The best way to see Lisbon is not by a tour guide or tuck-tuck, but by simply walking and getting lost amongst the cobbled back streets and squares, avoiding old fashioned trams meandering through the city. You will be towered by tall buildings leaning on each other, tangled up in knots amongst the abandoned shells of old townhouses, now home to trees and birds. You will see an exhibition of unpolished graffiti painted on almost every wall, combined with a beautiful array of tiled facades. If you look up you will see an array of wrought-iron balconies used as stations to hang washing lines on in all directions. Old ladies with scrunched up leather faces sit and stare at passersby from their tiny hobbit-like doorways adorned with pots of flowers. Waiters wearing shirts and bow ties wave their menus, inviting you to dine on the street where people drink local beer and wine and delve into bowls of cockles and clams. On Sunday’s the locals host a flea market in the Alfama District, known to be the oldest part of Lisbon. You can haggle for fresh fruit and vegetables, jewellery and clothes or wonder through the Medieval maze of squares, churches and alleyways.
Lisbon is also a great place to be at night, with a huge selection of seafood restaurants and bars. If you find yourself in an area known as Intendente you must visit Casa Independente. From the outside it appears to be someone’s house but as you climb the grand staircase you will be greeted with live music mixed on vinyl, rooms filled with old furniture and a walled garden covered with grape vines where you can sit and enjoy dinner before dancing the night away.
On the other side of the city is a street named Rua de Sao Paulo: once known as the red light district filled with dens of debauchery, is now the most fashionable and artistic place for gatherings in the city. One club that is worth a mention is Pensao Amor. It can be hard to find amongst the hustle and bustle but once inside you will see the interior reflects its past life as a brothel with flamboyant furnishings and pictures of women dressed in skimpy dresses and feather bowers. You can slump into a velvet armchair or dance to live music.
If you are looking to stay in Lisbon there is an abundance of choice, from quirky back-alley hostels to shabby chic boutique hotels. Most hostels offer roof top terraces and walled gardens to meet with new acquaintances. Or if you fancy having a place to yourself there are plenty of apartments you can rent out privately. A step up from that, there are some incredible hotels with views over the city or seafront. An example of this is Palacio Ramalhete on the outskirts of Lisbon, which oozes authenticity; boasting unique details such as stucco ceilings, oak walls, and copper roofed fireplaces… It even has an outdoor heated pool and cocktail terrace.
So indulge in the food and wine, history and architecture and the early morning walks back to the hotel as you soak up the culture in the city of colour (or as I like to call it; the city of tiles).
Links:
https://www.facebook.com/CasaIndependente
https://www.facebook.com/pensaoamor
http://www.palacio-ramalhete.com/en/
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