Lisbon is a coastal city whose charms have gone mostly undiscovered in the realm of tourist travel. It is inexpensive, beautiful, and one of the safest places you can travel. I was riding around on their efficient, clean subway solo at ten o’clock in the evening and never had any cause for concern (do always be mindful of your surroundings though).
Lisbon is really, really old!
Lisbon has a long and interesting history, being heralded as the second oldest European city after Athens, Greece. Athens is considered the oldest capital city since 5000 BC. It is believed Lisbon was founded in 1200 BC. (Note I said “capital city,” not just “city”). This means Lisbon predates other modern European capitals by centuries. Lisbon is considered one of the major contributors to the Age of Discovery with a long, sometimes messy history filled with colonization, and other “less than savory” issues like their participation in the slave trade. However, exploration also brings new ideas, and for Portugal, it also brought gold and spices. Ferdinand Magellan was a Portuguese navigator who led the first fleet of vessels to successfully circumnavigate the globe in the early 16th century.
Originally, no one is quite certain who the original inhabitants of Lisbon were, the city is thought to have first been a trading post. Due to Lisbon’s location, the city has remained an essential port to this day, including playing a large role in the Age of Discovery. After the great explorer Vasco da Gama led a Portuguese fleet to India in 1498, the Venetian monopoly on Oriental trade was broken, and colonies of German, Flemish, Dutch, English, and French traders established themselves in Lisbon.
Portugal and Slave Trade History
Unfortunately, Lisbon, or to be more specific, Portugal as a whole, also played a large part in the African slave trade too. Portugal established colonies on previously uninhabited Atlantic African islands that would later serve as collection points for captives and commodities to be shipped to Iberia, and eventually to the Americas.
As part of the entertainment at a company dinner, there was a musical number where they sang about Lisbon’s history. They said something about exploring distant lands and sharing their culture after they performed a shortened version of a dance from “Coming to America…” I kid you not. I almost choked trying to not laugh at the irony.
While the evening’s entertainment may have been a bit tone-deaf, Portugal as a nation is not. As part of an effort to acknowledge the part the nation played in slave trading, then the later ignoring of the issue, efforts are being made to acknowledge this part of history. In Lisbon, a monument honoring the victims of slavery. Angolan artist Kiluanji Kia Henda designed the monument as part of civil society of Portuguese citizens with African roots. The monument is stylized 540 black lacquered sugar cane made to represent both a sterile past but also a prosperous future.
Tile and More Tile! Did I Mention the Tile?
I did loads of reading about Lisbon and the surrounding areas before we left. The one thing I kept finding is Lisbon is built on seven hills and everything is covered in tile. Both of these things were true! Portuguese tile is gorgeous and it is EVERYWHERE. The buildings are tiled, and the streets and sidewalks are tiled.
If you look at my Travel Essential for Lisbon, (see below) the Doc Marten sandals aren’t there just because Docs are cool but because they were essential. The thick, grippy sole saved me from twisting an ankle I don’t know how many times. I don’t think I have to tell you what happens when tile gets wet… ya, that happened a few times. One afternoon, my friend Katie and I spent the entire afternoon walking and finding street art. At one point I’m pretty sure we went down a 90-degree hill. I know I’m exaggerating but it sure didn’t feel like an exaggeration at the time! That sucker was STEEP!!
It was completely worth it though because of the amazing street art. We had set out to find a few in particular ones, looked up a hill, and BAM, there was another piece just above us! Within a few blocks, we found three major pieces we were looking for and were only minutes away from the amazing street market we also wanted.
Fairey also painted the Obama “Hope” image
Lisbon Food Scene: Iconic to Modern and Always Delicious
From Lisbon’s iconic pasteis de nata and bacalhau, the food scene in Lisbon is beautiful and luscious as the city’s architecture. Pasteis de nata, Portuguese for “cream tart,” pasteis being the plural form of pastry. You may see pastel de nata which refers to a singular tart, but you’ll never want just one of these decadent, creamy, flakey beauties. Since they’re all over in little corner bakeries, you don’t have to worry about having just one!
Pasteis de nata or pasteis de Belem: what’s the difference?
When visiting Lisbon, you may see pastesis de nata or pasteis de Belem used interchangeably because both phrases refer to egg tarts. The difference is only a pastel from the Pasteis de Belém bakery can officially be called by that name. Belem now is connected to Lisbon but was originally considered distant from Lisbon and was a small port for steamboats.
Pasteis de Belem custard tarts originate from the Mosteiro dos Jerónimos in Belem was next door to a sugar cane refinery attached to a small general store. The story is told that the nuns used egg whites to starch their wimples and did not want to waste the yolks so they gave them to the neighboring store. The egg tart in all its custardy, flakey crusted, caramelized-topped splendor was born! The original recipe has been carefully guarded and passed down by master confectioners since 1837 after all convents and monasteries in Portugal were shut down in 1834 and the clergy and laborers expelled.
My Favorite Travel Essentials- Lisbon Edition
