Back to Lisboa

Saturday, December 17th

As it began, so it shall end – the last trip reunites Chief and Chan for the first time since that fateful morning in Malaga. And nothing much has changed. Madrid sees Chief still marching ahead effortlessly while I huff and puff behind under the load of the laptop. I spend an hour drinking in the sunlight at the large urban park Parque del Buen Retiro, and then ignore the claims of Museo del Prado in favour of Museo Thyssen Bornemisza, which LP says should be a comprehensive lesson in art-history.

Paintings of Piazza San Marco of Venice from the 15^th century show the same structures which still stand there today and remind one of all the history behind the cities visited. While lack of time prevents delving into the details using an audio-guide, the visit is fulfilling – at least I’ve now seen works of all these artists through the ages though I know zilch about art.

Next up is another form of art – Roman Polanski’s Oliver Twist. It is impressive in how convincing it is – both the setting (Dickensian if one who has read exactly one-and-a-half works of his may say so) and the acting.

Sunday, December 18^th

Lisbon is a tale of two cities, almost. The old part and the new part are epitomized by the two stations – Santa Apolonia and Gare do Oriente respectively. One is derelict, has the air of a station out of an R.K.Narayan, and opens out to a view of Rio Tejo while the other is a futuristic metal edifice at the centre of modern Lisbon – structures built for Expo ’98 are within a five minute walk while a huge commercial complex called Vasco da Gama sits opposite the station. Vasco da Gama is the venue for another movie later that night – King Kong. (Read this review – my thoughts on the movie have been articulated well!)

But the day begins with a walk around the medieval alleys in the Alfama region before we offload our luggage at a youth hostel for one last time. Lunch is Indian, and probably the most authentic one I’ve had in Europe, at Gandhi Palace at the centre of the city.

Electric trams are found in most European cities but Lisbon seems to have a particularly fond relationship with them. Tiny old trams busily lumber up and down steep cobbled streets, coexisting with their modern versions. One such tram takes us to the Belém area where we spend the rest of the afternoon. First stop is for architecture – Mosteiro dos Jeronimos, second stop on the waterfront, then the ‘tourist icon’ of Portugal: Torre de Belém followed by some lazing on sprawling lawns under a bright evening sun.

Monday, December 19^th

Another sunny day - a typical breakfast at the hostel, backpacks are stowed in pay-per-hour lockers at Gare do Oriente and we are off for another session in old Lisbon. One gets a feeling here of time standing still; the clocks seem to have forgotten to tick into the 21^st century.

Most of the morning is spent exploring the Castelo de Sao Jorge and the surrounding area. For some reason, the castle features donkeys as its primary attraction. Apart from the animals in all their corporeal glory, the grounds contain life-sized posters of several fine specimens, and boards which proclaim hardware + software = burros.

There isn’t much left to see in Lisbon and post lunch it is siesta in the Jardim Botanico. G continues his practice of sending home picture postcards while I try in vain to identify trees and plants learnt about in botany class half-a-dozen years ago. A few more hours of ‘general time-pass’ and we are ready for the train back to Madrid.

And thus ended the last trip, not on a heady high but on a tranquil tone – ignoring the impending submission back at school in Barcelona.