Wandering around Lisbon

The Castelo Sao Jorge is visible from most parts of Lisbon, especially at night when it is illuminated, and sits glowing on its hilltop like a scene from a fairytale. Up close, it's a fascinating insight into the layers of history here. Archaeological digs have revealed Neolithic stone tools, Roman ruins and weaponry, ceramics from the Moorish era and ceramics and jewellery from the time of the Portuguese empire. It's all pretty awesome for those of us from a nation where 'historic' means a hundred years old!

A steep walk down the hill from the castle is the Cathedral of Maria Majore, the place of worship and burial site of the aristocracy of Lisbon during the empire. I'm fascinated by the stone sarcophagi in which the most influential folks were buried - the ones with a relief statue of the departed carved in the lid, usually surrounded by symbolic objects from their life such as weapons or a hound curled at their feet - many of the women have an open book in their hands (which would definitely be my sort of tomb).

In the afternoon we made a long hot trek out to the National Costume Museum, which has a remarkable collection of historic clothing. Portugal is famous for embroidery and lace-making, and there were some beautiful examples of this craft, all lovingly restored, preserved and displayed. This was the case with all the museums and galleries - the country has huge respect for its own history, which is reflected in the way sites and objects are cherished. The only exception is the layer of hideous graffiti which covers all but the most significant and well-policed buildings. There were even ugly spraypaint tags on the ruins of the Roman aqueduct, so maybe they haven't done such a great job in educating their young people to honour the past. Or perhaps it's just another historical layer, to be excavated and theorised over some time in the distant future?

Up to the Bairro Alto for an excellent Moroccan-style dinner. This is one of the old neighbourhoods with narrow cobbled streets, now the centre of Lisbon night-life and arty shops and boutiques. It's also the place to go to experience Fado, the traditional music style - but more of that in the next post. See you soon!

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