Nov 012021
 

October 2021

 

I have been wandering around Lisbon flummoxed.  I am staying at a very nice hotel in the Braixa area, but directly across the street are old lovely buildings that appear to be, not only neglected, but abandoned.

One can travel around the world and never get questions answered but thanks to an expatriate American that has been more than generous with her time, and a lot of cab drivers, I am beginning to understand.

A very small section of a world map at the Monument of the Discoveries, showing all the territories conquered by Portugal

I really knew nothing of the history of Portugal, well sure Vasco de Gama is known to any school child, the horrors he inflicted, not so much. So I knew of Portugal’s colonialist period.  I have already discussed the great earthquake of 1755, but that is, as they say, ancient history.

The colonialist Portugal does not explain the abandoned buildings across from this modern, upscale hotel.

I have since learned that much of what I see can be laid at the feet of the Estado Novo or The Second Portuguese Republic.

Street art in Lisbon

The Estado Novo, was a product of conservative and autocratic ideologies developed by Antonio de Oliveira Salazar, the President of the Council of Ministers from 1932, until he had a stroke and was unable to continue holding the office.

The Estado Novo movement was one of the longest running authoritarian regimes in Europe.

The regime was driven by a very conservative, corporate oriented, nationalistic, pro-Catholic bias.  The intent was to create a multi-continental nation that included Angola, Mozambique and other Portuguese territories.

From 1950 until Salazar’s death in 1970, Portugal saw its GDP per capita increase at an annual average rate of 5.7 per cent.

Under normal circumstances, this would be a laudable goal, and yet Portugal had the lowest per capita income in Western Europe.  It also had the highest rate of preventable deaths and infant mortality in Europe.

Today, Salazar’s Portugal is summed up as repressive and backward.  After the coup of 1974 that removed him,  a democratic Portugal came into being, it  joined the European Union in 1986, and living standards have risen, and Portugal is coming into its own.

This stunning piece of art is by José Sobral de Almada Negreiros. It is in, what is now, the Four Seasons Hotel, which was built during the Estado Novo, as a meeting place for the nations of Portugal

There are other reasons for the buildings of disrepair I see and that is one you can find in so many countries of the world, an antiquated inheritance system.  In Portugal if you do not leave a will, your property is divided equally amongst your family members.  I imagine it was difficult to find the money to write up a will under an authoritarian regime, when you were too poor to even visit a doctor, and because of this many of the buildings I see, while having a mortgage that was paid off ages ago, is owned by an unknown number of family members whom probably can not agree on red or white wine with dinner, let alone what to do with a piece of property, that frankly isn’t costing you a dime if it just sits there and rots.

Portugal is a gem, and with help from the EU and debt forgiveness from other foreign entities, it is slowly moving forward.

A block long row of Art Deco buildings not far from the Gulbenkian Museum

If one simply looks at the architecture you can see there have been glorious spurts of energy.  There are buildings that date prior to the 18th century, stunning art deco buildings, and modern sky scrapers. It is a very complicated, and overlooked pearl.

I have just a few more things to add regarding my last day in Lisbon.  The first is the Museu da Agua.  I love aqueducts, they are such an efficient way to deliver water, and date back to the beginning of time.  You can spot an ancient aqueduct when driving around Lisbon, and at the end of one of the sections is the museum.

The focal point of the museum is this fountain, with its spitting dolphin at the top, covered with hundreds of years of mineral salts, that have created this luscious piece of art.

Built between 1731 and 1799, the Águas Livres Aqueduct formed a vast system that ran for approximately 36 miles from springs north-west of Lisbon to the capital.

The museum sits in a building designed, in 1746,  by the Hungarian architect Carlos Mardel. The fountain shown above pours into a reservoir built to receive and distribute the water brought to the city by the Águas Livres Aqueduct.  The tank has a capacity of roughly 200,000 cubic feet.  The reservoir has been classified as a national monument since 1910.

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You can climb to the roof of the building and on the way look into the aqueduct itself

April 25th Monument

25th of April Monument by João Cutileiro

The statue is in honor of the Carnation Revolution. This was the military coup that overthrew with authoritarian Estado Novo regime.  It sits atop of a hill that looks down to the Tagus River.  Below the statue is the Eduardo VII Park, the largest park in central Lisbon and designed by architect Keil do Amaral. The park was named for King Edward VII of the UK, who visited Portugal in 1903 to strengthen relations between the two countries.

Looking down towards the river you see another statue.  That is a remarkable statue dedicated to Marques de Pombal, a Portuguese statesman and diplomat who effectively ruled the Portuguese Empire from 1750 to 1777. Pombal led Portugal’s recovery from the 1755 Lisbon earthquake and modernized the kingdom’s administrative, economic, and ecclesiastical institutions.

The statue is rather impressive.

Photo from Pinterest

Wandering towards Eduardo VII Park I tripped over this Fernando Botero sculpture.

Lisbon is a city that takes time to get to know.  It is a very small town that feels like a very large city.  It is approximately 39 square miles with a population of just under 550,000.  That is not a large population for a city that size. Simply compare that to my home town San Francisco, with a size of just under 47 square miles and a population 873,965.

Lisbon has a lot of ah ha moments, getting lost, wandering alleyways is the only way to really see the city and that is what I did.

Ginja is a sour cherry liquor that is cloyingly sweet. It is thought that its origins, like many “medicinal liquors” occurred sometime in the 17th century at the hands of Cistercian monks.  Walk the alleyways of Lisbon, and grandmothers invite you in to try it and buy it.

The candle shop Caza das Vellas Loreto is one of the oldest shops in Lisbon. Opened in 1789 the shop has been in the hands of the same family for seven generations. It was near halloween so the window display was orange, but it varies in color with the seasons.

A dear friend sent me an email on my last day insisting I get to Luvaria Ulisses.  It was worth the very short walk. At most, 2 people can step into the store at one time, and they produce stunning gloves in every imaginable color. Opened in 1923 to cater to the stylish women of Lisbon it is a gem.

There are hundreds of moments like this if you let yourself get lost in Lisbon.

 

Oct 292021
 

October 2021

Calouste Gulbenkian Museum

Born in Istanbul of Armenian parentage, Calouste Sarkis Gulbenkian (1869–1955) built a huge fortune through oil.  He was not an oil baron but a negotiator between companies, and was known as the 5% man, for taking 5% off the top of all his contracts. He amassed an art collection which he kept in a private museum in his home in Paris. An art expert said in a 1950 issue of Life magazine that “Never in modern history has one man owned so much.” Today, most of his art is exhibited at Calouste Gulbenkian Museum in Lisbon.  The foundation in Portugal is one of the wealthiest foundations in the world. The museum was established according to his will and there are over 6,000 items in the museum’s collection, and they are truly impressive. I had gone specifically to see an exhibit on Dante, the exhibit woefully disappointed but the garden did not.

The garden surrounds the buildings of the foundation and are the perfect way to simply slow down.

It is hard to project the peacefulness one feels wandering this garden in the center of a bustling city.

The garden was built in the late 1960s, and was designed by landscape architects António Viana Barreto and Gonçalo Ribeiro Telles.  Parts of the garden have recently been redesigned by Japanese architect Kengo Kuma.

This sculpture, at the entry to the museum, was based on a photograph of Calouste Gulbenkian sitting under a statue of Horus at the Temple of Horus at Edfu.

There was a special exhibit of the artist of the divine stories of Tin Tin, this was at the entry.

Estufa Fria

Please take a close look at the nymph pinching the dolphins nose. I have never seen anything quite like it.

How does one describe Estufa Fria.  Today one would simply call it a botanical garden, but there is more to it than that.   This was a failed quarry, mainly due to water intrusion. So an unnamed gardener chose to start planting in this spot, a perfect place for his exotic collection of botanical species. Eventually, the plans were for the plants to be transplanted to the Avenida da Liberdade gardens. But, with the onset of World War I, everything was postponed, and the plants began to settle in and the garden was created. The garden has suffered throughout history, but today the park is filled with green houses, hot houses, and even a cold house. Today it also is a venue for public events.  If you just desperately need to get away from the madness of Lisbon, this is the place.

I was captivated by a exhibit, of what I assume were children’s creations of Japanese Peace Cranes

In one of the hothouses you can enjoy the cranes with very pleasant music created by Tibetan singing bowls

Gardens of Marquesses of Fronteira

The third garden of my day was attached to the Palace of the Marquesses of Fronteira. The palace was built in 1671 as a hunting pavilion to Dom João de Mascarenhas, 1st Marquis of Fronteira.

The palace is still occupied by the Marquesses of Fronteira and therefore, private.  You can tour the home in the morning, I missed that, but the gardens are open all day.

I learned of the gardens because of the azulejos, but that does not come close to describing the garden. Yes, the azulejos are stunning but the structure and design of the garden are to be appreciated as well.

There are two black swans that grace the large rectangular pool, that is also filled with koi

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There is a divine grotto with a pool, while not filled with water on my visit it was easy to imagine what it looked like in its glory. It was adorned all around with tiles of fishing themes.

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On the other side of the wall is more of the garden, this quite obviously done in a far more modern time

Traveling can be taxing, and sometimes, a full day just needs to be spent slowing down.  I was fortunate as the rain managed to hold back until I hoped into a cab at my last stop, and then it decided that a full shower was needed. What a delight.

This was a day where I could have posted 100 photos, I hope I chose the best to give you an impression of the gardens, they each deserve a post of their own.

Oct 292021
 

October 2021

 

If you arrive by train, this is the ticket booth.  The town becomes magical with the azulejos, upon arrival.

The first building you encounter after embarking from the train is the Town Hall.  The fairytale continues.


May I begin with a complaint?  Sintra is one of the most discussed, lauded, and praised places outside of Lisbon. It is amazing, and worth a visit, and in fact, I would suggest a day and a half, not the day that most people allot, however, it is also suffering severely from over tourism.  My visit was unpleasant at best.  It felt like a day at Disneyland with lines to enter the different sites having a minimum of a twenty minute wait. Then the places were over run with tourists with unruly children.  For gods sake, one woman was changing her child’s diaper on a 1000 year old table.  I know how desperately economies need tourist dollars, but there is a point where tourism ruins why you visit.  Sintra is also a UNESCO World Heritage Site, another factor in the discussion.

I will also add that I wonder –  is part of this because Sintra is one of the wealthiest and most expensive municipalities in both Portugal and the Iberian Peninsula as a whole, and that Madonna bought a place here for what was reported to be $8,927,470?  Maybe people are hoping to espy the Material Girl?

 

I took well over 300 photos of the area, so bear with me, these will be few and random with an explanation as best I can.

I began in town at the Palacio National, not a very visited site.  I was in love with the ceilings.

In the Palacio Nacional It is not known when these were painted, but it is thought they date to the 14th century. The crowned swan was an emblem used by Henry IV of England.

This is the Magpies Chamber and is thought to date to the 15th century. There are 135 magpies, but the significance is unknown.

Just a small taste of a carved wood ceiling

This was originally the estate of the viscountess of Regaleira, a family of wealthy merchants from Porto. It was sold to Carvalho Moneiro in 1892 and with the help of Italian architect Luigi Manini he expanded the gardens. He also added some interesting touches of mysticism.

In 1987, the estate was sold to the Japanese Aoki Corporation and became a corporate entity. It was then acquired by the Sintra Town Council and is now part of the “Disneyland of Sintra”.

At Regaleira people wander aimlessly looking for the infamous wells. The wells never served as water sources. Instead, they were used for ceremonial purposes that included Tarot initiation rites. Remember I said, there was mysticism involved. The larger well, open to tourists,  is where you descend an 88 foot spiral staircase with several small landings. The spacing of these landings, combined with the number of steps in the stairs, are linked to Tarot mysticism. Other references may be to Freemasonry, Rosicrucianism or Knights Templar rituals.

Looking down on the stairwell of the well of Regaleira

Palacio de Pena Sintra Portugal – on the advice of a local I skipped this, and I am glad I did, if for no other reason, I ran out of time. And yes, I am aware that it is the number one loved spot by tourists, I am not a tourist.  This was taken from the Castle of the Moors.

One of my more treasured moments was the Monserrate Palace, simply because very few tourist go there.  It is jaw dropping amazing.  It sits upon a piece of land with gardens that go on forever, and a house whose artistry is beguiling. The design was influenced by Romanticism and Mudéjar Moorish Revival architecture with Neo-Gothic elements.

The interior hallway of Montserrat

According to the plaque next to this arch it is an Indian Arch acquired by Sir Francis Cook in the wake of the Sepoy Mutiny.  ” this uprising broke out on 10 May 1857 as a means of protest against the campaign of westernization engaged in by the British East India Company.  The British army ended up defeating the mutineers and, in response to the attempt at rebelling, Indian palaces were sacked and destroyed.  Much of the spoils therein obtained were brought to Europe.”

Well at least they admit it.

I ended my day at the top of the world and what they call the Castle of the Moors.

Here are some random shots from my day:

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Sintra is absolutely worth a visit, and as I said, more than one day if you are serious.  If you visit, hire a driver.  Not a guide, but a driver.  There are two bus routes served by city buses but they run about 30 minutes apart, so if your timing is off, you waste a lot of time sitting and waiting.  Every site has its own entry fee, so the day is not cheap, choose wisely, but please, despite my criticisms go, it is worth it.

Oct 292021
 

October 2021

 

Comércio Square

This is the Rua Augusta Arch because it is found at the end of the street that bears that same name. The arch faces Comércio Square. Designed by Portuguese architect Santos de Carvalho to celebrate the reconstruction of Lisbon after the 1755 earthquake. It was not completed until 1873.

The arch opens up to the Comércio Square.  This is Lisbon’s main square and it was built on the site where the old Royal Palace used to exist before it was destroyed by the earthquake of 1755.

In the center of the square is a bronze equestrian statue of Joseph I of Portugal (1750 – 1777) the King of Portugal during the Great Earthquake, it was designed by Machado de Castro in 1775. The world has plenty of statues of men on horses, but what I loved about this one was the elephant on one side.

Casa do Bicos

Casa dos Bicos was built in the early 16th century its curious façade of spikes was apparently influenced by Italian Renaissance palaces and the Portuguese Manueline styles. It survived the  1755 Lisbon earthquake but over time was abandoned as a residence and eventually used as a warehouse. After a renovation it became the headquarters of the José Saramago Foundation and the Museum of Lisbon.

José de Sousa Saramago was a Portuguese writer and recipient of the 1998 Nobel Prize in Literature. A proponent of libertarian communism, Saramago criticized institutions such as the Catholic Church, the European Union and the International Monetary Fund. His books have sold millions of copies and have been translated into at least 25 languages.

In front of the building is this lone olive tree where Saramago’s ashes are buried.

Looking up at the unusual balconies on the Casa dos Bicos

Mosteiro dos Jerónimos

In 1496, King Manuel I (1495–1521) petitioned the Holy See for permission to construct a monastery as thanksgiving to the Virgin Mary to celebrate Vasco de Gama’s voyage to India.

The construction of the monastery and church began in 1501, and was not completed for another 100 years.

The Monastery was once filled with monks of the Order of St Jerome, whose job for four hundred years was to comfort sailors and pray for the king’s soul. When the order was dissolved in 1833, the monastery was used as a school and orphanage, until about 1940.

The church of the Mosteiro dos Jeronimos

This is looking back towards the front door of the church. The church is unique in that it has a single nave, but what makes it amazing is its roof and columns.

Inside is the tomb of Vasco de Gama.

 

Attached to the church is the cloister.

The cloister is one of the most impressive examples of Manueline architecture in Portugal.


The construction was lead by Diogo de Boltaca and began early in the 16th century.

However it was João de Castilho who was responsible for most of the stonework that decorates the arches and balustrades.  Work that is just amazing to behold.

In 1985 when Portugal joined the European Economic Community, the formal ceremonies were held in the cloister.

On December 13, 2007, the Treaty of Lisbon was signed at the monastery. The treaty laid down the basis for the reform of the European Union.

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Azulejos in the refectory of the Mosteiro dos Jerónimos

 

MAAT

The Museum of Art, Architecture and Technology (MAAT) is a project of the EDP Foundation (Energía Del Pacífico, in other words, the electric company). The museum consists of two separate buildings.  The big brick building was Portugal’s first power station and the second is a modern building designed by British architect Amanda Levete. The modern building is one big swooping façade covered in 15,000 three-dimensional white ceramic tiles There is a stairway that leads to the roof of the modern building that gives a spectacular view of the Tagus River.

The former power station dates from 1908 and was in use until 1975. It opened to the public as a museum in 1990. The industrial architecture is immaculately preserved, and this photographer thought she had died and gone to heaven when she saw all of the machinery.

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This is part of the present exhibit in the modern building titled The Big Dream.

Ai Wei Wei in Lisbon

This sculpture is outside of a building that once was a naval rope factory, the Cordoaria Nacional.  It is now a special exhibition hall and presently is housing an exhibit by Ai Wei Wei.

Forever Bicycles (2015), a monumental sculpture with 960 stainless steel bicycles used as building blocks.

 

Oct 262021
 

October 2021

Azulejos were originally Moorish, then Spanish, and later a Portuguese art form.  These tiles have been produced since the 14th century.

At first, the term was used to denote only North African mosaics, but it became the accepted word for an entirely decorated tile about 5 to 6 inches square.

Azulejo comes from the Arabic word az-zulayj, meaning “little stone” or “polished stone.” The Moors painted their tiles in Arab-influenced zellige style, using amazingly elaborate geometric patterns adhering to the Islamic tradition of ornamentation devoid of human figures.

At the Monastery of São Vicente de Fora. An unbroken tiled pattern winds throughout the entire monastery, from the entranceway and across the gallery to the indoor hallways and atriums. A total of around 100,000 tiles were used, making it the world’s largest collection of Baroque tiles.

The industry grew popular in Lisbon around 1550 when immigrating Flemish artists began experimenting with the art form. This was during the reigns of Philip II, III, and IV when Portugal was struggling to  become independent of Spain.  Spain virtually ceased to manufacture them by the 18th century.

Portuguese exports of tiles to the Azores, Madeira, and Brazil began in the 17th century. Azulejos produced in Puebla, Mexico, later became the tile of this art form that most westerners are aware of.

Initially, one-colour versions of the tiles were used in Portugal in decorative chessboard patterns.

Eventually variations began to include polychrome designs;

Then they began to include scenes with military or religious themes;

The Chicken’s Wedding

Some of my favorites were ridiculously fun singeries (French for Monkey Trick) which depicted monkeys in human roles.

The use of ridiculous depictions of mythical beings also added a touch of whimsey to many of the pieces.

Pan or Silenus

I do not know the story behind this dog and his torch

In the cafe at the Museum of Azulejos

The Museum of Azulejo sits inside the Madre de Deus Convent, founded in 1509 by Queen D. Leonor. The elements of the church were breathtaking, and the murals religiously interesting.

The earthquake of 1755 did a lot of damage to the grand buildings covered in Azulejos that one associates with Portugal.

The use of continuous blue tiles, accented with blue balconies is a real attention getter in the narrow streets of the Santa Cruz neighborhood. This simpler style of tile is called pombalinos after the Marquis of Pombal, who was responsible for the rebuilding efforts after the 1755 earthquake.

The tile below is a closeup of the tiles that cover the house you see in the photo below. 

Found in the Chiada section of Lisbon, this building dates from 1863, it’s completely covered in mostly yellow and orange tiles with images representing Earth, Water, Science, Agriculture, Commerce and Industry. At the top is a star with an eye in the center, symbolized the Creator of the Universe.

The best way to see a vast collection of tiles and receive a valuable education is to visit both the Museum of Azulejos and the Monastery of Saint Vincent de Fora.

Above is just one of the 38 panels that make up part of the Monastery of Sao Vicente de Fora collection.  These panels are the fables of La Fontaine, created by master Policarpo de Oliveira Bernardes between 1740 and 1750.  Jean de La Fontaine was a French fabulist and one of the most widely read French poets of the 17th century.

 

In the Azulejo Museum I fell in love with the above tile.  It was by Rafael Bordalo Pinheiro (1846-1905).  Born in Lisbon, he is one of the most well know tile artists of his time.

 

In the Azueljo museum is a 75 foot long tile panoramic view of Lisbon prior to the 1755 earthquake.   This small section above, where you can see smoking chimneys was the neighborhood of Mocambo, where many of Lisbon’s potteries were located.  The district today is called Madragoa, a term that in Umbundo means small village, place of refuge.  This is the area where a significant part of the population was once freed slaves.

Map of the North Pole, a Geometric Pentagon, and a Geometric Pyramid from the 18th century

 

At one time is was a fad to copy etchings. This Image was based on the engraving “Mars” from the series “Twelve Months” by Henri II Bonnart, Paris c. 1678

 

Walking down one of the narrow alleys of the Santa Cruz neighborhood I spotted this.

Oct 262021
 

October 2021

Lisbon sits on a Bay fed by the Tagus River and emptying into the Atlantic Ocean. For this reason, much occurs on the waterfront of Lisbon.

The Tower of Belem

Belém Tower, officially known as the Tower of Saint Vincent, is a 16th-century fortification. The tower served as a point of embarkation and disembarkation for Portuguese explorers and as a ceremonial gateway to Lisbon. It was built during the height of the Portuguese Renaissance, and is a prominent example of the Portuguese Manueline, or Portuguese Late Gothic, style, with a lot of liberty taken to include some other interesting designs.  It was made a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1983. – Sadly the tower was closed on the day of my visit.

On the water side of the tower is a fast deteriorating sculpture of a rhinoceros. This is what made the Tower of Belem interesting to me. This sculpture portrays King Manuel I’s famous pet, the first rhinoceros since Roman times, to arrive in Europe. The story is long and, frankly, not terribly interesting, suffice it to say the poor animal was a gift to impress one king, then given to another, and eventually died, due to arrogance of kings and boredom by same said kings.  What fascinated me, is that this rhinoceros was the reason for the infamous wood block by Albrecht Dürer.

Photo from Wikipedia

Dürer prepared a pen sketch relying on a written description of the King’s rhinoceros. Dürer never saw the animal but his woodcut became so famous that for two centuries it was the only rhinoceros Europeans ever saw.

The Monument of Discoveries

The Monument of Discoveries

This was originally a temporary structure, built in 1940, to honor Prince Henry the Navigator (who died 500 years earlier).  It was also built to glorify the “feats” of Portuguese explorers for the propagandistic 1940 “Portuguese World Exhibition.”  The monument was rebuilt in concrete and limestone in 1960.

Built in the shape of a ship it is lined on two sides with 32 figures from the 15th and 16th centuries. There is, however, only one female figure, Prince Henry’s mother, the Queen.

Children boating in the shadow of the Monument of the Discoveries

From the Monument you can see a replica of the Golden Gate Bridge and Rio de Janiero’s Christ the Redeemer.

OK, not exactly.  While the bridges are similar in color, they aren’t as alike as you would think.  But there is a SF/Lisbon connection, albeit, rather a thread.  The company that built the Lisbon bridge built the SF-Oakland Bay Bridge.  The Lisbon Bridge is the 44th longest suspension bridge in the world. The Golden Gate Bridge is the 18th. The upper platform of the Lisbon Bridge has six lanes of traffic, the lower, two train tracks.

The statue at the end of the bridge is called Christ the King.  It was inspired by the Christ the Redeemer after the Cardinal Patriarch of Lisbon visited Brazil

The Castle of Saint George in the Alfama Area

The castle sits atop Lisbon’s tallest hill. The area was fortified even before the Roman occupation, with the Visigoths and the Moors leaving their mark as well. The castle is a restored version of the Moorish construction, which largely collapsed in the 1755 earthquake. It was also the royal residence, before the king decided to build a palace on the waterfront, which was also completely destroyed in the earthquake.

One visits, not for the rewritten history, but for the serene garden, the views and a fun walk around the little borough of Santa Cruz.

Fun sights I caught while walking around the exterior of the castle

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I espied this woman staring at the inanity of tourism going on around her, and then later walked by the house.  The neighborhood of Santa Cruz has placed photos of the elder of the residents throughout the borough, and as I walked by the house, there she was with her husband.

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Lisbon runs at such a slower pace than so much of the rest of the world, that it is interesting to see how little I actually get done each day.  At the same time, it gives one time to see the surroundings in a hole new light.

Oct 262021
 

October 2021

One of the first things you read of Lisbon is about the 1755 Earthquake.  It was All Saints Day and the churches were packed to the rafters.  The earthquake was followed by a fire, and then a tsunami, killing an estimated 15,000 people in Lisbon alone.

The religious overtones regarding the disaster were abundant.  Many argued that it was an act of divine wrath, against a city that was not only famous for its wealth but also for its Inquisition and idolatry.  Voltaire was one of those, writing A Poem of the Lisbon Disaster,  propounding his views that evil exists and man is doomed to be unhappy on earth.  Voltaire went on to drive his point home with his famous novel Candide.

Carmo Convent, now an archaeological museum has been left un-repaired to remind all of the damage done by that earthquake.

The first thing I noticed upon walking out the door of my hotel were the pavings.  These little pavers are called calceteiros and the paths which they create are called calçada. It’s believed that the first of these types of pavers were laid at Castelo São Jorge in 1842, but, if so, they no longer exists.

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Casa Chineza on Rua Aurea is a pastry shop, still in existence, the brackets above the awning, while hard to spot were just so whimsical and fun.

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One of the most recognizable and beloved landmarks of Lisbon is the Elevador de Santa Justa.

Elevador de Santa Justa

Inaugurated in July of 1902, Lisbon’s residents were so excited to try this novelty, that over 3000 tickets were sold on the first day, and by the end of its first year it had carried more than half a million people.  Today it is primarily a tourist attraction, but also a very good way to get from the Baixa up to the Carmo Convent without climbing massive amounts of stairs.

The Elevador stands just under 150 feet high and it is not a coincidence that it resembles the Eiffel Tower, the architect of the lift was Raoul Mesnier de Ponsard, an admirer of Gustave Eiffel.

Ponsard applied many of the same techniques used in the Eiffel Tower, such as its iron structure and the gorgeous neo-gothic arches and geometric patterns.

The small trams of Lisbon are iconic. There are currently five different routes and 58 trams, of which 40 are vintage streetcars.

Looking down on the Rossio, once the center of Lisbon, this is now just a open space for hanging out. It was paved with wave-pattern mosaics in the mid 19th century.

Looking down on the Elevador and the Carmo Convent from the Alfama Neighborhood

At the top of one of Lisbon’s many hills is the Jardim de São Pedro de Alcântara with a view of the city.  The trees of the park are filled with parrots, reminiscent of San Francisco’s Parrots of Telegraph Hill.

Church of Sao Roque

Wandering down from the park you come upon the Church of Saint Roche. The church was founded at the end of the 16th century at the height of the Jesuit Order. The chapels are adorned with precious stones, lapis lazuli, alabaster, gold, silver and ornate mosaics. The art collection that belongs to the church is rather impressive.

The Lottery Seller outside of the Church of Sao Roque

This is – O Cauteleiro – or the Lottery Seller. It was sculpted by Fernando Assis and placed at Largo Trindade Coelho in front of the church in 1987.  Passers-by rub the ticket  in his right hand for good luck, which over the years has given it that shine.


With the establishment of the Portuguese Republic in 1910, A Brasileira became a meeting point for Portuguese intellectuals, writers and artists, including Fernando Pessoa, Portugal’s most celebrated twentieth century poet .  A Brasileira is said to be the home of the bica, or extremely strong espresso.

This is Fernando Pessoa, known to enjoy absinthe and the bica while chain smoking at A Brasileira. Sculpted by  Lagoa Henriques it was placed outside the restaurant in 1988 as a tribute to the poet.

A lovely ornamented water cover

The inside of Mundo Fantástico da Sardinha Portuguesa, the greatest sardine show on Earth

Lisbon is known for its cod, but also its sardines, this little store has taken it over the top with a store filled with nothing but tinned sardines in a circus atmosphere.

At the top of the Elevador in the shadow of the Carmo Convent you can stop for pasteis de bacalhau  (fried codfish, mashed potatoes and cheese) and a glass of port.  To my surprise, the port was actually a perfect accompaniment.  This port was not sweet, but acidic, cutting through the fish and cheese in a way to make it a perfect mouthful.

It was a beautiful day and a perfect way to slow down and enjoy a Sunday in Lisbon.