Rua do Salvador/corner Rua de São Tomé, Alfama Lisbon

Here you will find a real Portuguese atmosphere, quite close to the famous viewpoint and tourist attraction Portas do Sol

Rua do Salvador is named after the city of Salvador in Brazil, a former Portuguese colony (from 1500-1825). Historic name: Cidade de São Salvador da Bahia de Todos os Santos ( ”City of the Holy Savior of the Bay of all Saints”).

Tasca ‘Zip Zip’ Rua do Salvador 45 Lisbon, typical Portuguese restaurant

Small restaurant ‘Zip Zip’ is a real tasca, serving affordable good Portuguese standard snacks and dishes, also loved by locals. Typical in historic area Alfama is a singing canary (or other types of birds, like a parrot) in a small cage hanging from windows and doors.

Tasca ‘Zip Zip’ Rua do Salvador 45 Alfama, Lisbon, in the afternoon

Tourist menu 7 euro (starter, main course and dessert). Restaurant ‘Zip Zip’ is a traditional Portuguese family restaurant. The atmosphere is very relaxed, the food is cheap but tasty.

Typical in historic area Alfama in Lisbon: a singing bird in a cage, this very nice bird is a Katara

Restaurant ‘Zip Zip’ in Alfama is open from Monday to Saturday from 11:00h until 24:00h. Closed: Sunday. In the smaller restaurants in Lisbon the bill is usually written on the paper table cloth and you can pay cash only.

Rua do Salvador, Lisbon

While walking around in this narrow old street you will discover hard working people and small shops.

Tiago Praça in his atelier, pottery Olaria Lisbon, Rua do Salvador 57

Rua do Salvador 57: pottery Olaria, handmade ceramics, tiles and much more. Probably the only pottery in Lisbon working with wheels. Here you can find a nice Portuguese souvenir from 2 euros.

Vintage store & atelier Alberto Gourgel, Rua do Salvador 83, Alfama Lisbon

Designer Alberto Gourgel was born in Angola, a Portuguese colony from the 16th century to 1975 . In 2010 Alberto opened his atelier/store in Rua do Salvador.

Atelier Alberto Gourgel, Rua do Salvador 83, Lisbon

Here you can find all kinds of cool vintage stuff and old-fashioned suitcases decorated with original Portuguese magazines, created by Alberto. Blog: coisasdoalberto

Suitcase created by Alberto: Amália Rodrigues, Lisbon’s ‘Queen of Fado’

Alberto Gourgel: “I like this very old street in Alfama, it’s a mix of old and modern Lisbon. The owner of the fish shop next door sells fish while singing fado songs. Besides I’m very glad to rent this place quite close to the  “Feira da Ladra’, Lisbon’s famous flea market“.

This legendary flea market is held every Tuesday and Saturday from dawn to dusk, visited by lots of tourists from all over the world.

Atelier/store Alberto Gourgel, Rua do Salvador 83, Lisbon

Alberto: “I often find nice old stuff at auctions. Portugal is a poor country and in the past people bought their furniture when they got married for the rest of their lives. When they die the furniture often is sold at auction. Young people here like going to Ikea. But it’s not only a business, I really like what I do”.

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Mouraria, Lisbon: nostalgic drawing by Carlos Fernandez

Carlos Fernandez earns his bread as a tattoo artist (tattoos are very popular in the neighborhood), and besides he loves it to create nostalgic drawings about the typical characteristics, traditions, history and culture about the 900 years neighborhood Mouraria in Lisbon, such as the Fado guitar and Fado singers.

Legendary Fado singer Maria Severa

Maria Severa, the first Fadista , who died at age 26 in1846, either from suicide or tuberculosis, was born in this area. A very sad story! Famous performer of Fado Amália Rodrigues (”Lady of Lisbon”) the ‘queen of Fado’ , was born near Mouraria , Rua Martim Faz. No neighborhood in Lisbon is praised more in Fado music than Mouraria.

Carlos Fernandez

Historical area Mouraria exists 900 years, and together with Alfama Lisbon’s oldest neighborhoods of great historical value.

Carlos Fernandez: “In the past there were many fights between the two areas: the sailors who lived in Alfama and the gangs of Mouraria were fighting against each other. My drawings are about ‘nostalgia’, and they are my interpretation of the neighborhood, such as prostitution (putas), drugs, bullfighting, card playing, fishermen and fishwives (pescadores e varinhas) and selling newspapers on the street”.

Mouraria in June, (Feast Days of the Popular Saints)

Carlos: ” And of course football (Benfica/Sporting), chestnuts (castanhas, in yellow papers), the vintage yellow trams in Lisbon (eléctrico), Feira da Ladra (litt. thieves market), the 25 April revolution, pickpocketing, cheap wine like bull’s blood (Sangue de touro), hanging laundry, cats on the roofs, birds in cages and traditions like Santo Antonio in June and eating sardines (sardinhas)”.

‘Old tram 28′ (eléctrico), nowadays a very popular tourist attraction, drawing by Carlos Fernandez

The legendary tram 28 is a tourist attraction in itself. It goes all around town. You can hop on and hop off. A ride with ‘eléctrico’ tram 28 will bring you to most historical attractions in Lisbon. Besides: tram 28 is increasingly as popular with pickpockets as it is with tourists.

Drawing Carlos Fernandez: ‘Mouraria’

In June, the month of the Festas dos Santos Populares (Feast Days of the Popular Saints), the Lisbon nights are filled with lively festivities, parades and live music that take over the city’s historical center, and of course it’s party time in Mouraria!.

Santo Antonio, the Saint of true love… This beautiful one is made from recycled material

The main Saints’ days are for Anthony (Santo Antonio June 12-13), John (June 23-24) and Peter (June 28-29). Traditionally millions of big and tasty sardines (sardinhas), accompanied by traditional bread, are grilled in the month of June, high season for this delicious silvery fish. Even the yellow trams are decorated with sardines!

Mouraria in June: Fado performances in old yellow trams decorated with sardines. Authentic apartment for rent in this 900 years old area of Lisbon

Lisbon’s craziest night is June 12, eve of Saint Anthony day , Lisbon turns into one big party. People are dancing in the streets on Pimba music – a term used for a variety of popular Portuguese folk solo singers and bands whose songs are frequently driven by metaphors with sexual meaning.

Exposition Carlos Fernandez, Santa Luzia, Lisbon. The municipality of Lisbon owns this building

In February an exposition was held in a small building near the Tagus River: ‘Fado, Knives and Blood’ (‘Fado, Navalhas e Sangue’).

If you are interested to see more of Carlos’ work (and prices), you can send him an email: fadonavalhasesangue@gmail.com

Tourists are interested to see the exposition, Santa Luzia

Besides: Santa Luzia is a very popular and historical viewpoint (miradouro) in Lisbon, next to viewpoint Portas do Sol. Amazing views overlooking the Alfama rooftops and the river Tagus!

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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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Foto’s: René van Gijn

Gunstig gelegen 120 jaar oud appartement in Mouraria, historisch Lissabon op de 2e etage (100 m2) met 3 slaapkamers, gratis gebruik wireless internet en satelliet TV met o.a. Ned./Belgische zenders. Tot 6 personen te huur. Zon van begin maart tot eind september op de patio. Voor wie er van houdt tijdelijk tussen de bevolking te vertoeven in een 900 jaar oude volkswijk. Meer info over de buurt

Ideaal uitgangspunt om al wandelend de vele bezienswaardigheden van Lissabon te bezichtigen, geen metro nodig naar het centrum. Geen nachtelijk café-lawaai, wel komt er verkeer door het straatje en in Lissabon rijden de vuilniswagens ‘s nachts.  Afstand vliegveld ca. 8 km. (per taxi € 10-12 incl. bagage). Startpunt trammetje 28, metro, taxistandplaats en bussen bij plein Martim Moniz is 3 min. lopen.  Castelo de São Jorge ligt op loop afstand. Sintra, Estoril, Cascais en de stranden van Costa da Caparica zijn makkelijk bereikbaar. De legendarische 16e-eeuwse uitgaanswijk Bairro Alto is ca. 15 min. lopen.

Historische wijken worden langzamerhand gerestaureerd, ook Mouraria, dat haar naam dankt aan vroegere bezetters, de Moren (Os Mouros). Het straatje ligt dichtbij twee centrale- en monumentale pleinen Praca Dom Pedro IV (Rossio in de volksmond) en Praca da Figueira. Mouraria was ooit de bakermat van de  ‘de Fado‘ muziek, nu is het een multiculturele (volks)wijk. Culturele agenda van Lissabon

In de buurt is een supermarkt, een bakker met lekker vers brood, veel kleine winkeltjes en goedkope typisch Portugese restaurantjes.

Mouraria augustus 2011: Guusje en Maartje Kouwenberg

Klimaat & kleding: het weer in Lissabon is het hele jaar door zeer aantrekkelijk. In de winter kan het overdag op een terrasje heerlijk warm zijn, ‘s avonds kan het, ook in voor- en najaar, behoorlijk afkoelen. Neem altijd een (regen) jas of trui mee. Actueel weer.  lissabon.startpagina.nl/
Vakantie info Lissabon Gastvrij Portugal. Tickets:  TAP (Portugese luchtvaartmaatschappij) . Tip: Transavia.nl,  Lissabon.nl (zoekt ook vanaf Brussel of Dusseldorf), SchipholTickets (onafhankelijke aanbieder van online tickets),
vliegticketszoeken.nl,    vliegtarieven.nl, KLM, Airberlin, Ryan Air (naar Faro of Porto). Sneltrein naar Lissbon: Alfa Pendular (online ticket reserveren vanaf 30 dagen vooraf is mogelijk). Feestdagen in Portugal. Bus vanaf Lissabon naar Algarve

Patio: een aangename avond eind november 2010 (wel met jassen aan)

Indeling: (woonkamer, 3 slaapkamers, badkamer, keuken & patio

• woonkamer met 2-zits (slaap)bank en antieke uitschuifbare eet/computertafel. Originele houten balkenvloer (in alle kamers). Frans balkonnetje. 2 comfortabele extra stoelen. Satelliet TV met o.a. Ned. zenders, 81 cm LCD TV en DVD speler, radio, CD-speler, draadloze ADSL-aansluiting;
• 3 slaapkamers met uitstekende bedden (geen kleiner Portugees-, maar Hollands formaat);
• slaapkamer met 2- persoons bed aan de straatkant, grote antieke kledingkast. Frans balkonnetje.
• tweede slaapkamer (met raam) en 2 een-persoons (boxspring) bedden, die eventueel tegen elkaar geschoven kunnen worden (extra 2-persoons donsdekbed aanwezig);
• derde slaapkamer (met raam) en 2 prima uitklapbedden incl. matrassen en donsdekbedden;
• Chicco baby/kinderbed plus matrasje 0-4 jr.;
• badkamer met douche, ligbad, toilet en bidet. Gebruik wasmachine en droger inbegrepen, ruime hoeveelheid badlinnen van goede kwaliteit. Haardroger;
• luxueus bedlinnen (Essenza);
• keuken met tafel en stoelen, 2 koelkasten, magnetron, 4-pits kookplaat, oven, goede pannen, waterkoker, koffie/Nespresso apparaat, citruspers, (wijn)glazen, borden, bestek, keukenlinnen etc.;
• zonnige (van begin maart tot eind september) rustige patio van ca. 30 m2. Tuintafel met 6 stoelen en een zonne/slaap stoel. Barbecue gedeelte met marmeren aanrecht, 2 BBQs, 2e radio/CD-speler, 2 parasols;
• de indeling van het appartement biedt voldoende privacy. Airco apparaat. Goede verwarming voor de wintermaanden.

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Largo do Terreirinho in June, the month of the Festas dos Santos Populares (Feast Days of the Popular Saints), Santo Antonio

Mouraria is an ancient area in the heart of Lisbon where fado was born. Amália Rodrigues was born nearby. Mariza, the internationally well-known fado singer started her career in Mouraria where she grew up and performed many times in bar ANOS 60. Together with Alfama, the area is a muddle of very narrow streets and small squares, which gives the visitor a glimpse of a forgotten age.

Armeinio Ramos, owner of restaurant ‘O Basilio’, Mouraria , Rua Marquês de Ponte de Lima, Lisbon

Mouraria is still filled with old taverns and very cheap (but good!) small restaurants, serving traditional Portuguese food. In contrary to the more ‘touristical’ historical areas, like Alfama or Bairro Alto, where prices in the restaurants are mostly much higher than those in Mouraria.

Restaurant ‘O Basilio’.

Carne de porco à Alentejana (pork stew with clams, potatoes, coriander and garlic) is a traditional Portuguese dish, particularly near the Atlantic coast, where clams are easily found. It is called alentejana as being in the manner of the Alentejo, a province of Portugal.

Carne de porco à Alentejana

Delicious! If you are not too hungry ask for meia dose (half serving) € 4.80, glass of white wine € 0.75. Recipe youtube

Historical area Mouraria Lisbon

Nowadays renovation of houses, which are threatened with falling into ruins, and an improvement in the living standards of the inhabitants of Mouraria has only begun recently. In contrast, very nearby, at Praca Martim Moniz, grandiose buildings are being constructed. The people who live in Mouraria don’t understand why there’s no money available to renovate this ancient historic area.

Mouraria Lisbon

Mouraria Lisbon

more……

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Mouraria, Calçada de Santo André. This ‘Bairro‘ (neighborhood) is a maze of little, narrow streets, situated between Graça, Alfama and Costa de Castelo, given it’s name by the first Portugese king, Dom Afonso Henriques (1109 – 1185) , after Lisbon was taken over again by the (Christian) Portugese army from the Moorish overlords. The Moors however kept on living in the city after the conquist and gathered in this area. (Three bedroom apartment with patio in Mouraria), short term rentals.

It is said that the melancholic sounds of the music and singing of the Moorish people was at the base of Fado (meaning fate) music, often described as the Portuguese blues. Its passionate songs overflow with saudade ( yearning), with sorrowful themes like despair, loss, betrayal, jealousy and unrequited love. The little streets of Mouraria are full of typical small grocery stores, old bars (some Fado taverns) and cheap traditional restaurants. More history of Fado (and the sad story of the legendary fadista Maria Severa (1820 – 1846) on this website.

Picture: Jef Aerosol. Stencilled paste-up of Amalia Rodrigues, Beco dos Cortumes, Alfama, Lisbon

Amália Rodrigues, Rainha do Fado (‘queen of Fado’) was born near Mouraria on Rua Martim Faz in 1920. She was a genius and worldwide famous Fado singer and lived for many years on Rua de Sao Bento 193. Nowadays her house is a museum, it’s just like she’s still living there…  Casa Amalia Rodrigues ; 30 minutes guided tours from Tuesday – Sunday 10:00 – 13:00 and 14:00-18:00. Metro: Rato. http://amalia.no.sapo.pt/casamuseu.htm.

http://nl.youtube.com/watch?v=QsgVb4swGfg, Amália Rodrigues, live in Lisbon singing a very famous song: Ai, Mouraria (Oh Mouraria), da velha Rua da Palma (near the old street ‘Rua da Palma’), onde eu um dia (where one day), deixei presa a minha alma (my soul became a prisoner)…

On October 6, 1999, Amália Rodrigues died at the age of 79 in her home in Lisbon.

Portugal’s government promptly declared a period of national mourning. She is now buried at the National Pantheon alongside other Portuguese notables.

‘Discoteca ‘Amalia’ Rua Aurea 274, a shop specialized in traditional Fado music. Very friendly and professional staff.

Amália Rodrigues casa http://amalia.no.sapo.pt/casamuseu.htm.

For those interested in knowing more about fado music style: the Fado Museum  is located in front of Largo do Chafariz de Dentro (the historic Alfama neighborhood) including a permanent exhibition, a temporary exhibition area, a documentation centre, a store, a small auditorium, a school, and a restaurant/coffee-shop. Saturdays and Sundays, 4h30pm guided tour of the museum featuring the participation of fado singers of different generations.
Open from 10:00 am – 18:00 (closed on Mondays)

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The taverns are the most typical and traditional restaurants in Portugal: tasty appetisers, irresistible cheeses, olives, salt cod rissoles with red pepper rice, sardines,  fried lamb chops, bean stew, beef with sauce.  Great local wines.

Beautiful view from ‘A Tasquinha’ ‘s terrace: Largo Contador Mor.

New owner of ‘A Tasquinha’ Romana Mendouça: ‘ My husband and I worked very hard to buy this restaurant. Happily it’s successful, some days we have 120 people for lunch.’ Restaurant speciality: ‘deliciosos molhos’ (delicious sauces).

‘A Tasquinha’ is open from 09:30 till 02:00 (in summertime). Every night live fado from 19:30 till 23:00.

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Mouraria 

all the streets in the historical center are decorated with garlands and lights. More information Festas de Lisboa

Alfama, in June 2008.

Santo Antonio festivities & Portuguese flags (EFC) football

Restaurant ‘A Tasquinha’,

Largo Contador Mor, Castelo area, really good sardines!

Eating sardines while listening to the fado singers.

Fado came long after Saint Anthony, but its major theme is nostalgia and longing-for what is lost and for what has never been gained. Anthony fits right into this scene!

Live fado music in Alfama

The streets are filled with the delicious (strong) smell of sardines being grilled. It’s not a good time for the sardines  though as everywhere in Lisbon you see people grilling sardines outside their homes and the narrow streets fill up people in party mood.

Sardines & Saint Anthony festivities belong together

On the night of June 12 you can enjoy the famous yearly Santo Antonio costume Parade. All the clubs and associations of Lisbons’ neighbourhoods descend on Avenida da Liberdade to compete for the best parade, music, costume and choreography.

More…..

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Beautiful azulejos (ancient tiles), Beco dos Loios, near Feira de Ladra (thieves market).

Miradouro St. Luzia, famous viewpoint halfway between Sé Cathedral and the Castelo Sao Jorge.

Nearby: viewpoint (miradouro) Portas do Sol

Alfama famous tram ‘electrico 28′

A ‘must do’ and cheap Lisbon attraction.This legendary tram is a tourist attraction in itself. It goes all around town and you can ‘hop on hop off’.

Square near the Fado Museum, Largo do Chafariz de Dentro, a lot of small fado restaurants

Alfma is a narrowed maze of streets, nowadays with many fado restaurants  and picturesque houses. The name Alfama originates from the Arabic word Al-Hamma meaning ‘fountains’ or ‘baths’. The area contains many important historical attractions.

Chafiraz d’ El Rei, a palace built in 1747, for many years a pigeons’ home.

Nowadays this beautiful building is restored into a romantic hotel with grandeur

After the Mourish domination (7-12 century), Alfama became inhabited by the fishermen and the poor, and the neighborhood of the poor continues to this day.

In the 19th C. Alfama was a gloomy, dirty and depressing area as a result of unhealthy living conditions. Today the poorer classes continue to live here, mainly in houses in need of renovation. Insufficient heating and draughty walls ensure poor living conditions, especially in wintertime.

At present some of the houses are being renovated.

…..more about Alfama…and street guide

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Mouraria is one of Lisbon’s oldest districts. It contains a tangled street layout just as in Alfama, which has remained since the times of the Moors. The Arabs withdrew into this quarter after Lisbon was conquered by the Portuguese – a ghetto for people of different faiths arose. In the 19th C. prostitution and fado, which at this time was considered to be indecent, brought the quarter a bad name. Nowadays renovation of houses, which are threatened with falling into ruins, and an improvement in the living standards of the inhabitants of Mouraria has only begun recently. The area is full of typical grocery stores, old bars (taverna’s) and cheap (but good!) small restaurants. Three bedroom apartment with patio in Mouraria

(Largo da Severa’). It is said that the melancholic sounds of the music and singing of the Moorish people was at the base of fado music. The quarter is still today associated with fado: The ‘Casa de Severa’ at Largo da Severa 2 was the home of the legendary fadista Maria Severa Onofriando, who died at age 26 on November 30, 1846, either from suicide or tuberculosis.

Famous performer of fado Amália Rodrigues (”Lady of Lisbon”) the ‘queen of Fado’ was born near Mouraria on Rua Martim Faz.

(‘Mouraria, Berço do Fado‘, fado was born here), Rua da Mouraria/ corner Rua do Capelao. Maria is regarded as the first fado singer to have risen to fame, attaining a near-mythical status after her death: Maria had a passionate liaison with a nobleman, Conde de Vimioso. The affair ended badly. But the scandal increased fado’s appeal, leading to the publication of its first sheet music.

Fadistas, as fado singers are known, often wear a black shawl of mourning, as Severa did after her heartbreak. Her story epitomizes fado’s connection with saudade, “a feeling of longing or nostalgia”. Real traditional fado, out of the tourist circle: Tasca do Jaime

There is a plaque in Maria Severa’s memory and a stylized fado guitar can be seen on the newly surfaced road where she lived. The memory of the singer is also kept alive in the pub called “Os Amigos da Severa” (the Friends of Severa) in the nearby Rua do Capelao , with a painting of her hanging on the wall.

“Os Amigos da Severa” (the Friends of Severa)  Rua do Capelao 32, and owner senhor Antonio Correia Alves Pais

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