Twenty years ago today, Lisboa opened a specialized World’s Fair that completely altered the city’s landscape. Local government reclaimed an abandoned industrial zone to make way for pavilions, new housing, a new Metro line, a multi-modal train station & a second bridge across the Tejo River. Lisbon would never be the same.
Continue reading → lisboa: expo ’98
I practically grew up in our local branch of the public library in Memphis. I think my mom figured out it was free child care, & I could spend hours going through the stacks without ever noticing the time. So when I heard the Lisbon city government spent 2.5 million € to fix up this public library, I couldn’t wait to check it out.
Continue reading → lisboa: palácio galveias
Writing about the Mosteiro dos Jerónimos grew from a fascination of Portugal’s most famous monument, & the cloister takes my breath away every time I visit. Let’s walk through what it takes to produce an Endless Mile guide using the monastery as an example…
Continue reading → writing: mosteiro dos jerónimos
When Pope Alexander III officially recognized Afonso Henriques as king in 1179, Portugal joined other prestigious royal houses in Europe. Dynasties would come & go—with several tragedies in between—but royalty ruled until the establishment of Portugal’s first republic in 1910. That span of 731 years gave Portugal much of its modern-day national heritage; however, unlike other European countries, royal palaces are not part of the main tourist circuit. Why not?
Continue reading → lisboa: palácio da ajuda
Let’s continue our exploration of the Metro in the heart of the city. This was the first completely new line added to the existing Metro system, completed in 1998 to whisk visitors to & from the World Expo. A compass pointing east symbolizes the red line, at one time alternatively named the Linha do Oriente. The original section of the line—Alameda to Oriente—has been extended in both directions, & is an easy way to get from the airport to the city center…
Continue reading → lisboa metro: linha vermelho tiles
Let’s continue our exploration of the Metro in the city center. Maybe check out the end of the aqueduct nearby or first have lunch at the fabulous, non-touristy Cervejaria Real Fábrica? Your choice. A sunflower symbolizes the yellow line, at one time alternatively named the Linha Girassol. Not many tourist sites are near this route—with the exception of the worthwhile Museu da Cidade in Campo Grande—so cars are more filled with locals & university students…
Continue reading → lisboa metro: linha amarela tiles
Let’s continue our exploration of the Metro back at the waterfront. A seagull symbolizes the blue line, at one time alternatively named the Linha Gaivota. It is the longest of all four lines with 13.7 km of track & 18 stations. That’s a lot to cover! In my opinion, some of the best Metro tile work can be found here…
Continue reading → lisboa metro: linha azul tiles
Let’s start our exploration of the Metro at the waterfront. A ship symbolizes the green line, at one time alternatively named the Linha Caravela. Although I can’t confirm this theory, I believe Metro officials adopted dual names as a navigation aid for the 1998 World Expo: four lines, four colors, four symbols. Text references to these navigation aids have been abandoned, but their symbols still decorate signage…
Continue reading → lisboa metro: linha verde tiles
Almost every Lisbon guidebook calls the subway system “an underground museum.” Sounds a bit cliché, but Metro stations contain so many different tile panels that the phrase holds true. However, the original network design neglected any type of decoration. Here’s how Lisboa’s Metro became a vibrant gallery space & a perfect thing to visit on a rainy day.
Continue reading → lisboa metro: tiles
After years of coming to Lisboa, at long last I’ve been able to see what I consider one of the city’s “holy grail” sites: Roman galleries buried underneath the modern-day Baixa. They are so difficult to visit because since the 1980s, the city government only opens them once or twice per year.
Continue reading → lisboa: galerias romanas
AfterLife
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Recoleta Cemetery in Buenos Aires