Month: December 2008

Posted on

Traditional Christmas window dressing in Lisbon & a pierced Santa Claus

Already in October Lisbon is busy decorating the streets and the trees with lots of Christmas lights. The windows of the shops are dressed up with Christmas decorations, and some are quite remarkable!  Portuguese creativity in Lisbon’s commercial heart 🙂

Lisbon Christmas window dressing Largo do Chiado

Christmas window dressing at Largo do Chiado

Elegant shopping district, close to luxury hotel Bairro Alto and Lisbon’s famous nightlife:  possibly one of the best spots in Europe for a night out!

Lisbon window dressing Christmas time Rua da Prata

Traditional Christmas window dressing  Rua da Prata

Lisbon remarkable Christmas window dressing penis piercings Santa Claus

In the same street, Rua da Prata 88, a pierced Santa Claus

TRIPARTE TATTOO – Body Piercing – Tattoo shop Rua da Prata, 88-90 Baixa, Lisboa

Christmas shopping Lisbon window Hermes

Hermés in December, they love ‘animal window dressing’, Largo do Chiado 9, Lisbon

Lisbon Christmas window dressing Biaxa

Baixa area
Lisbon remarkable Christmas window dressing stars wearing glasses

Rua do Carmo (2010)

Did you ever see stars in the sky wearing glasses ? This street is close to the famous tourist attraction ‘Santa Justa elevator’ (Elevador de Santa Justa) and my favorite square in Lisbon : Praça do Carmo

Lisbon remarkable window dressing Christams reindeer recommend sexual desire product

Rua da Madalena, a reindeer in the window is placed in front of a poster ‘ how to increase your sexual desire’ : ‘Libidosil‘ (2010)

..more about this remarkable street….

Remarkable window dressing Lisbon Alfama butcher shop

 Alfama, Rua dos Remedios,  talho (butcher) do Chafariz

Even de butchers decorate their shops for Christmas… 😉

Remarkable window dressing Lisbon hearing aid

…Hearing Aid shop & new batteries (pilhas 5 euro)

Christmas time in Lisbon tram decorations

Besides: Jingle bells! Even trams (Eletrico Natal) are decorated with lights and steered by Santa Claus himself!

Christmas time in Lisbon Tram and Santa Claus conductur

‘Boas Festas e Feliz Natal’ (Merry Christmas and happy New Year!), Praça da Figueira, more about this area……..

 

Posted on

Sightseeing Lisbon: Pasteis de Nata in Belém in a toy-like GoCar & hilly streets

A new, different and unique way to explore Lisbon: these tourist cars look like toys and if you’re driving one they make you laugh, sometimes out loud! People who see you driving start smiling or say ”Whow!”

GoCar Lisbon Rob and Julie

My friend Rob Plews (r) and I (I’m Julie Kruijs), December 2008. V

ery surprising is this car can talk, but not with a monotone voice. The unique GPS-system with a lovely lady (blond?) voice is really smart: she gives directions, cracks jokes and tells stories in English, Portuguese and French. Soon it will be available in Spanish and German. But you can turn it off if you like and listen to music. Car top-speed is 50km/h

GoCar office Lisbon Leonel Santos Soares and Joao Paiva Mendes

GoCar office Lisbon

Leonel Santos Soares and João Paiva Mendes in their office, Rua dos Douradores 16.

” When we started with GoCar Tours in September, 2 tourists told us after their tour that the police stopped their car. “Oh my God, did we do something wrong?” they wondered. “Are they going to fine us?” But no, the policemen simply wanted to know where they could rent one for themselves. Another GoCar customer, middle-aged, trundled back after his experience and said – “You have just knocked twenty years off my age!”

GoCar Lisbon Rob Plews near Park Principe Real

Rob Plews enjoys the little car 🙂

You can stop wherever you want for photos, grab a coffee or break for lunch. Or you can blaze your own trail and explore the city streets, neighborhoods and parks on your own.

GoCar Lisbon December 2008 hilly streets

Hilly streets of Lisbon

We decided to try out some hilly streets in Lisbon with this small car (it made it!), then we drove to Belém, where we enjoyed a few of Lisbon’s most celebrated custard tarts: Pasteis de Belém. No parking problems! We locked our cute little helmets up in the boot.

Lisbon Belem Pasteis

Pastel de Nata (portuguese egg tart pastry), delicious and famous!

Pasteis de Belém, Antiga Confeitaria, Rua de Belém 84-92. The recipe of Lisbon’s most celebrated custard tarts is still a well-kept secret….

As part of the GPS Tours Network, several exciting tours in Lisbon are available: one for the Central Baixa, for Belém, the Sao Jorge Castle or to the Expo. Rental rates: see Website GoCar Tours

GoCar Office Rua dos Douradores 16 Lisbon

GoCars, Rua dos Douradores 16. Open from 9AM to 6PM. Tel: (00351) 21 0967926 or (00351) 914275341. Email: reservation-pt@gocartours.com