Some Observations and Tips from Lisbon – Guest Post

By Alena L. Nelson

1. The Portuguese people, at least Lisbon's residents, are not afraid of painting buildings pink. The shade of pink we usually reserve for Easter, bridesmaids dresses or MAC's spring line of lipsticks is splashed across buildings city wide. The kind of bright colors that would make any Home Owners Association in your average American suburb mad as hell are everywhere. Canary yellow, sky blue and mint green appear along with the pink.

2. Azulejos really are everywhere; which is good because they were my sole inspiration for coming to Portugal. These bright ceramic tiles can be found covering buildings and decorating pretty much any architectural feature. I've been to Al Hambra and traveled to Morocco so the Moorish influence on azulejos' geometric and colorful patterns seemed obvious. At the National Azulejo Museum I learned that the word Azulejo is actually from an Arab word "azzelij" or "al zuleycha" that means "small polished stone." What I did not know was that the Spanish, Dutch and Chinese also influenced the art form and of course, the Catholic Church as well. The Portuguese ceramics became well integrated into Church decorations and even their alters. However, the main take away is that they are beautiful and prolific.

3. Do not expect to escape tourists in Lisbon (or any European city it seems) but do not stop asking for recommendations from locals. We found many wonderful spots from conversations with Lisbon's' residents. On Saturday we went to a bustling Flea Market that seemed more like a treasure trove. Sunday we took the train to a sandy beach that stretched forever. It was full of women in the brightly colored thongs the Portuguese people have mistaken for swimsuits. The water was pure clear blue and giant cups of sangria were €3. When the bartender put the fruity drink into a plastic cup, allowing me to return to my beach towel, I felt right at home. Our most recent local recommendation took us to a restaurant with only Portuguese guests and we had the best lunch followed by a special rice pudding dessert. Cinnamon was a key component and I was delighted. While every city has tourists, not every tourist exploits new friendships for insider information.

Alan was also excited about the sangria...

4. In Portugal it seems that the price of your small beer or espresso is a potential warning sign for a tourist trap. If either drink is over €1.50 - RUN FOR YOUR LIFE. A monster in the terrifying form of poor service, an irritating bill and chain-smoking vacationers is about to consume you! You'll be spat out back on the cobblestone street disgruntled and regretful.

The tourist monster cannot be photographed, like his cousin the vampire. Instead, enjoy another Azueljo photo, I've got plenty.

5. I've mentioned Sangria and beer but it should also be noted open alcohol containers are legal and Lisbon has quite the nightlife. If crowds of drunks on cobblestone streets is your thing ....you'll probably miss the walk I'm going to do in the morning because staying up until 4am drinking ain't my thing. But seriously, Lisbon does have great nightlife and joining a group from our hostel was fun. Instead of drinking beers during the hostel happy hour (which started at 10pm, early by Lisbon standards) I drank several cups of black coffee.

The photo above is of a Fado performance. It started at 12am and it was worth the late night.

6. I am so happy I visited the Alfama early in the morning, after sunset and on weekdays. Although this working class neighborhood is still very alive with local culture and families it floods with tourists and this is a dilemma as the streets are notably narrow. Yet the Alfama is still breathtaking with its colorful azulejos, old buildings and full clothes lines. For the longest time I imagined spending my first day in Lisbon in this neighborhood, winding my way slowly down its streets. It turned out to be nothing like I had imagined and, like so many of my expectations related to travel and the places we have seen, I had to let it go. However, it was not disappointing at all, just different than I had pictured. The viewpoints were particularly stunning and I could not have possibly imagined them. I will pause here to say anyone who realized "Alfama" is an Arabic word gets extra credit. This old district used to be Moorish but it has history dating even further back to Roman rule.

7. Jardim da Estrela should (yes I am using a word people traveling hate and those on vacation love) be on any Lisbon itinerary. We went on a Friday and it was clear school had been let out. The park was beautiful and clearly a favorite among students and families. We saw many toddlers with grandparents and teenagers with soccer balls. The people watching was great and so was the bird watching. I made friends with a duck that actually wagged his tail when presented with bread crumbs!

8. Lisbon is eerily similar to San Francisco. There are specific features I could point to, like the hills and the bay, but it really comes down to something more subtle. Lisboa is dirty and old with confusing one way streets but still remarkably beautiful.

9. Plan on at least one meal at Restaurante Gambrius. It was easily one of the top 10 meals of my life, maybe top 5. Alan and I really enjoyed eating our dinner at the bar and talking with the men in their red jackets behind the dark wood counter. Like the other local tips we have received, their recommendations on the menu did not lead us astray. The thought of the shrimp in butter literally makes me salivate and I will always dream of the pork and roasted chestnuts. When you finish your meal make sure you order a cup of coffee...something magical will happen. Plus the coffee is gosh darn good.

10. The "new" parts of Lisbon's center are older than the United States of America. An infamous earthquake on All Saints' Day in 1755 destroyed most of the city and killed over 50,000 people. As a result of the many lit prayer candles and following tsunami Lisbon was shook, set on fire, and washed away. Most of Lisbon was rebuilt after her natural disaster and is still considered new by locals. Before the city was rebuilt, its residents had a crisis of faith in their God, reflected in a poem by Voltaire.

Due to how new Lisbon is, Alan and I are both very excited to see the rest of Portugal and its older cities. I'm sure there are many more pink buildings to see, azulejos to discover and hopefully more Portuguese people willing to share their history and local tips.

The final azueljo, at least for now!