When we visited Lisbon in 2019 we enjoyed a great tour of the city…as described in a blog post from that time. The beauty of that post, is that I was able to revisit that tour and decide what parts of this charming city we’d like to see again and choose new areas to explore.
Our guide, Francisco and his driver Felicity were waiting for us at 9:20. After warm greetings and brief introductions, we set off. First stop- a monument to the friendship enjoyed between Great Britain and Portugal during the Napoleonic wars. The twin obelisks face down the hill towards the Tagus…which you can see in the distance.
One of the places that I wanted to revisit was the overlook at Sao Vincente. We took a photo in this exact spot in 2019…also a beautiful day…just a bit cooler back then. Behind us in the photo, across the Tagus River you can see the cross of Christ the Redeemer- a replica of the famous one in Brazil …and also the April 25th bridge…reminiscent of the Golden Gate bridge in San Francisco.
After driving for a bit we arrived at the entrance to Al Fama. Al Fama is one of Lisbon’s oldest neighborhoods…during Moorish rule, it constituted the entire city and was inhabited by fishermen and the poor. Today it is a melting pot with some less fortunate folks and students living there. According to Francisco, the narrow streets have lately seen a resurgence; old houses are being restored and new Fado restaurants opened before the pandemic. Some Portuguese lament the gentrification.
So this is a public laundry…most apartments in Al Fama do not have washing machines.
Francisco explaining about the tiles on the outside of some buildings. A local artist created these tiles to honor long time residents …in the face of gentrification…so as not to lose the unique history. This tile depicts Candida, who has lived here for forty seven years. She makes a living selling “Ginja”. Ginja is a liqueur made from fortified wine that’s been infused with sour cherries, sugar and cinnamon. It’s dark red, super sweet and Candida serves it in small chocolate cups. I have no clue how much it costs, because Francisco purchased Tim’s shot. Ginja, also known more formally as Ginjinha, is Lisbon’s official drink and is found in dozens of tiny bars in Al Fama…and apparently right from locals doorways. In bars it is sold with or without a cherry and costs about 1.50 Euros.
So as I was taking Timmy’s photo, this car came down the street…barely making it without grazing the buildings…I did say the streets are narrow.
Here we are in the Jardim de Torre de Belem and Francisco is explaining how two intrepid naval aviators, Coutinho, and Cabral crossed the South Atlantic in 1922. They flew in stages from Lisbon to Rio de Janetio…using three different biplanes…covering 5200 miles. The stone depicts their route.
Near by the Tower, the local Rotary Club commissioned a cast bronze replica so that blind folks could experience through touching the magnificent tower…they also included a Braille explanation.
Okay, so now this is one of the best ideas ever…an enterprising fellow converted his Tuk Tuk into a mobile Wine Cafe…complete with six chairs…
So when we travel we purposely seek out dining establishments that local folks frequent. A huge shout out to Martha Jacobs, our travel consultant at Tully Luxury Travel, for recommending Cantinha do Avillez. It’s a tiny place in the Chiado neighborhood. Chiado is a shopping and theater hub about fifteen minutes from our hotel.
So another wonderful day in the books. We are so in love with Lisbon and the gracious, kind folks that we’ve met. Thanks for following along ♥️
