In Love With Lisbon

Author: Lily

  • Photographing Lisbon on Flickr

    Azulejo 8In Love With Lisbon’s Flickr Group has now hit 100 photos (now almost 1000 in 2012!). I became a member of Flickr when I came back from my first trip to Lisbon last May and have been a fan ever since. If you have never investigated Flickr I highly recommend it. It has been a source of inspiration to me both for this website and also for other pursuits such as writing and music. As well as being able to flick through other people’s holiday snaps, there are some stunning images captured by talented amateur photographers as well as professionals. There are millions of photos to see covering all aspects of life. People, animals, places, cute puppies, a thousands sunsets, hidden places, the weird and wacky, arty, mysteries and so on. There are groups dedicated to the colour blue, haunting photographs, black and white, sepia, food, trees, hearts and more. If you have any kind of creative inclinations you can while away a good few hours here. If you are a photographer the community discussions and notes on photos can give you some excellent tips.

    Lisbon view
    © ILWL

    In Love With Lisbon’s Flickr group was born last August, a few weeks after the site went live. Like its mother ship, the group has steadily been growing. The aim of the group was to show images that “capture the heart of Portugal’s beautiful capital city”. There was already a wonderful group called Illustrar Portugal and groups for other specific places in Portugal as well as an already thriving Portuguese run Lisbon group called Amar Lisboa (Loving Lisbon –of course I rather like that title!).

    I have been spending more quality time on Flickr in order to build the ILWL group and it is wonderful to make new connections and see how others see Lisbon. Looking through all the images already submitted to the pool is like dipping into a warm sunny afternoon in the beautiful city.  It makes me smile, makes me feel nostalgic, makes me sense that ever present saudade.

    I love how different people notice different things: the dogs lying on the mosaic pavement, a couple dancing in the street, a rainbow over the castle, azulejos galore, graffiti, buskers, famous faces, quiet shadows, places that seem like they were just waiting to be discovered, steps in Alfama, modern sculpture. Like Lisbon itself, the group has so much to see and to say.

    I want to say a personal thankyou to everyone who has submitted so far to the group and to those who have also chosen to become members. Do look us up if you are a member of Flickr, and if you’re not a member why not come and join us? Whilst some choose to pay for a subscription, anyone can set up a free account and can use it to upload their photos to share with the world. Of course if you have some photos of Lisbon please submit them to the In Love With Lisbon pool!

    In true community spirit, here are a list of other groups relating to Portugal that I really like. I’m sure you are going to love what you see.

    In Love With Lisbon

    Portuguese Food and Drink (another group I also started)

    Amar Lisboa

    Ilustrar Portugal

    Postais Ilustrados de Portugal Huge long running group with thousands of images

    Lisboa

    Lisboa na Rua

    Azulejos de Portugal If you love Portuguese tile then this is for you

    Alfama

    Portugal Unlimited

     


  • A Brasileira Cafe-Bar

    Situated on Rua Garrett right outside the Baixa-Chiado metro station is one of Lisbon’s oldest and most loved cafes.

    Inside the cafe it is opulent and olde worlde. Originally opened in 1905, the cafe is highly decorated in Art Deco style and has been a favourite haunt of poets, writers and artists across the decades. Mirrors run along the walls and a huge oak bar runs right along one side. Look up to see the beautiful ceiling with it’s huge chandeliers. There are wooden booths where you can sit inside or alternatively pick one of the many (and very popular) tables outside with their huge orange umbrellas. The locals know better than to try to get a seat and will stand by the bar drinking their Bica instead. Bica was invented here and it is basically a small strong black coffee like espresso. I generally think of it as rocket fuel!

    Cafe Brasileira
    © ILWL

    Many people visit here to be photographed with the bronze statue of Fernando Pessoa whose life-size image relaxes just outside the cafe. There is even a small chair incorporated into the sculpture where tourists can sit pretending to be deep in conversation with the great man – or high on absinthe – take your pick 😉

    The cafe sells a variety of snacks such as sandwiches and does a fabulous pastel de nata amongst other sweet delights. I tended to favour a galão which is a tall milky coffee served in a glass.

    Cafe Brasileira
    © ILWL

    The staff are snappily dressed and quick but with the exception of one waiter who was always very polite and smiled, some of the staff are rather curt to say the least. I noticed a sign was hung over the toilets every day I went there “closed for cleaning” but discovered this seemed to be there to stop people just using them without actually purchasing from the cafe. When I decided to pluck up courage and ask if I could use the toilets, they indicated no problem.

    Despite the grouchy service, I rather like A Brasileira and find it an enjoyable spot to sit in the early mornings. The whole of the street is pedestrianised and it’s good to just sit and watch the world go by. Aside from the many obvious tourists, locals still come here too. I watched a Portuguese family encourage their little boy to pose with Pessoa, an elderly gentleman reading the paper and a hippy girl who had found possibly one of the cutest dogs I’ve ever seen and was trying to find the owner. As I watched her feed the pup a few mouthfuls of pastry, I figured that he might just have found himself a new home with her.

    Fernando Pessoa Statue
    © ILWL

    Due to its enormous popularity, the prices are noticably higher here – 5 euro’s for a coffee and pastel de nata (circa 2008), but I guess that is to be expected. Opened originally as the place to go for a real Brazilian coffee they have kept their reputation for excellent coffee. Looking at the array of bottles behind the bar, I’m imagining that night-time drinking isn’t bad either.

    Whilst Brasileira is sometimes impossibly busy, if you can find the right moment it is an iconic place to visit when you are in Lisbon. Find a seat, order a bica and take out your pen and paper. Inspiration is sure to follow…