VisitingPortugal.com - Historic Vacation Rentals

Local Restaurant Map & Current Events

An interactive Googlemap of our favorite local Lisbon restaurants and cafés.  Enjoy! 

VisitingPortugal Lisbon Restaurant Recommendations

tinyurl.com/2uenh9

ALSO, a handy online agenda for "What's Happening" in Lisbon

Frommer's Lisbon Events

Changing of Guard & Lusitano Horses

On the third Sunday of each month at 11h00, tourists congregate to watch the ceremonial Changing of the Republican Guard in front of the Presidential Palace in Belem just outside Lisbon city centre.

With cameras at the ready, tourists can also gather to watch the Charanga:  28 horsemen from the Cavalry Regiment riding pure-bred Lusitano horses as they perform ceremonial military marches. The ritual dates back to 1910 and the end of the Portuguese monarchy.

The event begins at 11h00. Free.

Info courtesy of worldeventsguide.com

Taxis -- Busted!

The March issue of DecoProteste, Portugal's consumer advocate magazine, published a five page review of taxis. Their "foreigner" focused on an airport-to-downtown-Lisbon trip which should have cost €8.35, including luggage supplement:

"Of ten trips by a foreigner between the airport and Lisbon, only two went perfectly in all regards.  On four trips, the final fare requested was higher than indicated on the meter.  In one of these trips, the meter read €13,85, with the trip supplement already included, and the driver requested €15.  On another, the client never saw the meter.  It could be covered by the glove compartment lid and, as soon as the passenger entered, the driver opened the compartment.  During the entire trip, the meter was hidden.  As if that weren't enough, at the end, the driver requested €17..."

We find most Lisbon taxi drivers to be honest and pleasant (see our "Heralding Kindness" post), but the airport does unfortunately attract those who are all too happy to fleece a tourist.  That's why we send very detailed instructions to all our guests on how to outwit the occasional bad egg!

Also from the article, a nice summary of useful Taxi Tips:

* Lisbon pick-up fee = €2.00

* Luggage fee = €1.60 for putting any/all luggage in the boot; this is NOT a per bag fee
(If your bag is smaller than 55x35x20cm, there is no luggage charge and you may keep it with you in the taxi.  Bags larger than this must go in the boot, which triggers the luggage fee.)

* Call charge (for ordering a taxi pickup) = 0.80
(Taxis scheduled via phone can arrive 15 minutes early and wait with the meter running)

* TAXI STANDS:  The standardized beige and black/green taxis have the same tarifs.  But be careful of the other taxis (of various colors) displaying a blue sign with the letter "A" or "Taxi": these have higher tarifs than the standard beige and black/green taxis. 

* CHANGE:  Drivers are only required to carry €10 in change.  Given Lisbon's cheap fares, you might be stuck paying a very large tip if all you have is a €20 note in your pocket.

Information summarized from Proteste Magazine, March 2009

Get in the Mood

Immerse yourself in the best of Portuguese fado, old and new, while you surf the net:

http://www.last.fm/listen/user/visitingportuga/personal

(You have to register first.  Signup is free.)

We've chosen 15-20 instrumentalists, singers and groups... and lastfm will cycle through them at random for you.  Good for your Portuguese and inspirational for your trip planning.  See you there.

36 hours in Lisbon -- New York Times

36 Hours in Lisbon

Fabulous article about what to do and where to eat. 

For more, be sure to visit our page devoted to Lisbon travel articles:  Lisbon in the News

Gadling likes our Blog!

With kind thanks to our recent guest, Grant Martin from Gadling:

The Blog as a Vacation Rental Tool 

(Please give our very fondest regards to your mother.)

The Well-Mannered Traveler (MSNBC) & VisitingPortugal.com

Unbeknownst to us, our recent guests were not only delightful, but also officially well-mannered.  Read about their VisitingPortugal experience here:

How to behave in that home away from home (MSNBC's Well-Mannered Traveler, 6Nov2008)

Learning Portuguese

Lisboetas take pride in being gracious and encouraging to non-Portuguese speakers... and, true, an English-speaker is rarely far away.  Nonetheless, this is a GREAT website for learning some basic phrases!

Quick & Easy Portuguese

An evening with Portugal's first family of Fado

Our neighbor, Diogo, grew up listening to his great-aunt, Amália Rodrigues, and her sister Celeste, his grandmother, sing fado, the soul music of Portugal.

When Amália, a national icon, died in 1999, the Portuguese government declared three (3!) days of national mourning. Celeste, now 85, still sings, and Diogo manages her schedule, travelling with her around the world and to some of Lisbon's most intimate fado houses. 

Now you can join them and their "extended family" of fadistas, some legendary, others contemporary, for an evening of saudade, the rich savoring of things past.

For more information on this unique opportunity, visit LisbonFado.com

(Discount available to guests of VisitingPortugal.com)

ETA Congratulations to Diogo, who earned a recommendation from the Portuguese National Tourism Office in New York. http://www.insideportugaltravel.com/?p=1330

Lisbon Conference Centers

Many of our guests head to the conference centers in Lisbon, either as presenters or attendees.  If you have questions about an upcoming conference in Lisbon, please visit our Lisbon Conference Center page for more information.

Online Path Finder -- Find your way around Lisbon

Use this handy page to plan your walks, tram rides, etc:

http://transporlis.sapo.pt/calc_percursos.cfm?l=uk

10 Things to do with Kids in Lisbon

We have lots of extra information ready for our young guests... but here's a very nice headstart on your planning:

http://ruk.ca/article/4125

And here's our extensive list of (free!) child-friendly amenities, some of which are only available with advance notice... so don't miss out!

Travelling with Children - and loving it!

When my wife and I brought our 17-year-old daughter and 4-year-old son to travel through Portugal for 80 days during the summer of 2000 the single most important piece of equipment I packed was my “pocket energy-management tool,” a.k.a. a deflated beach ball, neatly folded to slip easily inside backpack or back pocket.

Armed with my PEMT, whenever our son began to fidget, I was ready for him. We’d pull over or disembark, find the nearest open space—because the PEMT doesn’t travel far even very small open spaces will suffice—and inflate. Fifteen minutes of PEMT therapy—including running, kicking, scoring and jubilant fan noises*—was almost always enough for him to blow off enough steam so he could sit still through another museum or tour.

Our favorite PEMT open space was the fountain park at Martim Moniz in the center of Lisbon where the water jets fly up out of the pavement, creating a world-class beachball obstacle course.  Ironically, the PEMT is no good at the beach, where it just blows away, but that's OK, the beach is an energy-management tool.

Combined with frequent visits to Portugal’s ubiquitous ice-cream vendors, the PEMT is a winner if you’ve got little ones on the go!

(Every Visiting Portugal property is equipped with a PEMT for you to use in and around Lisbon.)

* These afforded me valuable opportunities to practice my pronunciation of handy Portuguese words like, "Incrível!" "Espectacular!" and "Inacreditável!"

The Art of Being Portuguese?

Two of our 2004 guests were Margaret Atwood and her charming husband, Graeme, who came to "walk in Pessoa's footsteps."  I had always considered Pessoa a literary kook until then, but I've since come to think of him fondly.  This New York Times article has some amusing insights into Pessoa and the Portuguese psyche including: 

“But he had a way of being that is distinctly Portuguese.” He paused to find the right words. “It has to do with everything and nothing — that we Portuguese can have everything, but still feel we have nothing.”

Portugal, he explained, had discovered half the world by the 16th century but still felt itself a failure for having not discovered the rest. The national mind-set, Mr. Lourenço said, is “a combination of megalomania and humility.”

... Mr. Lourenço gathered his thoughts one more time. “He is the most tragic of the Portuguese poets,” he said. “The pleasure of unhappiness is particularly Portuguese.”

Full article:  Portugal Holds on to Words Few can Grasp (NYTimes)
15 July 2008

Annual Street Party!

Here's a 2 minute video clip of the annual "Midnight Sardine and Fado Festival" on our tiny little street.

Friends, Fado & Sardines:  the essence of Lisboa

Lisbon Tours: informal & informative

A Walk on the Art Side for discovering the unique artistic and cultural heritage of Lisbon.

InsideLisbon for a fun introduction to Lisbon.

48 Hours in Lisbon

Some fun ideas from the UK's "The Independent" Online Edition :  http://travel.independent.co.uk/europe/article2342742.ece

(Don't miss our full selection of favorite Lisbon articles at
Lisbon in the News: Travel Articles & Itineraries )

Lisbon: Europe's Safest City (again)

While greater coverage of crime in the mainstream Portuguese media appears to have generated a growing sense of insecurity among the locals, a study conducted by a consortium -- including Gallup, EU and the UN's UNICRI agencies -- has found that Lisbon is the safest [large] city in the European Union.

As opposed to accessing police crime registries, researchers interviewed thousands of inhabitants (between 1,200 and 5,000) in 18 countries to assess their own personal experiences with crime.

The "European Crime and Safety Survey" said the Portuguese capital was the safest, with only one in ten saying they had ever been affected by crime.

At the opposite end of the scale, the report, published earlier this week, unveils London as the most dangerous capital in which to live.  London topped the crime league table, with 30 percent of the British capital’s residents saying they had been the victim of theft or burglaries.

Besides London, other crime hotspots identified by researchers were the Irish Republic, Estonia, Netherlands and Denmark, where “insecurity” rates were all at least 30 percent above the European average.

Source:  www.the-news.net

We passed!

Yes, we did!  We passed the much anticipated, on-site, white glove examination performed by an Alastair Sawday Inspector last fall.  Our two-page description (pages 90,91) in the recently released 2007 PORTUGAL Special Places to Stay* begins "A brilliant opportunity to live as a Lisboeta in a real Portuguese neighbourhood.  You are free of tourists..." and includes other kind comments such as my favorite:  "Bed linens and towels are immaculate."  :) 

 We are honored to have been accepted into the worldwide "Special Places" family and wish to thank all our guests, once again, for staying with us... and for recommending us to their friends and family.  Muito obrigado!

*Alastair Sawday's "Special Places to Stay" From their "Who are We" introduction:  The notion of 'special' is at the heart of what we do, and highly subjective... We take huge pleasure from finding people and places that do their own thing -- brilliantly; places that are unusual and follow no trends; places of peace and beauty; people who are kind and interesting - and genuine. 

Two New Gift Shops

They couldn't be more different, but both are worth a quick look as you pass by:

1.  Loja Aldeias do Xisto - Located on the right as you follow the main road up past the Sé, just before you get to the Santa Luzia lookout.  This store is dedicated to bringing authentic articles in from the interior of Portugal as a way to promote and preserve that dwindling lifestyle.  A small shop with unique, lovely items.

2.  TheWrongShop - Located in the Chiado (map on website, www.thewrongshop.com).  This brand-new store sells a bizarre range of gifts, from Tshirts of the Eiffel Tower that say "This is not Lisbon" to funky buttons.

Heralding Kindness

It’s a long way to Lisbon from Southern California so it’s no wonder Jerry (not his real name) was out of sorts when he and his family arrived for ten days at Casa Joaquina.  In his weakened state, Jerry  didn’t know what to make of the Portuguese man gesticulating and remonstrating from the doorway until he recognized his computer in the man’s hand and the man himself as the taxi driver who had dropped them off twenty minutes earlier. Jerry had left the computer in the back seat. The driver hadn’t noticed either until he picked up two young men who very quickly—inexplicably—asked him to stop and hopped out carrying a laptop they hadn’t had when they’d entered. “Wait a minute, that’s not yours!” the driver said, and wrested it away. Then he’d made his way back to Casa Joaquina—an heroic effort in its own right, given the labyrinth of one-way streets and unavailability of parking—in order to bestow upon Jerry the computer he had yet to miss. “Nem toda a gente é má,” (Not everyone is bad) the driver said in explanation of his benevolence. Not every Portuguese taxi driver is so gallant either, to be sure, as a number of our overcharged guests will attest, so it pays to make sure the meter is running, but kindnesses like these should not go unheralded.
Foto: PrincesaVirtual

Follow the Music

The unmistakable sounds of Portuguese folk music drew us out of the house this afternoon, exploring until we found a dance troupe and band that had come down from Coimbra to celebrate "European Neighbor Day." Here's a couple dressed in traditional Portuguese wedding gear, wherein even the bride wore black. (Click on the photo to view the backup singers/knitters.)

To know and enjoy Lisbon, put on comfy shoes and hit the streets.  You never know what you'll find!

Birthday Confessions

Today is my birthday so I splurged:  First, my son and I found ourselves unexpectedly on an errand up north of our historic district.  At noon, we walked past a small neighborhood pastelaria (literally "pastry shop" but often serving much more) and knew it was time for lunch:  the pastelaria had the perfect mix of happy-looking customers of all age ranges.  The incredible picanhas -- thin planks of Brazilian beef with rice and black beans -- had my son snitching from my plate.  Total for two persons, with huge 20% tip, but no dessert:  €8

This evening, for the big Bday treat, we finally made it to the well-known and much-touted local restaurant called Pap'Açorda.  The arroz de marisco was good.  Total for two persons, including dessert:  €65

Now, if I could only remember what street that pastelaria was on...

I Heart Lisbon

Take a quick look at this fun blog entry by a recent guest... and, for an intimate view of the "real" Portugal, don't miss the last photo.

Home Again, Home Again

Organic Farmer's Market

For a perfect Saturday, walk over to Príncipe Real Park (take the Glória funicular from Restauradores, turn right and the park will be on your left in about 5 minutes).

From 9am to 3pm, fresh fruits and vegetables, hand-made olive oils, jellies, breads, etc., are for sale at the far end of the tree-lined park. Sit on the benches afterwards and enjoy the lovely neighborhood feeling... and don't forget to buy a straw bag to carry your goodies home again!

Sintra Restaurant - Guest Recommendation

This from the Gwinnells, recent guests from UK/USA:  "Deb, Found a great café&restaurant, Páteo do Garrett, in Sintra.  Off the beaten track... neat little courtyard, about 8 tables with great view.  (Larger interior, VERY CLEAN.)  Tourist Menu €10 with appetizers, entree, dessert, coffee and 1/2 bottle of wine.  Really good value."

To find it, walk towards the Sintra Tourism Office (with your back to the Sintra Palace), take the road to the left of the Tourismo and then loop around, hard, left again when the road allows.  There's Páteo do Garrett.  Enjoy!

Buenos Aires Café

Baked pear and endive salad with creamy cheese sauce.  Argentina steaks.  Creative pastas.  Desserts to die for.  This is not Portuguese food.  But it's served Portuguese style:  arrive at 7:30-8:00pm and sit outside to watch the moon rise over the castle.  Fabulous food.  Fabulous view.  Very romantic.  Take a sweater.

(If you wish to eat inside, you will definitely need reservations and perhaps a few days advance notice.  No reservations taken for outside dining.)

Café Buenos Aires, closed Sunday.  Calçada Escadinhas do Duque, 31-B (up behind the Rossio train station); Telephone 21 342 07 39

A good Chiado/Bairro Alto café?

Everyone takes a wander through the Bairro Alto and Chiado but few people find a good place for a quick lunch:  most cafés in the area are over-touristed and over-priced.  But two blocks west of the main "Largo do Chiado" is a tiny café called "Pão com Manteiga" (Bread with Butter Café) on the little one-way street called "Rua das Chagas" (translation omitted to preserve your appetite).  Located right across from our son's temporary school facilities, this little café is packed with teachers from the school, consultants from the nearby Boston Consulting Group headquarters and not a single tourist. 

The regulars leave about 1:15, which opens just enough space for you to drop in and have the daily special.  Probably €6.50, with enough for two people.  100% Portuguese.  You'll be glad you went.

Pão com Manteiga Café, Rua das Chagas, Chiado/Bairro Alto

Seafood at PINÓQUIO

A guest from Paris pulled a ragged scrap of paper from her pocket during the neighborhood tour:  "I was told I must eat here. Pinóquio Restaurant." 

"Never heard of it," I replied, standing a few meters from the front door. 

Not long afterwards I read an article about the local theater scene which ended with "What's an evening of Lisbon theater without Pinóquio's salted prawns?"

It's rather embarrasing to admit that I've walked every guest past the front door since we started VisitingPortugal in 2003.  Decorated in two uninspired shades of green, it's tucked into the SE corner of the Praça dos Restauradores.  The salted prawns "appetizer", a €33 silver bowl of simply prepared, wonderfully fresh shrimp that easily feeds two, is often not on the menu; you need to ask for it.  The waiters, despite their green attire, are charming and the food is excellent.  A recent guest gave it three thumbs up.

What's a visit to Lisbon without Pinóquio?

Pinóquio Praça dos Restauradores 79; telephone 213 465 106

€10 flights Lisbon/Madrid

Vueling Airlines

Never heard of this Spanish airline until today. 

€10 from Lisbon to Madrid.  (A bus costs €40 and takes 8 hours.)

€30 from Madrid to Paris.  Wow. 

Hot Clube -- Live Music

Hot Clube, "the" place for live music in Lisbon now has a website calendar:

Hot Clube de Portugal

Open Tuesdays through Saturdays, 10pm - 2am.  Praça da Alegria 39, Tel 21-346-7369

Small Selection of Favorite Portuguese Recipes

Start cooking:  Portuguese Recipes from Leite's Culinária

Coming Home to Lisbon, Bon Appetite (2 Recipes)

First appearing in Bon Appetite in June 2004, this great article introduces Lisbon, a few of its finest restaurants and offers two favorite Portuguese recipes.  Enjoy.

Coming Home to Lisbon

Portuguese Fashion

I read a hilarious article on CNN today about European fashion... or rather about Americans and fashion and Europe.  About 30% of our guests hail from the USA and I do occasionally get questions about what to wear ("Are jeans ok?"), so I thought I'd post these two great quotes:

"I say if you can sleep comfortably in it, I don't want to see it on the street"
Daniel Vosovic

'Comfort has its place, but it seems rude to visit another country dressed as if you've come to mow its lawns.'" 
David Sedaris

Lisbon for adults:  Yes, adults wear jeans.  Nice jeans.  No tennis shoes, no shorts, and definitely no sweatshirts.  (see lawn mowing, above)

Lisbon for children:  Tennis shoes and tailored shorts are fine.  No beach attire.  (A seven year old in short-shorts and matching tanktop screams "Pick my father's pocket, please, he won't bother telling the police.")

Algarve Coastal Towns:  This is probably the only place in Portugal where adults can wear walking shorts to the local café without feeling totally out of place. 

My suggestion?  When in doubt, wear black.

Bill Gates in Lisbon

Fellow Seattle-ite, Bill Gates, is in town this week.  Along with various tidbits leaking from the two-day Government Leadership Forum 2006, Bill also announced 19 joint Portugal-Microsoft initiatives ranging from re-training 50,000 textile workers to improved technology training in Portugal's public schools.  Bill also received Portugal's Highest Humanitarian Award.

World's Wealthiest Invest in Portugal

Being trend-setters, we're not surprised... In Portuguese:  Gates & Buffet Invest in Portugal

Donkeys & Castles

During the month of January, donkeys from Portugal's Trás-os-Montes region will be inside the Lisbon castle São Jorge in a "re-encounter with the city's history."  Rides from 9am to 6pm, included in the standard €3 castle entrance fee.

Christmas in Lisbon

STUNNING.  Lisbon is stunning every Christmas season... and especially this year.  The Baixa is covered in lights, with each street once again seeming to compete with the next for the loveliest displays.  Europe's largest Christmas tree glows over the city from its riverside perch at the Praça do Comércio. (A nice view of the tree awaits those fortunate enough to have booked Casa Santana.)  Our family enjoys traditional late evening Baixa walks, munching hot-roasted chestnuts and arguing over which streets have the prettiest lights.  See you there!

Int'l Lusitano Horse Fair - Golegã (Nov)

Every November, horse and rider reign supreme in Golegã (near Fátima).  Should they wish to ride into a café for coffee together, so be it.   People come from around the world to admire and purchase the famed Lusitano horses; this year the festivities are Nov 4-6 and 10-13.

Gulbenkian Ancient Music Festival

The 2004/2005 Gulbenkian Ancient Music Festival takes place at the Fundação Calouste Gulbenkian in Lisbon in November, December, February and April. The Cologne Concert, the RIAS Chamber Choir, the Lisbon Chamber Choir and the Chiado Baroque Ensemble are some of the performers at this festival. More information at http://www.musica.gulbenkian.pt

€2.50 Foreign Films: Year-Round!

Our Irish neighbor near Casa Travessa just revealed this gem:  Cinemateca Portuguesa Museu (Portuguese Cinema Museum). 

October -- even though it was officially French and Japanese Film Month -- included "It's a Wonderful Life" and "Titanic."  Tickets are €2,50.  Afternoon and evening shows.

November is Irish Month... so our neighbor is a wee happy lad.

For weekly schedules and contact info, visit the excellent website at www.cinemateca.pt

Solar dos Presuntos - Seafood Restaurant - Lisbon

Our son, 10, loves seafood.  To eat, to watch, to catch.  As such, Solar dos Presuntos, our corner restaurant, has long held his fascination:  today the window display contains an enormous seabass, suspended above a mass of lobsters, his mouth filled with a giant trout.  So when a celebration was recently in order, Solar dos Presuntos was the obvious restaurant of choice for our mother/son date.  The soup was smooth and rich.  My award-winning pataniscas (bacalhau cakes) were tasty.  But my son's shrimp were spectacular.  Yes, I snitched.  At €50 for two people, including tip but no dessert and only one glass of the (excellent) house Vinho Verde, Solar dos Presuntos is a bit pricey.  But worth it.  We'll be back. Solar dos Presuntos:  located at the far end of Rua das Portas de Santo Antão, at the Elevador da Lavra funicular.  Closed Sundays and holidays.

October on Armona Island

The entire family, minus husband who is in Seattle, headed to Armona Island late Friday evening.  Being our first weekend visit since we bought the cottage, everyone was dreading the 3 hour drive down from Lisbon on Friday night, then back again on Sunday.  How exhausting would that be?

Needless concerns.  Waking on Armona on Saturday -- a sunny morning headed for a perfect 27ºC/80ºF -- the island was practically deserted. 50 steps from the cottage, only a few die-hard fishermen and hundreds of little crabs shared the beach with our son.  A new neighbor, Maria Manuela, whose house fronts the local beach, stuck her head in the kitchen window as I washed dishes, anxious to introduce herself and exchange phone numbers. 

Saturday at noon, we took the 15 minute ferry back to Olhão just in time to wander through its famous waterfront fish and fruit market. Austin purchased a confusing variety of sea creatures for an afternoon caldeirão (seafood stew).   After which the evening stretched on soothingly... alone on our deserted isle.

Sunday morning we celebrated "Nature Church" out on the Atlantic side of the island, walking a tiny portion of the kilometers and kilometers of sandy beaches.  By the time we wandered down to the last ferry off the island (5:30pm in Oct), we were all in agreement:  a weekend on Armona is anything but exhausting.

Laundry

Very, very few Portuguese families own clothes dryers. Consequently, one sees everywhere, fluttering in gardens, from balconies, and on roof tops, that proud banner of doméstica, the clothes line. I have come to love Portuguese clothes lines for the same reason I’ve always gotten an irrational measure of solace from old-fashioned clocks in public places that are still keeping time accurately: because someone cares. Every clothes-laden line and every operating clock is a proclamation that someone cares enough to keep things going. Clothes do not hang themselves to dry and clocks do not give the time for long unless someone attends to them, unless someone thinks it’s important to serve people in these very humble ways.

What are they doing?

University life re-starts in earnest in October and Lisboa is bursting with students.  Praxe, pronounced "PRAH-sh", is the Portuguese equivalent of froshing.  Generally good-natured and definitely a public event, entry into university is a high-profile accomplishment in this country wherein less than half of the population finishes high school. Upper-classmen are easily identified by their flowing black capes and black suits.  Freshman are usually identifiable by something embarrassing: bright blue buckets upon their heads as they march through downtown Lisbon chanting "Somos caloiros! Somos caloiros!" (We are freshmen, we are freshmen -- as if there were any doubt) or wearing matching pyjamas singing children's songs while being baptised in the Rossio fountains. This continues for the entire month of October while the Lisboetas proudly gather around, watching Portugal's best and brightest. Tourists are sometimes invited to join in the fun... so prepare yourself for marriage proposals and impromptu interviews in the language of your choice.

International Music Festival - Mafra (October)

Every weekend in October, the Festival Internacional de Música takes place in Mafra.  Enjoy this event at the Palácio Nacional de Mafra, but first take a tour of the palace which is considered by many to be the most important Barroque monument in Portugal.