The (yellow) and famous tourist attraction funicular in Bica. Artist Alexandre Farto  covered the outside of the funicular with mirror-acrylic, called it ’Espectro’  (Spectre) and pays tribute to the neighbourhood that is reflected in the lift during the journey, as if it were a film…. (From January – June 2010). Amazing!

This project  ‘Art in movement’  (”Arte em Movimento”) is part of a Cultural Program for the promotion of Public Art, which CARRIS  (bus & tram services including timetables) intends to carry out in some vehicles of its public service fleet. In 2010, the chosen vehicles were one lift (the Santa Justa) and the 3 funiculars, all of them are national monuments since 2002.

Typical Portuguese:  hanging laundry, drying in the wind.

It climbs the Rua da Bica de Duarte Belo for 245 metres from the Rua Sao Paulo.

Largo de Santo Antoninho, right next to Bica’s funicular downhill starting point.

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Who’s watching who? Picture: Abilio Leitao

The famous Oceanarium (Oceanário) in Lisbon is the largest aquarium in Europe, with over one million visitors per year. The main tank contains approximately 5000 litres of water! A remarkable but hidden world with creatures weird and wonderful. The guided tours are a powerful educational tool that covers a broad range of scientific knowledge and stimulates learning about the oceans.

Picture: Carla Robalo Martins. Himantura uarnak (Honeycomb stingray)

The Lisbon Oceanarium website (also in English) includes all the info you need about opening hours, exhibiotions, prices and how to get there. Located in Parque das Nações (Park of the Nations), at the south end of Doca dos Olivais, a wonderful area for children! The Oceanarium Center also promotes a range of sporting activities, like canoing, windsurfing and sailing for children and adults.

There’s lots of possibilities to bike, roller skate, skate or walk by the river, and there are many green spaces for playing ball.  More information and highlights

Pavilion of Knowledge. Picture Fernanda Sampaio

Also located in this Park is The Pavilion of Knowledge (Pavilhão do Conhecimento), an interactive science and technology museum that aims to make science accessible to all, stimulating experimentation and exploration of the physical world. There are interactive blocks as well as recreation and formative areas reserved for children. See, do and learn!

Located in the city center, the Lisbon Zoo (Jardim Zoológico) has one of the best zoological collections in the world: more than 2.000 animals and 350 different species approximately, lodged in areas increasingly similar to their natural habitats. Many of them come from former Portuguese colonies like Brasil and Africa. You can watch the dolphin’s bay show or feeding time for the sea lions, and ride a cable car.

Picture: Joaquim Alves Gaspar. Two Pot-bellied pigs (Sus domesticus) resting at the Lisbon Zoo

A complementary area located at the entrance of the Zoo, the “Animax’ fair, is free of charge and has a variety of rides including the carousel, the seagulls, the crazy helicopter, as well as restaurants, shops and resting areas. Website with opening times and entry costs

Parque dos Índios (Indians Park) , located in Benfica

One of the best parks for children in Lisbon with scenic views and two different areas: for younger children, aged up to 5, and for those aged 6 to 12. This is a park with a pretty landscape, offering a good place for adults to rest at the outdoor cafe. The space is wide, allowing you to watch the kids having fun. More pictures….

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The price for eacht ticket is € 20 for adults and € 10 for children.

These Tagus river boat trips are onboard of a renovated, traditional ‘Cacilheiro‘, the boats that, in former times, ferried the local population across the river. This type of ferry is called “cacilheiro” because it connects Lisbon to Cacilhas (Almada) on the south side of the river.

Praça do Comércio, June 2009

The trips are organised by Transtejo, starting at Praça do Comércio ferry terminal, at the foot of the hill dominated by the Castle of São Jorge (Castle of Saint George) and the historical neighborhood Alfama.

Alfama and The National Pantheon (Panteão Nacional) in which important Portuguese personalities are buried, like Amalia Rodrigues, the very famous fado singer.

São Rafael ‘twin towers’

Parque das Nações (Park of the Nations) is a modern, commercial and residential area. The Vasco da Gama is a multi-story shopping centre, around 200 stores selling a full range of products. Many attractions built for the Expo ‘98 remained and keep drawing visitors, such as the Oceanarium, one of the world’s biggest aquariums.

Ponte 25 de Abril (25th of April Bridge) and Christo Rei (Christ the King) Statue

The enormous Christo Rei monument is built in 1959 in thanks to God for having spared Portugal during World War II, inspired by the famous statue in Rio de Janeiro. ‘God opens his arms to the city’. How to get there

Chef máquinista (engineer) João Celestina Silva and Antonio Duarte (captain)

The boats have a capacity of 279 people. Two of the four saloons are open air and all have a bar (one free drink) and tourist information available in various languages, provided by the stewards on board.

Torre de Belém

The Belém Tower was built in the early sixteenth century in the Portuguese late-Gothic style, the Manueline. This defensive, yet elegant construction has become one of the symbols of the city, a memorial to Portuguese power as it was during the Age of Discovery. In 1983, it was classified, together with the nearby Mosteiro dos Jerónimos (Jerónimos Monastery), as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Belém, Monument to the Discoveries

Padrão dos Descobrimentos, the famous monument that celebrates the Portuguese who took part in the Age of Discovery of the 15th and 16th centuries, located on the estuary of the Tagus river where ships departed to their often unknown destinations.

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Lisbon Marathon December 6, 2009. Finish Estadio 1° de Maio. Jurre Schöttelndreier from Holland, finishing time: 3:41!

Get yourself fit for the  Lisbon Marathon! Or, like I prefer, catch some athletic and very good looking jubilant runners ( Dan Lixandru (l) and his friend, from Bucharest, Rumania, December 2008) crossing the finishing line at Praça do Comércio (Commerce Square).

Photo: Marcelino de Almeida

Lisbon marathon website (and video). The Marathon continues being a great popular success of participation. To run the Lisbon Marathon is not only to take part in a great race but also a great chance of a better knowledge of the centenary city of Lisbon.

Photo: Marcelino de Almeida

Photo: Marcelino de Almeida

The Half Marathon (March 22, 2010) is a complementary race of the Lisbon Marathon for all those which do not have an adequate preparation for the mythical 42 kilometres and do not want to miss the event. The race starts in Almada on the south side of the 25 de Abril bridge and there’s also a mini-marathon.

Some spectators… photo Marcelino de Almeida

Of course there are also very good looking athletic women who run the marathon ….Photo: Marcelino de Almeida

Photo: Marcelino de Almeida

Other races in Portugal and How to register online

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Bikeiberia founder & manager Jorge Didier Mimoso (r) and staff Tânia Caldas or Ana Rolo will be happy to welcome you in the bikeiberia office & shop in Lisbon, Largo Corpo Santo 5 ,  the headquarters and central Bike Rental station in Baixa in the heart of Lisbon downtown. Here, travelers are able to get information about the plentiful biking possibilities in Lisbon.

Didier: “We want to share with you the parts of Portugal and Spain we know, offering some of the most unique biking experiences in the world”  bikeiberia website . ”For those who do not want to be bothered bringing their own bicycles and gear by plane, we have created special bike rental – touring packages including chosen bicycle, helmet use, front bag, rear panniers, toolkit, bike pump, spare inner tube and luggage storage service. If you like, the bikes can be delivered directly to your hotel”.

Didier:”I started bikeiberia to share with others the unique way in which cycling, both on and off road, opens up for the adventurous traveler the hidden and still intact landscapes, history and culture of remote areas of Portugal and Spain”.

“I was born in Mozambique (a former Portuguese colony, independent in 1975). Although I grew up like lots of kids loving to ride my bike in the neighborhood streets of Lisbon, it was only at university in Évora, an ancient town set in Portugal’s vast Alentejo, that I discovered the fun and potential of biking. After my study (economy) I lived and worked in England for three years, cycled there and in over fifteen other countries (a 3 months tour from Berlin to Istanbul and from Istabul to Lisbon for instance). 10 years ago I started bikeiberia”. Now Tripadvisor ranked bikeiberia (June 2009) as #1 Activity under “things to do in Lisbon”.

Assistant Haroldo Castelo Branco, bikeiberia office & shop in Lisbon

Bikeiberia Lisbon, Largo Corpo Santo 5
phone 00351 21347 0347
mobile: 00351 96242 3455,
e-mail info@bikeiberia.com

Bikeiberia has a variety of children bells available. At the moment the collection of animals is very popular: a cow, a giraffe, a parrot or a crocodile.

In de window a beautiful Vintage bike. Didier: ” They have been the same for over 40 or 50 years and it’s amazing how they are still being made! Maybe bikes got way better mechanically but this is a Vintage with its own charm! One of the most interesting things on it is the braking system, which does not work with cables or oil and the lights working with a wheel dynamo or the 3 hub gears by Sturmey Archer! The painting work also has some interesting details and I could not believe my eyes when we found out we could still get them brand new this way! Many people stops by to tell us they got one many years ago and how much it cost then, apparently over 40 years ago it could costs the huge sum of “15 bills of 100 Escudos”…This is equivalent to 7.5 Euros!!!”

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It runs from the Rua de São José (near Largo da Anunciada) to Travessa do Forno do Torel. To reach the bottom of the funicular, turn right off the Avenida da Liberdade, or, from Rossio Square, it’s a 10 minute-walk through Rua das Portas de Santo Antão.

Waiting for the driver……Lisbon has three working street funiculars: Lavra, Gloria and Bica, which allow its citizens and visitors to move to and from its hilly districts more easily. All are operated by Carris, (including timetables and funicular’s history) the Lisbon city transport undertaking.

For me, it is still a miracle!

When you turn left off the funicular, after passing Rua do Instituto Bacteriológico, there’s a lovely park, Campo dos Mártires da Pátria, located on one of the 7 hills of Lisbon, the view from here is really wonderful!

Here you will be surprised by the spontaneous religious fervour of Portuguese people who have honoured the statue of doctor Sousa Martins in front of the Faculty of Medicine. Yet since the memorial was erected in 1904, it has become the focal point for a religious devotion. People who come here believe that by praying to him and asking for his intervention, they will be cured. More….

Lavra funicular hours of operation: 07:00-22:45, every day except Sunday, when the opening time is 09:00. One way ticket € 1.40.

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Walking from Praça do Comércio in the direction to Alfama, you will get to Rua dos Bacalhoeiros. The famous 28 tram (electrico) passes here on its way to the Santa Apolonia station.

This part of the street is really beautiful. The small restaurants with a terrace outside are popular; even in wintertime when the sun is shining you can enjoy a beer or have lunch outside.

My favorite terrace, just near ‘Casa dos Bicos’ is ‘Adega do Atum (tummy)’, a small restaurant with a few tables on the pavement at the front, close to the road near the Tagus river. The waiters are very friendly and not too agressive. They serve excellent traditional fish and meat meals and have the Portuguese Sagres beer on tap (imperial). Try ‘Salade de Atum’ (€ 7 ) for lunch!

Casa dos Bicos (House of the pointed stones). This Palace was built in the early 16th century, a notable part of Lisbon’s heritage and one of the few examples with traces of the 15th C. architecture. The residence was built by the Albuquerque family. From 1981 to 1982, Casa dos Bicos was the site of excavations, many archaelogical findings were unearthed (ceramic and glass pieces a.o.). The upper two floors were destroyed by the earthquake in 1755 and were only rebuilt in the 1980s. Worth a visit!

You will find various tourist shops in this street. Silva & Feijó, Rua dos Bacalhoeiros 117/118 on the other side of Casa dos Bicos, sells a.o. wines and typical Portuguese handicrafts.

Lunchtime in Lisbon. This part of the street is filled with lots of restaurants, from traditional Portuguese to Chinese. A Churrasqueira is a restaurant serving grilled meat or fish, many offering as much as you can eat: the waiters move around the restaurant with the skewers, slicing meat onto your plate. Frango de Churrasco with piri piri (a kind of salty roasted chicken spiced with hot red chili sauce) is very popular.

Restaurant Churrasqueira Santo António. Carlos Marcalo, Rua dos Bacalhoeiros 133, invites you to try their ‘espetada‘, a typical Portuguese dish made of large chunks of fish or beef rubbed in garlic and salt with vegetables such as onions and bell peppers. 

Luís Vieira.

Conserveira de Lisboa (The Lisbon Cannery), nr 34. Wonderful very old preserved-fish store with hundreds of colourful tins of the Portuguese favorite fish. This shop opened 80 years ago, nothing has changed.

Rua do do Comércio , “The shit of today will fertilize the morning…” building drawing, just around the corner of Rua dos Bacalhoeiros and Rua da Madalena.   More……

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Today, what the Portuguese think of as the Lisbon Aqueduct is that gigantic set or arches spanning the Alcântara valley, ending at the reservoir of Amoreiras. Its source is known as Águas Livres (free waters) and is located in Caneças (some 18,5 km away). However, the aqueduct is in fact much more than this. It consists of a complex series of underground galleries, arches and skylights linked to the visible principal body, known as the General Aqueduct. These are scattered all over the city, giving rise to numerous fonts which, in times gone by, were important sources of water supply for the city. Altogether the old complex network constituting the aqueduct consisted of 58 km of water conduits, 109 arches, 137 skylights and 30 fountains. As such, it is considered unique, a remarkable example of 18th C. Portuguese engineering!

Aqueduct arches (65 m tall) over the Alcântara valley. (I took this picture in the train from Faro to Lisbon). The main course of the aqueduct covers 18 km. Concluded in 1834 (although it began to supply water to Lisbon in 1748), displays visible Gothic influences in a period dominated by the Baroque style.

Aqueduct and commemorative arch in the Amoreiras neighbourhood. Video Museu da Água  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vw7AuNb0oi0

Of the architects associated with the elaboration of this project, several stand out. The first is Manuel da Maia (1733), who was responsible for the general scheme and the definition of most of its ramifications and fonts. Also Custódio Vieira (1736), who supervised the construction of the arches over the Alcântara valley – the most spectacular and costly part of the project.

After the earthquake of 1755, Custódio Vieira was granted pardon for the profligacy for which he had been accused owing to the amount of iron he used to strengthen the arch’s structure, for, despite being located on a seismic faultline, it had resisted the quake.

Picture: Fajna Asia. This public walkway along the interior gallery, named Arches Walk, which once offered a wonderful panoramic view to pedestrians, has been closed since 1844 due to the large number of suicides and murders, including those committed by the famous bandit Diogo Alves. , the ‘Aqueduct serial killer’.

The ‘Free Waters Museum’, in charge of the aqueduct, organizes guided visits and tours on different dates and hours. Open from March 1st to Nov 30 between 10h and 18h, closed on Sundays and holydays.
Address: Calçada da Quintinha, 6, Lisboa. Metro: Rato Station (Museum): Campolide train station (Aqueduct).

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On every Sunday morning from 09:00 – 13:00 the second floor of the old market Mercado da Ribeira (Market near the river, since 1882), near train station Cais do Sodré, is reserved for coin and stamp collectors.

A good Dutch friend of mine is a coin collector, he asked me to browse the markets in Lisbon.  I'm not really interested in coins, but this market is worth a visit!

It seems that mostly men are interested in coin collection.........and they are trading furiously! On the background you see covered market stalls: on the other days of the week the market Mercado da Ribeira, Lisbons biggest open food market , is selling everything: from inky octopus and fresh seafood to fabulous fruit, from real Portuguese products like ‘hot’ piri-piri to funeral flowers waiting for a dead body….

It’s really nice to walk around here, even if you are not looking for coins or old stamps. They sell more, like calendars, very old postcards and paper money. The 2nd floor of the market has also been converted into a touristy cultural center, selling locally produced items such as port, honey, and handicrafts.

Also at Lisbon's famous flea market Feira da Ladra, you can find all kind of coins....

....and on every Sunday there's a small flea market at Praça do Comércio. This is João, don’t be afraid to negotiate the price!

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Philippe Do Rosario and his wife Marie-Aude give personalized advices. You can try a free taste of different Port Wines and of a white, rosé or red wine every day including information about the Portuguese vineyard (20-45 min). Also for groups (with reservation).

Update: this wine store closed definitively on Oct. 24, 2009. Philippe Do Rosario and Marie-Aude decided to move to France. The website will stay online in order to ship wines all over Europe.

Philippe Do Rosario in his shop ADIVINHO with wines of every Portuguese region. The wines are kept in the best conditions (air-conditioned and ideal luminosity).

During the presentations, several subjects will be evocated like the Portuguese viticulture history, the weather, the soils, the grape varieties, the different denominations and also the viticultural sector’s importance for the Portuguese economy. Languages spoken: Portuguese, English, French, Spanish, Deutsch and Italian.

Tasting of wines, Port wines, Moscatel, Ginja… with Portuguese cheeses and ham.

Marie-Aude, whose parents are wine producers in a wine region in France, studied agronomy and oenology, developping very early a real passion for the wines. Philippe studied economy, worked in a bank and discovered the wines with Marie-Aude.

ADIVINHO is open from Monday to Saturday from 10.30 am to 7.30 pm.
info@adivinho.com.  (00351) 218 860 419.

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