A few days away in Lisbon for some #TouristStuff, 06 January 2024

A few days away in Lisbon for some #TouristStuff, 06 January 2024

Just before Christmas we took a few days away in Lisbon. We 'pushed the boat out' and stayed in a nice hotel just away from the city centre but close enough to visit and met up with friends who took us to several places that normally we would never ever see. It was the perfect opportunity for some #TouristStuff.

Of course I took a couple of cameras, the Canon Powershot A720, my new favourite camera for intentional camera movement (ICM), the Minox 35GT loaded with Lomochrome Turquoise,  and a crappy little supermarket brand SelecLine 5MP digicam. The images here are from the Canon and the SelecLine, the Lomochrome Turquoise film has still to be developed. 

The first day was our journey and arrival in Lisbon. The intention was to spend at least one day visiting the bank of the Rio Tejo and the exhibition by Joana Vasconcelos at Maat, the Museu de Arte, Arquitetura e Tecnologia. However, it turned out that we did all of that on the first day. In addition to the paid exhibit inside Maat, 'Árvore da Vida' (Tree of Life) there were two other pieces by Joana Vasconcelos outside the venue. 'I’ll Be Your Mirror' is an enormous Venetian mask made with mirrors, and 'Solitaire', a giant engagement ring made of car wheels and topped with a 'diamond' made up of whisky tumblers.

Of course, both exhibits were hugely popular with people walking along the river bank, and Maat itself is a beautiful sight around sunset. Also along the riverbank is a piece of artwork that has been in place for a few years now. 'Central Tejo' by artist Pedro Cabrita Reis was commissioned by the EDP Foundation and completed in June 2018. Made of aluminium, at night it is lit up with fluorescent lights and is a striking sight.

The second day we went to Sintra and the Atlantic coast, stopping at the Praia das Maçãs, Cabo da Roco, the westernmost part of Europe, and the Boca do Inferno, which literally translates as the Hellmouth. This day the Hellmouth was spectacularly calm and the tide was low, but there was this amazing phenomenon where the waves came ashore and pushed water through a gap in the rock that made the Earth sound like it was breathing.

We also stopped at Praia Azenhas do Mar, a village built on the top of a sheer cliff which at the bottom features one of the largest salt water pools in Europe. Praia Azenhas do Mar is renowned for its resemblance to Mediterranean villages of white buildings built into the hills, and with a view from across the bay it's easy to see why.

The last day was spent in Lisbon, both in the Old Town, which was full of hills and old buildings, and the centre, with its modern buildings and parks. We stopped for lunch in the old town then went to Winter Wonderland and around the shopping district of Chiado. We also stopped at the large square in the centre of Lisbon, the Praça do Comércio, which at this time of year was decorated with a huge Christmas tree.

The last day was spent packing, and then we headed for the railway station. After a couple of days doing #TouristStuff it was nice to try a little ICM with the Canon. All in all we had a lovely couple of days, but it was nice to head back home.

#Lisbon, #Portugal, #Lisboa, #Travel, #TouristStuff, #LisbonLovers, #Europe, #Maat, #Sintra, #JoanaVasconcelos, #StreetArt,