LISBON Sacavém: from ‘no-go’ zone to Europe’s largest open-air art gallery

How art can make positive changes! A walking tour in district Sacavém led by excellent guide Kally lasted over 3 hours. We’ll have to go again to admire all the murals (around 120) 🙂 !

Sacavém: Europe’s largest open-air art gallery & artists : Zag & Sia

Quinta do Mocho & former bad reputation

Sacavém (located in former Quinta do Mocho) once was known as a neighborhood with a bad reputation. Today we visit what has become popular as the “largest open-air urban art gallery in Europe”.

Sacavém: Europe’s largest open-air art gallery & guide Kally.  Artist: Abraham Osorio 

2014: Street Art Festival with artists from all over the world

For a long time in Sacavém everything was abandoned. Taxis and buses no longer circulated in the area. To rehabilitate the neighborhood, the Câmara Municipal (town hall) organized a Street Art Festival in 2014. Since then, this Festival  is organised almost every year.

Sacavém: Europe’s largest open-air art gallery & artist MAYE

Quinta do Mocho & former Portuguese colonies

The Quinta do Mocho social housing project, consisting of four-story buildings, was built in the 1990s to house 3.000 people, mostly from former Portuguese colonies in Africa, Cape Verde, Guinea and Angola. Social exclusion, high unemployment and poor housing standards contributed to the area having high crime rates and various social problems.

Sacavém, September 13. Picture (with permission): Margriet de Vrieze

Turning point in 2014

The creation of the urban Art Festival was a turning point in the history of Quinta do Mocho. According to local officials, since the murals were painted, a bus line now serves the area, cultural events have multiplied, and the crime rate has fallen. All the buildings, owned by the local government, are rented out to low-income families .  Source: WikiPedia

Sacavém: Europe’s largest open-air art gallery & artists Coletivo Licuado

Nowadays around 120 murals are coloring the buildings, in a creative line-up that covers the work of national and international famous artists – such as Bordalo II, Vhils (both Portuguese) Odeith, Slap, Adrés or Pantónio.

Sacavém: Europe’s largest open-air art gallery & artist ÔJE

This video gives a good impression of the neighborhood with all the monotonous buildings :

YouTube: Quinta do Mocho – Galeria de Arte Publica

Sacavém: Europe’s largest open-air art gallery & artist MAYE

First guided tour was organised in 2015.

Nowadays, every week, groups of tourists come to admire the mural paintings based on various themes such as racial discrimination, children’s rights, or justice.

The neighbourhood felt quiet and peaceful when we walked around.

Sacavém: Europe’s largest open-air art gallery & portrait of Amilcar Cabral, by Portuguese artist Antonio Alves

The “40 years, 40 murals” initiative, aimed at marking the 40th anniversary of the 25th of April (freedom!) in Portugal. To remember the great African nationalist Amilcar Cabral, founder of the African Party for the Independence of Guinea and Cape Verde, murdered in 1973.

Sacavém & artist Bordalo II. Picture: Margriet de Vrieze

All artworks of Bordalo II are created with GARBAGE .

The excessive production and consumption of stuff, which results in the continuous production of “garbage” and consequently in the destruction of the Planet, are the central themes of his production.

Street art Utopia & collection of street art by Bordalo II

Sacavém: Europe’s largest open-air art gallery, guide Kally & artist Untay

Visit Sacavém & excellent tourist guide Kally

When you visit Lisbon and you like street art, take the time to visit Sacavém. It’s really amazing! We (members of NV Lissabon, Dutch Society), spent half a day there. Our guide Kally lives in the neighborhood and he knows a lot of stories about the murals and their creators.

Sacavémguide Kally & members of NV Lissabon (Dutch Society)

The tour starts at the Casa da Cultura de Sacavém, where Kally briefly explains (in English) about the murals that can be seen here as maquettes.

YouTube: Casa de Cultura de Sacavém & maquettes of all murals

Casa da Cultura de Sacavém & Mexican artist Eva Bracamontes ( maquette)

How to book a guided tour via Guias do Mocho:

guiasdomocho@gmail.com
Whatsapp: +351 967815872
Or via a message on Facebook.  Price: €10 per person. You can enjoy an African lunch (€15 pp) afterwards in a small restaurant.

How to get there?  Quinta Do Mocho is located in Sacavém close to Lisbon’s airport. Bus 310 from Oriente is an option but taxis are quite cheap in Portugal.

Meeting pointCasa da Cultura de Sacavém,  Urbanização dos Terraços da Ponte, 2685-155, Sacavém

Coffee break: Cafe ‘O Cantinho da Anita’, Sacavém & Dutch visitors NV Lissabon, September 13, 2023

 

Lisbon’s unique Aqueduct (from 1731, 65 m tall) & aqueduct serial killer Alves

Really worth a visit!

Water was in scarce supply even for Lisbon’s earliest inhabitants. In 1731 Portugal’s King João V (John V) decided to build an aqueduct (Aqueduto das Águas Livres, ‘free waters’). The project was paid by a special sales tax on beef, olive oil, wine and other products.

Aqueduct Lisbon (Aqueduto das Águas Livres), October 2022

Magnificent construction & misunderstandings

The magnificent construction caused constant misunderstandings between the royal power, engineers, architects and municipal institutions; abusive clerical interference found its way into the fray.

Aqueduct Lisbon (Aqueduto das Águas Livres, October 2022

Water Museum

Today, what the Portuguese think of as the Lisbon Aqueduct is that gigantic set or arches spanning the Alcântara valley, ending at the Mãe d’Água das Amoreiras Reservoir (Water Museum) of Amoreiras..

View from the Aqueduct Lisbon, October 2022

The main course of the aqueduct covers 18 km, but the whole network of canals extends through nearly 58 km. Its source is known as Águas Livres and is located in Caneças.

Aqueduct Lisbon (Aqueduto das Águas Livres, October 2022

important sources of water supply

The aqueduct consist 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.

Entrance Water Museum Lisbon, Calçada da Quintinha, 6, Lisboa

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.

More information about architects and engineers

Water Museum (Mãe d’Água), Lisbon

Video Museu da Água  YouTube

After the earthquake of 1755, architect 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.

Water Museum (Mãe d’Água) Lisbon, October 2022

Diogo Alves, the ‘Aqueduct serial killer’

The 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’.

Aqueduct Lisbon. Picture:  Paulo Juntas (Wikipedia), Aqueduct arches (65 m tall) over the Alcântara valley.

‘ Water Museum, Calçada da Quintinha, 6, Lisboa, in charge of the aqueduct, organizes guided visits and tours.

Opening Hours | Open from Tuesday to Sunday from 10 am to 5:30 pm (closed for lunch from 12:30 to 1:30 pm). More: Wikipedia     Facebook 
Useful information

October 1st 2022: Aqueduct Lisbon & members of NV Lissabon

National Museum of Ancient Art Lisbon, amazing river view garden & cafe

Behind one of the most famous museums in Lisbon, the Museu Nacional de Arte Antiga, there’s a wonderful, a bit hidden garden overlooking the Tagus River and a small self service restaurant.

Terrace National Museum Nacional8 Tagus River

Garden Museu Nacional de Arte Antiga Lisbon overlooking the Tagus river

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.

Terrace Museu Nacional de Arta Antigua Sculpture

Garden Museu Nacional de Arte Antiga Lisbon

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 in the self service restaurant.

Terrace National Museum de Arta Antigua3

Garden Museu Nacional de Arte Antiga Lisbon overlooking the Tagus river

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.

Terrace Museu Nacional de Arte Antiguo4

Garden Museu Nacional de Arte Antiga Lisbon overlooking the Tagus river

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

Terrace National Museum Nacional de Arte Antiguo6

Garden Museu Nacional de Arte Antiga Lisbon

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

Terrace National Art Museum de Arte Antiguo12

Garden Museu Nacional de Arte Antiga Lisbon overlooking the Tagus river

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

Terrace National Museum Lisbon Nacional de Arta Antigua5

Garden Museu Nacional de Arte Antiga Lisbon overlooking the Tagus river

April 25 bridge and Christo Rei statue.

National Museum Nacional de Arta Antigua Lisbon entrance

Museu Nacional de Arte Antiga Lisbon

The main entrance lies on the west side of the building on the Jardim 9 de Abril .

Casa das Janelas Verdes’ (house of green windows)

The Museum, spread through 60 rooms, has been housed since 1884 in a palace built by Count Alvor in 1690/ 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…..

Lisbon National Museum of Ancient Art

Museu Nacional de Arte Antiga  Rua das Janelas Verdes.

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

National palace Queluz Lisbon: sexual orgies, juicy stories & queen Carlota Joaquina

The National Palace in Queluz is one of Lisbon’s top tourist attractions, easy to reach by train from Lisbon or from Sintra. From outside the palace looks romantic, but what happened behind these walls when the Portuguese royal family lived here, about 200 years ago?

National Palace in Queluz Lisbon district & wonderful French-styled garden

History of Portugal & exorbitant decorated rooms in Rococo style 

While walking around in the many exorbitant decorated rooms of the National Palace in Queluz (Palácio in Portuguese , you realize that a ‘one afternoon’ visit is too short. Each room represents a piece of history of Portugal, as well as of Brazil.

Information in English is quite basic, unfortunately. In case you don’t like a group tour guide: there’s real good info at f.i. Wikipedia.

National Palace in Queluz & Robillion staircase: ingeniously designed steps adorned with statuary

Discovery of Brazilian gold & the wealth of Portuguese colonies

Queluz’s Palace architecture is representative of the final extravagant period of Portuguese culture that followed the discovery of Brazilian gold in 1690.

The National Palace in Queluz & YouTube video: an impression

Brazil was a Portuguese colony from 1500 till 1822; nowadays the Portuguese is still the language of the majority of people in Brazil.

National Palace in Queluz & one of the 2 sphynxes dressed in 18th-century costume

Foreign artists, architects & newly enriched aristocracy

From the beginning of the 18th century many foreign artists and architects were employed in Portugal to satisfy the needs of the newly enriched aristocracy; they brought with them classical ideas of architecture which derived from the Renaissance.

In its design, Queluz is a revolt against the earlier, heavier, Italian-influenced Baroque which preceded the Rococo style throughout Europe.

National Palace in Queluz district Lisbon, the ballroom & tourists , June 2017

Royal residence from 1794 – 1807 & Queen Maria I : a very sad story

Dom Pedro III started the construction of the Palácio de Queluz in 1747.  He married his 17 years younger niece D. Maria, Princess of Brazil, (1734-1816) in 1760. The couple had a happy marriage and they got six children.

But queen Maria suffered from religious mania and melancholia. This acute mental illness (perhaps due to porphyria) made her incapable of handling state affairs after 1792.

National Palace in Queluz district Lisbon & “Sala de Mangas” (Japonese drawings) decorated with tile panels (azulejos) illustrating the wealth of Portugal’s colonies

1794: Ajuda Palace destroyed by fire & smallpox

When the palace of Ajuda burnt down in 1794, the court was forced to move to the Queluz Palace, where the ill queen Maria would lie in her apartments all day. Visitors would complain of terrible screams that would echo throughout the palace. Her condition worsened after the death of her husband and the deaths from smallpox of her elder son and her daughter and their infant son. Maria died in Rio de Janeiro, aged 82. More……

National Palace in Queluz district Lisbon & one of the excessive decorated rooms

The juicy story about Queen Carlota Joaquina (‘the fury’ of Queluz)

Queen Maria‘s second son João (John, nicknamed ‘the Clement‘), took over the government in her name. In 1816, he succeeded his mother as monarch of the Portuguese Empire .
On May 8, 1785 Carlota Joaquina (1775 – 1830) of Spain was officially married to the future king João VI. The marriage was not consummated until 9 January 1790, when Carlota was 15 years old.

Doña Carlota Joaquina of Spain (Carlota Joaquina de Borbón y Borbón-Parma). Picture: Wikipedia

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Marriage Joaquina Carlota with corpulent João (John) VI & the miracle of nine handsome children

Joaquina’s husband was good-natured, indolent, corpulent and almost as ugly as she was. His religious observances bored her, and they were quite incompatible. Nevertheless, she gave birth to nine children and, because they were all handsome, it was rumoured that especially the younger ones had a different father.

National Palace in Queluz district Lisbon & the empire bedroom

Sexual orgies 

After the birth of the ninth child the couple began to live separate lives. It was rumoured that Joaquina had bought a retreat where she indulged in sexual orgies. Source: Vortex magazine, WikiPedia

Movie trailer YouTube (English spoken) Carlota Joaquina Princesa do Brazil

Several Movies and TV series have been made about Carlota Joaquina‘s life. She had a bad reputation: infidel, manipulative and nymphomaniac. Carlota was religious, faced men and also transgressed the social norms of the time, which caused her to have many conflicts, also with the Portuguese authorities.

National Palace in Queluz district Lisbon & “Sala de Mangas” decorated with beautiful tile panels

Napoleon Bonaparte & transfer of the Portuguese court to Brazil in 1807

Anticipating the invasion of Napoleon’s army, Joaquina’s husband João VI ordered the transfer of the Portuguese royal court to Brazil before he could be deposed.

Carlota Joaquina fought until the last minute not to leave for Brazil, asked for help from her parents, but diplomatic agreements made it difficult for Spanish kings to participate in Portuguese affairs.

National Palace in Queluz district Lisbon & entrance restaurant June 2017

Carlota Joaquina & caipirinha, Brazilian’s famous cocktail

Caipirinha is the national drink in Brasil and also very popular in Portugal. It is said that Carlota Joaquina invented the drink when she lived in Brazil, mixing her beloved Cachaça liquor (a spirit distilled from fermented sugarcane juice) with fruit and sugar. Supposedly, she drank incredible quantities of the liquor, and the palace had to order dozens of bottles for her each month.

Delicious! 🙂 😉 Caipirinha Recipe (and video)

Ingredients of the caipirinha. Picture: Wikipedia

‘Secret Histories of Portuguese kings’

“The nymphomaniac wife of King João VI, Carlota Joaquina, will have been the ‘inventor of caipirinha“, according to writer and journalist Alexandre Borges. Book: ‘Histórias Secretas de Reis Portugueses’ (‘Secret Histories of Portuguese Kings’), in a new edition.

As the Napoleon wars ended, Carlota returned with the king and the family to Portugal in 1821. She died at the Queluz Palace in 1830 at the age of 54.  It is speculated whether she died because of natural causes or whether she, in fact, killed herself.

National Palace in Queluz Lisbon district

On the assassination Carlos I in 1908, the palace passed into the ownership of the state. Portugal was in the turmoil of revolution and the monarchy fell two years later.  Since 1940 it has been open to the public as a museum.

Prices, opening times & how to get to the Palace in Queluz from Lisbon

  • Location: Largo do Palácio, Queluz, Portugal
  • Open everyday, except main public holidays, from 10.00 a.m. to 5.00 p.m. my experience: during luchtime (12:00 – 14:00) there are not many visitors
  • Palace and Gardens 5 €, Gardens 3.5 € (over 65 yrs.) 10 € adult. More info
  • Train: Lisbon-Sintra line, get off at Queluz/Belas (ca. 1 km walk to the Palace, easy to find)

National Palace in Queluz Lisbon district

More….

Lisbon tourist guide Josephine: Mouraria, narrow streets & drinking Ginja

Josephine Lucassen is a professional guide, licensed by the city of Lisbon. She loves it to organise private walking tours for a group of tourists in this old and wonderful city!

Mouraria, Lisbon: Escadinhas de São Cristóvão & Josephine Lucassen, guide

Example: a walking tour through the oldest parts of Lisbon, the popular districts of Alfama and Mouraria, the ancient areas that have survived the earthquake of 1755.

The many winding alleys still show the traces of the Moorish domination (from 711-1108). It is said that Fado music was born in Mouraria around 1820.

São Cristóvão (St. Christopher’s) Church in Mouraria Lisbon

Walk in historic Mouraria area March 18 & NV Lissabon members

Mouraria Lisbon: stairs to Rua de São Cristóvão

The best way to start this walk is from Rua da Madalena and then climb the stairs Escadinhas de São Cristóvão.

Mouraria Lisbon: Rua de São Cristóvão in wintertime

Josephine: “I was born in Holland in a small village in Drente. After some travel jobs (f.i. Hotelplan) I prefered to live in Portugal. I’m happily married to a sympathetic Portuguese man, Jorge. Together we have 2 children. My curiosity and also the beauty of Portugal made me decide to study at the University of Lisbon. Now I am a professional,  licenced tourist guide with a lot of experience and a passion for history”.

Artisanat Portugais vintage & curiosites

‘A Loja’: Artisanat Portugais, vintage & Curiosités, Rua de São Cristóvão 3

Josephine: “On the corner of this street there’s a nice shop for tourists with typical Portuguese pottery and much more. We continue our walk in the small alleys of the Mouraria area and then we enjoy a drink in one of the pubs: the famous Portuguese liqueur Ginja (or Ginjinha), a must when you visit Lisbon!”

A sua saúde! (cheers!) Josephine in Mouraria Lisbon, area with lots of old bars and narrow streets.

Ginjinha, or simply Ginja, is a liqueur made of a cherry-like berry called (not surprisingly) Ginja. The berries are fermented into a brandy that’s slightly bitter, slightly sweet and very sticky. It is a favourite liqueur of many Portuguese. You can order a Ginja for little money, with or without a cherry in it.

Mouraria Lisbon: historical area with tiny steets and small bars

Fado

Josephine: “Now we walk to Rua do Capelão, to visit the house of the first fadista, Maria Severa. Maria died very young after a passionate liaison with a nobleman in 1846.

Also grew up in Mouraria: famous singer Mariza. Amália Rodrigues, ‘queen of Fado’, was born nearby. Fado house Maria da Mouraria

Mouraria, Lisbon, a hidden place: beautiful very old tiles (azulejos)

Portugal is famous for its decorative tiles (azulejos). In Mouraria there’s a hidden place where you find beautiful tiles representing biblical- and scenes of Portugal’s rich history and culture. Azulejos are found on the interior and exterior of churches, palaces and ordinary houses.

Square Martim Moniz February 2013: Kiosk ‘A Preta’:  João (Johnny)

Josephine: “Then we finish our trip enjoying a drink in the sun at square Martim Moniz, nowadays with lots of terraces and food kiosks. This is where the historic Mouraria neighborhood starts, a multicultural area. The food here is also very good.

Lisbon Square Martim Moniz: Kiosk ‘A Preta’: guide Josephine & ???

This man, for both of us completely unknown, asked me to make a picture of him together with this beautiful lady  🙂

Starting point legendary tram 28

This square Martim Moniz is also the starting point for the legendary tram 28, a ‘must- do’ Lisbon attraction.

Alfama, historical area in Lisbon: Escadinhas Santo Estêvão

Private city walking tours

Josephine: “For some years I organize private walking tours for groups. Many tourists miss the hidden gems of Lisbon, simply because they did not know about them!

Lisbon river Tagus viewpoint (miradouro) Santa Catarina or Adamastor

Josephine: “Another idea for a 4-hour walking tour is a start near the river Tagus: Cais do Sodré, famous fish market Mercado do Ribeiro, cute and famous little tram to the top of the Bica area, river Tagus viewpoint Santa Catarina, bohemien neighborhood Bairro Alto, along Sao Bento palace, park in Principe Real with one of the oldest cedar trees in Lisbon. Finally Rossio, a wonderful square with historical buildings and of course: liqueur Ginja!

Tourist attraction Lisbon: sculpture Portuguese poet Fernando Pessoa, kissed by a young girl more than 75 years after his dead….

Tailored Tours

“How about a tour tailored to your specific needs? A walking full day tour combined with old trams and funiculars would be a perfect idea”.

Price: from € 15, 00 per person (4 hours) Full day tour € 25 pp.  Minimum 4 people (max. 10).

Mail josephinelucassen@yahoo.com or call: 00351 966 361 983 . Facebook

“My favorite place in Lisbon? Pffffffff, not easy, one of them is river viewpoint Portas do Sol, especially by night…..amazing!”

Tagus river viewpoint (Miradouro) Portas do Sol, Alfama Lisbon

Historic square ‘Largo do Carmo’ Lisbon: gothic ruins & bloodless military coup

Wonderful Largo do Carmo  is one of my favorite squares in Lisbon!  Beautiful trees, historical buildings, fascinating church ruins, the extraordinary Santa Justa elevator and amazing city views!

Largo do Carmo Lisbon, September 2017

This picturesque square is very popular, well known for the terraces, in addition to being the scene of several shootings, both (science fiction) films or documentaries and commercials. Music and traditional dance are performed here during the summer.

Lisbon Largo do Carmo1

Largo do Carmo Lisbon

Springtime 2014

Lisbon square Largo do Carmo kiosk 2

Largo do Carmo Lisbon

A unique fountain stands under trees right in the middle of the square. The Chafariz (fountain) do Carmo was built here in 1796.

Largo do Carmo wikipedia jacarandas

Largo do Carmo and blossoming jacarandas.

Originally from South America, these beautiful trees of the Bignoniaceae family arrived in Lisbon in the mid-17th century and ever since, between May and June when they’re in flower, they have lovely bunches of lilac-toned petals.

Largo do Carmo Military Police Station

Largo do Carmo Lisbon

Portugal’s history & Carnation Revolution

The headquarters of Carmo (Quartel do Carmo) is a very important building for Portugal’s history. Marcelo Caetano (former dictator António de Oliveira Salazar’s replacer) found refuge in the main Lisbon military police station at the time of the revolution.

On April 25, 1974, the day of  the Carnation Revolution, this building was surrounded by the MFA (Portuguese Armed Forces), which pressured Marcelo Caetano to cede power to general Spínola. It was here where the Estado Novo (New Regime) officially came to an end after almost 50 years. More..

25-abril Carnation Revolution 1974 Lisbon

Largo do Carmo Lisbon April 25 1974

1974: The Carnation Revolution (Revolução dos Cravos) &  Eurovision Song Contest

The Carnation Revolution was a largely bloodless coup. Remarkable: there were two secret signals in the military coup: first the airing of the song “E depois do adeus” (“And after the farewell”) by Paulo de Carvalho, Portugal’s entry in the 6th of April 1974 Eurovision Song Contest, which alerted the rebel captains and soldiers to begin the coup.

Largo do Carmo Lisbon & entrance Carmen Convent

Next, on April 25, 1974 at 12:15 am, the national radio broadcast Grândola, Vila Morena, a song by Zeca Afonso, a progressive folk singer forbidden on Portuguese radio at the time. This was the signal that the MFA gave to take over strategic points of power in the country and “announced” that the revolution had started.

More details, videos and songs on Joana Morais’ blogspot

Here you can also find an entrance to the famous Archeological Museum, the gothic ruins of the 14th century Igreja (church) Convento do Carmo).
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Lisbon Largo do Carmo church museum Santa Justa2
Ruins of the Convento do Carmo & horrible earthquake in 1755
Open from Monday- Saturday 10h – 18h, cheap entrance. The construction of this monument started in 1389 by order of Nuno Álvares Pereira. The church was destroyed the first of November of 1755 by the horrible and well known earthquake. A lot of people died. More information..
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Lisbon Largo do Carmo church museum Santa Justa3
Largo do Carmo  Lisbon: amazing view over Lisbon
The famous tourist attraction ‘Santa Justa elevator’ (Elevador de Santa Justa video), Rua do Santa Gusta, built around 1900 to connect the Baixa and Chiado districts (around 32 m high), can bring you to the Carmo Square.  
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Beautiful city view of Lisbon : Santa Justa Lift and Carmo Convent
From the roof terrace of Pollux, a huge warehouse, Rua dos Fanqueiros 276. There’s a pleasant roof terrace & bar/cafe : LESS

Elegant tea- and lunchroom ‘Versailles’ Lisbon: old-fashioned service & funny pastries

If you like to visit one museum during your stay in Lisbon make it the Gulbenkian. It’s the collection of the Armenian oil billionaire who made Lisbon his home. It covers everything from Egyptian to 20th Century art.

Tea- and lunchroom (Pastelaria, Pâtisserie) Versailles Lisbon september 2017

Elegant tea- and lunchroom Versailles (from 1922)

After visiting the Gulbekian Museum, a must-do is to go to the nearby and wonderful old tea and lunchroom Versailles (1922) at Avenida da República, which has it’s own bakery. The homemade cakes and pastries are delicious, like the famous Portuguese Pasteis de natas.

Tea- and lunchroom (Pastelaria) Versailles Lisbon & delicious funny ‘bird’ pastries 😉

Elegant setting in informal and friendly atmosphere

The decor is rich, with chandeliers, gilt mirrors, stained-glass windows, tall stucco ceilings, and black-and-white marble floors. It looks like it could be straight of Paris…!

Mostly elderly people and greats of the Lisbon cafe scene enjoy their bica (espresso) here.

Tea- and lunchroom (Pastelaria) Versailles Lisbon, February 2017 : NV Lissabon

History

When lunchroom Pastelaria Versailles was inaugurated on November 25 in the year 1922, the objective was to turn into a symbol of the fashionable Avenidas Novas, an elegant and new neighborhood in Lisbon.

Construction fury first halve of 20th century

The construction fury replaced many of the beautiful small palaces and stylish houses of the first halve of the 20th century by today’s unattractive buildings at Avenida da República, but happily PastelariaVersailles’ is still there!  🙂 🙂

Tea- and lunchroom (Pastelaria) Versailles Lisbon, February 2017 & NV Lissabon

Silver-plated tea sets

The wide variety of snacks includes codfish balls and toasted ham-and-cheese sandwiches. They are also famous for their confectioneries served in a glass.

As an old-fashioned and formal touch, immaculately attired waiters serve customers from silver-plated tea sets. In addition to coffee and tea, the house specialty is hot chocolate.

Tea- and lunchroom (Pastelaria) Versailles Lisbon , February 2017 & NV Lissabon

Grande dame‘ of Lisbon’ & part of national heritage

Pastelaria Versailles, long known as the ‘grande dame‘ of Lisbon’ was recently declared a part of the national heritage. It still serves the famous Mozambique black tea that was introduced in 1662.

Lunch, served in a back room, is of such Portuguese specialties as codfish with almonds. Most visitors come here for tea or coffee, served with sandwiches and snacks. Desserts, including duchesses (whipped-cream cakes) are justifiably famous.

Pastelaria Versailles street 2

Entrance tea- and lunchroom Versailles in Lisbon

Tea and lunchroom Versailles Lisbon
Open: daily from 7:30 till 22:00 
Metro: Saldanha.
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Versailles 3 window dressing

Window dressing Pastelaria Versailles representing Portugal and former colonies  🙁     🙁

Instagram

 

Village Underground Lisbon: creative community & Polly Robbins

How about a delicious dinner in a dubble-decker retro bus beneath the 25th April Bridge? A great experience, but Village Underground in Lisbon offers much more! It’s a coworking center for creative- and event industries located at the Santo Amaro station in Alcântara, next to the Carris vintage trams & buses Museum.

village-underground-lisbon-1

Village Underground Lisbon in summertime

Lisbon: the hippest place to be

For years, Lisbon was somewhat off the beaten track for young travellers, or millennials seeking a new home. The Portuguese capital crumbled romantically while London, Paris, Barcelona and more recently Berlin enjoyed the cultural status. Yet in the last 10 years the city has seen an explosion in culture, tourism and entrepreneurialism, and is now surpassing its European rivals as the hippest place to be!

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The Village Underground in Lisbon & Polly Robbins, November 2016

Who are you and how have you found yourself at Village Underground?

Polly Robbins: “I come from London. I love London, but the pace of life is crazy and I felt like spending some time in another European capital. Lisbon particularly attracted me because I’m interested in urban cultural development. I studied sociology, looking at how art movements develop in cities, and for the last 3 years I’ve been running a business in London that takes over empty spaces and makes them into venues for culture”.

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Village Underground Lisbon

Ex-pats & tourists in Lisbon

Polly Robbins: ‘I heard about Village Underground Lisbon from a contact who knows the London branch. So I contacted Mariana (Director VU), got some funding from the EU Erasmus Young Entrepreneurs scheme, and here I am. At Village Underground I am developing marketing and communications, specifically for the ex-pat and tourists in Lisbon. I’m also developing ways for the co-working community to share their skills and feel more part of a community”.

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Village Underground Lisbon

So what is Village Underground?

Polly:” It’s a project that began in London in 2009 when a group of friends had a crazy idea to hoist to some decommissioned tube train carriages onto the roof of a building and create a co-working space in Shoreditch. Mariana Duarte Silva, who is the Director of Village Underground Lisbon, was working in London when she came across the space and took a desk to set up her own music agency. She fell in love with it and brought the concept back to Lisbon, where the doors opened in 2012″.

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Village Underground Lisbon & one of the retro dubble-decker buses

Creative community

Polly: “Village Underground Lisboa sits at the end of the municipal tram yard, beneath the iconic Ponte 25 de Abril. It consists of 14 shipping containers which act as a co-working space for the creative industries. There are about 35 people working here, in web design, graphic design, video making, branding, theatre and music”.

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Village Underground Lisbon & one of the dubble-decker retro buses, November 2016

Cafe/restaurant & events from January 2017

“There are 2 converted retro buses, one is a café, open to the public every lunchtime and for dinner on Fridays and Saturdays. And in addition, there’s a warehouse space used for events and exhibitions, a recording studio, a large space outside used for events and a skate ramp.

There is a great range of events going on at Village Underground, from parties with electronic and live music, to markets, to exhibitions and performance. Starting January 2017 these will be hosted every Friday and Saturday”.

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Village Underground Lisbon & delicious dinner in a dubble-decker retro bus 🙂

Tasty food & affordable prices

Our dinner: tapas; Peixe (fish): Moqueca de camarão com arroz selvagem (shrimp Moqueca with wild rice)Chili com carne com basmati de coentros (Cili con carne, basmati rice with coriander): wine , water, sobremesa (dessert). Bill: 77 euro (3 persons). A vegetarian dish is also available.

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Village Underground Lisbon & a group of visitors

Why should people visit Village Underground?

Polly: “It’s a really interesting space to be in physically, particularly if you like to be surrounded by cool architecture, street art and disused trams and buses! The café serves incredibly tasty food and the team working there is lovely. The people who gravitate towards Village Underground are an amazing bunch – I’ve been warmly welcomed! They come from all walks of life and you don’t have to be chatting too long before you discover that they’re involved in all sorts of weird and wonderful projects”

Village Underground Lisbon delicious lunch January 2017

Village Underground Lisbon & delicious lunch in a dubble-decker retro bus

Muito obrigada! Great food & great service 🙂 🙂

Mafalda Rodrigues, Tania Pines & Mafalda Pais

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Village Underground Lisbon & delicious lunch in a dubble-decker retro bus

Vegetarian dish, sandwich with salmon, sweet potatoes, 2 glasses of wine, small bottle of water & coffee: 18 euro

 

Village Underground Lisbon

Both the interior and the terrace have free Wi-Fi. There is free parkingThe only entrance to the Cafeteria is the main gate of the Carris Museum, located at Rua Primeiro de Maio, 103.

Restaurant ‘A Travessa do Fado’ Lisbon: sunny terrace, petiscos & Fado Museum

Portugal is famous for its culinary richness! Highly recommended in Lisbon, also for groups: restaurant ‘A Travessa do Fado’, attached to the Fado Museum.

Restaurant ‘ A Travessa (traverse) do Fado’ Lisbon: sunny terrace in June

Fado Museum attached to the restaurant

Your first visit to Lisbon? Don’t think you can always enjoy traditional fado music in this restaurant during your lunch or dinner. The name is related to the Fado Museum, attached to the restaurant.

If you wish, the very nice manager António Moita can recommend a good fado-bar. The next-door Fado museum is open from 10:00-18:00 (closed Mondays)

Restaurant ‘ A Travessa do Fado’ Lisbon: small plate dishes (petiscos)

Sopa legumes (vegetable soup) € 4.00, Bochecha do Porco Preto (black pork cheeck) € 6.50, Tomatada (fried tomatoes) € 4.00, pão ( bread) € 1.00, copo do vinho branco (glass of white wine) € 4.00, agua (1/2 lit. water) € 1.50, café € 1.50.

Petiscos/tapas

Small plate dishes are called petiscos in Portugal, so basically the same as Spanish tapas. (More….  ). Don’t say this to the Portuguese, the Spanish invasion (1762) is still fresh in their memory…. 😉

Restaurant ‘ A Travessa do Fado’ Lisbon: manager António Moita

Famous restaurant ‘A Travessa’ in Lisbon, considered one of the best in the city, opened in July 2012 this new space,  A Travessa do Fado’ , in another area: the heart of Alfama, the historical part of Lisbon.

Restaurant ‘ A Travessa do Fado’ Lisbon: Bacalhau (Cod) Zé do Pipo

Quality and sophisticated service .

In case you come here for a lunch experience, this restaurant is a good starting point to discover the narrow streets of Alfama, the historical part of Lisbon.

Restaurant ‘ A Travessa do Fado’ Lisbon, November 2012, a rainy day.

Also in wintertime this restaurant is worth a visit, inside it is beautifully decorated. Together with my friend Erika Reusens we spent an afternoon here enjoying some petiscos and a good red wine (Foral Reserva, bottle € 18,00).

Restaurant ‘A Travessa do Fado’: Peixinhos da Horta (fried green beans): € 3,00. I love it!  🙂

Peixinhos da horta (YouTube) is a traditional dish in Portuguese cuisine, literally translated as ‘little garden fish’, as it resembles small pieces of colorful fish.

On the wall  there’s a chalky blackboard with suggestions: soups, salads, octopus, cuttlefish, shrimp or oysters. Desserts (sobremesa), like tarte de amendoas (almond tart) € 4.00, or bolo do chocolate (chocolate cake) € 4.00.

Terrace Restaurant ‘ A Travessa do Fado’ Lisbon in summertime

Largo do Chafariz de Dentro 1, Alfama,  Lisbon

Telephone: (+351) 218 870 144. Closed: Monday and Tuesday. Opening times: from 11:00 am till 01:00. Facebook

Fado Museum Lisbon, attached to restaurant ‘ A Travessa do Fado’

The Fado Museum in Lisbon is ‘a must do’ for those who love Fado music as well as those with an interest in Portuguese culture and history. The permanent exhibition is a tribute to Fado and its promoters, revealing its history since 19th century Lisbon. More…

Restaurant ‘A Travessa do Fado’ Lisbon: fado night September  2013

MUDE museum in Lisbon: an ode to art, design & fashion, full of extraordinary pieces

MUDE Museum in Lisbon is really worth a visit! The fashion collection contains work by famous designers like Balenciaga, Pierre Balmain and Paco Rabanne.

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

The Collection results of the Francisco Capelo’s work and dedication, started in the 1990s, with more than 1,200 design and 1,500 fashion pieces most of it haute couture. The collection portrays the history of design and fashion from the 1930s to the present, being an exceptional collection to Portugal and to the international scene.

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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.

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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.

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Aristocratic elegance: Christobal Balenciaga (Spain 1895-1972)

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

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

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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.

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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.

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Thanks to Graça Rodrigues, Head of Communication & Press