Michael Powell's Blog, page 19
April 3, 2018
The Pastéis de Belem
There can’t be many visitors to Portugal who don’t at least once gorge themselves on a pastel de nata, the small, flaky, buttery custard pie found in every bakery in the land. To watch them be made, we visited the famous Pastéis de Belém, which has been cranking out the treats since 1837.
The line at the Pastéis de Belém can usually be seen from far off, stretching out the door and halfway down the block. Luckily, it moves fast, since everyone is there for just one thing: the Pastel de Nata....
The Neighborhood of Lapa
What is it about rich people, always choosing the highest neighborhoods in which to live? Do they have to literally lord it over the rest of us? Apparently so, because in a hilly town like Lisbon, you can bet that the highest hills are going to be populated by the richest people. It’s a law as immutable as gravity, and should you be in doubt, then please check out Lapa. Just make sure to step out of the road as the Porsche SUV blasts by.
I’m exaggerating a little. The days of the Portuguese...
April 2, 2018
Lisbon’s Unbelievably Cool Military Museum
You probably wouldn’t think that Lisbon’s Military Museum would be anything special. Nobody ever talks about it, and it hardly appears in travel guides. You’ll never find it on a “Best of Lisbon” list. So when we showed up on a lazy day during which we had nothing else to do, our expectations were low. But this turned out to be a major surprise; in fact, it was one of the coolest museums we saw during our time in the city.
The exhibits of the Military Museum are about what you’d expect: old...
April 1, 2018
The Cats of Lisbon
Not many stray dogs roam the streets of Lisbon, but there seems to be no shortage of cats. Perhaps they just breed faster, or they’re more difficult to catch. Or maybe nobody cares, because the slinking, sneaky creatures fit into this mysterious city so perfectly. Throughout the course of our time in Lisbon, we’ve collected a bunch of fun photos of the city’s photogenic street cats.
The Cistern and Neighborhood of Amoreiras
The neighborhood of Amoreiras is best known for its mall, encased within towering glass buildings that are visible from across Lisbon. We wouldn’t be visiting Amoreiras, though, for its luxury shopping or modern architecture, but to see something more ancient: the Reservatório da Mãe d’Água, a cistern built in the 1740s.
I should be honest. We were, in fact visiting Amoreiras for its modern architecture. Our plan was to ascend to the 360° viewpoint found atop the Amoreiras Shopping Center. W...
March 31, 2018
The Neighborhood of Alvalade
Lisbon is such a monumental city that it can be overwhelming. What’s around this corner? Another ancient church with another fascinating history that I’ll want to spend hours learning all about? Ain’t nobody got time for it all! So, it was almost a relief to be exploring the neighborhood of Alvalade, where the biggest “sight” is an everyday produce market. Alvalade is Lisbon at its most regular… and that’s exactly why we loved it.
Alvalade is found due north of the city center, before you cr...
March 29, 2018
The Ponte 25 de Abril
You wake up groggy and semi-conscious, surprised to find yourself in a low-flying plane. Your arms are tied behind your back, but you manage to lift your head and look out the window. The villain appears and, pushing a knife against your neck, screams “Where are we? Right answer, you live!” You look through the window again. Are those trams? Hills? And, hah! The bastard shouldn’t have flown past the bridge. Everyone knows the bridge. Making eye contact, you smirk. “San Francisc…” And then he...
March 26, 2018
The Museu de Lisboa at the Pepper Palace
Occupying five separate sites spread across the city, the Museu de Lisboa is not the kind of museum where you’ll be able to see everything within a day. And you wouldn’t want to, if our experience at the museum’s primary collection in the Palácio Pimenta was any indication. Except for its garden, this was easily the worst museum we visited in Lisbon.
It bears mentioning that, during our visit, the Museum de Lisboa was undergoing renovation, and the entire ground floor was closed to visitors....
March 25, 2018
An Evening of Fado at Alfama’s TascaBeat
Largely unknown outside Portugal, the musical style of fado is a big deal in Lisbon, where it was born in the early 19th century. On a chilly Sunday night, we were introduced to the mournful music at the TascaBeat do Rosário, a tiny joint tucked away in one of Alfama’s many hidden corners.
We’ve heard Lisbon described as a sorrowful city in love with its own grief. And that seems about right, especially in the winter, when fog is blanketing the hills, and yet another rainstorm is rolling in....
March 13, 2018
Elevator to the High Life: Bica and Bairro Alto
The Ascensor da Bica is both the newest and the most popular of Lisbon’s three remaining funiculars. It connects the party zone of the Pink Street to the party zone of Bairro Alto, along the party street of Bica… the operative word seems to be “party”. Friday night seemed like a good time to take a ride.
Having already visited the funiculars of Lavra and Glória, we needed just one more to achieve the trifecta. The Ascensor da Bica was built in 1892, and you access it through a beautiful arch...
