Ever since my young adulthood, I have been secretly dreaming of Portugal. I don't know, maybe this has to do with my introduction to the culture during a very impressionable part of my life, my teenage years. Trips from our home to Provincetown where we spent three weeks each Summer, brought so many memories and I truly wanted to visit long before it was considered to be an "in" destination.
So, here I sit, on a little balcony, outside of the apartment that is home to me and my eighteen year old, newly graduated from high-school, granddaughter. When I asked if she might like to travel as a special gift, she didn't hesitate and when we wondered where we might go, Lisbon came to both of us immediately. We agreed that Portugal was the place for us and that together, we would learn.
After a comfortable flight from Boston on Sunday night, we were collected at the airport by Jorge, and driven to Rua do Crucifixo. Our little apartment is on the 4th floor of a traditional low-rise building that is located in the part of the city known as "Baixa". It's lively but not crowded and very conveniently located for foot travel. Lisbon is a city of hills and commanding views thanks to those elevations. We're in a flat neighborhood. I'm not accustomed to that, being a part-time resident of one of Italy's hilliest little cities. But, we have mounted a few inclines, and, so far, have enjoyed gorgeous views of the entire city. From where I sit at the moment, I have a lovely view of the Rio Tejo, a river that has a bridge in the distance that bears a resemblance to the Golden Gate in San Francisco. Lisbon's charming system of cable cars also brings San Francisco to mind. Sister cities. This one's a bit older however.
This will be a week filled with moments that will have so much to do with being eighteen and at the same time, being fourteen all over again. We're sharing stories, we're laughing and touring and getting into the swing of it all. Lisbon is loaded with interesting nooks and crannies, streets made of mosaics, and the best part is that it is not overcrowded as many other European cities are this time of year. The weather is perfect, the sky, blue and cloudless.
Lucy is taking a power nap at the moment. We had a city tour this morning with a small group and an excellent local guide and by its end, we had learned Portuguese history far better than we could have in a text book. That history is filled with quirky facts about young kings, baby queens, dictators, fascists and one very, very strong earthquake that decimated the city and most of its inhabitants.
As I gaze down to the harbor now, it holds so much more meaning for me. The "Great Lisbon Earthquake" struck on Saturday morning, November 1, 1755. Because it was a holy day, churches were filled with people who were observing "All Saints Day" and candles burned. Earthquaking and candles make for heightened disaster and fires broke out throughout the city. People fled to the harbor for safety. Earthquakes also cause another type of disaster, tsunami. Those who survived the rubble and the fires probably met their end due to the tsunami which came as sudden as the quake. It is said that between thirty and forty thousand residents perished that day and the entire city had to be rebuilt. As a consequence, the buildings in Lisbon are not higher than four or five stories and have been constructed with future quakes in mind. The next one is due in a hundred and thirty years. I'm not going to worry too much about it. But, the king of Portugal at that time, Joseph, did worry about it. Lots.
On the day of the earthquake, Joseph, at the invitation of his daughter, left the city for a celebration at her country home. He missed all the excitement despite the fact that he wasn't all that far away, in Belem, an area that is now part of Lisbon. He was so terrified of all that occurred and was, from that time on, determined to never live in a place which had walls! So, from 1755 until his death, Joseph lived in a tent. Enough history for today. There's a glass of vinho verde with my name on it and there's not a tsunami in sight for the time being.
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