If I had one word to describe Lisbon it would be charming. If I had two words it would be utterly charming, and if I had ten words it would be charming, picturesque, fishy, tiles, sunny, Sintra, friendly, sea, local and arty. There are so many more words to describe Portugal’s capital city that I’m sure anyone reading this that has visited would have an entirely different list, but one that is equally full of praise – unless, that is, you’re one of those strange people who don’t like fish.
I’ve come away from my visit to Lisbon believing it’s definitely one of the best cities in Europe, and one of the most underrated too. I’m not saying it’s an undiscovered jewel of Europe, of course it’s not, lots of people have been and continue to go but until last year I had barely read anything about the city or knew anyone who had been. So what got me wanting to go? Well the first thing that really planted the seed was a blog post I read by Julika from Sateless Suitcase called 5 Things You Should Really Do in Lisbon. She managed to capture Lisbon like a local; after all she did live there for five months:
- Do yourself a favor and discover the relaxed Portuguese in you! Maybe you can’t see every museum in town in three days, but that’s not the point: Take it slow. Find yourself a little pastelaria on a pretty street. Sit in the sun. Order a coffee. Watch the people. Enjoy life. You won’t manage everything in time anyways. So, why hurry?
I became curious about exploring a capital city described as having such a small-town feel, was it true that a capital city could be so relaxing? The answer is yes. Everything about Lisbon has the charm of a quaint coastal town, but with the sights and sounds of a big capital city. It’s no exaggeration when I say Lisbon has a museum on every corner, and as Julika pointed out, ‘you can’t see every museum in town in three days’. I tried, and failed.
It’s a Capital City that Doesn’t Feel Like a Capital City!
The Praca do Comercio(The Culture Map)
Everything about it feels local. Whether it’s the micro-restaurants and bars, which are little more than a hole in the wall, to the cobbled streets of Alfama, or from the dog-walking locals, to our Airbnb host who sent his mother to meet us with the keys because he had to leave town for a few days. His mother greeted us with a wide, friendly smile that ended with a warm laugh, and she proceeded to show me and my friend into the apartment where we would be staying for a few nights. Although we spoke different languages we managed to understand each other, and before she left she pointed to the table where a large, cylinder jug filled with Port wine standing next to two pastel de natas - it was the perfect welcome to Lisbon!
There’s something about this place that feels familiar, to have such a feeling of familiarity in a place you’ve never visited creates a strange paradox. I wondered why I felt like this, and then I realised, seeing the minutiae of daily life, where locals sit around watching football, catching up over coffee, gossiping, relaxing, and hanging out the washing – it felt homely.
Where was the chaos of a capital centre I asked myself? It was nowhere to be found. A city by the sea is always going to give a city a different vibe – sun, sea, and sand will forever make us long to sit down and relax, and that’s why Lisbon feels the way it does. Even in February the sun is shining and to feel the sun on my face after months of rain and cold in England made it feel extra wonderful. It was also the first bit of sun I had in 2014 and I won’t forget it anytime soon. It’s a capital city that doesn’t feel like a capital city. It makes you slow down. And when you slow down that’s when all the quirky details of the city start appearing from the buildings, whether it’s a little a piece of street art, or a huge wall mural, a broken tile, or a defaced sculpture that you would ordinarily have walked past if you were racing to see all the major sights.
Lisbon is one of those places where you can feel its heartbeat immediately, it’s not blocked by city dwellers in stiff suits, too busy to say hello or forge a smile to a stranger. Instead, the people go out of their way to tell you about the best bits of their city, they will help you locate a place which you’re having trouble finding on your map, and most importantly, they make you feel welcomed. Another point I should mention is Lisbon is big, much bigger than I thought it would be, use the buses, the trams, the Metro – even the underground is enjoyable to use, and a great chance to spot interesting tiles.
Lisbon is special, not just because of the incredible food, beautiful scenery, vast museums, sun-bleached monuments, narrow alleyways and friendly people; but how it makes you feel. It’s a place where you want to return, and when you do, I bet it’s just like returning home.
Copyright © 2014 by The Culture Map. This article was written by Shing Lin Yoong and originally published at The Culture Map
