LISBON BY NIGHT
By John Yeo
We caught a bus into Lisbon city centre from the busy docks. The first thing that catches your eye as the bus travels along the one way system from the docks to the town centre, is the incredible variety of grafitti that is everywhere. Some were very good works of street art that would be a worthy rival to the work of the famous Banksy, in Britain.
We wandered along the main shopping highway lined with many shops and restaurants thronged with shoppers and local people out for the evening. Many of the shops were decorated with Christmas in mind and were piled high with Christmas gifts and goods on display. There were quite a few buskers already setting up their pitches and sadly there were also a number of homeless people laying out cardboard and blankets, preparing for a very cold night out in the open. We continued to stroll through the main shopping parade, window shopping and taking many photographs of the street life unfolding along the way.
We reached a historic street elevator located halfway along the boulevard. This is a lift that rises hign above the shopping mall where one is treated to a fantastic view of the city. We finally managed to take a ride to the top, well almost, as there were two flghts of a spiral staircase to the very top. We wandered around this lower level taking more photographs. The dark of the evening began to slowly close in around us and the wonderful Christmas illuminations of the city were shining brightly in every direction.
I decided to climb the twisty iron spiral staircase to the very top.There was a two-way system for people going up and people coming down, as the stairs were too narrow for two people to pass each other, at the same time. Much to my surprise I encountered someone coming down as I went up, she had to walk backwards to allow me to reach the top, laughingly she said the other stairway was closed. I filmed a wonderful panoramic movie of the whole area from the very top of the tower, showing the riverside in one direction with a beautifully illuminated square in the other direction.
Margaret and I then made our way down using the lift, and began strolling along the shopping avenue, taking yet more photographs of the Lisbon night life. Crowds of people from the local area had now built up, enjoying a warm, balmy Thursday evening out, eating and shopping, several stalls were roasting and selling hot chestnuts. The shops here are open until 10 pm.
We reached a very crowded well-lit square with many restaurants and shops and stalls selling flowers and tourist souvenirs. A beautifully ornate water-fountain was situated in the middle of this very busy square reflecting the Christmas lights that beautifully lit up the falling water. Some amazing lighting displays in the shape of Christmas gift boxes gave a colourful feel to the whole experience. We snapped many photographs of the people and the monuments before strolling slowly back along the full length of the shopping parade to the square situated at the other end.
Entering this square through a very ornate archway, we first encountered a large well decorated, interesting, artificial christmas tree, we both snapped several photographs of this, in between the buses and trams that were continually passing in front of us. There was a wall of sound coming from a large, well lit, colourful stage, set in the middle of the square. A group of muscians were playing a selection of electronic Spanish melodic music very loudly. Buses, trams and people were everywhere taking the evening air and enjoying the atmosphere of a balmy evening in the centre of Lisbon. Many of the local police were out in force, with the word, "Police", clearly visible on the backs of their jackets.
Margaret and I then caught our bus back to the ship full of the memories of our first experience of Lisbon by night.
Copyright (c) Written by John Yeo ~ All rights reserved.
By John Yeo
We caught a bus into Lisbon city centre from the busy docks. The first thing that catches your eye as the bus travels along the one way system from the docks to the town centre, is the incredible variety of grafitti that is everywhere. Some were very good works of street art that would be a worthy rival to the work of the famous Banksy, in Britain.
We wandered along the main shopping highway lined with many shops and restaurants thronged with shoppers and local people out for the evening. Many of the shops were decorated with Christmas in mind and were piled high with Christmas gifts and goods on display. There were quite a few buskers already setting up their pitches and sadly there were also a number of homeless people laying out cardboard and blankets, preparing for a very cold night out in the open. We continued to stroll through the main shopping parade, window shopping and taking many photographs of the street life unfolding along the way.
We reached a historic street elevator located halfway along the boulevard. This is a lift that rises hign above the shopping mall where one is treated to a fantastic view of the city. We finally managed to take a ride to the top, well almost, as there were two flghts of a spiral staircase to the very top. We wandered around this lower level taking more photographs. The dark of the evening began to slowly close in around us and the wonderful Christmas illuminations of the city were shining brightly in every direction.
I decided to climb the twisty iron spiral staircase to the very top.There was a two-way system for people going up and people coming down, as the stairs were too narrow for two people to pass each other, at the same time. Much to my surprise I encountered someone coming down as I went up, she had to walk backwards to allow me to reach the top, laughingly she said the other stairway was closed. I filmed a wonderful panoramic movie of the whole area from the very top of the tower, showing the riverside in one direction with a beautifully illuminated square in the other direction.
Margaret and I then made our way down using the lift, and began strolling along the shopping avenue, taking yet more photographs of the Lisbon night life. Crowds of people from the local area had now built up, enjoying a warm, balmy Thursday evening out, eating and shopping, several stalls were roasting and selling hot chestnuts. The shops here are open until 10 pm.
We reached a very crowded well-lit square with many restaurants and shops and stalls selling flowers and tourist souvenirs. A beautifully ornate water-fountain was situated in the middle of this very busy square reflecting the Christmas lights that beautifully lit up the falling water. Some amazing lighting displays in the shape of Christmas gift boxes gave a colourful feel to the whole experience. We snapped many photographs of the people and the monuments before strolling slowly back along the full length of the shopping parade to the square situated at the other end.
Entering this square through a very ornate archway, we first encountered a large well decorated, interesting, artificial christmas tree, we both snapped several photographs of this, in between the buses and trams that were continually passing in front of us. There was a wall of sound coming from a large, well lit, colourful stage, set in the middle of the square. A group of muscians were playing a selection of electronic Spanish melodic music very loudly. Buses, trams and people were everywhere taking the evening air and enjoying the atmosphere of a balmy evening in the centre of Lisbon. Many of the local police were out in force, with the word, "Police", clearly visible on the backs of their jackets.
Margaret and I then caught our bus back to the ship full of the memories of our first experience of Lisbon by night.
Copyright (c) Written by John Yeo ~ All rights reserved.