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Checking In with Lisbon

Lisbon feels to me like Europe’s San Francisco with rattling trolleys, a famous suspension bridge, a heritage dominated by a horrific earthquake (1755), and lots of fog. I’m kicking off my two months of spring research here–and I’ve hit the ground running to be sure everything in my Rick Steves Portugal guidebook is up-to-date for the 2015 edition.

Rua Augusta: The triumphal arch that serves as a gateway to the city is now open for visitors, affording a grand view down the main drag, Rua Augusta.  As can be seen from the top of the arch, the center of town was rebuilt in a strict grid plan after the earthquake/tsunami/fire of 1755 left Lisbon a smoldering pile of rubble.

4 Replies to “Checking In with Lisbon”

Do you realize that the comments displayed under the pictures are cut off on the right side? This is happening in the Portugal post, but has happened in other posts as well. I am viewing on an iPad. Please fix. I do not want to miss a word of Rick’s commentary.

Glad to read your trip to Portugal, another place we are considering for 2015, like to read all there is for a two week trip.

Jealousy! Lisbon is one of my favorite cities. I hope the Bom Jardin (the best chicken) isn’t the eating place that’s closed.

Which favorite restaurant went out of business? I’m going to Lisbon this weekend, with my Rick Steves’ Guidebook in hand!

Comments are closed.

clock This article was published more than  3 years ago

Rick Steves’s rules for Lisbon: Stay up late and immerse yourself in the fado scene

An excerpt from the guide book author’s latest, “for the love of europe".

Rick Steves is an guide book author, travel guide and activist. His latest book, “ For the Love of Europe: My Favorite Places, People, and Stories ,” is a collection of 100 essays from his travels throughout the continent. In an excerpt on a trip to Lisbon , Steves reminds us of the joys of discovering local favorites (whenever we can travel again).

It’s after dark in Lisbon’s ramshackle Alfama neighborhood. Old-timers gather in restaurants, which serve little more than grilled sardines, to hear and sing Portugal’s mournful fado: traditional ballads of lament.

I grab the last chair in a tiny place, next to two bearded men hunched over their mandolins, lost in their music. A bald singer croons, looking like an old turtle without a shell. There’s not a complete set of teeth in the house. A spry grandma does a little jive, balancing a wine bottle on her head. The kitchen staff peers from a steaming hole in the wall, backlit by their flaming grill. The waiter sets a plate of fish and a pitcher of cheap cask wine on my table and — like a Portuguese Ed Sullivan — proudly introduces the next singer, a woman who’s been singing here for more than 50 years.

The future of travel, according to guidebook writer Rick Steves

She’s the star: blood-red lipstick, big hair, a mourning shawl over her black dress. Towering above me, flanked by those mandolins, she’s a fusion of moods — old and young, both sad and sexy.

The man next to me whispers in my ear a rough English translation of the words she sings. It’s a quintessential fado theme of lost sailors and sad widows: “O waves of the salty sea, where do you get your salt? From the tears shed by the women in black on the sad shores of Portugal.” Suddenly it’s surround-sound as the diners burst into song, joining the chorus.

Fado is the folk music of Lisbon’s rustic neighborhoods: so accessible to anyone willing to be out late and stroll the back streets. Since the mid-1800s, it’s been the Lisbon blues — mournfully beautiful and haunting ballads about long-gone sailors, broken hearts, and bittersweet romance. Fado means “fate” — how fate deals with Portugal’s adventurers . . . and the families they leave behind. The lyrics reflect the pining for a loved one across the water, hopes for a future reunion, remembrances of a rosy past, or dreams of a better future. It’s the yearning for what might have been if fate had not intervened. While generally sad, fado can be jaunty . . . in a nostalgic way.

A local's guide to Lisbon

The songs are often in a minor key. The singer (fadista) is accompanied by stringed instruments, including a 12-string guitarra portuguesa with a round body like a mandolin (or, as the man whispering in my ear said, “like a woman”). Fado singers typically crescendo into the first word of the verse, like a moan emerging from deep inside. Though the songs are often sorrowful, the singers rarely overact — they plant themselves firmly and sing stoically in the face of fate.

You must stay up past your bedtime and make the fado scene while you’re in Lisbon. While fado has become one of Lisbon’s favorite late-night tourist traps, you can still find funky bars — without the high prices and big-bus tour groups — that feel very local. Two districts, the Alfama and the Bairro Alto, have small, informal fado restaurants for late dinners or even later evenings of drinks and music. Handwritten “fado tonight” (fado esta noite) signs in Portuguese are good news, but even a restaurant filled with tourists can serve up fine fado with its sardines.

After thanking the man who’d translated the songs for me, I leave the bar late that night feeling oddly uplifted. An evening seasoned with the tears of black-clad widows reminds me that life, even salty with sadness, is worth embracing.

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Rick Steves: Evolving Lisbon a blend of now and then

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Portugal Lisbon’s hilly Alfama district is a jumble of whitewashed houses overlooking the yawning mouth of the Tejo River. CAMERON HEWITT

Portugal’s capital city of Lisbon feels to me like Europe’s San Francisco — it has rattling trolleys, a famous suspension bridge, a heritage dominated by a horrific earthquake, and lots of fog. And like San Francisco, it’s a charming mix of now and then.

Lisbon’s glory days were in the 15th and 16th centuries, when Vasco da Gama and other explorers opened new trade routes to India and Asia, making Lisbon the queen of Europe. Later, the riches of colonial Brazil boosted Lisbon even higher — until an earthquake in 1755 levelled the city, leaving a smouldering pile of rubble. Rua Augusta, the triumphal gateway arch to the city, signals the city’s rebirth, and affords a grand view down the main drag. Climbing to the top of the arch, you can see that the centre of town was rebuilt in a strict grid plan with broad boulevards and inviting squares.

Downtown Lisbon fills a valley flanked by two hills along the banks of the Rio Tejo. Three characteristic neighbourhoods line the downtown harbourfront: the modern-feeling Baixa (lower town), the Alfama’s jumble of medieval streets on the hill to the east; and the Bairro Alto (high town), on the hill to the west, whose old lanes brim with restaurants, bars, and nightclubs.

The city’s trolleys provide a fun do-it-yourself orientation tour. Many of the cars are vintage models from the 1920s. Shaking and shivering through the old parts of town, they somehow safely weave within inches of parked cars, climb steep hills, and offer breezy views of the city (rubberneck out the window and you will die). They’re perfect for a Rice-A-Roni-style joyride.

The essential Lisbon, however, is easily covered and best enjoyed on foot. The Alfama’s tangled street plan, a cobbled playground of Old World colour, is one of the few bits of Lisbon to survive the earthquake. Its main square, Largo de São Miquel, is the best place to observe this atmospheric quarter.

Bent Alfama houses comfort each other in their romantic shabbiness, and the air drips with laundry and the smell of clams. Favourite saints decorate doors to protect families (St. Peter, protector of fishermen, is big here). If you see carpets hanging out to dry, it means a laundry is nearby. Because few homes have their own, every neighbourhood has a public laundry and bathroom. Until recently, in the early morning hours, the streets were busy with residents in pyjamas, heading for public baths.

Today, young people are choosing to live elsewhere, lured by modern conveniences unavailable here. In just a couple of generations, the inhabitants have changed — from fishermen’s families to immigrants to young bohemians.

Despite the change in demographics, the city’s back streets still host halls for Lisbon’s traditional folk music, fado — melancholy ballads of longing and loss, often sung by widows and other victims of fate. I like fado vadio, a kind of open-mic fado evening where amateurs line up at the door of neighbourhood dives for their chance to warble.

On my must-do list in Lisbon is stopping at a bar to have pastel de bacalhau, a fried potato-and-cod croquette. Bacalhau (salted cod) is Portugal’s national dish. Imported from Norway, it’s never fresh, and Portuguese kids think it’s a triangular fish because of the way it’s sold. I think that Portugal must have the only national dish that’s imported from far away — strange, and yet befitting a nation whose centuries-old economic foundation was the result of great explorers.

Another Lisbon tradition is ginjinha, its cherry brandy, sold by the shot. After a drink or two, I find myself doing laps up and down the pedestrian streets in a people-watching stupor. The sidewalks here are set in a mosaic of limestone and basalt. They’re an icon of the city, but the cobbles are slippery and expensive to maintain. With the tough economy, the city government is talking about replacing them with modern pavement. Lisboners are saying “no way.”

One welcome evolution is the kiosk café (quiosque in Portuguese), a standard feature of squares and viewpoints all over town. These old renovated newsstands are now mini-restaurants surrounded by tables and chairs, creating neighbourhood hangouts and places for al fresco dining.

Though ever-changing, Lisbon’s heritage survives. With a rich culture, stunning vistas, friendly people, and a salty setting on the edge of Europe, Portugal remains a rewarding destination for travellers.

This article is used with the permission of Rick Steves’ Europe . Rick Steves writes European guidebooks, hosts travel shows on public TV and radio, and organizes European tours.

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Travel | rick steves’ europe: lisbon inspires travel (and travel writers).

lisbon travel guide rick steves

If San Francisco had a sister, it would be Lisbon. Both cities have awe-inspiring suspension bridges and famously foggy weather. Both are situated on the best natural harbors on the west coast of their respective continents. Both have trolleys rattling up and down their steep hills past characteristic buildings. And both have survived horrific earthquakes.

In 1755, an estimated 9.0 earthquake leveled two-thirds of Lisbon. Within a month, a new city was designed, and downtown Lisbon was rebuilt on a progressive grid plan, with broad boulevards and square squares. Today, Lisbon is a ramshackle but charming mix of now and then. Bird-stained statues mark grand squares, taxis screech around cobbled corners, and well-worn people hang out in Art Nouveau cafés. And just like it did during the days of Magellan and Vasco da Gama, the city continues to welcome ships to its large port. Even today, Lisbon still feels like Europe’s gateway to the world.

Tumbling down from the castle to the river, the Alfama is Lisbon’s salty sailors’ quarter. Its tangled street plan is one of the few aspects of Lisbon to survive the big quake, making the Alfama a cobbled playground of Old World color. Urban-jungle roads are squeezed into a maze of confusing alleys, designed to frustrate invaders trying to get up to the castle. What was defensive then is atmospheric now. Bent houses comfort each other in their romantic shabbiness. The air drips with laundry and the smell of clams and raw fish.

When I came here in the ’70s, the Alfama was one of the places that charmed me into becoming a travel writer. On my last trip here – 40-something years later – I noticed that much of the neighborhood’s grittiness has been cleaned up. Old fishermen’s families have been replaced by immigrant laborers. Once-characteristic fish stalls have moved off the streets and into “more hygienic” covered shops. Widows no longer wear black after their husbands die. But despite modernization, the Alfama remains one of the most photogenic neighborhoods in all of Europe.

About five miles from downtown, Belém is a stately pincushion of important sights reminding visitors of the days when Portugal was Europe’s richest power. Following the quake, Portugal’s rattled royalty chose to live out here, in wooden rather than stone buildings. The royal stables and a large, newer hall nearby house the National Coach Museum, displaying 70 dazzling carriages chronologically and tracing their technological improvements. The oldest coach dates back to 1600 and was used by King Philip II to shuttle between Madrid and Lisbon. You’ll have to trust me on this, but if you lift up the seat cushion, you’ll find a potty hole – also handy for road sickness.

Nearby, the Monastery of Jerónimos houses Lisbon’s most impressive church. This is where seafarers such as Vasco da Gama prayed before embarking on their voyages. The church is one of my favorite examples of Manueline architecture, an ornate, uniquely Portuguese style featuring an airy interior, slender palm-tree-like columns, and motifs from the sea, including shells, artichokes (eaten for vitamin C to fight scurvy), and monsters representing the mystery of undiscovered lands.

Across the street, the gleaming Monument to the Discoveries celebrates Prince Henry the Navigator and offers great views of Lisbon and the Tejo River. Before leaving Belém, try a tasty pastel de Belém, a wonderful cream tart invented in this neighborhood.

The more modern-feeling Baixa is the rebuilt center of Lisbon. This flat shopping area features grid-patterned streets and utilitarian architecture (buildings are uniform, with the same number of floors and similar facades). The Baixa’s pedestrian streets, inviting cafés, bustling shops, and elegant old storefronts give the district a certain magnetism. I find myself doing laps up and down the pedestrians-only main boulevard in a people-watching stupor.

The neighborhood is also home to the oldest ginjinha joint in town. Served in shot glasses, this popular drink is made from the sour-cherry-like ginja berry, sugar, and grappa. (When locals are impressed by the taste of something, they say, “Sabe que nem ginjas” – “It tastes like ginja. “). A shot of ginjinha is especially nice if you ask for it gelada (poured from a chilled bottle).

Whenever I go to a bar in Lisbon, my go-to snack is pastel de bacalhau , a fried potato-and-cod croquette. Bacalhau (salted cod) is Portugal’s national dish. Imported from Norway, it’s never fresh, and local kids think it’s a triangular fish because of the way it’s sold. I think that Portugal must have the only national dish that’s imported from far away – strange, and yet befitting a culture whose centuries-old economic foundation was the result of great explorers.

(Rick Steves ( www.ricksteves.com ) writes European guidebooks, hosts travel shows on public TV and radio, and organizes European tours. This column revisits some of Rick’s favorite places over the past two decades. You can email Rick at [email protected] and follow his blog on Facebook.)

(c)2023 Rick Steves. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

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Private tour guide in Lisbon

In one of the RS episodes of Lisbon he suggested that a personal guide is worth while- what sites should I use to find a good guide? Anyone endorsed by RS?

I can recommend Cristina Duarte. She was our RS local guide in Lisbon. She was knowledgeable and engaging. Her contact information is: lisbonbeyond.pt Edited to add: https://click.email.ricksteves.com/?qs=1d40058b3cfa22179c68231f9e080818040b501f4a6c3a2733abb572b3f9c57027d54b32df78bcd594ef4227f3800cc93ef299c89b6ca2c6

We took a guided tour to Sintra with Lisbon Riders if that interests you. Our tour guide was Manuel. Excellent tour. lisbonriders.com

I highly recommend Heart and Soul Tours. Eduardo was an excellent guide.

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lisbon travel guide rick steves

Rick Steves Shares His Best Tip For Being Successful As A Travel Writer

T ravel guru Rick Steves is best known for his expertise in European travel — Steves has helped tourists build a perfect European itinerary and shared  the one item you should splurge on in order to enjoy the best trip to Europe . In addition to leading tours of the continent, Steves has written over 50 travel guidebooks. It certainly sounds like a dream job if there ever was one, so naturally many people are interested in how Steves has found so much success in the field of travel writing.

"I would say be a traveler first and a writer second. Choose an area you're going to be specializing in, and then just be passionate about trying to help people's travels there," Steves told the blog Green Global Travel . "I measure my profit, not in dollars earned, but in trips impacted. If you have that attitude, love your work and keep at it for a long time, you'll probably make a lot of money, too."

In 2015, Steves shared an excerpt from his memoir "Postcards From Europe" on his website . He recounts giving advice to a fan he met on a bus during a trip: "'You can't just want to be a travel writer,' I said. 'You have to be a traveler first. I traveled for six summers purely for kicks.'"

Read more: Anthony Bourdain's Perfect Advice For Spotting The Best Local Places To Eat

The One Rule Steves Has Always Followed

In the excerpt from his book in the aforementioned blog post, Steves says he has followed one strict rule since day one: "Never finish a day without writing it up," he wrote. "Accidentally, by finding scenes I could bottle and sell back home, taking careful notes, and teaching my love of travel, I became a writer."

Although Steves wrote every day during his global travels, he never took a travel writing class. Instead, he gave talks about travel to audiences, and he credits that experience for his ability to write bestselling guidebooks. "I talk and talk and talk to groups about travel and sharpen my message," he wrote in "Postcards from Europe." "Then I talk the same way to the page." To hone his writing, he relies on the book "On Writing Well," by William Zinsser, which he re-reads whenever he feels he needs to.

However, the destination itself is always top of mind for Steves. In another article on his website, he explains that when he's writing a guidebook, each day is dedicated to research. His best source for said research? Steves interviews the people running the restaurants and hotels that he will feature. "They think I'm friendly and gracious to take time to chat, and while I truly enjoy it, it's also the best way for me to learn what works and what doesn't, along with the pitfalls and frustrations experienced by people traveling with my guidebooks," he explained.

What's It Like Working For Rick Steves?

Having Rick Steves' job is the ultimate dream, but the next best thing just might be working as a member of his team. In a guest blog post on Steves' website, Cameron Hewitt recounts landing a job with Steves in 2000, after some post-grad wandering through Europe. 

Hewitt notes that, although he has a dream job, it's "much less glamorous" than people think. He describes it as hard work due to "long, tedious days, exhausting assignments, and unforgiving deadlines." And, like any other career, you have to pay your dues in order to even reach the level that would be considered a dream job.

"If you're an aspiring writer, 'paying your dues' means actually writing . It's great that you have an English degree. Now show the world what you can do with it. When young people ask me how to break into the travel writing field, my answer is simple: Travel," Hewitt wrote. "Then write about it — a lot . Start your own blog. Build a real portfolio. This helps you develop your skills. And it demonstrates not just that you want to be a travel writer, but that you are a travel writer."

For more on the travel guru, check out Rick Steves' top travel tips .

Read the original article on Explore .

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  1. Lisbon Travel Guide Resources & Trip Planning Info by Rick Steves

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  4. Travel Talk Video: Lisbon

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  5. Checking In with Lisbon

    Posted on April 18, 2014 January 5, 2018 by Rick Steves Checking In with Lisbon Lisbon feels to me like Europe's San Francisco with rattling trolleys, a famous suspension bridge, a heritage dominated by a horrific earthquake (1755), and lots of fog.

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  7. Lisbon, Portugal: Distinctive Architecture

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  11. Rick Steves: Evolving Lisbon a blend of now and then

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  14. Rick Steves' Europe: Lisbon inspires travel (and travel writers)

    (Rick Steves (www.ricksteves.com) writes European guidebooks, hosts travel shows on public TV and radio, and organizes European tours. This column revisits some of Rick's favorite places over ...

  15. Private tour guide in Lisbon

    She was our RS local guide in Lisbon. She was knowledgeable and engaging. Her contact information is: lisbonbeyond.pt. We took a guided tour to Sintra with Lisbon Riders if that interests you. Our tour guide was Manuel. Excellent tour. lisbonriders.com. I highly recommend Heart and Soul Tours.

  16. Meet Our Greece Guides

    As a Rick Steves tour guide, Apostolos makes full use of his background in international relations and his passions for art and traveling. While Apostolos has led tours all over Europe, he loves introducing travelers to his native Greece on our Athens & the Heart of Greece tour — where he's adept at fostering connections between tour members ...

  17. Rick Steves Shares His Best Tip For Being Successful As A Travel ...

    T ravel guru Rick Steves is best known for his expertise in European travel — Steves has helped tourists build a perfect European itinerary and shared the one item you should splurge on in order ...