As you walk around Lisbon you’ll find countless buildings covered in scaffolding, as most of the city’s properties in the old historical center are in desperate need of renovation. On a couple of those works are curious pieces that at first you’re not sure what to think of. They’re art installations by contemporary artists, and the latest one is found on Rua do Alecrim, a street going from the Cais do Sodré riverfront up to the Chiado district. It’s the creation of one of Portugal’s top young artists Joana Vasconcelos and it’s supposed to be a tapeworm. Yes, a tapeworm made of raffia climbing the building.

The group behind these projects is called “Art Building” and its goal is to bring some life, art, and color to construction sites. Once Vasconcelos’ tapeworm is removed at the end of this year, that building will be a hotel.

Vasconcelos’ first major eye-catching piece was a much talked-about chandelier completely made of tampons which she called “The Bride.” She represented Portugal with that work at the Venice Biennale in 2005, and it was also hung in Lisbon’s Lux club.

That club, known for its irreverence and cutting-edge space, currently presents another curious object. This time it was placed outside its doors for its 10th anniversary party a few months ago. It’s the image of a woman’s open legs welcoming you at the entrance, through which you’ll have to enter in order to access the club and its unbeatable nights.

These are just two of the current examples, but expect to have your eyes drawn to other curious objects at a construction site or well-known buildings in Lisbon in the future.

Arriving at newsstands across the United States tomorrow will be this week’s edition of People magazine with a cover story about Michele Obama. In the article the American first lady states that if it’s up to her, the choice for First Dog will be a Portuguese Water Dog. The pooch would be rescued from a shelter, and the breed was chosen due to its medium size, low allergy risk, and reputation of a good temperament and high intelligence.

The Portuguese Water Dog got its name for having first been seen all over Portugal’s coast, and especially in the southern Algarve. The dog has always been a loyal companion of seafarers, helping them deliver messages between boats and retrieve nets. They are close relatives of the poodle, with wavy black, white, or black and white hair.

Apparently Michele Obama will not have the final word, as the first lady’s press secretary has announced that the entire family still has to make a decision together about the new addition to their home, something that will likely only happen in April.

But the dog will not be the only presence in the White House with origins in Portugal. The official White House photographer is the Portuguese-American Pete Souza, born in Massachusetts (home to a large Portuguese community) and previously also the official White House photographer for Ronald Reagan. He’s already published a best-selling photo book entitled “The Rise of Barack Obama,” and has also worked for National Geographic and Life magazines.

Other prominent Portuguese-Americans are found in GoLisbon’s Portuguese people page.

A few days ago we told you about Carmen Miranda’s 100th birthday, but there is another famous Portugal-born and internationally-recognized name that would also be 100 years old at the moment. That is Vieira da Silva (she’d turn 101 this June), an acclaimed modernist painter in the mid-20th century, considered one of the most important Post-War abstract painters.

She gained recognition in Paris where she met her Hungarian husband Arpad Szenes who was also an artist. Later she became the first woman to receive the French government’s Grand Prix National des Artes and died in the French capital in 1992.

Lisbon has a museum dedicated to the couple, found in a former silk factory facing a lovely neighborhood park in the Amoreiras district. You’ll see that you’re the only tourist there when you visit, as this is an off-the-beaten-tourist-path location. On display is a large collection of paintings by Vieira da Silva and her husband, together with temporary exhibitions by other artists influenced by them.

Vieira da Silva’s works are also on display in several museums around the world, including in the National Museum of Women in the Arts in Washington DC.

In some guidebooks, Lisbon’s Santa Justa Elevator is said to have been designed by Gustave Eiffel (yes, of the Eiffel Tower), but that is not exactly true. Mr. Eiffel had many disciples and one of them was Raoul Mesnier du Ponsard, a Portuguese architect born in Porto of French parents. Ponsard was the real creator of Santa Justa Elevator which several publications have listed as one of the world’s best examples of iron architecture during the Industrial Revolution.

This curious construction was a necessity in Lisbon in order to connect downtown to the hilly Bairro Alto and Chiado neighborhoods. It was the fastest way to reach the top of the hill, and while cars and the metro do that today, this dramatic structure still has people lining up to go for a ride. It’s mostly done for touristic purposes, as it provides a 360-degree view over the city. And you do get an eyeful — you overlook all of downtown, towards the castle and Alfama, to Edward VII Park and the uptown high-rises. There is a naturally overpriced café (which you can skip) on the top platform, and you can stand there to take photos of the views.

If you have the tourist card (recommended) you can ride for free, otherwise it will cost you 2,80 euros. But here’s a little secret only a local and GoLisbon.com will tell you: you can reach the top for free! Simply head to the Carmo Convent ruins in Chiado, and enter the gate to the right of it. You’ll find yourself almost at the very top, and you then take the spiraling stairs to the cafe at 45 meters (147ft) above the ground.

For complete information about this Lisbon landmark, see GoLisbon’s Santa Justa Elevator page.

If she were still alive, Carmen Miranda would be 100 years old today. If you’re questioning why she’s being mentioned in a blog about Lisbon and Portugal when she was Brazilian, you’re wrong. Carmen Miranda was born in Portugal. She moved to Brazil when she was still a baby when her parents decided to immigrate to Portugal’s former colony.

She grew up in Rio de Janeiro where she sang at parties and festivals, despite the disapproval of her parents. She was later given a record contract with RCA Records and eventually taken to New York to perform on a Broadway show. From there, Carmen went on to become a popular Hollywood actress in the 1940s and 50s, and became America’s highest-paid entertainer and reportedly the highest-earning female in the country.

Known as “the Brazilian Bombshell,” she was mostly cast in musicals as a Latin-American beauty wearing colorful hats made of fruit. Her management gave her a flamboyantly cliché image of Latin America with little distinctions between Brazil, Argentina, or Cuba, samba, tango, or habanera. As a result she was criticized in Brazil for projecting a false image of the country and giving in to American commercialism.

Her last few years were spent in states of depression, and she died of a heart attack at the age of 46 in Beverly Hills. She remains today not only an icon of Brazil but also of old Hollywood. She is also still the most successful Portuguese person to have ever been in the spotlight in Hollywood.

In Portugal you can visit a small museum dedicated to Carmen in her birth city of Marco de Canaveses. It features one of her famous hats along with several photos, while her statue stands outside.

For more famous Portuguese faces, see GoLisbon’s Portuguese people page.

Venice, Paris, and more recently, Prague are the favorite romantic getaways in Europe. While that’s perfectly understandable, couples looking for a special trip this Valentine’s Day should also consider Lisbon. They’ll find that walking around the city’s old quarters, and especially in the town of Sintra nearby, will be just as romantic as those other classic European destinations, but with the advantage that it’s so much cheaper.

Start with looking for the perfect accommodation for two. Consider As Janelas Verdes, a former residence of one of Portugal’s most famous writers, now a quaint hotel with a vine-covered patio garden.
Almost across the street is York House, once a convent but today a boutique hotel mixing antiques with contemporary furnishings and a relaxing courtyard.
By one of the city’s most peaceful and beautiful neighborhoods is Solar do Castelo, sharing the walls of Lisbon’s landmark castle. It’s a beautifully furnished 18th century mansion that includes a tiled terrace for moonlit conversations.

Even better is staying in Sintra at Hotel Lawrence’s. That’s the oldest hotel in the Iberian Peninsula and where British poet Lord Byron stayed during his famous visit that led him to conclude that Sintra was a “glorious Eden” and “the most delightful” town in Europe.

Sintra is also where actor Brad Pitt and former wife Jennifer Aniston spent a large part of their honeymoon, and although the fate of that couple isn’t exactly desirable, you know that a place chosen by Hollywood royalty should be perfect for you too.

When it comes to dining out, Lisbon’s A Travessa is a top choice for a romantic dinner. It’s set in a former convent, and you can try the Belgian-Portuguese specialties around the 17th century cloisters.
For a candle-lit dinner in Bairro Alto consider Cravo e Canela, serving international fusion dishes in an intimate space.

As for sightseeing during the day, go on a horse and carriage ride in Sintra admiring its fairytale architecture, or choose a carriage in Lisbon’s Belem district instead, a recent attraction by the city’s most important monuments. If that’s not enough, feel yourself carried away at the Coaches Museum, presenting the world’s largest collection of extraordinary vehicles once used by European nobility. Elsewhere in the city, a charming ride on the old trams will take you around Lisbon’s most picturesque corners.

Today the movie “Milk” premieres in theaters here in Lisbon. Winner of 8 Oscar nominations last week, that movie stars Sean Penn, with James Franco in a major secondary role. If Franco sounds Portuguese to you, you’re right. He’s just one of the now several young Hollywood faces with a Portuguese background. Of about the same age as Franco is Al Santos, a former model turned actor who’s made appearances on the “CSI: NY” series and on movies like “Jeepers Creepers II.” He was born in New York, but his last name originates in his relatives in the city of Aveiro in Portugal.

Another rising star is Lyndsy Fonseca, last seen on last season’s “Desperate Housewives,” although she was also past of the cast of “The Young and the Restless.”
Yet another Portuguese-American actress with a start in soap operas was Vanessa Marcil (the real last name is “Barrigas”), who went from “General Hospital” to star in “Beverly Hills 90210” and “Las Vegas.“

Perabo is an unusual Portuguese name, but it is Portuguese. Actress Piper Perabo was born in Texas, but grew up in New Jersey, home to a large Portuguese community. Her major role was as the star of the “Coyote Ugly” movie, and she’s also appeared in other films such as “Cheaper by the Dozen” and “The Prestige.”

You wouldn’t tell by her last name, but Brooke Burke is also partially Portuguese. She was last seen as the winner of season 7 of the American series “Dancing with the Stars,” but became known as the host of the “Wild On…” program on the E! network.

For more famous Portuguese-American faces in the world of entertainment, see GoLisbon’s Portuguese People page.

They’re both built over a series of hills, are crossed by turn-of-the-century trams, have a big suspension bridge built by the same company as one of their icons, share a history of earthquakes, and offer a mild climate year-round. If there is such a thing as twin cities, they are Lisbon and San Francisco.

Another link to Lisbon in San Francisco is its most famous skyscraper, the Transamerica Pyramid. It was designed by the Portuguese-American architect William Pereira who also designed other projects around the world, and especially in Los Angeles (CBS Television City, Hollywood Motion Picture and Television Museum, Los Angeles Zoo, Los Angeles County Museum of Art, and IBM headquarters).

There is no Portuguese community in San Francisco, but there is a significant Portuguese population outside the city and around California. In fact, it was a Portuguese explorer who discovered California. His name was João Rodrigues Cabrilho, although he is mostly known under the Spanish version of his name Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo since he was working for Portugal’s rival at the time. You’ll find the Cabrillo National Monument in San Diego, and there is also Cabrillo College in Aptos, the Cabrillo Bridge, and the Cabrillo Freeway traveling through San Diego’s famous Balboa Park.

Although a New World version of Lisbon somehow emerged in California as San Francisco, the only taste of the Portuguese capital found in that American city is at Grubstake Restaurant. It offers a menu called “The Portuguese Corner”, listing the most famous of all Portuguese soups, “Caldo Verde,” in addition to (you guessed it) a couple of codfish dishes.
If you’re interested in finding out more about the Portuguese in California, visit the website of California’s Portuguese Museum.

Also see:
Lisbon in Paris
Lisbon in New York

The city with the most Portuguese people outside of Portugal is Paris. Portuguese immigration to the French capital in the early to mid-20th century has given that city two generations of Portuguese residents, with successful second-generation Franco-Portuguese now found in all sectors of French society. A more recent example was Emmanuel Demarcy-Mota who is the current director of the Theatre de la Ville, but even prominent Portuguese artists of the past found a second home in what is the world’s capital of the arts. Painters like Mario Cesariny and Vieira da Silva were greatly influenced by Paris, and lived in the city for some time. It was also through Paris that Fado diva Amalia Rodrigues or designer Fatima Lopes went on to achieve international fame. Portuguese architect and designer Miguel Câncio Martins has also worked on international projects in large part thanks to his work on Paris’ famous Buddha Bar. To celebrate and promote Portuguese culture in France today, there’s Lisbon’s Gulbenkian Foundation’s home in Paris.

Gulbenkian Paris offers a library specializing in Portuguese culture, and also hosts exhibitions and concerts. The Gulbenkian headquarters in Lisbon is also home to a world-class calendar of events from classical music to international conferences, although it is mostly famous for its museum of both Eastern and Western treasures.

Until the 22nd of February, another of Lisbon’s major cultural institutions will be present in the French capital. The Berardo Museum has lent part of its modern art collection to the Luxembourg Museum for a temporary exhibition called “From Miró to Warhol – The Berardo Collection in Paris”. It’s attracted almost half a million visitors since its opening in October, and if you are from Paris or will be there before your visit to Lisbon, it’s a must-see not just for the exhibition itself, but also as a preview of what you’ll find in Lisbon.

If you want to try the Portuguese gastronomy there, there are several Portuguese restaurants in the city, with Restaurant Saudade and Chez Dina being two easily accessible options.

(If you’re not in Paris but in New York, see our previous “Lisbon in New York” post)

The American/Texan newspaper Dallas Daily News has published an article about Lisbon written by the famous travel writer Rick Steves. Famous for his TV series “Rick Steves’ Europe” and his guidebooks, Steves returns to Europe every year looking for all that’s changed, all that’s new, and all that remains the same in the Old Continent.

On his most recent trip to Lisbon, he decided to experience Fado as the locals do. Although that’s nearly impossible (Fado these days is more of a tourist trap than an authentic experience), and the article itself is a little romanticized, GoLisbon recommends it because Rick Steves also recommends GoLisbon.com at the end of the article

If you’re interested in knowing more about Fado and where to hear it in Lisbon, see our fado section.

To read the full Rick Steves article, click here.