A Walk into Lisbon

Monday, December 28, 1998

Breakfast

The price of my room included breakfast at the buffet downstairs - and it was a substantial meal. There were a lot of hungry folks from many different worlds all munching and chatting away. While eating, I met a retired couple from Los Angeles who had been driving slowly though Spain and Portugal and were now all the way to Lisbon. They had been staying in a different hotel each day for a couple weeks and they planned to stay at the Fenix for 3 days in a row - they sure seemed happy about it! They were just taking their time and really exploring the country. They were the only Americans I can remember seeing (or hearing) the rest of my stay in Lisbon. You can see a picture of my room at left above. The first morning I awoke to a workman outside and below my window whistling away. When I came back to my room around 6 that evening, he was still working and whistling.

After breakfast, fully charged, I was ready to take on Lisbon. My hotel was conveniently located as I mentioned earlier, so after a brief conversation with the front desk to find out just exactly where I was in the big scheme of the city, I headed out the door. I walked down the Avanida da Liberdade, the main boulevard that led straight through the heart of the city and ended at the harbor created on the Rio Tejo (the river Tagus) estuary.

There really is no guidebook or photos that can prepare one for being in a place like Lisbon. The size of the statues in this town are incredible! Some tower at least 10 stories and are created with the most exquisite rendering of humans, beasts, and firmament. In the picture at right, notice the person in the lower left corner.

History

Let´s pause for a little history. The Elder Pliny and Luis de Camoes (16th  century Portuguese poet) himself gave credence to the story that Lisbon was founded by Ulysses. But in actual fact it was the Phoenicians who in 1200 BC settled here because the Tagus offered safe haven for their galleys. The city then was called Alis Ubbo (calm port), and the city prospered for more than six centuries.

After that, the Greeks, the Romans, the Barbarians, and finally, the Moors took turns winning and losing the city. The name changed with each new master. Alis Ubbo became Olissibona (Visigoths) before Felicitas Julia (Romans), then Lissibona. The Moors where finally driven out by Portugal´s first king Dom Afanso Henriques, helped by thousands of Flemish, Norman, German, and English crusaders on their way to the Holy Land. The Moors had been in residence since 714. The seige lasted four months before Lisbon was finally pronounced the capital.

In the 15th and 16th centuries Portugal really prospered as fearless explorers penetrated the four corners of the world - I believe they even opened up a new route to China. Their travels brought great wealth to Lisbon in the form of gold, diamonds, silks and spices from colonies in South America, Africa, and Asia.. The end of the 767 year monarchy happened in 1908 when King Carlos 1 was assassinated in the Praca do Comercio, Lisbon´s main square (picture above and left). Portugal became a republic and eventually had a Prime Minister. In 1974 the Portuguese government was overthown during the Red Carnation revolution. In 1986 they joined the EU.  I´ve been informed by reliable sources that sometime duing all this, Billy Jean King and Ellen Dejeneris moved to town. No kidding.

Day 2 continues at the Castle of Sao Jorge...I promise less history. Click Here.