De Volta em Lisboa

Lisboa, Portugal – Some of you may know that I spent my junior year of college in Lisbon.  I have been very excited to come back after twenty-some years to show Sebastian and the kids where I lived and studied and where I had such great memories.  It has been quite a flash coming back here and I have gone through a mix of emotions.

We arrived about a week ago in Cascais, the western-most point of the Tagus River and very commonly the first stop for sailors when coming to the Lisbon area.  Twenty years ago I remember Cascais as a sleepy, quaint fishing town where one would come to go to the beach or spend a Sunday for lunch or coffee.  It is about 45 minutes away by train from downtown Lisbon and now is very upscale with outside cafes and tourists all over the place.  There has been a lot of development and Cascais is very crowded – of course it is the peak of summer and the America’s Cup sailing race is due to begin here in a week, so the town is in overdrive.

The sail from Cascais to Lisbon is about 3 hours.  We actually anchored in Seixal, which is right in front of Lisbon on the other side of the river.  The day we arrived in Seixal couldn’t have been more beautiful for sailing and I was as nervous as a little schoolgirl on her first day, as we passed by so many of the familiar sites; from the obvious tourist points, to the more personal locations from way back when:  The Tower of Belém, the Monument to the Discoveries, the apartment building of my friend’s aunt, the plaza where we would meet to go out, etc.

Our stay in Seixal was nice in that we were with our sailing buddies from Soleil and Tinfish, so the kids were busy.  During the morning we would all homeschool… what better way to get things done with the “carrot” of playing with their friends when they finished their work!? In the afternoon we took the ferry across the river to Lisbon for some day-trips.

On the one hand, Lisbon has really emerged as an equal to other European capitals after joining the European Union in 1992.  You now see all the typical chains you find in other cities:  McDonald’s, Burger King, Carrefour, El Corte Inglés, etc.  You also see a broader number of people enjoying “the riches,” like expensive, imported cars, sailboats, fashionable clothing.  In other words, there is more conspicuous consumption now than what I fondly remember from Lisbon, a city that still felt very homogeneous, humble and maybe even a little backward and “old-country” feeling.  There has been an influx of immigrants from all over recently, so now Lisbon feels very similar to the “melting-pot” of a big city in the U.S. 

We spent a couple of days visiting some of the main tourist destinations, and but the day I was really looking forward to was when I took the family to the apartment where I used to live on the “Estrada de Benfica.”  I almost didn’t know I was in the right place because there is now a huge freeway just three blocks away from the apartment, and a huge parking lot which used to be the bus stop.  I was a little turned around, but found the street and headed to the apartment.  Sebastian all along was trying to convince me to ring the doorbell and see if the people I lived with still lived there.  I thought there was no way they would still be living there… in fact, I was not even sure I knew which was the right doorway, since there are about 4 buildings right next to each other that look exactly the same.  As I was contemplating this, who was to walk up to the door but Teresa, the lady I rented my room from!  What a shock for both of us!  I was thrilled to see her and introduce her to my husband and children and to get caught up on the last 23 years. 

Next we visited the “Universidade de Lisboa, Faculdade de Letras” which had not changed much at all, except for a few updates.  In fact, the classroom and one of the desks where I used to sit, was still in its place!  It was already late in the day, so I was not able to visit anyone, but I did leave a note for my “advisor” from way back when, who I was pleased to hear is now the head of the department.  Everything was surprisingly the same there… but such a flash.

In general, I saw Lisbon as having progressed in many ways, but along with progress comes the negatives.  There was a lot of graffiti, a lot of dirt on the façades of the buildings – many abandoned - as well as trash in the streets, druggies, you name it.  I was saddened to see this part.  It wasn’t the vibrant, safe city I remember.  It still has the same outward beauty, but its soul has changed.  (sigh!)  The kids and Sebastian were troopers asking a lot of questions and going along… but even Benjie said, “Why don’t they pick up the trash, Mamá?”

On another note, we met up again with Aurora, the Argentinean woman who crossed the Atlantic solo.  Lisbon was her final destination as she is flying back to Buenos Aires after ling on her boat for a year and a half.  Aurora will put Shipping up in dry dock here in Lisbon (Seixal) for a year and she says she will spend next summer in the Med sailing.  Not only did we have a goodbye dinner together, but we met up in the middle of the Tagus so she could give us all the things from her boat hat she no longer was going to use:  food and diesel fuel!

Our plans are to try to take some big chunks and sail far down the coast of Portugal to the south and on to Spain. 

NEXT STOP:  Sagres, Portugal (just east of Cabo de São Vicente)

Cascais, day after our arrival

Another view fo Cascais from Begonia

The Koziuras have arrived!

The beach is FULL of people.

There's Begonia!

The "Trois Mosquetaires" Sofia, representing the US; Jenny from the UK and Fanny from Reunion Island

Begonia and Tinfish in the house!

Cascais Street Scene

Pequeno Descanso

Luis de Camoes, the Portuguese Shakespeare.

Torre de Belem, the point where Henry the Navigator left Portugal to discover the world.

The Monument of the Discoveries

The Captain as we sail underneath "Ponte 25 de Abril" (what a six-pack, Sebas!)

The kids after cooling off in the sprinklers

Praca do Comercio from the Rio Tejo

Soph in front of the famous 500 year old monastery where Vasco da Gama is buried.

Karla and kids at the Praca do Comercio

Benj in one of the spots where I took Tio Max

Typical Portuguese boat

In front of ghe zoo entrance on the Estrada de Benfica down the street from where I lived.  I have a photo in this exact spot from years ago.

Teresa and I in front of he apartment

Another shot of the apartment entrance, now with graffitti

On the front steps of the Faculdade de Letras

At the cafeteria of the University

Soph at the desk where I sat....

Right outside our classroom window

Main building of the Universidade de Lisboa

Kids in fron of the university cantina

In the subway

The subway was a treat for the kids....

Later in a town square avec Fanny

Aurora giving us her diesel fuel

Saying our goodbyes

At a 9th century Moorish castle in Sintra

Skull and bones.... and Benjie

Depiction of fado singer - typical music of Portugal

On the streets of Sintra

Sintra

The Captain in front of an America's Cup competitor

The kids with Fernando Pessoa, famous Portuguese writer and artist from the 20s and 30s

Cafe A Brasileira, home to the Potuguese intelligentsia from Pessoa's time

Is this San Fran?

One of the elevators you will find in the city

One of the many city plazas... very beautiful until....

...you look at the tops of the buildings and see the lack of maintenance

Eating typical pasteis de natas.

The main train station of Rossio in the heart of the city

Restaurant in the Bairro Alto where I ate with Tia Diane and Uncle Joe

Streetcar Called Desire

Even going to the supermarket is a cultural experience... you never know what you'll find in the frozen food section.

Soleil, Begonia and Tinfish

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FOUNTAINE PAJOT ATHENA 38 CATAMARAN FOR SALE – After our wonderful experience, BEGONIA is ready for its next sailing family – with or without children!  Please contact sebastiankoziura@hotmail.com for more information.