My trip from airport to hotel was helmed by a very friendly Lisbon native, who took great pride in pointing out attractions and noteworthy locations. I couldn’t help up notice how much Lisbon reminded me of another popular destination. From the hilly streets and trams to the 25 de Abril suspension bridge, the first impression similarities between Lisbon and San Francisco are quite intriguing.
The hotel I was staying at was very close to the Marques de Pombal metro station, along the Avenida da Liberdade. Sprawling works of mosaic tile art make up the sidewalks along the avenue. The arrangements of white and black tiles create lovely, eye catching patterns. Continuing down towards the Rossi Square area, the tile work covers the entire square and mimics the rippling of ocean waves. While lovely, the tiles seem to cause some grief for the locals. And on my walk to dinner one night, I quickly discovered why. They are SLIPPERY when wet! One minute, I was walking along, and the next moment, I was unexpectedly gliding forward. I made it to my destination without any meet-and-greets with the sidewalk, but I was very anxious about where I stepped after that..
Continuing to the downtown area of Lisbon, I reached the Praca do Comercio (Commerical Square), looking out to the Tagus River. The square was originally the site of the Ribeira Palace, which was destroyed in the 1755 earthquake. Owing to its proximity to the river, the square was once a major thoroughfare for the shipment of goods. With a statue of King Jose I in the center of the square, the area is surrounded on three sides by golden-yellow colored buildings. Directly behind the statue is the Arco da Rua Augusta. The Arc represents the rebirth of Lisbon after the destruction of the city in 1755 by earthquake, fire, and tsunami. On the top of the arch are the depictions of Glory, Valor, and Ingenuity; Glory, in the center, is holding out crowns to Valor and Ingenuity.
If you wander around the downtown area, you’ll notice the buildings are pretty uniform. The 1755 earthquake, followed by several fires and a tsunami, destroyed a great deal of the city. With the city in ruins, there was an immediate need to rebuild quickly and cost effectively. Marques de Pombal was charged with redesigning the city of Lisbon. Prefabrication of buildings became very popular during the reconstruction. Consequently, the architectural features of the buildings in downtown Lisbon are nearly identical. Additionally, the pre-earthquake avenues were a winding and narrow collection of roads. In the reconstruction, they were replaced with the wide avenues you can see today.
My first night in Lisbon, I tried the bacalhau, which is salted cod fish. Bacalhau, dried and salted, is a popular staple in Portuguese dishes. As it was explained to me, the dried fish is rehydrated in order to be prepped and cooked. I love seafood and I was really looking forward to trying my very first bacalhau dish. Unfortunately, it did not go over as well as I had hoped. I ordered the bacalhau at my hotel restaurant, which I later realized was a mistake. The restaurant’s primary function was for convenience, not necessarily for taste and experience. So, I should not have been surprised when my fish came out rather tough and dry around the edges. The second night, I had more success with a seafood restaurant a few blocks away from my hotel. I ordered the Prawns a Bras, which was a delicious, generous sized portion. I just didn’t have the nerve to sample any more bacalhau.
If cod fish is not to your liking, there is plenty of Port wine to sample. Portugal is home to the sweet wine, Port, offering up a collection of styles (white, rose, tawny, ruby) and age ranges. Some restaurants in Lisbon even offer a complimentary after-dinner Port. I sampled my first white Port, but the tawny was definitely my favorite. If you are fairly new to wine (or an expert), there are plenty of wine bars in Lisbon prepared to answer all your Port questions, and offer a healthy pour!
On a side note: If you find yourself driving around the Alcantara valley, keep an eye out for the aqueduct arches! Constructed in the mid 1700s, the Aqueduct survived the 1755 earthquake and continued to supply the city of Lisbon with water until 1967. The Aqueduct holds the world record for the highest stone arch, measuring at 65.29 m high and 28.86 m wide (or 214 feet high and 94.6 feet wide)!