That Time We Went to Lisbon

I love to travel.  I always have, and even as a child, I was always fascinated by the prospect of traveling to far off places.

Fortunately, I met John — who also shares my love for travel — and we have passed that on to our kids as well.

I hope that my kids will look back on all the adventures that we have had together as a family and smile about them — I sure do smile when I think back on our time together in Lisbon.

Ah, Lisbon, we did not have long enough to explore it’s streets and neighborhoods.  It was magical.

Of all the places we visited on our epic family pilgrimage this past summer , Lisbon is the one place that I hope to revisit one day.

It’s not magical like the pristine white beaches and crystal clear waters you see in travel ads — no, it’s far more gritty than that.

Lisbon is a bustling city, people everywhere, marked by graffiti and activity.  In many ways, Lisbon is the over-looked brother of the more popular, Spain, but it’s people and places have captured my heart.

It was once one of the most important sources for exploration, discovery and contributions made to the world — but that isn’t the case anymore.

What remains is a beautiful history and tradition and a surprising humility that made me love the place — even more than Spain.

One of my favorite things about Lisbon is the ceramic artwork you find everywhere.  These beautiful tiles and mosaics are just a way of life for them.

The locals seem to walk by all of this grandeur without giving it a second glance.  It seems they think that’s just how a facade should look.

There’s that humility again.

It’s a city built on hills, and there are beautiful spots to watch the sunset and take in the views throughout the entire city.

You could get lost on the streets leading up and down the hills.  All of a sudden you just might find yourself on a beautiful lookout, staring out at some amazing views.

They call them Miradouros and there are ten of them around the city.  If I ever get back with John, I hope to visit all ten.

This little Miradouro, Santa Luzia, may have been my favorite lookout that we visited.  It’s not fancy and it’s old and aging, but I just liked the feel here.

The churches were spectacular — so ornate and ancient and they held some of the best art in Lisbon — free to anybody who wants to enter in through their doors.

There were also beautiful ruined churches that had been devastated by the Earthquake of 1755.  The Carmo Convent is a ruined gem in an unexpected place in the city.

But don’t just visit the ruins, take some time to visit the churches that fill the city.

After you’ve had your fill of churches, some food is in order.

The food was interesting.  They had salted cod and cod cakes and lovely little restaurants that catered to all your cod desires.  It was good, but I think it was an acquired taste.

They even had entire stores dedicated to canned sardines — look at how elegant they’ve made canned sardines look!  Their sardines were definitely better than the American version.

Our apartment was a beautiful, light-filled little slice of Lisbon life.  It had great city views and was right in the midst of everything.

One of Lisbon’s main promenades, Rua Augusta, was a great place to walk both day and night.  It was pedestrianized and it stretched from the bay of the Tagus River to the main train station.

It was full of street performers and lovely sites and shops.  Most definitely a great place to begin a walking tour of Lisbon.

As an aside, maybe it’s a mom thing, or an introvert thing — but I took advantage of this Lift to space out for a few minutes.

I think it’s my introverted way to try to recharge my batteries after all the social interactions that can become overwhelming for me.

It’s a survival technique I’ve developed over the years.  All you introverts out there — try it out sometime.

Back to Lisbon.

The street performers were really good.  Be warned, some of then just might freak your kids out. 🙁

If you keep walking up towards the train station, you’ll see the Jewish memorial for the massacre that took place in 1506.

Not a proud moment in Christian history, but those who refuse to know history often repeat the same mistakes — so it’s a worthwhile moment to reflect on.

Children were not spared — oh the ugliness of a prejudiced heart.  Hard to fathom, yet even to this day similar massacres happen around the world.

Lord, have mercy.  What a reminder that we must stand in opposition to the evils of our days.

Right at this square is a famous little place for their sour cherry liquor, but after seeing a spot like the Jewish Massacre, it didn’t seem like the time to partake of it.

Eventually you’ll make it all the way to Rossio Square, which is a nice little spot to take a break and then head off for some more sites or catch a train.

We had a big mishap that ate up a big chunk of our last morning in Lisbon.  I suggested we should take the famous Tram 28 to all the sites of Lisbon.

It was a great idea, except for one little detail:  we took it the wrong way.

We spent about a half hour going the wrong way and then we ended up at the end of the line and had to turn around and retrace our steps again.

That hurt.  That was precious time, but such are the hazards of trying to do it all with very little time for mistakes.

My biggest word of advice when traveling is to count on those mistakes and spend more time in fewer spots — rather than trying to see it all in one trip.

Take time to just sit and be and to soak up the place.  Take time to quietly pray in an ancient church and to visit places like the birthplace of one of my favorite Saints — St. Anthony of Padua.

He was born and baptized in Lisbon.  He walked these same streets.  It really connected me to a Saint that I have often called on for help.

The Church of St. Anthony was one of those places you could palpably feel the peace.

The Sé Cathedral holds the baptismal fount where he was baptized, but the church of St. Anthony was built on the place he was born.

You can pray at the same spot where JPII came to visit in the 1980’s. It’s in the basement of St. Anthony’s.

For me, it was a special place.  I had been so upset about our Tram 28 mix up — but 5 minutes praying here reassured me that all would be well.

Five minutes of prayer in any Catholic church will restore my peace in a way that no other place in the world can do.  Time somehow stands still and I know God is there loving me and assuring me that all will be well.

And it really will be well.  Of that I am sure.

I hope you feel that same peace in a Catholic Church.  I really do.

I hope you know that no matter where you wander in this world of ours, God is always waiting there to love you and to let you know that all will be well for you, too.

And that is the end of that time we went to Lisbon.