Lisboa, Part 2

In the Portuguese language, this city is called Lisboa.  We English speakers call it Lisbon just as we also have our own names for other places, like referring to the great Italian city of Roma, as Rome. (ok, indulge me please)

What a fantastic day!  On Friday, we returned to Lisboa (heh-heh) with an agenda. The aqueducts, the Avenida da Liberator, Barrios Alto, and Principe, and anything else we could stir up.

Per signs we read and the Water Museum’s brochure,  “between 1731 and 1739, the Aguas Livres Aqueduct formed a vast system for the catchment and transport of water by gravity flow through pipes and channels over a total length of 58 kilometers (36 miles), running from the springs located 14 kilometers (8.6 miles) to the northwest of Lisbon to the capital’s chafarizes, or water fountains.”  That’s where some people of Lisbon gathered their water for home use.

This aqueduct still stands. It withstood the great earthquake of 1755 with only a few windows damaged.  Yes, it is a pipe in places but it’s a very huge pipe.  In some places it is like a huge stone trough on top of fantastic bridges between great hills supported by columns and a series of arches.  It is an engineering miracle and a work of art.  We walked along one long section.  The contrast between the ancient, still-standing 18th-century aqueduct and the modern city below and around is mind-boggling.

The aqueduct was operational until 1967 and decommissioned in 1968.

We arrived at the Water Museum or Museu da Agua by bus.  . . . We are getting the hang of the transport system here and are proud of it.  Next we wanted to see the Avenida de Liberdade.  From the aqueduct, it was just a 30-minute walk away but it took us over an hour to get there.  We found so much to investigate and see.  As we passed a deeply shaded park, there was a fragrance in the air that was sweet.   The air smells sweet and fresh in many places here.  At this park, flowering trees in purple and yellow, and white filled the air with a heavenly springtime scent.  We just stood there a while and took it in.

Just before we reached the Avenida, we stopped at a small park where flags were flying. A man was taking photos of the flags. I like flags so I decided to take a photo as well. The man said, “do you see those flags?” I said yes but then I realized one was the Ukraine flag. My heart jumped. The man said, “You feel it too. ” he added, “we feel it in our hearts.” I told him I pray for the people of Ukraine each and every day. He told me he does too.

It’s good to stop, remember and pray.

Once we reached the Avenida de Liverdade, it was obvious:  this is one of the most elegant parts of the city.  The street, half a football field wide is divided by a long, green park on which stately hundred-year-old trees stand. Exclusive designer shops are across the street, and on the other side, there is a nice hotel and cool shops for café and pastries and expensive meals of mariscos and pao,  Talk about wool!  We sat under an umbrella at a tiny table on the plaza and sipped cappuccinos–very civilized.

From there we moved to the Tram 24 route and stopped for lunch.  Cross the street was a one-block park.  We saw several of these today, almost in a line along an avenue.  Each had a statue or other point of interest, plenty of park benches, and small kiosks offering crafts, baked goods, cute clothing, etc.  Each also had a cute bistro with tables on the plaza for sandwiches, café, wine, or beer. We had lunch across the street at a tiny but busy restaurant .  . . its big draw for us was its banos.  I ordered choco.  That’s cuttlefish.  Doesn’t that sound horrible?  And the creatures look even worse but I’m adventuresome. Let me say this, it was one of the finest tasting things I’ve ever eaten.  It’s a little like calamari but much more tender and sweet.  Mine was cut into “fingers.” was lightly breaded and gently fried.  Even Stan liked it a lot.  BHis dish was the streaky veal.  When his plate was served, it looked so good — but why do restaurants in Panama, Colombia, and Portugal all serve rice together with French fries as accompaniments to the protein?  I guess they figure the potato serves as the vegetable.  I ate some of his French fries so he could concentrate on the veal.  Those strips of veal were tasty but ever so chewy.  He gave me a bite and I worked on that piece until it felt like a wad of chewing tobacco.  When I was a child, my brothers and I liked having tough meat for dinner because it lasted longer and seemed like more.

Number 24 cable car was said to be a must-do and much more enjoyable than the chaotic Tram 28 we rode a day or so ago.  Guess where it went.  Yes, right back to where we started just below the Aqueduct but the ride showed us more . . . like unusual architecture and graffiti street art, much of it themed in politics.

Portugal is the oldest country in Europe; it has been inhabited for thousands of years.  It is remarkable that even though this country has been war-torn, particularly in early times, its geographic borders have been intact since the 13th century. Its culture is deep and distinct. The term Fado is used a lot here; it means “fate” and describes traditional Portuguese music.  It’s sung as a mournful lament usually about love in Faldo houses and bars and cafes.  It is quite moving.  No one speaks or eats once the singer begins his tune.   Manueline Art – that elaborate, lacy stone adornment seen in churches on their great arches and windows is common too and was Portuguese architects’ move away from traditional Gothic design.  Finally, of note are the curious decorative blue tiles built into the sides of homes, buildings, and fountains. Most azuejos, as they are called, tell a story about a place, a craft, or a saint, etc. and are a Portuguese classic. They were introduced to this country by the Moors.  In her article, “Why are the buildings in Portugal covered in tile” from The Anthrotorian, Lindsay Shapka writes,   “The historic Moorish art mixed with the 16th-century Italian invention of “majolica” — painting colors directly onto wet clay over a layer of white enamel — made the tiles bright and vibrant and the Portuguese fell in love with the art form.”

Many exteriors of homes and mansions here are tiled not just for their utility in the protection from the weather, they are artistic and can be a sign of wealth.   We passed one house completely covered in bright green tiles, like subway tiles.  It merely glistened in the sun.  Another house we saw appeared to be lavender in color, but a close peek showed that each tile was decorated in colorful diamond patterns and flowers but from a distance, the designs seem to blend to form one single hue.

We planned on devoting three full days to Lisboa.  We did that but know now three days is not enough.  We will return before we leave this part of Portugal.  What an intriguing place!