New Year in Portugal
New Year’s Eve is a night filled with loud celebrations in Portugal. People get together in the 31st December, usually for dinner, and celebrate all night long, saying goodbye to the old year and welcoming the new one — hoping it will bring only good things.
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Christmas in Portugal
In Portugal, Christmas is all about family and the warm feeling of being together, around the Christmas tree and the nativity scene, sharing a meal, making a toast and giving presents.
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Portuguese liqueurs, reinforcing emotions
To warm the cold hands after your Tagus, Olisipo or Hills Tramcar Tour through Lisbon, step out at our stop in Praça da Figueira and walk to the next square, Rossio. In its upper right corner, in the São Domingos Square, you will find a tiny shop where you can try one of the most traditional liquors in the city: Ginjinha. This is the best way to appreciate the real and historic flavour of this liquor.
High-end Shopping in Lisbon
In the heart of downtown Lisbon, the main street Avenida da Liberdade appears as a lovely and elegant tree-lined boulevard. It definitely has a place on the list of European cities with shopping areas known for their luxury international labels, expensive jewelery and fine fragrances.
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FADO — UNESCO Intangible World Heritage
Sunday, November 27th, 2011 — a historical day for the Portuguese culture. UNESCO finally proclaimed Fado as an Intangible World Heritage. Now, Fado is not only for the Portuguese. Fado belongs to the whole world.
You have probably heard of Fado before, but if you haven’t, here is a small introduction.
For many, Fado is an anguished song that sings about suffering, the longing of the past, fate, pain, love and jealousy, the typical neighborhoods of the city and it is often an instrument of social criticism. It has many faces: from Fado Vadio, non-professional, to Fado Castiço, the most traditional in Lisbon neighborhoods, and Fado Moderno. The highest expression of Fado Moderno and one of the biggest icons of Portuguese culture was Amália Rodrigues, considered the greatest Fado singer of all time.
However, even if you know what Fado is, you probably don’t know anything about its history. That’s what we are going to talk about today.
In Lisbon on a cruise — See the city in a few hours (Part 1)
Arriving in Lisbon on a cruise is a unique experience. You’ll see the city rising on the horizon, revealing its magical light and you will immediately fall in love with it. The problem is you only have a few hours to spend here (4 hours in average) and you are not sure which are the best places to see — even with the best travel guide you can buy, there is nothing like a local to tell you what you can’t miss and to point out every little and precious detail. Fortunately, we are here to help — so let us take you on what we think is the perfect tour for you to get the best of Lisbon in a few hours!
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Things to do in Lisbon this Autumn
The orange, brown and golden tones that the autumn gives to Lisbon makes it the ideal time of the year to visit the city. We can no longer go to the beach or take a walk in the beautiful gardens, but the temperature is still mild, the sun is often on the prowl and we can make a more relaxing visit. With a pack of roasted chestnuts, which we found on sale on every corner, and a light sweater, we´re ready for a well spent weekend , even with a few drops of rain.
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Celebrating Autumn in Lisbon
If you are walking around Lisbon and feel the warm, delicious smell of roasted chestnuts you’ll know the autumn has arrived. The weather has chilled a little — but we still are one of the mildest Europe cities — and the streets have now a yellowish romantic light, so enjoy it! Put on a warm jacket and walk around, because Lisbon is the cosiest city to be. For a more romantic day, we suggest a ride following the route of the legendary tram 28.
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Following the route of the legendary Tram 28 in Lisbon
Lisbon is a very pleasant city to visit on foot, but travelling by tram throughout the old alleys, it’s an experience you’ll never forget. The tram is one of the most iconic symbols of the city — being almost a monument — that leads us to meet other landmarks of Lisbon and to get to know its history.
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Sweet Temptations in Lisbon
Lisbon is a city where great food and the pleasures of a long meal are privileged. Every meal has plenty of flavour. Therefore, in what comes to sweet gastronomy, Lisbon is a paradise. Although you might not get the recipe for every cake, since many of them are protected, being a secret only known by few. These secrets were locked for centuries in convents, one of the big references on Lisbon cake culture and the responsible for all its success. All around we hear names such as “Pastéis de Belém”, cakes from Sintra, “trouxas da Malveira”, all of them intense flavoured cakes in an endless number of choices.
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