The first two nights, I stayed south of the city in Almada. Which is really removed from all the goings-on in Lisbon. The commute was over half an hour and was costing me about €8 each way. So I decided to switch hostels and headed downtown. But I will say this, Almada has some amazing views and sunsets. It felt like a cross between San Francisco and Rio de Janeiro (not that I've been to either, but you be the judge).
Lisbon is touted as the first major modern city in Europe. Much of its Medaeval configuration was obliterated by the devastating earthquake & ensuing tsunami of 1755. Three years later, some organized and action-oriented men took charge and drew up plans for a city laid out in a grid formation off a main square, with trades people organized into roads/lanes of similar trades. Origally, the people did not like the modern approach to the city, but eventually it became the model for other European cities.
But a bit about that earthquake... I learned about it from my guide book, but didn't really feel the full impact of the event after experiencing the filmed dramatization within the Lisboa Story Centre. I know that this film was a bit over the top, but it did give me an appreciation of how horrifying this earthquake would've been for the inhabitants of the time. To date, it was the most damaging earthquake in the recorded history of Europe, and no one know how many people actually died, but it's likely over 10,000. Imagine this: it's November 1 (All Saints' Day) and you're in church (as Lisbon was very devoutly Catholic - the arms of inquisition extended here), when suddenly the stones of the roof of the church you are standing under begin to shake loose and fall. Terrifying. Some people thought it was divine retribution, others thought it was Judgement Day. Fires blazed in the city for a week.
Above: see those empty arches of that church? That roof caved in with the earthquake.
Lisbon suffered 500 aftershocks in the first year after the major quake, and the city was in turmoil for about three years - disease, hunger, and looting were the norm. The rest of Europe got word of the catastrophe within 15-30 days of the quake, and with their (and Brasil's) aid, managed to help rebuild the city.
Above: the main square next to the River Tagus, off which the modern city was structured around.
Below: a closer look at the Archo do Rua Augusta (or triumphal arch) and it's view down to the rebuilt Baixa (lower town). The figures on the arch represent the East and the West, the two major rivers in Portugal - the Tagus and the Duoro rivers - and finally is crowned by Glory laying wreaths on Genuis and Valour. The arch was the last piece of the Praço do Comércio to be completed. The Latin inscription under Glory reads, "To the virtues of the greatest the serve as a lesson to all."
The cost of both the Story Centre and the Arch is €8, which is cheaper than visiting both sites individually. The view from the arch is worth the climb, but more so is getting up close and personal with the allegorical figures on top, whose scale is hard to fathom from the street below.
A note about the Story Centre...the presentation of Lisbon's (and indeed Portugal's) history is extremely whitewashed. There is a minor mention of the Moors, who ruled the Iberian peninsula for about 400 years, and all the centre had to say was something along the lines of "they introduced us to tiles!" There's no mention in the Story Centre about the prolific slave trade even though during the 16th century CE there was more slaves than actual ethnic Portugese in Portugal at the time. There is no mention of atrocities committed in the new world either. Apparently, this Story Centre wants visitors to only see the positives. Given that I'm interested in history and ethnography, I think it's a mistake to sweep these events under the proverbial rug. It's important to acknowledge what happened in the past, as it directly relates to the present. And I think it's more respectful to those peoples and cultures that were directly impacted by Portugal's "Time of Discoveries."
After wandering around the main square (and enjoying a great, and much needed salad), I headed off in search of the Sé (cathedral). On my way there, I passed a very sad memorial commemorating the massacre of the local Jewish population within Lisbon during the year 1506. Religious intolerance of Jews grew with the fanaticism of the swelling Spanish Inquisition. I put my hand on the monument and said a prayer for those lost souls who were the victims of such a cruel end.
The Portugese word Sé comes from the Holy See in Rome. Like the old cathedral in Coimbra, the Lisbon Sé is a large Romanesque building that looks a bit like a rectangular fortress. The most interesting things inside the cathedral were the stained glass windows of Saint Vincent (Lisbon's patron saint, whose remains are in the crypt of this building), and Saint Anthony, who is probably the most famous Portugese saint (of children, and lost things). Whenever I lost something, my mom would always tell me to pray to St. Anthony...and sure enough, the item would turn up.
Day Two: after settling into my new and improved hostel downtown (although it has about five flights of stairs you have to scale to reach the reception - I was grateful for the aid of Gregoire, a Frenchman who carried my heavy suitcase all the way up), I was determined to see the Castle of Dom São Jorge.
This castle was originally a citadel built by the Phoenicians in the 7th century BCE. Then it went into the hands of the Romans, then the Celts, and then Moors, who fortified it heavily in the 11th century CE. After Dom Alfonso Henriques conquered Lisbon in 1147, it finally became apart of Protugese influence, both in usage and stylistic additions to the structure. It became the royal palace in the 13th century CE after Dom Alfonso Henriques moved the capital of Portugal from Coimbra to Lisbon. When Portugal became apart of the Spanish crown in 1580 (something the Portugese eventually gained autonomy from), the castle became an important military base until the early 20th century CE. The site was damaged in the earthquake of 1755, and extensive renovations began soon after. The ruins of the former royal palace were discovered during restoration works undertaken from 1938-40.
Above: the view of the castle from my hostel's balcony window.
Next three photos: the "Romantic Walk" and views from the parapets of the castle. Some were very high up and I got a bit dizzy climbing up and down very steep and narrow stairs.
Day Three: I did a day trip to Sintra - you'll have to wait for my next blog post to read about it ;)
Day Four: I went to experience the "Theives Market," a large outdoor, all day flea market with some lovely French folks I met at the hostel. Apparently, some items are actually stolen...such as the original azulejo tiles that people chip off old buildings and sell to tourists. I'm happy to report that I previously bought two *new* handmade tiles that will be put up as decorative pieces in my bathroom back at home (unfortunately I don't have photos because I shipped them back to Canada already - in an effort to keep my luggage's weight manageable).
The market wasn't anything special really, but there were a few interesting stalls of local jewellers and artisans. The only thing I bought were two photographs of Lisbon doorways/iron trellace work that I thought were beatiful. I'll frame them when I get home.
I had plans to go see a Fado show last night, but I've been having a fair bit of back pain and decided that after several disturbed nights of sleep (including being jarred awake by an Australian shouting complete sentences in his sleep - ah, the joys of hostel living), that I needed to spend the rest of the day doing nothing. I went to the pharmacy and bought a heat/ice gel pack and watched Zoolander in the hostel. I went out for dinner to a vegetarian restaurant that was recommended by João (one of the very nice people who works at the hostel) and was treated to my first bath in a nice hotel that my friend Curtis (a former hostel roomie) was staying at. The bath helped, but my back is still pretty sore. I went back to the hostel and had a pretty light sleep on account of the screaming college freshmen on the streets, enjoying their Frosh week.
Today I take a 4 hour bus ride to Lagos in the Algarve. I'm hoping the weather will be drier there. It's rained everywhere I've been in Portugal (except Porto). Here's hoping!
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