After an early buffet breakfast and check-out, we packed into the official tour bus to drive around Lisbon for a sightseeing tour with a local guide.
I had no preconceived expectations of Lisbon. Apart from the fact that it is the capital of Portugal, I knew very little about this city. But as our bus cruised around tree-lined streets and navigated the narrow, winding alleys through its different neighborhoods, I found it oozing with old European charm without the pretention associated with the more sophisticated cities in the European mainland.
We headed to the city centre and the business district of Lisbon. Its quiet elegance is characterized by Pombaline architecture. This is a style named after the Marquess of Pombal, who took the lead in rebuilding the city after the Great Earthquake of 1755.
This type of architecture is characterized by flexible wooden structures implanted on the walls, roofs, and floors of four-storey buildings, which are then covered by pre-manufactured building materials that shake but don’t fall. These earthquake-resistant structures, though unadorned by decorative details, still reflect a strong Neo-Classical charm, and if anything, through their simplicity, showcase the Portuguese people’s practicality and adaptability.
The city’s focal point is the vast Praça do Comercio, a square marking the former location of the Paços da Ribeira (Royal Ribeira Palace) that was destroyed by the earthquake. It faces the river Tejo and lies at the base of the Baixa (Lower Town), which is arranged in a grid pattern and extends northwards toward the Rossio, another famous square where important national events such as celebrations, revolutions, executions, and bullfighting took place.
As I looked out from the window of the bus, I had a strong desire to hop off and take delight in the wonderful street scene. There was so much to see – vendors hawking their wares, street performers in outlandish costumes vying for attention, old yellow trams still plying the modern streets, and Art Deco shopfronts with brightly-coloured tiles glistening in the sunlight. I pictured myself sitting at an outdoor café, sipping some piping hot bica (Portuguese espresso) and enjoying a freshly baked Portuguese custard tart, while watching the pedestrians go about their daily morning routine. But alas, I had to stay on the bus!
We drove through Avenida da Liberdade, a broad boulevard lined with boutique hotels, fashionable shops, chic cafés, and trendy restaurants. It was said to be patterned after the Parisian boulevards but it showcases its uniqueness through elements that are distinctly Portuguese, such as patches of gardens with neatly arranged trees and shrubs local to the region, fountains, waterfalls, statues, and columns. It is almost like a sidewalk park offering pedestrians a respite from the busy traffic on the boulevard’s congested ten lanes.
A rarity that one can never find in any other city’s promenade is the famous Portuguese pavement known as Calçada Portuguesa, which is characterized by black and white mosaics that resemble tiles but are actually cubes of basalt and limestone. They come in different patterns, from simple lattice designs to the more elaborate images of saints. Along this street are interesting buildings that reflect 19th to 21st century Portuguese architecture, mostly old mansions that have been preserved. The many side streets branching out of this main avenue were named after the trade or crafts of the shopkeepers that resided in the area in the olden days such as Rua Aurea (Goldsmiths’ Street), Rua da Prata (Silversmiths’ Street), Rua dos Sapateiros (Cobblers’ Street), among others.
Our guide pointed to the Elevador de Santa Justa, built in 1902 and now the only remaining vertical lift in the city. It connects the lower streets of the Baixa with the higher Carmo Square and provides an amazing view of the Alfama and Bairro Alto districts. We noted that it was almost a small version of the Eiffel Tower in Paris. Apparently, its designer was a follower of French engineer Gustav Eiffel. This elevator is open to the public. I would have loved to take a ride and scrutinized its metal latticework, but our guide said the queue could be anywhere from 15 to 45 minutes. So, we drove on and headed towards the Alfama.
Alfama, Lisbon’s oldest quarter and formerly its Moorish district, lies east of the boulevard. The name is derived from the Arabic word, Al-hamma, meaning “fountains” or “baths” because of its hot springs. As it stands on firmer rock, it was relatively spared from the Great Earthquake and thus retained the charm of its winding alleys and crumbling ancient walls.
Today, it has a reputation of being the “poor section” of town. I was, however, enchanted by its sloping labyrinth of narrow streets and squares dotted by colourful old houses with flower-laden iron balconies and red-tiled roofs. Most have been repurposed as a combination of family residence upstairs and shops downstairs.
Towering over it is the Castelo Sao Jorge, an ancient Visigoth fort later used by the Romans. I thought the juxtaposition of a rather humble neighborhood under a looming structure created some kind of visual drama. I later learned that this is the centre of fado, the Portuguese style of melancholic music performed in its bars and restaurants. I would have loved to see a fado show but since our tour was religious rather than cultural in nature, I didn’t have the opportunity.
Our guide pointed to another landmark, the Casa dos Bicos (House of the Pointed Stones), another irony by itself, for it is a stately 16th-century townhouse embellished with diamond-shaped stones on its façade, glittering in the sunlight and perched on an elevated street on the way to the Alfama, the district infamous for mugging and theft.
We visited two churches in this area – the Catedral La Sé and the San Antonio Church.
The cathedral, also known as The Patriarchal Cathedral of Saint Mary Major, is the oldest church in the city. It was built by Portugal’s first king on the site of an old mosque in 1150 for the city’s first bishop, English crusader Gilbert of Hastings.
From the outside, with two bell towers flanking the entrance and crenellations built over the walls, it resembles a medieval fortress. In fact, it was designed as such because at that time, the cathedral was meant to be used as a base to attack an enemy in the event of a siege. However, a beautiful stained-glass rose window above the main door softens its intimidating façade. Inside, following its Latin cross shape, there are three aisles, a transept, and a main chapel surrounded by an ambulatory. The interior is a combination of architectural styles, predominantly Romanesque, but with Gothic, Baroque, Rococo, and Neo-Classical elements.
Though the cathedral contains royal tombs from the 14th century, the main attraction is the casket in the sacristy that holds the remains of St. Vincent, the official patron of Lisbon. Also noteworthy is the baptismal font by the entrance, where Saint Anthony of Padua, who was in fact born a few blocks away from this church, was baptized as an infant.
You may have already guessed our next stop – the Church of Saint Anthony, which was just a walking distance from the cathedral. It was built on the site where the saint was born and is now classified as a national monument.
To be honest, this was a surprise to me. I did not know that Saint Anthony of Padua was Portuguese and was born in Lisbon. Our guide clarified that a saint’s title is not always in reference to his birthplace, but more often, to the place where he fulfilled his mission, where he died, or where he was martyred. Saint Anthony spent much of his vocational life in northern Italy and chose Padua as the base of his evangelical mission. It was there where he lived his last years and died.
The church dedicated to him has a façade that blends the Baroque style with Neo-Classical Ionic columns. Inside, the altar features the image of the saint with Christ in his arms, just like how he is depicted in churches all over the world. The sacristy is decorated with 18th-century tiles, but it also has a modern tile panel to commemorate Pope John Paul II’s visit in 1982. By the entrance, there is a wall-sized painting of Saint Anthony in a gilded frame.
Our guide said that a few years back, women used to leave their scrunchies and other hair adornments around the frame. Apparently, aside from helping find lost items, Saint Anthony also helps young women find good husbands. Thus, he is also revered as a matchmaker and as a patron of young brides.
This was another new information for me. I must admit I did not know much about Saint Anthony. As a young girl growing up in a devoutly-practicing Catholic family, I was more attracted to female saints who had been nuns in their lifetime, though I did invoke Saint Anthony on several occasions to ask for assistance in recovering things I had lost or misplaced.
Our guide further explained that since mothers were the ones who kept a devotion to the saint to help their daughters marry well, they would cut their long hair as a sign of thanksgiving for answered prayers, thus the hair accessory offerings. In those days, chopping off one’s locks was considered an ultimate sacrifice because women prized their long hair. Nowadays, women sporting short hair is no longer uncommon, so the custom has dwindled down. The church officials also forbade the hanging of scrunchies, for it was deemed a fire hazard, given the number of lit votive candles under the painting.
However, the practice of holding mass weddings here called “Saint Anthony’s Weddings” which began in 1755 still occur every June 13th of every year. The parishioners celebrate Saint Anthony’s day with a procession that goes around the Alfama neighborhood. During the morning, special bread is given to the oldest women in the family, the ones who ardently prayed and made sacrifices for their families’ intentions.
My mother must have known this about Saint Anthony and must have prayed for me, for I did get a good husband. I spent a few moments of prayer and made it a point to thank him.
It was, however, a bit challenging to focus on prayer for there was a show right in front of me. The gang under the leadership of my favorite lady in the tour group (the "Tour Director" of a group of senior Filipino pilgrims and who had taken a disliking for myself and another Filipina solo traveler because we were not her "clients") was dominating the altar for pictures. After the first shot, which I presumed to be their official group photo, they broke into smaller groups for more. After the picture-taking frenzy, with Ms. Lady Ring Leader as the photography director, they marched to the small museum next door which contains images and manuscripts relating to the life of Saint Anthony. I followed the crowd that afterwards proceeded to the crypt downstairs that marks the exact spot where Saint Anthony was born.
Outside, we looked at the statue of Saint Anthony sculpted by renowned Portuguese artist Soares Branco, then walked back to our bus, crisscrossing the narrow alleys and dodging speeding cars and passing trams the whole time.
We then headed to Bairro Alto (Upper Quarter) to the west of the hill, which in contrast to the old-world Alfama, oozes with hippie spunk and is the preferred milieu of late-night youth revelers partying to the tune of jazz, reggae, hip-hop, punk, electronica, and even Goth music. Empty spaces along riverside docks and near forgotten 18th-century mansions have been transformed into makeshift nightclubs and bars. This district attracts a multi-cultural mix of people, especially fans of modern non-mainstream musical genres. But to truly immerse one’s self in Lisbon’s bohemian atmosphere, one must visit this district at night, which I knew I wouldn’t be able to do during this trip.
Further west, we drove around Chiado, the shopping district, where many of the city’s finest commercial establishments, both old and modern, are concentrated. Rua do Carmo and Rua Garrett are lined with shops selling clothing, jewelry, books, pottery, and other local products. It is also a cultural area, being home to several museums and theatres, including the opera. We passed by A Brasiliera, a café famous for having had poet Fernando Pessoa among its customers. Nowadays, it is still a traditional gathering spot for the Portuguese literati.
I must say that this city tour was a wonderful prelude to our religious journey. Despite Ms. Lady Ring Leader's occasional blabbering on the bus and during our stopovers, everything went smoothly. I just drowned her audio out with my silent prayers.
But I couldn't stop myself from giggling when my school teacher amiga from Maryland candidly said, "Man, does that lady think this is a school field trip for kindergarten kids? Even the kindergarten teachers from my school don't talk as much and act as bossy as she does. How can her group stand her? She is treating them like five-year old kids!" I thought it was funny that I had that exact, same thought about her while on the plane with her group the day before. To that, our librarian amiga from Colorado replied, "I wish this bus were a library, so I could shush her with my stern librarian voice." And my Filipina amiga said, "I doubt if that would work. Good luck to us on this trip."
Oh, this was just the beginning....I thought to myself.
Photo Credits:
trafalgar.com, visitlisboa.com, britannica.com, weheartlisbon.com, fulviusbsas (Wikipedia), golisbon.com, madaboutlisbon.com, SchiDD (Wikipedia), thelivingabroadguide.pt., Antonio Sacchetti, reetoursbyfoot.com, welovetourists.com, DIMSFIKAS (Wikipedia), libonlisboaportugal.com, lisboacool.com, theculturetrip.com (Marina Watson Peláez), theculturetrip.com (Claude Thibault)
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