David was confirming our flight to Lisbon on the way to the airport in Madrid at 8:30 this morning. He suddenly realized (even though he had looked at the flight information at least 5 times over the last few days) that we were booked on the 11:00 PM flight not the 11:30 AM flight. We ended up having to purchase two new “round-trip” tickets for the last two seats on the 11:30 AM flight. As a result, this short flight from Madrid to Lisbon will be one of the most expensive individual flights that we will take in 7 1/2 months of travel! DANG!!
We arrived in Lisbon in the afternoon, checked into our hotel, grabbed some lunch and had a few hours to explore the city. Our boutique hotel, the Memmo Alfama, is a little diamond in the heart of Alfama. The hotel was formally a bakery and was turned into a hotel 3 years ago. The “miradouros” (views in Portuguese) from the rooftop bar of the Tejo River are spectacular. Alfama is one of the oldest neighborhoods in Europe and surely one of the most picturesque of Lisbon. We are staying near the medieval Castle of Sao Jorge, where there are some of the best views of the city from this Moorish castle. The main facade of the castle looks similar to a fortress.
The Alfama district was the one district that was not destroyed in the 1755, 9.0 earthquake; so there are numerous buildings older than the rest of the city. It is a village within a city; and, retains much of the Moorish fishing village charm. It was quite easy for us to get lost this afternoon in its timeless labyrinth of intertwining alleyways. The maze of cobbled streets and alleys here veer between the quaint and rustic with yellow trams snaking up the steep streets. Everywhere you turn there are small patios, picturesque squares, and whitewashed houses with tile panels adorned with wrought-iron balconies. The chipped tiles, peeling paint and wash hanging on lines gives the neighborhood a level of authenticity. It’s appears that this is a neighborhood people live in rather than just come to visit. Many of the families have been living in this old part of the city for generations. It is definitely part of Alfama’s charm. Despite Alfama being one of Lisbon’s star attractions, the area did not feel touristy to us. Aimlessly wandering the streets of Alfama today was a great introduction to beautiful Lisboa.
It has been interesting – the Portuguese are very proud of their heritage and often bring up the Age of Discovery – when the Portuguese sailed the world and discovered new lands. That 150 year period ended 450 years ago!
