Pocket Lisbon (Lonely Planet Pocket Guides) (Travel Guide)

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The renewed Lisbon Book Fair offers a distinct cultural programme, more complete and with more activities for all ages, similar to what happened in the period before the pandemic. Visitors will be able to attend several presentations, debates, launches, round tables, award ceremonies, autograph sessions and general celebrations centred on books. This year the Fair will have Ukraine as its guest of honour, where there will be a stand dedicated to the country. If you happen to be strolling through the Chiado area on a Saturday, you may stumble across a small street lined with tables and stalls, each one laden with more books than you could imagine: this is the Feira dos Alfarrabistas. I’m often asked about the best time to visit Lisbon. But the truth is, you don’t really need to worry about when to travel to Lisbon because it’s likely there will be some sunshine for part of your stay at the very least!

When I first tried them in Macau, a former Portuguese colony, I wasn’t really sold on them because I’m not a huge fan of custard, so I wasn’t really thinking about them much before we went to Portugal. His father, a stern man and a judge loyal to the government, later crumbles under the pressure of his conscience and commits suicide. Amadeu, who is by now an accomplished and well-liked doctor, saves the life of Mendez, the "Butcher of Lisbon" and Chief of Secret Police. In the public eye, Amadeu's actions mark him down as a traitor, resulting in him being shunned and secretly joining the resistance to ease his conscience. After his premature death due to an aneurysm, Amadeu's notes and journal entries are edited and published by his sister Adriana. She owes her life to Amadeu and religiously devotes her energy to preserving her brother's legacy.

It’s difficult to say how long to spend in Lisbon, but I’d add in at least one day extra than you’re planning to have so you can take day trips from the city, or keep those nearby places in mind as somewhere to go after you visit the city. Lisbon is a year-round destination, with warm summers and mild winters. Hot summer temperatures are cooled off by the Atlantic breeze, while in winter they never reach the freezing point. Although it’s known as a sunny city and for being the European capital with the mildest winters, it can also rain for days between November and April. Weather at that time of the year is quite unpredictable, but in the spring there may be downpours for one hour followed by clear skies and sun. Because many of Lisbon’s top attractions are outdoors (the viewpoints, beaches, and even the palace-hopping in Sintra), visiting in the wettest months may not be a good idea. The high tourist season is between June and early September, so the prices of accommodation go up at that time. Late May and mid-September may be the best times to visit, as temperatures are mild, it’s good enough for days at the beach, and the crowds are fewer. If you must visit in the summer, make sure you book accommodation well in advance. O tema II Guerra Mundial sempre me fascinou, talvez por ter sido um marco na História da Humanidade e que mudou o Mundo para sempre. Por isso e principalmente por o tema central deste livro ser o papel de Portugal nesse período, achei que seria uma leitura interessante e, quem sabe, enriquecedora do ponto de vista histórico… During WWII, Lisbon was the only European city where both the Axis powers and the Allies operated openly. It was frequently compared with Casablanca. Throughout the War, Salazar was exclusively concerned with maintaining a form of neutrality that allowed him to play all sides against one another for Portugal’s geopolitical and economic advantage. He succeeded in these goals, proving to be an able, if unscrupulous, negotiator.

Even so, despite quite a bit of information about Salazar's opinions and daily routines and his psychology of government, I think that the author missed an opportunity to describe Salazar's connection to the Roman Catholic Church. Salazar is much less like Franco and maybe more like Pope Pius XII ( the author does briefly mention that the pontiff's photo portrait replaced Mussolini's on Salazar's desk after the fortunes of the Axis turned). There is only one mention that Salazar's roommate at Coimbra University and one of his closest confidants, who becomes the Cardinal of Lisbon. Salazar seemed to see the world through the narrow view of corporatist authoritarianism, which was the view of scholastic medieval theological law. Salazar was a man of the late medieval era, who had no trouble keeping the serfs of his country poor and never traveled outside of Portugal, and tried to keep his country in a medieval state of lese majeste for as long as possible.Finally, there is a lot of repetition. For example, every time Ian Fleming is mentioned, we are reminded that he is the author of the James Bond "movies" (sic). Many other figures get the same repetitive treatment. Again, even a half-awake editor would have cut out most of these redundancies. To reach the top of the tallest hills, nothing can beat the good-old trams and funiculars. Lisbon preserves vintage vehicles with wooden interiors, and they go through some of the city’s most picturesque streets. The only disadvantage is that they’re public transportation, so are always crowded and can be uncomfortable if you don’t get a seat. Fortunately, there are now routes just for tourists, where you can always comfortably enjoy the ride and the views along the way: Lisbon tram tours

Night Train to Lisbon is a philosophical novel by Swiss writer Pascal Mercier. It recounts the travels of Swiss Classics instructor Raimund Gregorius as he explores the life of Amadeu de Prado, a Portuguese doctor, during António de Oliveira Salazar's right-wing dictatorship in Portugal. Prado is a serious thinker whose active mind becomes evident in a series of his notes collected and read by Gregorius. Having opened its doors in 1732, this grand, elegant store is located in the heart of the city’s Chiado area, and is spread out across the ground floor of a traditional Lisbon townhouse; in fact, it’s also known to be the largest operating bookstore in Portugal. Lose yourself in its deep labyrinth of books, its low archways guiding you from one room to another.For this reason, Lisbon makes a great European budget holiday destination. Beer is as cheap as €2 in many places, to give you an idea! Bookshop Bivar sets itself apart from other bookstores in the city for one particular reason: all its books are in English. It is for this reason, then, that the tiny, bright shop, decorated with smooth, light wood, is a popular favourite amongst Lisbon’s growing expat community. Its proximity to a large number of Lisbon’s co-working offices means that its clientele is made up, primarily, of the freelancers who work nearby, acting as a meeting point for this network of digital nomads.

The author does fairly point out that Salazar didn't have much interest in helping the Jews; Salazar continually referred to the persecution of the Jews by the Germans, no matter where they were in Europe, as an " internal affair". (Note that this phraseology is a favorite of dictators who avoid expressing ethics which might open them to charges of hypocrisy, or at least to discourage any kind of scrutiny at all). Also, a little embarrassing for the British and their diplomacy that allowed Portugal to finally join the allies after it was clear Germany was on the wane (maybe less able to pay for tungsten?), that the victory of the Allies was greeted by Salazar sending condolences (to whom?) over the death of Hitler! Rental Cars: If you want flexibility, we recommend renting a car at the airport. This provides the easiest way to see certain landmarks. Lisbon will still be warm during the best time to visit, but should be less busy than the peak summer months. Lisbon is also a good base to discover other highlights of Portugal, such as Évora, Óbidos, or the fishing-villages-turned-surfing-meccas Ericeira and Nazaré.

Madame Bovary

The coast around Lisbon has a variety of beautiful beaches. Some have the perfect waves for surfing, others have no waves at all, but they’re all clean and sandy. Some are crowded, others are wild and nearly deserted. If you’ll be in the city in the spring and summer months, try to prolong your stay for one or more days at the beach. A balmy climate invites the people of Lisbon to enjoy their nights on the streets. No weekend in the city is complete without bar-hopping in the neighborhoods of Bairro Alto and Cais do Sodré -- everyone buys a drink inside and stays chatting by the door or on the street, before moving to another bar to repeat the dose. Lisbon is famous for its number 28 yellow tram and is one major reason why people visit, after seeing iconic photos of it moving through the narrow city streets. There are actually a number of trams that run all over the city as well the specific tourist trams.