A Happy
Solo in Lisbon
The first time this
Happy Solo (HaLo) visited Portugal for a pilgrimage was in 2019. I didn’t think
much of Lisbon then. To be fair, we didn’t see a lot as we were merely there
for half a day on our way to Fatima. We only walked through the Alfama area to
the Church of St. Anthony. That church visit was a delight for me because St.
Anthony is a favorite, my oft-called saint as I misplace quite a number of
things. But Lisbon as a destination did not excite me much.
Fast forward to 2024, I
was blessed to join another pilgrimage. Again, the first stop was Lisbon. But
this time we had more time to spend there. And unlike my first trip, I had
another goal aside from enriching my spirit. This time I wanted to develop
skills for photography. During the pandemic, I also began to practice my
painting skills. I was on the lookout for beautiful things to capture on camera
and on paper. So, I paid more attention to the visuals.
This opened my eyes to
the artistry that abounds in Lisbon and, as I will later find out, in the other
places we visited in Portugal.
On my last trip, I just
whizzed through the airport. This time, I kicked-off my trip with a shot of the
Aeroporto Humberto Delgado’s Terminal 1 and the striking entrance of the Lisbon
Metro. We had a tour bus, but for those who need transport to the city, this
juicy red plump structure is where you enter to get on the subway that will
take you to downtown Lisbon in just 20 minutes or to other parts of the city.
The first thing that
caught my eye as our bus pulled up to our hotel, the VIP Executive Art’s, was
the graffiti mural on the wall outside.
The next morning, I
just had to have photos of that colorful mural in my gallery. It also gave me
the chance to try out my new Ulanzi MT-44 Extendable Vlog Tripod for some Happy
Solo shots. The graffiti wall was visually exciting. I felt like I stepped into
a giant comic book.
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| Comic Mural |
It was while we were on
the road to Cascais that I realized our hotel’s graffiti mural was not unique
in Lisbon. Our tour guide pointed out eye-catching street art on the highway
overpasses. There were also buildings that had paintings on the sides. They
were not your ordinary graffiti that defaces ancient structures but works of
art.
Later, I learned that
graffiti as an art blossomed in Lisbon in the 1970’s as some form of social and
political expression. Lisbon is now touted as a canvas for some of the best
street art in Europe. Sadly, my skills in photography are not yet at the level
where I can take decent photos from the glass window of a speeding bus. Those
images of Lisbon’s street art will have to stay in the gallery of my mind.
Praying the Lord will bless me with another chance to visit and shoot these
artistic treasures.
Our tour guide also
showed us in passing (still on the speeding bus) another art form that Lisbon is
famous for – the azulejo. Azulejos are painted tin-glazed ceramic
tiles that adorn the exterior and interior of many buildings like palaces,
churches, residences and even railway and subway stations. I will feature this
more in my future posts as I was able to take photos of the azulejos in
Sintra and Óbidos.
Another of Portugal’s
artistry was shown in an unexpected form, its cobblestones. Most streets in the
country are covered with them. They’re quaint but nasty on my aching feet.
But they redeem
themselves in my book artfully. The Lisboans laid them out like intricate
carpets in many places in the city.
Aside from the colorful
jeepneys in my country, the Philippines, I would not really consider modes of
transport as artistic. But in Lisbon I found two that were so charming they artfully
piqued my interest.
The old-fashioned trams,
and the vintage
car-style Tuktuks.
An added wow factor was
our driver, a very pretty chic young lady who could pass for a movie star.
Lisbon was a feast for
the artistic senses. Let me just add another of my senses that was satisfied:
my taste buds. Before the trip, I read up on all our destinations. A
recommended must-try in Lisbon was the Pastel de Nata, an egg custard tart with
flaky crust. I wanted to try the ones from the renowned Pastéis de Belém, but
their area was stricken off our itinerary. Luckily our hotel had an abundance
of this delicious treat for breakfast. It did not disappoint!
A Happy
Solo in Cascais
From the vibrant
capital that is Lisbon, we motored to Cascais. In under an hour, we reached this
fashionable seaside resort on the Portuguese Riviera. Cascais has been a
favorite summer retreat of the Portuguese royal family since the 19th
century. Other members of nobility including monarchs of Britain, Spain and
Italy and even presidents also set up vacation homes there. The drive to the
marina was lined with elegant mansions that elicited not just oohs and aahs
from us but also dreams to have our very own posh Cascais villa. We believe in
miracles!
We didn’t spend much
time there as we still had to go to Sintra. But we did enjoy the sights and basking
in the luxury of one of the wealthiest municipalities in both Portugal and the
Iberian Peninsula.
The Paula Rego Museum
with its contemporary design and distinctive brick red color
Cascais Marina, the
largest on the Portuguese Riviera and the third in the country
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| Statue of King Carlos I at the Cascais Marina |
Cidadela de Cascais
(Citadel of Cascais), 15th to 17th century battlements used
to protect Cascais, River Tagus and Lisbon from marauders
Statue of St. Pope John
Paul II outside Igreja Paroquial de Nossa
Senhora da Assunção
(Cascais’ parish church) at Largo da Assunção
There was already so
much to savor and our first day had just begun. Join me in my next posts and
let’s enjoy the artistry of Portugal together.
Let me just mention
that WeFly MNL prepped us so well and organized the tour/pilgrimage with great
care that everything was a breeze right from the minute we stepped into the
Manila airport.
