Park Eduard VII Lisbon, exotic Greenhouse & tasty lunch Central Parque Kiosk

Park Eduard VII in Lisbon is popular: people from all over the world make amazing photos from the top of the park. It is also really worth it to visit the Greenhouse at the end of the park and the kiosk with terrace where you can enjoy your coffee or lunch. Great place for families with children!

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Lisbon Greenhouse & Estufa Fria (litt. the Cold House), November 2016

Wonderful atmosphere

The Estufa Fria de Lisboa is an eight hectare greenhouse that was erected in 1933 by architect Raul Carapinha, located in Eduardo VII Park, one of the most important parks that exist in the city. It is one of the most visited sites, by both students and tourists. MAP
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Lisbon Greenhouse & Estufa Fria (litt. the Cold House), November 2016
The Greenhouse, initially thought out as a place to simply shelter various types of plants, it has become one of the most pleasant green spaces in Lisbon, where you can spend a few enjoyable hours between lakes, waterfalls, brooks, statues and hundreds of different plant specimens from all over the world. A place that gives its visitors a sense of tranquility and well being.

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Lisbon Greenhouse & Estufa Fria, November 2016

Lisbon Greenhouse & three different areas

This Greenhouse is managed by the Lisbon City Council and is divided into three different areas: (Estufa Fria), litt. the cold house, without heating system; Estufa Quente (the Hot House), with glass dome, and the smaller Estufa Doce, (Sweet House), where cactusses are grown.

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Lisbon Greenhouse & Estufa Fria (the Cold House), November 2016

The Greenhouse’s history

The Estufa Fria started being planted in 1910, as a part of the urban plan of the Park Eduaro VII. In 1975 the ‘Hothouse’ and the ‘Sweet House’ were open to the public. These new exhibitions had tropical and equatorial plants on permanent display.

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Wonderful! Lisbon Greenhouse & Estufa Fria (the Cold House), November 2016

Tickets

Adults: € 3,10, children and teenagers (6/18): € 2,33, students, pensioners: € 1,55. More information…. WEBSITE  Estufa Fria (source)  Facebook

Location: Estufa Fria de Lisboa, Parque Eduardo VII Lisbon

Open: in summertime from 10:00-19:00, wintertime 10:00-17:00. More….

Small lake near the Greenhouse in Park Eduard VII Lisbon & friend Margarethe de Vrieze

Lovely lake with ducks and geese 

Walking out of the Estufa Fria Greenhouse there’s a lake with ducks and geese and a kiosk with a terrace where you can enjoy your coffee or lunch. A lovely and quiet place, also for kids.

Lunch at Central Parque Quiosque, near the Greenhouse, Park Eduard VII Lisbon september 2017

Central Parque Quiosque & tasty lunch 

This is not the first time we went here for lunch, because my friends Alexandra Tops and Margarethe de Vrieze recommended this lovely place in the park where you can order good food for affordable prices.

Lunch at Central Parque Quiosque, near the Greenhouse, Park Eduard VII Lisbon

Ideal place for families with children (they sell pizzas and icecream 🙂 )

Great place under the umbrellas for a drink while the kids play. The kiosk is located next to the Children’s Park.

Our lunch: amondegas de atum (tuna fish, feta cheese) 8 €; salad with mozzarela e tomates 8 €; tosta e frango (toasted bread with chicken) 5.50 € ; glass of white wine 3.50 €; bottle of water 1.20 €.

Very nice staff & relaxed atmosphere! Jessica Tribolet, Francisco Varela and Santos

Central Parque Quiosque , Park Eduard VII Lisbon
Open: every day from 10:00 – 20:00
Wifi available. Facebook

The wonderful building Pavilhão Carlos Lopes is also located in this park.

The building reopened in February 2017, after extensive remodeling work and is now a large, pleasant space with lovely azulejos tile work on its interior and exterior walls.

Famous Portuguese long-distance runner Carlos Lopes

The pavilion is a venue for temporary exhibitions, while a small permanent exhibition on Carlos Lopes displays the great runner’s trophies and equipment, including the shoes he wore during the Los Angeles Olympic marathon in 1984.

Hours: Daily: 10am-6pm. Map
Admission: Free. Read more
: Portugal Visitor 

How to reach Park Eduardo VII: Metro – Parque or Marquês de Pombal Station 

Bizarre bar Pavilhão Chines Lisbon: 1900s style curiosities & kitsch

A ‘must-see’ when you visit Lisbon! Once an old grocery store, this 1900s style bar, 10 minutes walk from  Bairro Alto ‘s nightlife is really unique!

Lisbon Paviljao Chines7 bar retaurant

Pavilhão Chines Lisbon: one of the most interesting and unusual decorated bars I’ve ever seen!

A good start to Lisbon’s nightlife. You have to ring the doorbell, like in many other Portuguese places. The reason for the closed doors is that the owners want to welcome you personally.

Lisbon Pavilhao Chines naked woman menu book

Erotic art: menu book bar Pavilhão Chines Lisbon

If you wish, you can buy a fine menu book with a lot of beautiful pictures and stories (20 euro) as a reminder of your visit.

Lisbon Paviljao Chines8 bar restaurant

Pavilhão Chines bar Lisbon

Fascinating collection of all sort of things, like lead soldiers, contemporary engravings, humorous ceramics and models of war planes.

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Pavilhão Chines Lisbon: miniscule toy soldiers are perfectly aligned.

Walking from room to room is like going through a museum with curiosities and kitch from all over the world. It is said that only one man collected all this stuff….almost unbelievable!

Lisbon Pavilhão Chines4 bar restaurant

Pavilhão Chines Lisbon: nothing is for sale

Once sitting down at one of the beautiful tables, the choice of drinks (nothing is for sale, except the drinks and it’s a bit expensive..) is quite large: from tea, wine, cocktails to champagne.

Lisbon Pavilhão Chines9 bar restaurant

Pavilhão Chines Lisbon

You can have a drink while listening to the jukebox playing classic rock songs from the 60’s and 70’s or play snooker, and then walk down to the  Bairro Alto and enjoy the night..

Top 10 bars with live music in  this area, Bairro Alto

Lisbon Pavilhão Chines 10 unique bar and restaurant

Pavilhão Chines Lisbon, open from 18:00 – 02:00, smoking allowed

Address: Rua Dom Pedro V 89-91, Bairro Alto. Tel: (00351)213 424 72.

Lisbon Pavilhao Chines Bar

FACEBOOK https://www.facebook.com/pavilhaochineslisboa

Top tourist attraction Lisbon: bronze sculpture famous poet Pessoa & history

The bronze sculpture in Lisbon of Portugal’s famous writer and poet Fernando Pessoa (1888-1935) is extremely popular.

Lisbon cafe A Brasileira tourist attraction statue Fernando Pessoa

Sculpture of famous poet Fernando Pessoa, kissed by a young girl, almost 80 years after his death!   🙁

Top tourist attraction

Famous cafe ‘A Brasileira’  ‘s terrace in Lisbon (Rua Garrett 120) is a real tourist attraction. Poet Fernando Pessoa once was a regular customer. His table in bronze was created by Lagoa Henriques.

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Famous old cafe ‘A Brasileira’  (‘The Brazilian’, opened in 1905) Lisbon, Rua Garrett

Who was poet and writer Fernando Pessoa?

Pessoa was largely unknown in Portugal until after his death in 1935. The man has no idea he’s mobbed by lots of tourists nowadays, all day long!

Lisbon Pessoa statue Rua Garrett & friend Hans

Sculpture poet Fernando Pessoa Lisbon & Dutch admirer Hans

‘The best way to travel is to feel’ Pessoa wrote, ‘so feel everything in every possible way.’ Pessoa was born in Lisbon in 1888.

Apart from his high school years which he spent with his mother and half brothers in South Africa, he lived in Lisbon without a break, without taking public holidays, without traveling abroad. He did so with the help of heteronyms, inventing many lives (and cities) out of his own, spent between the Chiado area, where he lived.

Restaurant Martinho da Arcada table Pessoa famous Portuguese writer

Quality Restaurant Martinho da Arcade, Lisbon.

Restaurant Martinho da Arcade Lisbon & Pessoa’s table

Portugal’s famous poet and writer Pessoa spent a lot of his time in cafes (like Cafe Martinho da Arcada, where he wrote and drank a lot . He died in 1935, aged 47.

Pessoa’s table is still there…

Fernando Pessoa

Fernando Pessoa

Casa (house) Fernando Pessoa, Rua Coelho da Rocha, 16, Campo de Ourique.

Open from Monday – Saturday 10:00-18:00.

Pessoa drawing Travessa do Sequeiro

Drawing Fernando Pessoa, Travessa do Sequiero Lisbon

“Acordar”, poem by Álvaro de Campos, one of Fernando Pessoa’s various ‘heteronyms’ (imaginary characters).

“Acordar da cidade de Lisboa mais tarde do que as outras
Acordar da Rua do Ouro
Acordar do Rossio, as portas dos cafés
Acordar…..
E no meio de tudo a gare, que nunca dorme
Como um coração que tem que pulsar através de vigilia e do sono”

“The waking up of Lisbon, later than other cities
The waking up of Rua do Ouro
The waking up of Rossio Square, at the doors of its cafes
Waking up…..
And in the middle of it all the train station, which never rests
Like a heart that has to beat in both waking and sleeping hours”

Pessoa drawing Rua 1 Dezembro Lisbon

Rua Primeiro de Dezembro, April 2009

Bica funicular Lisbon: top tourist spot, June street partys & cool river Tagus cafés

The famous Bica funicular opened on 28 June, 1892, the only stepped street funicular in the city. It climbs the Rua da Bica for 245 metres from the Rua S. Paulo.

Bica funicular Lisbon & partytime in June

Partying in the small street around the famous Bica funicular, near Bairro Alto , one of the best spots in Europe for a night out. In June, the month of the Festas dos Santos Populares (Feast Days of the Popular Saints), the Lisbon nights are filled with lively festivities that take over the city’s historical center.

On the eve of Saint Anthony day, June 12th, Lisbon turns into one big party! … More….

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The most photographed street in Lisbon and Bica funicular Rua Loreto.

Lisbon has three working street funicularsLavra, 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.

Lisbon Adamastor December 08

Viewpoint ‘Adamastor’

Five minutes walk from here is a beautiful viewpoint over the River Tagus: ‘Adamastor’, a popular gathering place in Lisbon, which is officially called the  ‘Miradouro de Santa Catarina’ .

Lisbon Cafe Nooibai terrace

Cafe Noobai

Just below the small Adamastor square, you will find the fantastic terraces of cafe/ bar Cafe Noobai , certainly one of the favourite places of many Lisbon locals and visitors of the city!

‘Shoemakers’ street Lisbon: 19th C. Art Nouveau strip club, peep shows & picanha

In the 19th century, Baixa was Lisbon’s commercial heart, with streets named according to their trades. Rua dos Sapateiros means ‘the shoemakers’ street.

Lisbon Rossio Rua dos Sapateiros1 Arco do Bandeiro

The entrance to the Rua dos Sapateiros is spanned by the decorative arch Arco do Bandeiro.

This bears the name of the wealthy sponsor Pires Bandeiro who commissioned it at the end of the 18th C.

Rua dos Sapateiros2 Art Nouveau old Cinema peep shows

Strip Club Rua dos Sapateiros Lisbon

Strip club & Art Nouveau style

Passing through the arched gateway on Rossio you see one of Lisbon’s remaining examples of Art Nouveau: this old movie house, the Animatógrafo , is a strip club nowadays. Lisbon’s earliest cinema hall opened in 1907, by brothers Ernesto and Joaquim Correia Cardoso. It has remained unaltered since then. The beautiful facade is adorned with a highly detailed Art Nouveau style, which consists of Azulejos tiled panels, which depict Edwardian styled females surrounded by fruits and flowers.

Rua dos Sapateiros: cafes, cheap traditional Portuguese restaurants & peep shows2

Rua dos Sapateiros Lisbon

It was not easy to make a picture without snapping visitors going in and out, because this beautiful house is rather popular….. 🙂

Traditional restaurants & picanha meat, ‘melt-in-your mouth’

Rua dos Sapateiros Lisbon: cheap traditional cafes, restaurants & peep shows5 Restaurant Adego Mo

Restaurant Ádega da Mo’, R. dos Sapateiros 199, Lisbon

Restaurant ‘Adega da Mo‘ is  a typical Portuguese restaurant.

Almoçar (lunch): Picanha, (meat from Brazil) is generally considered to be the number one cut, even better than beef fillet. Picanha (pick-ahn-yeh) is much better than a steak, meltin-in-your mouth….: € 7.50

Lisbon Leitaria Camponeza22

Rua dos Sapateiros Lisbon

Another beautiful example of Portuguese Art Nouveau in this street is Leitaria ‘A Camponeza’

Rua dos Sapateiros Lisbon: cheap traditional cafes, restaurants & peep shows street

Rua dos Sapateiros, Lisbon

Bar/Cafe ‘Sol e Pesca’ Lisbon: canned fish decor & vintage memorabilia

Portugal is famous for the beautiful coloured tin cans of tuna, squid and sardines . Tin cans serve as wall decoration in cafe/bar “Sol e Pesca ” ( litt.Sun and Fishing), but are also intended for consumption. A great idea!

Cafe/bar “Sol e Pesca“, Lisbon decorated with lovely coloured fish tin cans

Former old shop

This bar used to be an old shop with fishing equipment and that past now inspires the décor (like rods and hooks). Now the shop is also decorated with hundreds of colorful tins of the Portuguese favorite fish.

Cafe/bar “Sol e Pesca“, Lisbon

“Sol e Pesca also inspires what is served (or sold to be enjoyed at home), because in addition to the drinks (beer and local wines) it offers cans of a variety of fish that, if you like it, can be accompanied by bread and wine.

Mauro Fialho, Cafe/bar “Sol e Pesca“, Lisbon

Nowadays the Cais do Sodré area in Lisbon is a trendy place to go after  the bars in the Bairro Alto close their doors. You’ll find here some clubs like Roterdão, and Musicbox. In July 2010 “Sol e Pesca” opened its doors.

Cafe` Sol e Pesca`Lisbon: Catarina Rebelo Lucas is preparing the mise en place

Catarina: ” In this area (Cais do Sodré) near the river Tagus there are a lot of shops for fishermen. This typical Portuguese old store closed 20 years ago and all the old stuff associated with fish is still there…

The new owner, sr. Henrique Vaz Pato (pato means duck in Portuguese)  😉  bought the shop and opened cafe ‘Sol e Pesca’ (Sun and Fishing) in July 2010″.

Muxama, a delicacy typical of the south region of the Iberian Peninsula, consisting of filleted salt-cured tuna.

The Arabs developed this salt curing technique and the term muxama comes from the Arab word musama which means “dry”. However, Phoenicians and Romans also used a similar process to preserve the fishes caught until the return of the fishing boats ashore.

Nowadays, in Portugal muxama is produced in the Algarve region, following a technique used for more than 1000 years almost unchanged.

Delicious! Muxama, salad, sardines, olives, bread, white wine, a small bottle of water: 22 euro

Bar/cafe Sol e Pesca (Sun and Fishing),  Rua Nova de Carvalho 14, Lisbon

Hours: Monday to Friday from 18:00 to 02h00, Saturday from 18.00 to 04h00.  Closed on Sundays, Facebook

MINERVA – Portuguese sardines

Minerva is a well-known Portuguese canned fish brand. Famous Lisbon city center cannery store Conserveira de Lisboa

Lisbon, Cais do Sodré , the new hotspot, December 2011

Nowadays the Cais do Sodré area in Lisbon is a trendy place to go after bars in the nearby Bairro Alto area close their doors

 

Castle of St. George’s neighborhood ‘Santa Cruz’ & Mercearia Castello Cafe

Around the Castle of St. George’s  (Castelo de São Jorge) in Lisbon, the tiny and partially restored ancient neighborhood of Santa Cruz do Castelo , is one of the most picturesque parts of Lisbon. Ageing residents are living here as well as younger people and there’s lots of luxury hotels.

Lisbon Bairro Castelo Merceraria Castello

Mercearia Castello Cafe

A bit tucked away on a tiny street, Rua das Flores de Santa Cruz behind the Castle, Mercearia Castello Cafe opens in summertime a small outdoor seating  just around the corner. Quiche and salads, coffee and toast, this cafe is a great place to stop for a snack or a light meal after visiting the Castle.

Lisbon Bairro Castelo Rua do Chao da Feira

Rua Bartolomeu do Gusmão, just near the Castle.

The neighborhood is very charming, it’s really nice to walk through the cobbled small streets. Costa do Castelo features some of the most spectacular viewpoints of Lisbon.

Lisbon neighborhood St John Castle O Terraco amazing views

A 10 minutes walk away from this street is a great cafe/bar overlooking the river Tagus, 25 April bridge and the city, cafe O Terraço, spectacular views!

(update : new owner, now there’s a restaurant)

Lisbon Bairro Castelo Rua do Espirito Santo3 laundry

Rua do Espírito Santo….

Normal life is going on, quietly, nobody takes attention to the tourists. This hilly part of Lisbon, located in the highest hill of the historic centre,  is one of the main historical and tourist sites.

Lisbon Bairro Castelo walking around

more…..  an idea to walk up the hill to the Castle of St George

Amateur Fado Lisbon: cafe/bar ‘Tasca do Jaime’ & Dutch (!) Fado singer Henriquinha

Fado is a part of the culture in Portugal and many Portuguese have the idea they can sing just as wonderful as Carlos do Carmo or like the legendary Amália Rodrigues, Queen of fado, Lady of Lisbon..

Café/bar ‘Tasca do Jaime’ Lisbon & very talented Dutch Fado singer Henriquinha; Guitarra Portuguesa: Custódio Magalhaes; Viola do Fado: Duarte Nunes

Fadista (fado singer) Henriquinha Maria (Hendriktje Ruiter, born and professionally trained in Holland) is a very talented singer living in Lisbon. She really loves it to sing the fado; now she’s becoming famous in Portugal due to a Fado song contest on Portuguese TV.

YouTube Hendriktje ‘Amor de mel, amor de fel’

Hendriktje Dutch Fado singer Portuguese TV Ha Tarde dec 14 2

Dutch singer Henriquinha Maria & host Herman José on Portuguese TV, ‘Grande Premio do Fado’

Dutch singer Hendriktje Ruiter participated in a Fado talent show on Portuguese TV. After two rounds she won enough points to perform in the semi-final of this song contest in May 2015.

Interested to know where this Dutch fadista will sing in Lisbon? Mail to: hendriktje@gmail.com ; more pictures: facebook ; phone: 00351 917 035 578

Tasca do Jaime lisboa 3 Henriktje Fado Vadio

Lisbon, cafe/bar ‘Tasca do Jaime’ December 2014 & Fado Vadio (amateur fado)

Amateur setting of Portuguese Fado is called FADO VADIO

In the old neighborhoods of Lisbon there are local bars or tascas where everybody can sing fado (max. 2 songs). Even you, if you might like it! 😉 …. In this setting only the guitarists are paid to accompany the singers.

Tasca do Jaime Lisboa Dec 2014

Café/bar ‘Tasca do Jaime’ Lisbon December 2014

Silêncio que se vai cantar o fado (Silence)

In case you don’t understand the Portuguese language: when the light is dimmed, it means that ‘silence is asked because fado is going to be singed” …

Lisbon Tasca do Jaime Graca Libon dec 14 2

Tasca do Jaime Graca area Lisbon, FADO VADIO December 2014: fadista Fernanda Proença. (YouTube). This lady has a wonderful voice! 🙂

Fado Vadio: ‘Dying cats or divine song’

The Portuguese have a lot of respect for the performers who like to express their emotions. You can enjoy a fado singer who sings so beautiful it will give you goosebumps, followed by someone who think he or she is a really good singer…..

Or, as Tasca do Jaime’s neighbors Mike and Alice described on their blog: ‘ It’s a very authentic little cafe bar in our neighborhood. The fado heard there can sound like dying cats or divine song..’ 😉

Read more about Fado Vadio….

Tasco Jaime Graca dancing nov 3014

Tasca do Jaime Lisbon, Fado vadio December 2014: Zita & João Soeiro (YouTube)

Café/bar ‘Tasca do Jaime ‘ FADO afternoons & atmosphere

Seven years ago I wrote about this Tasca, but now the atmosphere has changed. The décor is really nice and authentic but the wine and petiscos (tapas) are overpriced: we paid about € 20 pp.  A small plate of ham and cheese or pasteis (pastries) and a jarro (garafe, ca. 3 glasses) filled with not the best quality of Portuguese wine 🙁   are obliged (on fado afternoons between 16:00 to 20:00). If standing at the counter or on the sidewalk watching pass the electric tram 28, has no such obligation.

Anyway, the performances of the guitar players and the fado singers were very good that day!

Tasca Jaime december 2014 Alexandra e Louis

Tasca do Jaime’ Lisbon December 2014: friends Alexandra & Louis

Café/bar ‘Tasca do Jaime’ Lisbon,  Rua da Graça 91, Lisbon. Fado Vadio on Saturdays, Sundays and public Holidays from 16:00 to 20:00. Phone : 351 21 8881560

Museum of Decorative Arts Fress Lisbon: Portuguese 17th-18th C. nobility collection & arts and crafts ateliers

Would you like to see how the Portuguese nobility lived in their luxury palaces during the 17th and 18th Century? If you are planning to visit Lisbon take the opportunity to visit the Museum of Decorative Arts, the former city palace.

Museum of Decoratve Arts Lisbon 1

Museum of Decorative Arts Fress Lisbon (Museu Artes Decorativas Fress) 2014: visitors from Holland Ans de Graaf and Loek Polack & tour guide Margarida Serra

The Portuguese nobility, during the 17th and 18th Century among the world’s wealthiest, embraced the sumptuous style of ‘Versailles’ and acquired lavishly decorated items throughout the continent.  “While everyone else in Europe was leveraged in that period, the Portuguese were fully financed.” More….

But there’s much more to see in this Museum, like the beautiful Portuguese tiles (azulejos).  And a visit to the ateliers next to the museum is a wonderful experience!

Museum of Decorative Art Fress Lisbon King Jose Room 2

Museum of Decorative Arts Lisbon: King Jose room (1714 – 1777):  exuberantly carved furnishings in ‘Rococo’ style. Remarkable rosewood table (movie)

An example of a noble house in the 17th and 18th centuries. Portuguese aristocrats loved shopping, also in other countries: beautiful decorative arts including textiles, furniture, paintings, jewelry, collections of silverware, woven fabrics, China crockery and ceramics.

Museum of Decorative Arts 2009 2

Entrance Museum of Decorative Arts Lisbon: ‘Coupé Berlin, 18th Century.

In 2009 I also wrote about this museum, at that time you were not allowed to take pictures. Now you can wander freely from room to room and take time to make photos. The Museum has suffered several changes and it is really worth a visit.

Museum Decorative Arts Fress Lisbon Panel azulejos children 2

Museum of Decorative Arts Fress Lisbon: a beautilful tile panel & guided tour for children

Besides preservation, exhibition and research of the peaces in display, the Museum also promotes information throughout different audiences, converging the guided tours, as well as carrying out conferences and thematic arts- and craft workshops.

Museum of Decorative Arts Fress Lisbon- Portuguese Chairs Room

Museum of Decorative Arts Lisbon: new is a room with beautiful antique Portuguese chairs

The Ricardo do Espírito Santo Silva (1900 – 1955) Foundation

Ricardo do Espírito Santo Silva was the third son of a Portuguese banker with a remarkable name, because Espírito Santo means ‘Holy Ghost’.  This business man, art lover and Maecenas, and besides famous as one of the most renowned Portuguese bankers, donated to Portugal the wonderful Azura Palace and a decorative art collection.

Ana Sim-Sim, our guide to the traditional Art & Crafts Ateliers and mr. Artur Sousa

Make a visit to the ateliers: an extraordinary experience!

In the former Palace there are 18 traditional Arts & Craft ateliers. Besides restoration of ancient pieces, new ones are manufactured with high technique and artistic quality, incorporating traditional techniques and methodes. A wonderful combination of modernity and tradition! Very creative people are at work here, dedicated to traditional breeding and restoration of old pieces (cabinet-making, inlays, wood carving, chiselling, book decoration, trimings and upholstery)

Museum Decorative Arts Fress Lisbon beautiful patio for lunch

Museum of Decorative Arts Lisbon: romantic and quiet patio to enjoy lunch, but today it’s raining  🙁

The Museum’s Cafetaria (there’s also a space inside for rainy days): from 12:30 to 14:30 you can enjoy soup, dish, vegetarian pie, salad, bread and olives, dessert, fruit, cold tea / juice, water, coffee (€ 10.00). The buffet changes every day.

Museum of Decorative Arts Fress Lisbon formeer palace entrance ateliers

Museum of Decorative Arts Lisbon, Largo das Porta do Sol 2 & entrance to Arts & Crafts Ateliers

The Foundation Ateliers are open to guided tours without pre-booking on Monday (11 am + 3 pm), Wednesday (11 am + 3 pm) and Thursday (3 pm). In English or Portuguese (in other languages according availability). Pre-booked guided tours are available from Monday to Friday. Call (00351) 21 881 46 39/00 ​

View from one of the Museum’s windows February 2014: popular tourist viewpoint Portas do Sol

Museum of Decorative Arts, Largo das Portas do Sol, 2 , located in the historic area Alfama, one step away from one of Lisbon’s most popular tourist attractions: viewpoint (miradouro) Portas do Sol: stunning river Tagus views!

Musum of Decorative Arts Lisbon atelier1

Mr. Artur Sousa at work in one of the Museum’s ateliers. Website (FRESS) with presentation: (several Movies)

Museum of Decorative Arts, Largo das Portas do Sol  Alfama , easy to reach by legendary tram 28.

Facebook  Closed: New year’s Day, Easter, May 1st and Christmas (December 25). Adults 4.00 euro, free entrance children aged 12 or under. Open: 10:00 to 17:00.

Bar ‘da Velha Senhora’ Lisbon: burlesque, revue & the day Cesária Évora died

If you like burlesque performances, glittering revue shows and cabaret a must-go place is bar “da Velha Senhora” (Old lady’s bar) in Lisbon! Video:

‘Hallooooooooooooooooooo!”  2 beautiful ladies invite you to enjoy the show

Bar da Velha Senhora” Cais do Sodré, Lisbon

While eating traditional Portuguese snacks (“petiscos“) you can enjoy various artistic performances. This bar is in the same typical Portuguese 18th-century building as Pensão Amor” (a former ‘love’ guesthouse), with a wonderful unique décor . Also really worth a visit!

Stage Bar ”da Velha Senhora” Cais do Sodré, Lisbon

Inside, almost everything complies with the burlesque theme and imagery of Lisbon in the early twentieth century. The building itself – a cultural and artistic project – witnesses the time that thirsty sailors docked in the harbor and spent their free time drinking booze and have fun with women.

Bar ”da Velha Senhora” Cais do Sodré, Lisbon

Former Lisbon’s red light district

The stories of prostitutes and sailors are inseparable from Cais do Sodré, formerly known as Lisbon’s red light district with bars named after northern European capitals (like Copenhagen, or Roterdão, Rotterdam) to attract their sailors who stepped off their boats here.

But times have changed: nowaydays it is a great area to go out at night! Musicbox is a trendy hotspot for live bands and DJ’s, disco clubs Tokyo and Jamaica became two of the most loved alternative clubs in Lisbon.

Bar ”da Velha Senhora” & DJ Rycardo Lisbon, December 17, 2011

The day Cesária Évora died

I will never forget the day Cesária Évora died, December 17, 2011. Early in the evening we went to Bar da Velha Senhora. When DJ Rycardo started to play the famous and wonderful songs of Cesária, suddenly all the people in the bar started spontaneously clapping their hands and some began to cry … I still get goosebumps thinking about that day…!

Bar ”da Velha Senhora” & DJ Rycardo Lisbon: the day Cesária Évora died

A woman jumped on the table and started to dance…….   Amazing!

Popular singer Cesária Évora, “the Barefoot Diva’, has made Cape (Cabo) Verde famous all over the world. She generally performed in bare feet, as a sign of solidarity for the large number of women and children back home in the Cape Verdean Islands who cannot afford shoes.

Cesária Évora: ‘Miss Perfumado (youtube). More about former Portuguese colony Cape Verde (from 1456-1975)

Bar ”da Velha Senhora” Cais do Sodré, Lisbon

Rua Nova do Carvalho 38, Cais do Sodré, Lisbon, tel. (00351)351 213 468 479. Open: Tuesday to Sunday 6pm to 4am . FACEBOOK

Metro: Cais do Sodré. Facebook.com/bardavelhasenhora