Lisbon: Cidade do meu coração

I had the chance, on a personal trip with my friends, to visit the beautiful city of Lisbon, a city with the colours of the South, with the heat so aggressive but with which you have to live, and honestly, it is not so difficult. I didn’t know Lisbon or Portugal, I was traveling in the unknown, I hadn’t bothered to find out beforehand because I wanted to discover everything on the spot, I wanted to get away from it all, to forget the culture that was mine for a week.

When I got there, my initial idea was simple: I wanted to party, to enjoy all the advantages that Lisbon had to offer that I didn’t have at home. It is true that Lisbon is at first sight a city of the night, with its atmosphere changing as the sun sets, its inhabitants like a bomb waiting to explode when the moon dares to show itself, its mojitos, beers and caipirinhas so easy to get to and at ridiculously low prices, replacing the dishes of the Alfama district with the drinks of Bairo Alto. One would almost believe that Lisbon is lunatic, bipolar. Indeed, Lisbon is a city of the night, it has everything it takes to be one, but the party in Lisbon is not comparable to the party in another city, it does not have the best parties in the world, but it is certain that they are unique.

The truth is that the night in Lisbon is not only filled with alcohol, electro music and overrated decorations. If you look hard enough you can find bars where the music is simple, with a singer, a guitar, only a few candles as a light, flags of all colours and people who are content to enjoy their evening over a drink if they don’t just want to get drunk. This is the real Lisbon of the night, with the codes of a city of the night like any other, but also with its authenticity, its charm. It is this Lisbon that touched me, that seduced me.

Of course, I did not only see the Lisbon by night, I was also able to contemplate it by day. The difference is not obvious, but it can be seen in the details, for those who have the curiosity to take a look at its architecture, the sunlight makes it possible to see the details of its buildings, and its colours. One thing that is typical of Lisbon is its old tramway that everyone knows, at night it is just an empty wagon, an obstacle in our way, by day it is a place full of life and an element of scenery. It is also a city with its spaces, mainly the tourist areas in the heart of the city centre. The heart of the city is clearly an area in the process of gentrification, because Lisbon is obviously a very touristy city that can attract people from all over the world who want to acquire a second home. The richest areas of Lisbon are located in the heart of the city and in the hills, as this city has the peculiarity of being built close to the coasts and hills. As far as the popular districts are concerned, the further you go from the city centre to the outskirts, the poorer the districts become.

Finally, Lisbon is not strictly speaking a global city, but it does have characteristics of one, although it is certainly a European city. It has a very large seaport and its possibilities linked to maritime transport are very wide geographically. It is also a city that produces (textiles, oil, etc…) and logically exports. What also struck me about Lisbon is the number of languages that can be heard in its streets, which clearly shows that it is an attractive city that can attract people from all walks of life. The ability of Lisbon’s inhabitants to speak other languages is a good example of how this city is adapting to globalisation and how it is able to benefit economically from it.

To sum up my experience in Lisbon, I would say that Lisbon is not the most impressive city to visit, but it is capable of seducing you with its authenticity, simplicity and the change of scenery that it can make you feel without being too far away from you. Lisbon is not the most beautiful city in the world, but it is certainly unique.