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After the city of Lisbon was hit by an outbreak of cholera in 1833, causing thousands of deaths,  it was urgent to create a large cemetery for both rich and poorer victims. It has the weird name of  Cemetery of ‘Pleasures’, called after the nearby neighborhood (Prazeres) with the same name. Many of its tombs are big mausoleums, some with the size of small chapels.

Once you enter the cemetery the sound of the city fades and the tranquility overwhelms you. Beautiful trees, a strange atmosphere and joyful singing of birds. You imagine yourself walking in a previous century, only disturbed by plane noise, rather loud, every 10 minutes. The cemetery is located close to the landing/take-off zone of Lisbon’s airport. As far as I know nobody here seems to complain

Most of the Prazeres mausoleums belong to rich, old or ‘important’ families, like f.i. the Palmela family. Many of the mausoleums are richly elaborated, have fine sculptures and decorations. There are also statues of the deceased. It’s like a ‘city in a city’ for the dead, with well-defined lanes (70! ) and funerary chapels that were built to look like little houses.

The unusual about a lot of these graves is that they have little “front doors” with glass windows through which you can see the caskets and remnants of the dead and their visitors. Most of the trees are a species cypress (Cupressus sempervirens), much used in Portuguese cemeteries.

The cemetery also provides great views over the Alcântara valley, the river Tagus and the 25 April Bridge (Ponte 25 de Abril).

Until 1985, the great Portuguese poet Fernando Pessoa was burried here. Thereafter his mortal remains were transferred to the cloisters of the Mosteiro dos Jerónimos

An example of a ’front door’ with glass windows through which you can see the caskets.

The cemetery, one of the largest of the Portuguese capital, can be reached by taking Electrico 28, which is a traditional and charming Lisbon tram, to its last stop in Prazeres. Open every day of the week from 09:00 – 17:00 (May – September 09:00 – 18:00). Largo dos Prazeres, Praça São João Bosco  More about cemeteries in Portugal

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‘Vai Tu’  is a local community group. This neighborhood café is popular with locals who gather to sing along, located in Bica, close to the Bairro Alto area.

You won’t always find the best fadistas, but don’t let that scare you off. This is real traditional fado, out of the tourist circle, where the fado singers can enter spontaneously and improvise.

Every Sunday evening  fado singers and dinner from 20:00 – 24:00. No professional waiters, it’s a volonteer job. The traditional Portuguese food is simple, cheap but good (ca. 5 euro pp), a bottle of wine cost 5 euro.  The atmosphere is very relaxed and it’s a mix of young and old.

This singer is over 80 years old…Vai Tu’ provides a unique window into classic fado popular culture. YouTube

On the wall the legendary painting of Maria Severa

Fadistas often wear a black shawl of mourning as the legendary fadista Maria Severa Onofriando did after her passionate liaison with a nobleman, Conde de Vimioso. The affair ended badly. She died at age of 26 in 1846, either from suicide or tuberculosis.

Grupo Excursionista ‘Vai Tu’ , Rua da Bica Duarte Belo 6-8  , a very picturesque small street with perhaps Lisbon’s most photographed funicular.

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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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Sofa Joe – Jonathan de Pas, Italy (1932-1991)

This hugely important group of works, due to the creators represented and the quality and significance of the objects brought together, has a particular coherence and intrinsic unity stemming from the direct and complementary relation between the two areas (design and fashion).

Designers of this beautiful dress: the Portuguese duo Storytailors.

MUDE is a space for all 20th and 21st century design forms, from graphic to urban, taking in fashion and equipment; from mass production to the creation of the artist. A space to considering design, researching into its holdings, developing an editorial policy, a temporary programme and educational activity that provides different spaces for the sharing of ideas. It must also, however, be a space for experimentation and creation, showing the proposals of new creators, encouraging new research and creating dialogues with the visual arts and architecture, the cinema and dance, music, science.

The unique building has a long history. Local architects Joana Vilhena and Ricardo Carvalho have left the interior in the rough state they found it, with walls, columns, and ceilings stripped of finishes. More……. A wonderful idea! It’s located in the middle of Lisbon’s historic Pombaline center. Eight floors occupy in total a floor area of appr. 14.000 m2. The renovation is still in progress.

Aristocratic elegance: Christobal Balenciaga (Spain 1895-1972)

Pierre Poulin’s (France, 1927) long sofa Amphys which can be arranged in different positions

Paco Rabanne (Spain, 1934). Calf length boots, metallised leather (1965)

Also, there’s a lot of design showpieces, wonderful movie clips and music

Design and fashion were assembled in a complementary manner, with each piece chosen through a concept-based museum dialogue, and not according to personal tastes. Comprised of furniture and small everyday objects, both unique and mass-produced, the collection reflects 20th century’s major design trends and movements.

MUDE (MUseum and DEsign) which means ‘change’ in Portuguese), Rua Augusta 24 Lisbon. Opening hours: from Tuesday to Thursday and Sunday: 10:00 am-20:00 pm
Friday and Saturday: 10:00 am-22:00 pm. Closed on Monday. You can visit the museum for free.

Thanks to Graça Rodrigues, Head of Communication & Press

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The restaurant’s entrance and the beautiful patio of the Palácio da Independência  (Palace of Independence), located near Rossio Square on the north side of the Largo de São Domingos. The building’s foundation stone was laid in 1509 and some of Manueline details from this time can still be detected in the inner courtyard, for example the door decorations. The two conical kitchen chimneys are reminiscent of the royal palace at Sintra.

Paulo Saraiva de Reffóios (with sunglasses): “Recently I started (February 2009) this restaurant. I used to work as a hotel director for 20 years but besides I always had a real passion for Portuguese gastronomy and for many years I enjoyed cooking for friends”. “At the moment you are welcome to enjoy a (Portuguese) lunch here (June 2009), dining is possible on request from 12 persons”.

The other 2 gentlemen are José Cardoso (and daughter Filipa) and Henrique Santos, ‘Lucinda Tudo Bom’ wine producers. At the table a delicious bottle of Douro wine: Fraga Alta (High Crag) Douro Doc 2003. If you wish you can order online.

My friend Erika and Paulo Saraiva de Reffóios, the very friendly and always joking restaurant owner. Our choice for lunch: salada de rucola com requeijao (salad with cream cheese) € 8; salmão fumada com boulgour (smoked salmon with bulgur) € 12; agua (water) € 2,50; um copo do vinho branco (glass of white wine) € 2,50; bread and delicious salted butter € 3.

If you wish you can enjoy your lunch inside of this beautiful building.

The name Palácio da Independência (’Independence Palace’) recalls a curious event that occured in 1640: a conspiracy against the Spanish occupation. If you are in Lisbon you can visit the palace each Friday, at 15:00. More…….

The walls of this former palace are decorated with beautiful azulejos (Portuguese tiles).The azulejo is a form of Portuguese painted, tin-glazed, ceramic tilework. They have become a typical aspect of Portuguese culture. Azulejo comes from the Arabic word az-zulayj, meaning polished stone.

Wherever you go in Portugal, azulejos are to be found inside and outside cafes, churches, palaces, ordinary houses and even ceilings, train- or subway stations. Many azulejos chronicle major historical and cultural aspects of Portuguese history.

‘Chaminés do Palácio’, Largo de Sao Domingos 11. chaminesdopalacio@gmail.com

Tlm (0351) 919450754

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It was given its original name of Palácio de Almada in honor of its former owner, the Count of Almada. The name Palácio da Independência (’Independent Palace’) recalls a curious event that occured in 1640. Philip II of Spain had occupied Portugal in 1580, a year later he was recognized as King of Portugal.

Entrance restaurant ‘Chaminés do Palácio’ (’the chimneys of the Palace’).
The loss of some colonies and the intense pressure of taxes levied to finance the Spanish wars led about 60 years later to a conspiracy among several of the Portuguese nobility. On December 1st, 1640 there ensued a successful rebellion, followed by the restoration of Portugal’s independence.

About 40 conspirators prepared for the action under the leadership of the Duke of Bragança (or Braganza) in the grounds of this palace.

The Duke, from who’s grandmother the royal family descended, was crowned João IV, King of Portugal. From a neighboring monastery the nobles reached the palace garden from across part of the old 14th C. city wall and gathered there in a small, isolated pavillion. It has even been suggested that there was an underground path linking the garden with the Baixa along which people could pass unseen.

Beautiful azulejos (tiles) representing the story of the conspiracy

The building’s foundation stone was laid in 1509 and some of Manueline details from this time can still be detected in the inner courtyard, for example the door decorations. Two conical kitchen chimneys are reminiscent of the royal palace at Sintra.

The Sociedade Historica da Independência de Portugal has its seat in this Palace. This society has awarded itself the task of keeping alive the memory of the happenings of December 1st, 1640 and the general consciousness of Portugal’s national history.

Ana Maria Proserpio, Directora dos Serviços Culturais (Director of Portuguese Cultural Services). In Ana Maria’s hand the keys of the palace. If you are in Lisbon you can visit the palace each Friday, at 15:00.

Every year on December 1st official memorial events take place both in the Palácio da Independência and at the Praça dos Restauradores

Palácio da Independência
Largo de São Domingos, 11
1150-320 Lisboa

Phone: 21 324 14 70 Email: ship.geral@ship.pt

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In 1836, by order of Queen D. Maria II, Almeida Garrett (famous author and poet) was charged with creating a conservatoire for the dramatic arts. The site chosen for this colossal task was the finest in the city at Praça Dom Pedro IV, commemorates Portugal’s first liberal king. The square is usually simply referred to as Rossio (big square).

The theatre opened to the public on April 13 1846, the date of the anniversary of the queen it is named after, but the acoustics were poor and the theatre closed the very next day for improvements. It reopened several years later to notable success. In late November 1964, the theatre staged Shakespeare’ Macbeth. A strange superstition, or more appropiately a curse, hangs over theatres that perform this play: one week after the first show the whole building burned down except for its outer walls. It was reopened in 1978. Since then, countless plays, by the finest playwrights of the past and of today, have been performed and staged.

Today, Teatro D. Maria II is not merely a concert hall. Besides its majestic Garrett room, it also has a smaller room, while the great hall has been turned into a theatre/ studio, covering a whole world of activities that very often burst out from behind its venerable walls.

On the other side of the theatre you’ll find the unique Rossio train- and metro station (Estação do Rossio)

You can discover the theatre (or take the time to enjoy a good show). From Monday to Friday 10:00 am to 13:00/ 15:00 to 17:00 there’re guided tours, in several languages, to the backstage of the theatre. A journey that reveals the secrets and stories of Teatro Nacional D. Maria II. Price 6 euro.

Christmas 2008. Café Garrett, beside the theatre’s foyer, one of the most perfectly located cafés in Lisbon, facing the lively Rossio Square

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From this beautiful garden a marvelous view across the Alcântara harbor area to the Tagus can be enjoyed. Open from Wednesday – Sunday 10:00 – 18:00.

It’s really worth the time to wander through the sculptured garden after visiting the beautiful Museum or take a break for a drink or a lunch.

The self service restaurant inside the building serves daily plates for students and the Museum’s staff, but also as a visitor you can put together a meal of your choice to enjoy in the garden. 

Here there are great views of the port of Lisbon, the Docas (nightlife area of town) the April 25th bridge and Christo Rei statue.

Plate of the day (prato do dia): lasagna €6.50, cod fish (bacalhau) €6.50, salad €1.50.

Beautiful sculptures! View on the the Alcântara harbor, port of Lisbon cruise ships docking and the Santos area.

April 25 bridge and Christo Rei statue.

The main entrance lies on the west side of the building on the Jardim 9 de Abril .The Museum, spread through 60 rooms, has been housed since 1884 in a palace built by Count Alvor in 1690 in which the Pombal family later lived for some time. Both the name of the street and the common nickname for the museum, ‘Casa das Janelas Verdes’ (house of green windows) originate from the building’s shutters which were formerly painted green.  More…..

Museu Nacional de Arte Antiga  Rua das Janelas Verdes. 

Opening hours Tuesdays: 14h00-18h00
Wednesday to Sunday: 10h00-13h00 and 14h00-18h00 (closed on Holidays)

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The interior of ‘Santos Ofícios‘ was submitted to a very careful work of reconstruction, which made possible to show arches of an old brick that draw a cross and also to preserve an entire wall of tiles made at that time in the ‘Rato’ factory.

Inside this historical place handworks made of different materials are displayed: stone, clay, metal, corn, wood,  cork, wool, cotton, paper, jute, straw…. Traveling all over the country, from the North to the South the owners of the shop, mrs. Louisa Cruz and mr. Homero Cardoso, visited hidden villages and they have been able to meet dozens and dozens of folk artists.

Not only the famous artists like Irmãs Flores and the descendants of Rosa Ramalho, Mistério and Ana Baraca, but also those who have never left their villages and were completely unknown. Website shop ‘Santos Ofícios‘ with more art items including a list of  Portuguese folk artists.

Unfortunately some folk artists are already deceased and couldn’t leave followers, but thanks to a continous work of research the owners of Santos Ofícios have been able to meet and divulge other ones. In this branch of the Portuguese culture – the Folk Art – that is displayed with dignity in ‘Santos Ofícios’, the only place in Lisbon that insists on keeping, in this area, a standard of rigour intimately tied to the concept of ‘tradition’.

‘Santos Ofícios‘, open 10 am to 8 pm daily, except on Sunday. Rua da Madalena no. 87, Lisbon, opposite Madalena church

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Mouraria, Rua do Terreirinh0: Jose Marie & his wife, good & cheap traditional Portuguese food

Breakfast: traditionally just coffee and bread, often enjoyed in a cafe (pastelaria). Recommended: toast (tosta mista) with ham & cheese (queijo e presunto), or delicious sweet pastries like pastéis de natas, real calorie bombs! Coffee: strong (bica) with milk (galão – garoto), tea (chá) with or without sugar (açúcar). The pastalerias are often a part of the social life in the neighbourhood.

Owner of Taverna do Poco, Largo do Terreirinho, Mouraria, Lisbon. Here you can have a 5 course meal (cheese, soup, main course, dessert, coffee and wine) for only about 10 euros. This restaurant is only open until around 18:00.

If you don’t feel like experimenting, try a ‘bitoque’. It’s steak and fries, with a fried egg, garlic and rice.

How to recognize cheap and really Portuguese restaurants?
A little bit disorderly, but very clean; a big TV screen, people like watching TV while eating (a lot of football, futebol), TL-tubes on the ceiling and paper table-covers. Prices (in Lisbon) between 8 and 15 euro (three courses and wine).

There’s a lot of seafood restaurants, many with very beautiful displays of lobsters, shrimp, oysters, and crabs, but a big TV-screen, football (futebol!) is also really important….!!

Besides: be prepared in the more expensive and touristical restaurants  you have to pay for starters like bread, cheese and often olives or shrimps (camarao). You won’t pay for them if you don’t eat them, and  the waiter will take them away (não, obrigado), ‘no thank you’. The waiter will probably bring you some unrequested starter dishes: as those are not free, feel free not to touch them and they will not be charged on your bill (but check it!).

Like in all mediterranean countries lunch (almoçar),  is a big affair for Portuguese, served between noon and 3 o’clock, often in a restaurant. Usually three courses, including soup (sopa) like caldo verde (a soup of cabbage and potatoes.

Caldo Verde, a popular soup of Portuguese and Brazilian cuisine.

Fish, like codfish (bacalhau) or charcoal-grilled sardines (sardinhas assadas) or meat (rabbit and pork are very popular), Coelho a caçador (rabbitstew, in red wine), accompanied with a small bottle of red or white wine (uma garaffa de vinho branco ou tinto) or Vinho Verde (a young sparkling ‘green’ wine, low-alcohol).

Chicken (frango) piri-piri (the African devil..), is also a very popular disk

Desserts (sobremesas): crême brulée (pudim flan), chocolate mousse and a big variety of almond cakes (amêndoa). Toucinho do céu (bacon of heaven) or barriga de freiras, (nun’s bellies), recipes originally created by nuns in the 17th and 18th Century. Often cheese (queijo), from sheep or goat’s milk. Very popular is ‘queijo da Serra” from the region of Serra da Estrela.

In the smaller restaurants the bill is usually written on the paper table cloth…you can pay cash only. Our bill for 2 persons? 14 euro, incl. a glass of home made Aguardente bagaceira……(litt. firewater)

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