What remains, without me, whom I've forgotten since I'm asleep,
Is Lisbon with its houses
Of various colors.

-Fernando Pessoa

Dear readers: I’m so sorry for leaving you without a post for so long. I fully intended to post at least once in September or October but this school year has been keeping me very busy. Nonetheless, as I mentioned in previous blog posts, I found a deal earlier in the year for a cheap direct flight to Lisbon, Portugal around the time of my birthday (October 27th). With first quarter grades submitted, I did something I’ve never done before as a teacher during the school year: take off two workdays to fly to another country for an extended weekend. I still feel a little guilty about it, but it was a one time thing that I don’t plan to repeat any time soon. And to be honest, I’m sure my students were happy to have a break from me!

LISBON

On Thursday, October 26th, I drove straight from work to Washington-Dulles International Airport and boarded an overnight flight to Lisbon. I packed light and didn’t need to check any luggage, which cut down on the time it took to get to my gate. I lucked out by having an empty seat between me and the next passenger, something that’s never happened to me on a plane before. (My luck ran out for the return trip, where I was stuck in a middle seat next to someone who was coughing violently for the entire flight. Unsurprisingly, I started having coughing fits of my own shortly after my return, although not as severe as his. It doesn’t seem to have been COVID though.)

Upon arriving at the Lisbon Airport on Friday morning (my birthday), I took the subway to my hotel, a stylish building located in the buzzing Baixa neighborhood, just a few blocks from the waterfront.

While waiting for my room to be ready, I had lunch outside my hotel’s restaurant. By now, it was around 12:30 in the afternoon. It started raining mid-meal (and it would rain a lot during my time in Portugal) but I was under an umbrella, so it wasn’t a problem.

Portuguese food is heavy on seafood and meat, but there are plenty of vegetarian options available in Lisbon if you look for them. In addition to several specifically vegan and vegetarian restaurants (which l didn’t visit), there are vegetarian offerings to be found on most menus. The hotel restaurant didn’t have a ton of vegetarian options but a tapas style combo of bread, olives, and batatas fritas (fries) with oregano was the perfect lunch for me.

After lunch, I walked a few blocks down to the Praça do Comércio, a large plaza on the waterfront. Technically, this is part of the Tagus River, but for all intents and purposes, it’s basically the start of the Atlantic Ocean. While there is no beach here, there are steps leading into the water, and stone patios where seagulls hang out. After spending some time in this area, I received an email that my room was ready, so I went there and charged my phone before setting out again.

At this point in my narrative, I want to take a step back and provide readers with a little bit of background on Lisbon, before plunging ahead into my own adventures.

The city of Lisbon has a long and fascinating history. It is one of the oldest cities in Western Europe, with Celtic, Phoenician and Greek settlements dating back to at least 800 BCE. Later it became a part of the Roman Empire until its collapse in the 5th Century CE, when the Visigoths took over. In 714, Lisbon was conquered by Berbers and Arabs from North Africa and became part of the Islamic Caliphate of Cordoba for centuries until it was finally taken back in 1147 by Crusaders under the command of Alfonso I, the first King of Portugal. In the following century, Lisbon became the capital of Portugal. During the 15th and 16th centuries, Lisbon flourished as the capital of a global empire, bringing in wealth from its colonies and trading posts around the world. Its location on the Atlantic Ocean made Lisbon an ideal port city and it’s no accident that Portugal was the first European nation to reach India by sea. Of course, Portugal was also a pioneer in all of the worst things that went along with European exploration, including the Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade and the conquest and genocide of indigenous peoples.

In 1755, a devastating earthquake nearly destroyed Lisbon. As a result, most of the buildings and other structures that exist there today were built after 1755, although some older buildings did survive. Lisbon was known for its colorful tiles made by master craftsmen, and sadly the majority of them were destroyed in the earthquake. However, there are some newer tile facades there today and there’s also a museum that preserves the remnants of many of the old tile walls. In 1807, Lisbon was occupied by Napoleon Bonaparte and the Portuguese royal family had to escape to Brazil (which gained its independence shortly after the end of that war).

In the 20th century, Lisbon was the scene of political turmoil as the monarchy was overthrown in 1910 and a short-lived republic was proclaimed, only to be replaced by the longest dictatorship in Western Europe (1926-1974). Today, Portugal is a democracy and a member of the European Union. Its warm climate, beautiful architecture, relaxed culture, and relatively low cost of living make it a top destination for tourists and immigrants alike. Lisbon’s public transportation system may be a little outdated compared to some other European cities, but their antique yellow trams are a delight to see, and their network of subways, trains, trams, and busses can get you anywhere you need to go for very little money. Taxis are also relatively cheap here. Portugal is still in Western Europe and you will not find the kinds of prices here that you might find in so-called “third world” countries, but compared to most European capitals, Lisbon is a bargain. It’s also one of the most enjoyable big cities I’ve ever been to. I never felt stressed or bored when walking around its mosaic-clad streets. I probably couldn’t handle the summer heat there, but in late October, Lisbon was a lovely place to visit, in spite of the rain I frequently encountered during my trip.

Now that I’ve given you a little history lesson, let’s return to my journey. By the time I left my hotel room, it was already around 3:00 PM. I didn’t have much time to go anywhere too far before it started to get dark out. Fortunately, my hotel was centrally located within walking distance of many of Lisbon’s most notable sights.

I started out by walking southeast toward the Lisbon Cathedral. On the way there, I saw some of Lisbon’s iconic old-fashioned yellow trams and buildings covered in ceramic tile. I stopped in a handmade ceramic shop and a different church that claims to be built on the birthplace of St. Anthony of Lisbon (AKA St. Anthony of Padua). Then I arrived at the cathedral.

Lisbon Cathedral is the oldest Church in Lisbon, dating back to 1147, the first year that Lisbon was back under Christian rule after the Islamic period. It has survived earthquakes, wars, and revolutions, and has undergone numerous changes and renovations over the centuries. Its stone arches and columns are punctuated by stunning stained glass windows and the building contains the tombs of King Alfonso IV and his family, along with those of various knights, nobles, and notables. For a small fee, you can see the reliquary and go up to the balcony that overlooks the city. It’s not particularly high up but it’s still a nice view of the area.

After visiting the Cathedral, I wandered northward into the Alfama neighborhood. After walking uphill for some time, I made it to the impressive walls of Castelo de São Jorge (St. George’s Castle), which sits at the top of a hill, overlooking the city. I stood in line to buy tickets to enter the castle, but as the line progressed, I saw a sign posted outside the castle that stated that due to a strike, there were no staff present (other than security guards). Visitors had the option of purchasing tickets from a machine or online and could wander around the site on their own but some exhibits and services would be unavailable. This sounded sketchy and I wanted to make sure I didn’t cross any picket lines, so I turned back. The castle grounds are massive and I was a little disappointed not to go inside, but solidarity with striking workers is more important than getting to see a tourist attraction. Besides, you could still see a lot of the castle from the outside.

I wandered aimlessly for a while outside the castle walls, catching glimpses here and there and even seeing some exotic birds perched on the wall. Then I found a medieval church with a bell tower that overlooks the castle and the surrounding area.

I zigzagged through the narrow streets of Alfama, admiring the architecture. Upon reaching the bottom of the hill, I headed west into Chiado, the hip neighborhood that borders Baixa and Alfama.

I came across an interesting structure called the Elevador de Santa Justa (Santa Justa Lift). It takes you up to a platform where you can see a great view of the city. There was a long line to go up the elevator, but I didn’t have any other plans for the evening apart from eating dinner, so I decided to get in line. There was a band playing covers of American pop songs. I didn’t really like the musical selection but at least it helped pass the time. The line moved incredibly slowly and more than once I considered just leaving, but the longer I waited, the more invested I felt, like a gambler who has gotten so deep in the hole that they feel compelled to keep playing because they’ve spent too much money to just walk away. Eventually it started pouring rain and again I almost left, but nobody in front of me got out of line, so I felt like I should hold out as long as they did. I wonder if everyone in that line had the same thought process as me. Finally, after well over an hour, I got to go up the elevator. By then, it was very dark out, but the view of Lisbon by moonlight (and electric lights) was actually quite beautiful. Was it worth the wait? Probably not, but I still enjoyed it.

By now, I was getting pretty hungry. Before looking for a restaurant to eat dinner at, I stopped at the pastry shop next door to the elevator to snack on some of Lisbon’s famous tarts, pastels de nata. They’re just custard-filled tarts but they’re so delicious!

Thus rejuvenated, I proceeded to hunt for a restaurant. I wanted it to be somewhere good since it was my birthday. After crossing through Rossio Square with its iconic wave pattern of paving stones and the towering Column of Pedro IV, I made my way to a tapas bar. To my delight, they had numerous vegetarian small plates to choose from. I ordered bruschetta, olives, fried potato skins, fire-roasted peppers, and red wine. For desert, I got a scorching hot Portuguese-style creme brûlée. Everything was amazing, although if I did it again, I’d skip the bruschetta because there was more than enough food without it. I ended up needing to take some of the potato skins back to my hotel.

The next morning, I started the day with coffee and a croissant from the excellent Artifact Coffee, which was close to my hotel. Then I took a bus to the Belém neighborhood in southwest Lisbon. I didn’t have much time in Belém due to my plans for the afternoon, but I got to see a lot of cool structures from the outside. Immediately upon getting off the bus, I was greeted by the sight of the grandiose white marble facade of the Jerónimos Monastery, built in 1495. Across the street from the monestary is the Praça do Império, a large plaza with fountains, pools, sculptures, and palm trees. Beyond the plaza to the south, was the waterfront, punctuated by the massive Padrão dos Descobrimentos (Monument to the Discoveries). This monument from 1958 didn’t sit quite right with me because the giant cross that merges into a giant sword on the back of the monument makes it clear that this is an unapologetic monument to colonialism and conquest as much as exploration and discovery. Keep in mind that this monument was built during the dictatorship at the same time that neighboring Spain under Franco was rewriting its history to glorify the Reconquista and the centuries of Spanish imperialism that followed it. Still, the sculpture is an impressive sight to behold.

Walking west along the waterfront, I passed some joggers but it was pretty quiet on this Saturday morning. I passed a small lighthouse and some museums, eventually arriving at the Torre de Belém (Tower of Belem). The tower is a 16th century fortification that served as a point of departure and return for Portuguese explorers. The tower was just opening for the day and I could have purchased a ticket to go inside, but I didn’t have time, so I contented myself with appreciating it from the outside.

After leaving the Tower, I treated myself to the one and only Café Pastéis de Belém, home of the original recipe of the famous Portuguese pastries. Only here are they allowed to call them Pastéis de Belém instead of pasties de nata, as they follow the protected original recipe. The line to dine inside was long, but there was an express line to get only pastéis to go, and that’s what I did. All of the pastéis/pastels I had in Portugal were good, but these ones were definitely hands down the best, as I messily scarfed them down at the bus stop.

SINTRA

By now, it was time to venture outside of Lisbon proper to visit a historic area called Sintra. Sintra sits on a hill covered in palaces and castles, and is a very popular tourist destination on the outskirts of the greater Lisbon area. The most famous attraction in Sintra is the Pena Palace, an extravagant 19th century complex that incorporates and surrounds a 15th century monastery on the site of an earlier medieval chapel. It was the home of the last monarchs of Portugal.

To get to Sintra, I had to take a bus and then a train. However, I got on the wrong bus and had to catch a second one. Getting around on the subway in Lisbon was easy, but the busses were confusing because they don’t announce the stops. The bus stops themselves do have signs with the stop name on them, but they’re hard to see through the bus window, and by the time you read them, it’s already too late to request a stop. But eventually I did make it to the train station and took the train the rest of the way to Sintra.

Once I got to Sintra, I had to take another bus to get up the hill to the palace and the other sites. This bus was different though. Although it is a public bus, it operates as a “hop on, hop off” ride, similar to private bus and trolley tours, albeit without a guided tour and significantly cheaper. I rode the bus up the hill to the park that contains the Pena Palace. As a note to anyone thinking of visiting Sintra by car, be aware that you cannot drive to the main historic sites there. You have to park and take the bus, and the traffic around Sintra is a huge mess. I would recommend taking the train to Sintra even if you’re renting a car in Lisbon.

From the entrance to the park, I took a separate shuttle to the entrance to the palace itself. If you choose to walk the whole way, it’s at least a half-hour of steep uphill walking to get to the palace.

The Pena Palace was by far the most crowded tourist attraction I visited in Portugal. Even with pre-purchased timed tickets (which are mandatory), you have to stand in line for a long time, and then you are slowly herded through the palace in a single file line. It reminded me of my experience at the Vatican Museum in Rome, but on a smaller scale. That said, it was still worth it. The palace is a fascinating, if gaudy, architectural marvel. It’s a romanticist structure, meaning it was built to look like an idealized fairy tale version of a medieval palace. It’s also heavily influenced by Arabic and Berber styles. Each room is decorated differently, and the central courtyard is designed in the Moorish style. Upon emerging from the inside of the palace, there is more to explore outside, with various towers, plazas, and walkways to traverse. From one battlement, you can see the medieval Castelo dos Mouros (Castle of the Moors) perched on a hilltop. That castle was my next stop.

The bus loop in Sintra only goes in one direction. The Castle of the Moors was the stop right before the Pena Palace, and I would have gone there first but I didn’t have time due to my timed tickets for the Pena. So rather than spend 40 minutes doing a nearly complete loop to get back there, I simply walked back down the hill a little and in about 15 minutes I arrived at the entrance to the trail that leads to the castle. The trail was not very long either, and before too long, I was at the front gate of the castle.

The Castle of the Moors, built by the Muslims in the 8th and 9th centuries, is not what most Americans picture when they hear the word “castle”. It is not a single large building with a roof and probably a princess in distress in some high tower. Instead, it is a massive system of defensive fortifications with a series of long perimeter walls enclosing a mostly outdoor area dotted with small buildings and structures here and there. Most of those small structures are gone now, but a few remain, including a guardhouse, a tomb, and a building that has been converted into a small museum. The main thing to see here are the walls, which you can walk on and see a stunning view of the surrounding landscape, including several of the other palaces of Sintra. One such palace is the Sintra National Palace, also known as the Town Palace. This was the home of Portuguese royalty before the Pena Palace was built. The combo ticket I bought in advance included the Pena Palace, the Castelo dos Mouros, and the Sintra National Palace, but unfortunately I ran out of time to see the latter before it closed for the day. But at least I got to see an aerial view of it with its distinctive twin cone-shaped chimneys.

It took a while to get back to downtown Lisbon, but once I did, I ate some pizza in an interesting courtyard that hosted four different restaurants. Surrounded by walls but with no roof, diners are protected from the elements by a series of very large square umbrellas that abut each other perfectly. It started raining fairly hard while I was eating but I didn’t get wet at all. I washed the pizza down with a local black beer.

The next day, Sunday, would be my last full day in Portugal. On such a short timeline, most people would probably spend that time in the city. But I’m not most people. I chose to spend my last day visiting a quiet yet stunningly charming town with a very rich history 133 kilometers east of Lisbon. The town I’m referring to is Evora. Untouched by the earthquake that destroyed so much of old Lisbon, Evora is replete with ancient Roman ruins, picturesque cobblestone streets lined with handsome white buildings, medieval churches and monasteries, and even a chapel made of human bones. And yet somehow, there were no crowds of tourists there–quite the opposite of Sintra! In fact, Evora turned out to be the highlight of my entire trip. You can read about all of that and more in my second and final post on Portugal, which should drop within the next week. In the meantime, check out my photo album from Portugal, and if you liked this blog post, please share it with others who might also enjoy it. Thanks for reading!