If your Portugal vacation takes you to Lisbon, don’t miss Cabo da Roca (Roca’s Cape), in the municipality of Sintra, 40 km from Lisbon. The magical atmosphere of the westernmost point of mainland Europe (at 9° 29.8′ W), the nearest point between the European Continent and the USA, is really worth a visit! In summertime there’s lots […]
No neighborhood in Lisbon is praised more in Fado music than Mouraria.
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 […]
Opening in 1782, Restaurant Café Martinho da Arcada, located in the corner of the Praça do Comércio 37 near the Tagus river, is the oldest café in Lisbon.
The terrace under the beautiful arcades. Movie Praca do Comercio: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zhuLEkL0Ue4. Situated downtown, this cafe was once the ideal setting for the so called ‘tertúlia’s‘ (café talks). Well known names from Portuguese […]
Nowadays lots of tourists walk around in Lisbon’s Chiado area and the beautiful Rua Garrett. They take a break in cafe ‘A Brasileira’ (Rua Garrett 120) to make pictures near the statue in bronze of the poet Fernando Pessoa (1888-1935), once a regular customer. But who was Fernando Pessoa?
Pessoa was largely unknown in Portugal until after his death in 1935. The […]
Portuguese pavement workers are real artists! In Lisbon there’s always a lot of work to do, like in Rua da Rosa in Bairro Alto, one of the oldest districts.
Upon a well compacted trench of argillaceous materials, craftsmen lay a bedding of gravel, which will accommodate the stones, acting as a cement.
Lovely wave design “the wide sea”, […]
Tucked away in the Principe Real dictrict, near the Bairro Alto, the Botanical Garden is a lush retreat from the afternoon sun. It covers an area of extending uphill from the Rua da Escola Politécnica to the Avenida da Liberdade.
The University of Lisbon Botanical Garden was designed as a scientific garden, planting began in 1873 […]
Lisbon has steadily built up an image of one of the world’s most interesting cities to visit. Its stunning location and historic significance is generously complemented by remarkable aesthetics, making it stand out as one of the few capital cities still human in pace and in scale.
To discover Lisbon in the company of friendly and […]
The Portuguese appreciate eating and drinking well. The influence of Portugal’s former colonial possessions is clear, especially in the wide variety of spices used, like piri piri (small, fiery chilli peppers), as well as cinnamon, vanilla and saffron. There’s also Arab and Moorish influences, especially in the south. The Portuguese cuisine is rich, filling and full-flavoured.
Lisbon, pastelaria (cafe/small […]
The Portuguese have a very long history with codfish: shortly after Columbus (about 500 years ago) discovered America, the Portuguese were fishing for cod near NewFoundland. They were the first Europeans to do so. The nickname of bacalhau is ‘fiel amigo’ (faithful friend).
Lisbon: shop Manteigaria Silva, Rua D. Antao de Almada 1-C and D
When you stay […]
The Baixa Pombalina is an elegant district, with beautiful buildings. The area is primarily constructed after the 1755 Lisbon earthquake. It takes its name from Marquis of Pombal, the Prime Minister to Joseph I of Portugal from 1750 to 1777. Pombal, who kept calm during and after the big earthquake in 1755, renovated the city. He had […]