Lisbon inside tips
 

I saw today the 1st chesnuts sellers this year in Rua Augusta.

Have you seen my ex-husband, Rogerio, driving around Lisboa in a limo? I think he owns the only limo in all of Portugal.

He has not answered any of my letters. I hope he is OK.

Thingorjus

Does this signal the changing of the weather?

I think Fall is finally upon us, also.

If I see Rogerio, I'll say him hello from you.
Sher, we have had frequent showers since Monday but the temperature has not dropped yet.
President Putin is today in town for the inauguration of a branch of Hermitage Museum outside Russia. There will be 600 selected pieces in display.
http://www.golisbon.com/blog/2007/10...-ajuda-palace/

860 years ago, the 1st king of Portugal (Afonso Henriques) and his Anglo-Norman and Flemish friends took the city of Lisbon from the Muslims, who had ruled it during the previous 400 years. The siege lasted for 4 months. Sintra and other neighbour castles were taken ate the same time.
The comemoration includes an historical reconstitution of Portuguese and Crusaders entering the Saint George castle. It will be performed at 6pm, local time.
Osbernus, a foreigner eyewitness wrote an account of what he saw during that campaign and some parts survived up to the present day..
http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/source/cap-lisbon.html

6 female fado singers (Aldina Duarte, Maria da Fé, Raquel Tavares, Mafalda Arnauth, Beatriz da Conceição e Joana Amendoeira) are performing Thursday 1st November in Queen Elizabeth Hall (London).
I would go if I could.

Tradition is not anymore what it used to be.
Since the dawn of ages, castanhas (chesnuts) were wrapped up in phone directory pages, but a new regulation says that they must be wrapped up in white (no printed) paper. I don’t think public healt could be jeopardized in any way since castanhas must be peeled off before eaten.
BTW castanhas cost 2 euros/each 12 units, which I think is a good price. In Baixa/Chiado area there are at least 2 sellers, one in Rua Augusta and another one in Chiado, just off Brazileira Café. I’m sure in Rossio Sq or Praça da Figueira Sq there should be more.

I'm guessing that at the dawn of time there were no phone directories in Lisbon, and that when they started wrapping chestnuts in phone directories, the traditionalists lamented the coming of modern times.

These castanhas thing bring me some memories...LOL. We used to have some sellers here but they retired from business (an age question) and no one wanted to follow. Now, they make them on the All Saints "Feria" (a temporary amusement park) but they sell them much more expensive...two euro is a bargain :)

Nikki, our friend Heraclitus used to say "There is nothing permanent except change" :-)
Kendy, this is a very good reason for you to come to Lisbon. Being castanhas such a bargain, you may spare a few euros :-) comparing to the money you'd spend in feria de todos los santos.

I bought roast chestnuts twice on my visit to Lisbon in March. I was a bit surprised to see them, as it seemed late in the season, but they were were very nice.

The first ones were wrapped in lined school notepaper (what we call "college rule" in the U.S.), purchased on Rua Augusta. The second packet was in plain white food service paper, purchased on a cold and windy day right outside the metro at Amoreiras. Nice and hot, just the thing.

No relation with Lisbon or even with travel, but I couldn't refrain myself from posting this brief History of Western Thought
http://br.youtube.com/watch?v=moWZm66J_yM
Have fun

Sud-Express train (Lisbon to/from Paris) completes 120 years this November. Sud-express began in 1887 departing daily from Santa Apolonia station. In the very beginning it was necessary 3 days to reach Paris, using steam engines.
The period inter world wars saw an increasing luxury in Sud-Express. Meals were served in fine china with real silver silverware. By this time 1st class ended in Estoril. Just before 2nd world war and during the war itself itself, Sud-Express transported many thousands of refugees from the madness Europe had fallen and seeking for a safe heaven in the Americas. After the war, with the increasing popularity of air travels, and the availability of cars to the middle class, the Sud-Express lost some of its charm. Today it’s used more by backpackers and low income expat workers.
Sud-Express has never given up to the zeitgeist allowing pre-cooked catering on board. Although most of charm is gone, all meals served on board are really cooked on train’s kitchen in the same way as they are cooked in any grounded restaurant.
In present days Sud-Express doesn’t ride all the way from Santa Apolonia to Paris, but in ends in Hendaye, in the Spanish/French boarder, and passengers must rely on the TGV to fulfill the French section of the travel.

I spend a few minutes chating with a gentleman from Congo, asking for directions. We used my favourite language :-) Words of Portuguese/Spanish/French/English/Gestures mixed together sometimes in the same sentence.
When there is the will to communicate, there are no language barriers.

Not sure if I should put this message in this thread, but here goes: we (two couples in their 30s and two kids, 1.5 and 2.5) are coming to Lisbon Nov 21-25. We would really like to take in a fado performance, but I know that it can be a problem with the kids. Any suggestions for places that start early, or are kid-friendly or anything like that?

Thanks!

PS: Lobo, I had been in touch with you about this before, any tips would be handy, thanks!

Econmom, believe it or not we are eating out in a fado club next 22nd with some fodorite fellows.
Your little ones may be a problem by two reasons:
First, fado clubs are always full of smoke, second reason is that you can not guarantee that your kids don't start crying or speaking or doing anything like kids usually do, during the fado perfomance itself and that will be very embaracing to you.

I agree with lobo, econmom: even adults find it difficult to remain as absolutely quiet as is considered polite for a fado performance, and the performers and staff will not hesitate to call you on the carpt over it, and you'll compromise the evening for others in attendance.

So, a babysitter would be in order if you are comfortable with that option, or one of you could go out while the other stays in.

thanks!

This is the highest expression of the Portuguese:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H7ha2...eature=related

The music is from Alfredo Duarte “Marceneiro”
The lyrics are from Amalia herself and she is speaking to her own heart:

“If you don’t know where you are going to, why do you stubbornly bleed?”
“I cannot run anymore after you”

PS: The “heart” means emotion, by opposition to the the head (the reason). The Fado lyrics has roots in the Greek classic tradition and this opposition of “head” vs “heart” is meaningful in this context

After Saint Martin's Summer, we have a typical winter day (rain, wind and cold) all over Portugal.
Distinguished guests are invited to bring a raincoat.

Is Saint Martin's Summer a warm period in the fall? What we would call Indian Summer in the US?

It's the same thing. It's called Saint Martin's Summer because on average, it's centered on 11th November (Saint Martin's day)
11 th November is the day when all restaurants have complimentary chestnuts to offer to clients and it's the day to taste the new wine (the wine of the current season).
The legend of Saint Martin of Tours has some local variations, according the most popular here when Saint Martin cut his vests in half and delivered them to the beggar, immediatly a miraculous sun started to shine in the sky and a off season Summer immediatly appeared. This is consistent with the permanence of Indian Summer in and around 11th November in this part of the world.

Christmas lights are already lit since last week end in Rua Augusta. I notice a change in style. 20 years ago the light was intense and the ideia was to turn the night into day. Nowadays, the illumination is much more subtle. I think that a lot of low energy lamps is used, but the effect is nice nevertheless.

Portuguese Post Office issued a series of 230,000 postage stamps made in cork.
This series has 2 features:
- is the 1st in the world produced in this material
- like the finger prints, each one of the stamps is different from all other.
IMHO they look beautiful. The picture represents the rolling hills of the Alentejo. Take a look at http://www2.ctt.pt/fewcm/wcmservlet/...mprensa61.html

Oh, that is soooo cool!

I picked up a cork postcard when I was in Portugal and it's one of my favorite souveniers.

I also want to say that you are an absolutely marvelous salesperson for your country. All of these wonderful little tidbits of what happens in Portugal. You really make me want to return.

Maybe next year.

Very pretty. I saw wallets and similar items made of cork when I was in Portugal last year, and they are reportedly quite durable.

Is the cork industry looking for new ways to use their product in light of increasing use of plastic corks and screw-top closures for bottles? Cork floors are supposed to be very comfortable and very durable.

Cork has applications that many are unaware of http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpag...e/Topics/Space
And relating to the plastic screw-top closures I believe cork is not giving up without striking back.

Thank you lobo_mau for the tip on those unique cork stamps! It will be my first purchase when we arrive in Lisbon this Sunday (Dec. 2) for 11 days (followed by three weeks in other areas of Portugal). My DH surely won't give me a hard time with this souvenir since they are inexpensive, won't take up much room in our suitcases and are so light! And thank you for all your other tips over the past ten months I have been lurking on this website. We will be putting them to good use so very soon.So excited!!

For those heading to Lisbon this month, keep an eye out for posters announcing the City's program of Christmas musical concerts throughout the city. Assuming this series is still going on, they are all free, and some are held inside spaces that aren't regularly open to the public. In 2004, we were lucky enough to attend a concert in a convent (can't remember the name) near the Principe Real square, as well as in the church in the Alfama in the square where the big palm tree is (Sao Miguel?).

We saw notices posted in the metro, and I'm sure the tourist offices have the information as well.

Will there be any of these on Christmas Day?

Concerts in Lisbon Churches: Mártires (9 Dec and 13 Jan); Madalena (16 Dec); Saint Nicolau (6 Dec), Conceição Velha (8 Dec) and Encarnação (6 Jan).
------
Missa solemnis in Belem: midnight 00h00m from 24th to 25th.

On the 30th November 1807 the French army entered in Lisbon. On 13th December a riot followed the raise of the tricolor flag in Saint George's Castle. On 15th September 1808 Junot and his men left the city for good.
This brief period was the last time in History the Portuguese capital was held by foreigner hands.
The Portuguese royal family went to exile in Brazil, being the 1st European rulers ever to cross the equador. This period of 5 or 6 years is known as the Peninsular War, and during this period, Portuguese, Spanish, French and British armies made from Hispania a huge battle field. This turmoil was instrumental in the independence of the former Portuguese and Spanish Latin-American colonies.
My suggestion for a light readind about this subject is a delicious historical novel from CS Forester called "The Gun"

Manoel de Oliveira, the most known of Portuguese directors, celebrates today his 99th aniversary. He is he the oldest director in the world who is still active. When asked about his career, he said "the past is not interesting to me, I only care about my future plans".
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manoel_de_Oliveira

Museums (except Coches) and public transports are free in Lisbon today to commemorate the signature of Lisbon Treaty, between the 27 countries of European Union.
The formal act will be held in Jeronimos Monastery and the lunch in the Museum of Coches, both in Belem area. The few hundreds of meters ride between the 2 locations will be done in a tram painted in blue, instead of the usual yellow. The tram will carry the 27 "crowned" heads of Europe (either kings or presidents) offering, I'm sure, excellent photo opps that will cross the globe in today's news.
Tonight in the Nations Park (former expo98) there will be a concert of classical music synchronized with a display of fire works to be offered to the distinguished guests and opened to the general population.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reform_Treaty

The metro rides in Lisbon's metro system are free today to commemorate the birth of 2 brand new stations in the southern end of Blue line. Terreiro do Paço and Santa Apolonia are the new members of family. With this all major train stations (Oriente, Santa Apolonia, Cais do Sodre, Entre Campos, Rossio and Sete Rios) are connected by the metro system. The 2 major ferry stations are in the system (Cais do Sodre and Terreiro do Paço). Only the airport is out, but that’s another story.
The 2 new stations and the new line surround Alfama and the Castle hill by south, just following Tagus right bank.

Great news, lobo, and further evidence that Lisbon's got a really fantastic public transit system.

Do the new stations put any tourist sites in ready walking distance of the metro? Seems like the tile museum was over on that side of things, and at the time of my visit accessible only by bus or taxi.

The new line doesn’t go that east. To get to water and tiles museums there is still a lot to walk, and that’s not a nice area to walk anyway.
The spots which are favored by the new stations are alfama, fado museum and alfama’s fado clubs and restaurants.
PS: Outside my window it’s windy, rainy and cold. There is a conspiracy of the elements to make lisbonites feel miserable today.

Based on the novels I have read set in Lisbon, that conspiracy is of long standing.

Mariza and Dulce Pontes got international recognition but the Portuguese voice of 21st century is Ana Moura.