It was 20 years ago today. The Chiado district, the very center and cultural heart of Lisbon went down in flames. It started with a small fire in a department store at 4:30 in the morning of August 25th 1988, and thirty minutes later the entire building and those surrounding it were burning down.In total 18 buildings in three of the neighborhood’s main streets were destroyed, and it took 300 fire trucks and 1,680 firemen to prevent any further destruction. Two people died, 73 were injured, and about 2000 were left unemployed. The Armazéns do Chiado department store (now reopened as a shopping mall) only had its façade left standing, and gone forever were the Grandella department store (today housing a H&M branch) and the legendary Café Ferrari (the historical Café A Brasileira remained unaffected).

A Brasileira is one of the few establishments to have survived and is still going strong today, as is the landmark Bertrand bookshop, in existence on this spot since 1732. After the reconstruction of the neighborhood by renowned architect Alvaro Siza Vieira, international names such as Cartier, Hermés, Hugo Boss, Nespresso, Moooi, and Kiehl’s have moved in, but older residents will tell you shopping here was much nicer during the pre-inferno days. It had unique specialty shops and was still free of some retailers that you’ll find here today but that you’ll also see at a shopping mall near you (Foot Locker, Zara, Levi’s, etc.). Despite criticisms and nostalgia, not one can argue that this reborn Chiado is also a much more cosmopolitan and democratic space today. Nowhere else in the city will you find a higher concentration (or higher quality) of shops, cafes, and theaters making it a mandatory stop in the city.

Two decades later and after much renovation, the rebirth (and a great deal of gentrification) is still underway. Two major boutique hotels opened in the last few years, contemporary-design cafes and restaurants attract crowds hungry for something new, and major international brands are on waiting lists for retail space. Siza Vieira’s plans are still only 99% complete, and much rehabilitation will go on for years to come (extending to the adjacent Baixa district).

One thing the fire could not destroy was Chiado’s cultural, literary, and historical soul, and no matter how many changes and facelifts it is given, the statues of its poets, the café tables on the cobbled pavements, and the shopping bags in the hands of people of all ages and styles will always make this the beloved heart of Lisbon.

They don’t rhyme but they could very well be misspellings of each other. “Lisbon” and “Lesbian” are not etymologically related either, but you will start seeing those two words used in the same sentence more frequently from now on. That’s because Lisbon is discretely becoming a lesbian-friendly city. It’s not exactly a liberal place like Amsterdam, it’s not a hot lesbian destination like the island of Lesbos, and it’s still rather homophobic when compared to other big capitals.

But it’s homophobic in a strangely tolerant way.Portugal’s attitude towards same-sex couples can be described in an oxymoronic way –- homophobically tolerant as in “don’t ask, don’t tell.” That is, they seem to accept the existence of homosexual couples (there have never been anti-gay marches or major anti-gay movements in the country), as long as they are not confronted with them. Because when confronted, they’ll just have to comply with their good-old Catholic upbringing and manifest their disapproval.  

So if you’re a lesbian couple coming to Lisbon, you won’t see many women holding hands. You will end up thinking all Portuguese girls who like other girls just get married and live unhappily ever after. While that’s true to a great extent, it seems it won’t be so for much longer. A young television host recently came out as a lesbian in the country’s most respected newspaper, and the reaction was no reaction. Portugal’s “homophobic tolerance” allowed her to proceed with work and life as usual. No one said “good for you,” no one reacted with a “so what?,” but no one responded negatively either. It was like it never happened.

The country only reacted a couple of years ago when it was directly confronted with the issue. A lesbian couple challenged the courts to allow them to get married. The current legislation doesn’t allow it, so they were denied their wish. But the country was forced to talk about it and polls showed the majority of Portuguese oppose such unions.

But as Portugal faces the issue less directly maybe minds and tolerance levels will be expanded. Take the Lesboa parties as an example. They take place two or three times a year, and this October there will be another edition with female DJs providing the dance music to accompany a night of drinking and fun socializing for people of all ages and sexual orientations. It will be the 2nd anniversary celebration and includes major sponsorship from myspace.com and one of the country’s major radio stations.

If you want to be in Lisbon for that, stay at one of the gay or gay-friendly hotels in the city. You’ll mostly find men there, but if you want to avoid stares during a public display of affection at the reception or breakfast room, those are the places to book. The GoLisbon gay & lesbian page lists the accommodation you should consider.

For an all-girls night out, do as everyone else does, and go to Bairro Alto. Your first stop should be Primas (”female cousins”). The name brings to mind those closet days when two inseparable girls, who perhaps even lived together, identified themselves as “cousins” to the more close-minded members of society. At this bar however, the closet has no door to be closed, and girls freely display their devotion to other girls as they choose a tune on the jukebox, play pool, or grab a drink.

Then it’s time to move to Purex not far away. The house drink is the Cosmopolitan, and although the space is not very big, the area with no seats is used for spontaneous dancing. It has a number of straight and gay male clients, but this is where the lesbian locals gather.

Then move on to Chueca. No, not the gayborhood in Madrid. You’re staying in Bairro Alto. Chueca is a lesbian-owned bar with a stylish contemporary décor where you can sit with a drink or stand by the door along with everyone else.

It’s now time to go clubbing. You can go to the all-sexual-orientations-friendly Fragil or to the lesbian club Maria Lisboa. It’s pretty spacious with a hot décor, and a variety of sounds that range from 80s pop to house.

When you wake up mid-morning or even in the afternoon on the following day, have a meal at Les Mauvais Garçons, a small romantic gay café in Bairro Alto. It serves light meals in a space decorated with old tables and couches, and with black and white photos of Paris on the walls.

End your Lisbon visit with a night at a Fado restaurant. It’s your way of experiencing a little of the local culture, while also sensing that these fado divas are no ordinary women –- in between their melancholic laments, there is a certain strong masculine side that, well, makes it look like Lisbon does blend the traits of all genders and sexual orientations. It makes you think that Lisbon could very well have a very strong lesbian side. And it’s not just in the name.

 

As you walk around Lisbon you’ll come across plenty of eye-catching graffiti, but none will grab your attention as instantly as the colorful cakes and ice creams painted on many of the city’s most decayed buildings.That’s the work of one artist, and her name is Maria Imaginário. Yes, it’s a female artist (not so common in the world of street art), and she brings some joy and life to otherwise sad and dead walls. 

One of her “delicious” ice creams is seen in one of GoLisbon’s photo galleries, but for a collection of her work visit her page on Flickr.

Imaginário has taken her imagination outside Portugal, and was recently responsible for a mural in Bethlehem depicting a bulldozer destroying a heart.  It symbolizes the destruction of houses by the Israeli army in Palestinian territories, and no matter on which side of that Bethlehem wall your politics stand on, you can’t help but stop to process that message in your mind.

What made Imaginário do it? She’s in that divided region collaborating with the ICAHD (Israeli Committee Against House Demolitions), helping to rebuild demolished homes.

But you don’t have to travel that far to see Imaginário’s imaginative statements –- just keep your eyes open as you walk around Lisbon.

Ireland may have said NO to Lisbon the European Union treaty, but it’s saying yes to Lisbon the city. There was a time not too long ago when there were no direct flights between Dublin and Lisbon, but now Aer Lingus connects the two cities daily. Naturally, the number of Irish tourists to the Portuguese capital has increased dramatically as a result.

The question is, what took so long? After all, Lisbon is the closest European capital to Dublin after London, and being in the same time zone, that means no jet lag and a quick weekend getaway to a sunnier city.

Those who need their Guinness daily will find two Irish pubs in the Portuguese capital just for that. They’re located in Cais do Sodré, by one of the city’s main transportation hubs.

At Hennessy’s Irish Pub you can sit outside (see picture on the right) or at the dark wooden tables inside, in a lively atmosphere that often includes live Irish music.

Down the street is O’Gillins Irish Bar, also with live music on weekends, and serving light meals for those wanting to fill their stomach with more than just black beer.

In the end though, you may not even need to step into these pubs –- a good Portuguese ginginha, a Sagres, or a caipirinha in Bairro Alto will do just fine.

The proximity, the inexpensiveness, the friendly welcome, and the same time zone make Lisbon a possible home away from home for Irishmen who’ve come to say YES to Lisbon.

If you want to know what’s happening in Lisbon while you’re visiting the city, all you need to do is look at the walls around Bairro Alto’s bars. They’re wallpapered with posters advertising the city’s upcoming concerts, festivals, and special events, and if you want ticket information, a friendly local will help you out with that…

Of course they’re always GoLisbon’s Calendar of Events as well, which lists the city’s upcoming attractions and provides ticket information. At the moment for example, tickets for Madonna’s concert in Lisbon are sold out everywhere, but not if you follow the link in our Calendar of Events… Do you love a good football (soccer) match? We got ticket information for the upcoming season there too. Enjoy the shows!

It’s August. That means Europe has packed its sunscreens, shorts and bikinis, and gone down the shore. You will find many shops in Rome, Paris, and here in Lisbon with a sign “Closed for Vacation,” and Lisbon is even more fortunate than those other cities because not only does it usually have better weather, but the beaches are closer (see our Lisbon Beaches guide).But for those wishing to stay in the city, there are places where you can still get that tan and have a refreshing drink while you’re at it. First, we suggest you go lay on the terrace: “O Terraço” (The Terrace) is the name of a café on a street not far from the Castle of St. George overlooking all of downtown Lisbon (Calçada do Marquês de Tancos, 3). Order your drink at the counter, then choose one of its sofas or lounge chairs and wait for your waitress to bring it to you. Then enjoy the view over the city’s cathedral and Comercio Square as the sun hits your face. That’s the closer you’ll get to the beach experience in the city, although with no ocean included.

But if you still like to see water as you catch some rays, head to Meninos do Rio (Rua da Cintura do Porto de Lisboa by Cais do Sodré Station). You won’t have the Atlantic in front of you, but the Tagus River looks just as nice. It serves light meals (and there’s a separate sushi bar too), as you sit on long chairs facing the river. As far as summer cafes in Lisbon go, this has been a favorite every year. It’s also open throughout the year, so even when you catch good sunny weather during the colder months, this is always an option.

Our final suggestion is closer to the center of the city, somewhere between Bairro Alto and Principe Real. That’s Fabrico Infinito (Rua Dom Pedro V, 74), an interior design shop with a café in its backyard. You can recline on a chair by the perfectly cut lawn or sit at a stylish table while you drink or have one of its delicious cakes. There’s no more peaceful café in which to end your afternoon in the city and breathe in some fresh air. Too bad it closes at 7PM, or else it would also be a great spot at night.

Yes, there are many other outdoor cafes in Lisbon. But these are arguably the most relaxing and with enough space to allow an experience closer to beach sunbathing –- and you don’t even have to put up with screaming children throwing sand around you!

Portugal ranks 18th worldwide in the EPI (Environmental Performance Index). It’s the highest ranking country in Southern Europe (Spain is 30, Italy 24, and Greece 44 for example), with the best performers being Switzerland at number one, followed by Sweden, Norway, and Finland. The United States’ high oil consumption brought it down to number 39, while in very last place, at number 149 is Niger due to its low water and sanitation quality. (Source: Newsweek).

But Portugal could do much better. Downtown Lisbon for example often seems more friendly to the automobile than to the pedestrian, and unlike many other European cities, there is still no limit or tolls for cars entering the very center of the capital. As a result, your eyes will see plenty of trees emitting O2 in Avenida da Liberdade, but your nose will most likely be receiving CO2 from the cars speeding down the avenue as they would down a highway. Yesterday a plan was announced that would soon charge a higher toll to cars carrying only one person entering Lisbon from the highways.  That would not solve the problem, but it’s a sign of a good start.

Then if you decide to go on a daytrip to the Arrabida Natural Park, try to overlook one of Portugal’s biggest environmental crimes, a cement factory in the middle of the vegetation of that beautiful park.

Despite that, the country seems to be on the right track, and if you happen to go up North through the A8 highway you’ll see plenty of power being produced by the wind on the hills surrounding it. Add the huge solar energy power station being created in the Alentejo province (the world’s biggest, said to be seen from space, covering about 250 hectares and capable of sustaining 130,000 households), and it seems Portugal’s got a very green future ahead of it.

Yes, just like in all cities, you’ll find plenty of unusual and strange things and characters in Lisbon, as seen in part one of our Weird Lisbon report. Here are some more:

Mr. Hello
Pass by Saldanha Square in uptown Lisbon at around 11PM and you’ll likely see a well-dressed gentleman with grey hair waving at everyone found inside the cars speeding by. That’s Mr. João Paulo Serra, who says hello and good-bye with his hands in an attempt to brighten people’s night or end of day. He’s been doing it for years, and he says it brings him joy. Call him crazy and weird, but you’ll certainly feel the same when you wave back at him.

The Doll Hospital
If your favorite doll suffers any damage or is broken when you’re in Lisbon (surely there have to be a few tourists out there who carry dolls with them whenever they travel, so let’s not judge), take it to the doll hospital in Figueira Square. It’s been taking care of dolls since 1830, complete with emergency and operating rooms. It seems business is still going strong, but one day when that’s no longer the case, the dolls with no cure, those abandoned, or their forgotten accessories will be turned into a museum collection.

Reading Between the Walls
For some reason the most rebellious Lisbon youth seems to think every building in the city is their canvas. So you’ll find graffiti everywhere in the city’s oldest central districts, especially in Bairro Alto and Alfama. That’s apparently going to come to an end (or so says City Hall), when a clean-up starts this upcoming September. But in the meantime, read the amusing propaganda found on the walls of the city center. You’ll be reminded that “Living kills” or that “advertising makes us stupid,” among some thought-provoking questions such as “Do you believe in everything you see on TV?” For other examples of Lisbon’s amusing graffiti, see our Photo Gallery - Street Art(?).

If you’re looking for a shirt with the words “My brother went to Lisbon and all I got was this lousy t-shirt” to take as a gift from Lisbon, forget it. If you want to buy the same-old Lisbon souvenir such as a colorful ceramic tile or the famous Barcelos rooster for good luck, you’ll find plenty of those in every single tourist shop in the city. But for the right Lisbon souvenir, you have to look in the wrong shop – literally. The Wrong Shop, found on an uphill street connecting Chiado’s main street Rua Garrett with the charming Carmo Square and the ruined Carmo Convent, has all the Portuguese symbols and the typical tourist favorites, but with a twist.

You’d expect to see t-shirts in Paris to display the Eiffel Tower, or you’d look for a t-shirt in London showing Big Ben, so of course in Lisbon you’d perhaps expect to find one with the Belem Tower, or the Discoveries Monument. Those do exist in several shops, but how about a t-shirt with the Eiffel Tower and the words “This is not Lisbon” below it instead?

Portugal’s iconic Barcelos cockerel is also given a makeover, trading its usual red and black colors for the British flag, the American, the Spanish, or the rainbow flag.

The more cultured tourist may want to check out the national authors, so in Lisbon they may look for the genius Fernando Pessoa or the Nobel-winning Saramago. At The Wrong Shop, you’ll find the books they never wrote.

You’ll see more of these funny Lisbon gifts at the The Wrong Shop website.

 

All cities have their number of oddities and weirdness, so of course Lisbon is no exception. Here are just some examples of strange things in the Portuguese capital:

The Garden of Limp Dicks
A small terrace halfway down an Alfama street has for decades been a meeting place for old men to spend their entire days watching life go by or play some cards. This simple place didn’t have a name until young kids started referring to it as “The Garden of Limp Dicks”… The name obviously caught on, and unbelievably, it’s been made official with a street sign that even uses the more vulgar word for the male anatomy. The picture on the right shows it in all its splendor. The old men standing below it every day see the humor in it and don’t seem to mind.

The Man with no Face
Is it a mask? Is that really a face? People stare to make sure it’s real – A man with huge tumors all over his face sits in a corner of Rossio Square looking like something out of “Ripley’s Believe it or Not.” The poor man has become known as “the man with no face” and there is no treatment for his rare condition. He’s become something of a celebrity, having even been featured in The Discovery Channel’s “My Shocking Story” series.

Use your hands only!
If you want to take photos of Lisbon, be sure to hold your camera with your hands only! That’s because a recent (ridiculous) law has prohibited the use of tripods to take pictures in the city’s public spaces, unless you get a permit first. If caught taking a photo using a tripod without a permit, be prepared to pay a fine.

The Cemetery of Pleasures
There is a neighborhood in Lisbon called Prazeres which means Pleasures in English. The city’s largest cemetery was built there, so naturally it became known as “Cemiterio dos Prazeres” or “The Cemetery of Pleasures”. It’s the last stop of the famous tram 28, which displays “Prazeres” in the front, so if you ride it until the end of its journey, don’t be fooled that you’ll end up in some fun theme park or in a naughty red light district…

The Little Lettuces
If New York is called “The Big Apple,” Lisbon could be called “The Big Lettuce.” That’s because at one time there was a significant migration from rural areas into the big capital city and those new residents brought their country habits with them. They were known to plant crops in their backyards, especially large spaces of lettuce. Lisboans then became known as “alfacinhas” which translates to “little lettuces,” today an endearing term used to refer to anyone born in the Portuguese capital.