In brief: Though we didn’t plan to be here for the full year, every season in Lisbon brought its distinctive pleasures.
Spring: Smell the Flowers
Chaucer would have loved Lisbon at this time of year, a true city in a garden.
Then April, with its sweet showers,
The drought of March pierces to the root,
And bathes every vein in such liqueur
Whose virtue it is to generate the flowers.
Not only are flowers generated, but so are waterfowl, like these Egyptian goslings.
The ladybug on the leaf waits patiently for this bright bud to open.
Study in purple and green: Trailing African Daisy
The richness of Treasure flowers
Color just pops from this Barberry
House wisteria
Cloudbursts of white
Thundering of red horse chestnuts
And the mini trumpets shall sound: Nightshade
Very showy orchid tree
Summer: Sailing the Tejo
How wonderful to sail the waters of Lisbon on a warm summer day where the River Tejo shakes hands with the ocean. As you can see, we enjoyed a brilliant July 4th Sunday, savoring in a new way the charms of the city.
With the best of friends and family on board…
We had never seen Praça do Comercio, or Terreiro do Paço, shining brightly from the water so it impressed us even more than before. It’s is the “new” city center built in the modern style after the destructive earthquake and tsunami of 1755. The royal palace that the king never occupied is to the left of the plaza; above it to the right are the dark trees of Sao Jorge castle, from whose height people looked at us.
A view of the older part of town, once occupied by the Romans and the Moors, with the dour 12th century cathedral, the Se, on the left and the neo-classical dome of the Pantheon on the right.
Another sailboat passes under the 25 April bridge, one of the few other boats with whom we shared the expanse of the water. The hum sounding below the bridge was surprisingly loud – car traffic, not whales, though there are dolphins in the vicinity.
We were feeling as giddy as we looked, with the wind tumbling our hats and our hair. Here we cheerfully plow the waves at Alvalade, at the breezy end of the bridge across from central Lisbon.
The Manueline tower of Belém, another landmark of the city, was once a lone island in deeper water. From here the renowned Renaissance captains like da Gama and Magellan set off to explore lands for Portugal. And here we are exploring that same tower from the river.
Idling along the shore, we enjoyed some fine wine and edibles
Fall: Riding the rails of the trams
As the summer weather cooled a bit and before tourists thronged the city again, we did a very touristy thing: ride on the famous 28 tram (and the brief 12 loop). During our fast-moving look at the central city neighborhoods through which these pass, we enjoyed the classic style of the yellow “remodelado” trams from the 1930s. Even more, we delighted in the wild rides: clanking and creaking along narrow streets; passing close to building or skimming past pedestrians; and zipping effortlessly up steep hills before careening down again.
This short video shows how close we pass by the facades of buildings as well as pedestrians and cyclists, especially on the many narrow streets.
Lisbon is associated with the Brill style American cars. Its initial electric cars were built in America by Brill or the St Louis Company.
The “Remodelado” trams trace their history back to between 1932 and 1940 after Carris – the Lisbon operator – constructed its own trams based on the Brill design. In 1995, Carris remodeled 45 of the old car bodies, installing new wheel trucks and electrical systems. All of those are in service today.
The wood-paneled interior of our “remodelado”, based on the earlier “americano” Brill cars. At this moment we pass some signage whose style dates from around the time these trams were first used.
Here we stop to pick up passengers as we approach the medieval Sé Cathedral. We were surprised how many locals took the trams to mount the hills of Graça and Alfama. Several infirm, elderly residents used the tram as essential transport after some light shopping down below.
Before taking the tram, we saw many warnings about pickpockets who take advantage of the normally crowded, standing room only trams.
Fortunately, we neither saw nor felt a pickpocket, but perhaps the opportunities for success are too meager now and the tourists too few.
Masks were required on the tram, as on the whole Lisbon transport system, though the windows pushed a lot of ventilating air through the car.
Here we emerge from a tight passage to the open space of Largo Portas do Sol, one of Lisbon’s finest panoramic views and probably the best for dawdling with a drink at a quiosque.
We may ride again some time, but would make sure we do it when the tourists aren’t overwhelming the trams again.
Winter: Holiday lights
Holiday lights in Lisbon on a cool, crisp winter’s night! Recently we walked from our neighborhood to Lisbon’s city center so we could marvel at this year’s light displays. For several hours, we joined with a sociable group of expats from the UK, the EU and the US.
Lots of talk, lots of oohs and aahs, and a bit of the local wild cherry liqueur, Ginjinha to drink in the holiday cheer!
Heading down Liberdade Avenue, the principal connector between us and the center.
Restauradores plaza at the foot of Liberdade Avenue was lit up with the blaze of its adjacent buildings as well as the graceful light sculpture of a Nativity scene.
At one end of Rossio square, downtown Lisbon, where the stalls of a Christmas Market sold food and gifts to visitors, a chameleonic tree changed its colors every few seconds.
A theatrical display on the façade of the Opera House in Rossio square, downtown Lisbon.
Along the high street of ritzy Chiado, glowing jelly fish delighted rather than threatened.
Within the 18th century central district, everything was lit up including the overhead greetings to the New Year of 2022.
Looking across the vast Comercio plaza at its Triumphal Arch, with the big blazing tree and the lights of huge snowflakes gleaming on the street to the right.
From the vast plaza of Comercio along the Tejo River, we look through the Triumphal Arch of Comercio plaza on the shining holiday streets. The arch celebrated Lisbon’s recovery from the devastating 1755 earthquake.
In the Comercio plaza, we could walk through this grand tree, set off nicely against a backdrop of 18th century framed windows and arches.
For spending time in Lisbon, whatever the season, there is a good reason.
(To enlarge any picture above, click on it. Also, for more pictures from Portugal, CLICK HERE to view the slideshow at the end of the itinerary page.)
