Lisbon – Cityscape

In addition to photos by my family and me, this post includes some pictures by Emily Nava.

We took an overnight flight into Lisbon, and because we couldn’t get into our Air B&B for a few hours (and because daylight is good for jetlag), we walked all over the city that first day, stopping only for repeated cups of coffee at little carts and kiosks.

Lisbon is one of the oldest continuously occupied cities on earth, with evidence of people living there as far back as the 8th century BCE. In addition to ruins that date back to the days of the Phoenicians, there are ruins from early Moorish people, a huge castle, and tons of medieval and Renaissance buildings.

Archeological site near Castelo de S. Jorge. Photo by JC

And no wonder it’s been a city for so long—it’s a great location, right on the water. From all over the city, there’s water everywhere you look. Anywhere that doesn’t have naturally occurring water, there are fountains, as if the city planners felt like every part of the city needed moving water.

The city was nearly leveled by an earthquake in 1755, and even now, hundreds of years later, its impact shows up in the city’s architecture. For example, there is a convent that was badly damaged, right in the middle of Lisbon, and it was never repaired or torn down. It’s just… there. (and beautiful).

Thanks to the earthquake, lots of the architecture, even in the oldest parts of the city, dates from the late 18th century or after. Lots of pillars and cornices and things. It felt like being in a Jane Austen novel.

One thing we loved was the amount and variety of public art—some of it clearly created and planned by the city government, others the product of shop keepers and whimsy, or street artists with spray paint. Everywhere we looked was a feast for the eyes, and so much of it told a story of the city’s history.

I loved how green the city was, with gardens and trees everywhere. I appreciated that even more when we came back from Morocco. Lisbon felt lush compared to Marrakesh. We visited a botanical garden, and while that was a particularly green space, all along the way, we brushed against spicy flowers and crossed through tree-shade.

More details on a few places and experiences in Lisbon to come, but short version – if you have an opportunity to go there, DO IT!

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