocturnal.

Barrio Alto - Lisbon - Portugal

Torre de Belem - Belem - Lisbon - Portugal

Pastel de Nata - Lisbon - Portugal

Baixa - Lisbon - Portugal

Alfalma - Lisbon - Portugal

Alfalma - Lisbon - Portugal

On another one of our foodie tours we crossed the Targus to an area named Ginjal and spent some time at a typical restaurant by the name of Farol. It was there we were introduced to Vinho Verde (Green Wine). This is white wine that originates from the historic northern province of Minho. These wines are delightful, fresh, fruity and floral, and somehow just serves as the perfect accompaniment to Portuguese food.

Barrio Alto - Lisbon - Portugal

ABSOLUTELY

Hard Rock Cafe - Lisbon - Portugal

Barrio Alto - Lisbon - Portugal

Barrio Alto - Lisbon - Portugal

Alfalma - Lisbon - Portugal

Barrio Alto - Lisbon - Portugal

Outside of Lisbon itself we did take the time to make to the village of Sintra, known for its 19^th Century Romanticist architecture, historic estates, villas and of course numerous royal palaces. The most well known being the Pena Palace, of the same architectural style, the castle itself occupies a hill above the town of Sintra and has unbelievable views all the way out to the Atlantic Coast. Apparently its said that on a clear day it  can be seen from Lisbon some 30kms away, considering its colour scheme I’d say that I’m not entirely surprised. The build is actually an intentional mix of a variety of styles, Neo-Gothic, Neo-Islamic, Neo-Renaissance, and also has references to other historical and significant buildings in Lisbon, such as the Belem tower, which itself if a 16^th century fortification and occupies pride of place on the Targus, in Belem of course.

National Palace of Pena - Sintra - Portugal

National Palace of Pena - Sintra - Portugal

                                            National Palace of Pena - Sintra - Portugal

National Palace of Pena - Sintra - Portugal

National Palace of Pena - Sintra - Portugal

National Palace of Pena - Sintra - Portugal

The most westerly point in Europe - Cabo da Roca - Portugal

Cascais - Portugal

Cabo da Roca - Portugal

Now, Lisbon isn’t just ALL GOOD, it has its problems, and it appears, it has its problems with people like me directly. They are, along with Venice  & Barcelona, one of the cities pushing back against mass tourism. Damage to residents’ culture, heritage and day-to-day lives is becoming a substantial issue. Being the victim of your own popularity is of course detrimental to those that need to work, live and play in the space every day.

Alfalma - 'Mass Tourism Kills Lisbon'

Apologies, we are killing you softly

Tram 28 Lisbon - such a scenic run

But look for yourself, all tourists...

Baixa/Barrio Alto - Lisbon - Portugal

Barrio Alto - Lisbon - Portugal

Responsible tourism is now ‘a thing’ and the need to factor in sustainability for the sake of these cherished locations is a must. And to an extent I get that. Go to Venice, Dubrovnik or the Vatican on any day of the week and your involvement is nothing more than standing in an endless queue that progresses slowly around the location you’re visiting. High season in places like these are brutal…absolutely brutal, so truly, God help the population that live it day in and day out.

I don’t know what answers Lisbon will conjure up in its search for balance, all that I know is that we’ll be back, if in fact we’re welcome.

Lisbon (PORTUGAL) - another Seven Hills

Lisbon (Portugal)

06 September - 08 September 2015

The landscape out of Madrid as you head to the end of the continent is unchanging, almost unimaginative. Burnt, heat beaten, a country of various shades of brown extended relentlessly in front of the car dashboard. Riding shotgun can be a painful experience as the kilometers roll on buy and you wonder to yourself whether time passes differently when you're conscious of its transition. Somehow when time becomes the subject of focus then it appears to bask in its own innate control over all things.  That's the trick that time has up its sleeve, and your only real control over it is to cast it from your mind. To escape its grasp you need to escape its thought, thankfully sleep knows a trick or two regarding time's tyrannical rule. 

Arriving in Lisbon had felt somewhat momentous. We had effectively crossed the continent and were about to arrive at the launching point for the new world. From here you're able to see the edge of the world, and from there, Valhalla, perhaps? Or perhaps you can keep sailing and head-butt the Americas, if you were daring enough.

Ponte 25 Abril - Lisbon - Portugal

 Lisbon - Portgual

Lisbon - Portugal

Lisbon is an undeniably magical city and still, to an extent, not haunted by the ravages of populism, not yet at least. Inevitably it will get hit by the 'flavour of the month' wave,you can feel that its on its way. A city of this much beauty, not horrendously priced, it's placing itself in harms way.

We rolled into Lisbon on a beautiful Sunday afternoon, held high above the Targus on Ponte 25 Abril the city unfurled in front of us as we drove in from the south, terra cotta tiled buildings ofwhite, yellow and red colour, a rich tapestry being beaten by the Atlantic sun. Quite the impression after several hours of unrelenting monotony in the Iberian countryside.

Landing in the barrio of Baixa-Chiado we aimed up for the apartment that we'd reserved for a couple of days. That was problematic for the fact that we somehow failed to print off the reservation details for the place, didn't have internet access on our phones and encountered other 1st world digital problems. We ended up taking a fall back position at the fabulous Hotel do Chiado. This hotel and its accompanying view was just an absolute dream, let alone the incredible terrace that my cousin and I managed to hijack from our mothers. Apologies ladies but 'you snooze, you loose'. We were however gracious enough to invite the two ladies up for afternoon cocktails, so perhaps that made up for the way we poached the prime location from them.

Hotel do Chiado - Baixa-Chiado - Lisbon - Portugal

Hotel do Chiado - Baixa-Chiado - Lisbon - Portugal

Hotel do Chiado - Baixa-Chiado - Lisbon - Portugal

Hotel do Chiado - Baixa-Chiado - Lisbon - Portugal

Lisbon - Portugal

Lisbon - Portugal

Lisbon - Portugal

Looking out over the old part of town in front of us, the sun bouncing over off the terra cotta tiles and the Pombaline rococo, feet up, drink in hand and simply gazing out in admiration over what truly is an enchanting city, a large part of me felt quite content, even happy about the current situation. It was in fact a whole new beginning, a leap of fate of sorts. Packing up everything that we were accustomed to and heading to live in Serbia, whilst making sense, was still a change of substantial gravity. And whilst I can't say that I ever felt nervous or wrong about that decision I did secretly question myself as to how long it would last.  Only our good friend time could comfortably answer that question one way or the other.

Lisbon, a city of pure magic, also had its part to play. As the light faded out on our first day and we walked the cobbled amber lit streets, stepping across the tracks of the famed No.28 tram as we discovered more of our barrio. Ornate Moorish tiles adorned building facades, old weather beaten faces appeared on terraces and from behind large wooden doors as strains of Fado could be heard floating out of the occasional cafe or restaurant. You couldn't help but fall for a place like this.

Lisbon - Portugal

Castelo do Sao Jorge

The magnificent city of Lisbon with the September sun beating down

The nightlife in the city is juxtaposed perfectly with the atmosphere of the day. In Barrio Alto where my cousin and I went exploring, it was boisterous, loud, enchanting. There was music, the clinking of glasses, the sounds of cutlery hitting plates, waiters busily making there way through chairs and tables to take orders. The yellowish hues of lights stretching their arms to light streets and alleyways that were full, and apparently, are always so. It's the kind of vibrancy that has a gravitational pull, and much to my lament, is the type of environment that I use to long for in Sydney. On occasion I'd find pockets in Melbourne, for example Carlton, St.Kilda or Brunswick street. In Sydney, perhaps only Newtown ever felt like that to me. Here in Lisbon, it was just 'the way'. There's something cool about the authenticity of that feel, not needing to be unnecessarily manufactured.

At one time this city was not just the focal point of Europe but of the World itself. One of the richest and most influential in its time, the birthplace of the Age of Discovery, at the vortex of a global hub of trade and innovation, pulsing with the activities of traders, seafarers & conquistadors, they all left an indelible mark on a city that still basks in an old world glory but also carries it with noble dignity. It knows exactly where it came from and what it was, like a fading beauty whose self assurance can be witnessed by all just by being in their presence.

Lisbon - Portugal

The No.28 tram - on the way to Alfalma - Lisbon - Portugal

The No.28 tram - Alfalma - Lisbon - Portugal

Lisbon - Portugal

 The sun glimmering on the Targus river - Lisbon - Portugal

Vladimir at castelo de Sao Jorge - Lisbon - Portugal

The old area of Amalfa is a cobble stoned maze of alleyways that are lined by ancient houses, all clinging to the hill which eventually leads up to the castillo of Sao Jorge, a moorish piece of architecture which occupies a hilltop that holds epic views over the city. The magnificence is not just its architectural signature but also the light, its bright, sharp and somehow it bites. The way that the sun reflected off the Targus and bounded off the white buildings of the city, well, you couldn't ask more from any other jewel.

Castelo de Sao Jorge

Castelo de Sao Jorge - Lisbon - Portugal

Lisbon - Portugal

 Our apartment on Calcado do Combro - great view out to the Targus river - Lisbon - Portugal

Lisbon - Portugal

Lisbon - Portugal

A morning sunrise in Lisbon, and that can only mean one thing...time to leave

Lisbon is a special place. Hopefully its gets treated well in future, its not a place that needs to be lost to what too much appreciation can undeniably take away.