The scents of Lisbon

Why do people travel? It is said that the world has countless places worth visiting in a lifetime. Spot a city on the map and take a closer look. Whatever you choose, there will be museums and art galleries welcoming you with their masterpieces, charming streets with local people swarming on the rhythm of their busy schedules. interesting traditions waiting to be rediscovered and shared. How much of what the travel guides promote really remains in our souls? How can a journey make a difference in our lives? And why do we feel so attracted to hit the road to places we have never seen before?... Everyone of us may have their own answers and a brilliant collection of memories could be there to support them. For me to find my own answer, I must go on a journey again. This time, it will be a journey back in time, through memories. And the final destination will be Lisbon, the capital city of Portugal.

Situated on the estuary of river Tejo, close to the Atlantic Ocean, Lisbon is, without a shred of doubt, a jewel on the list of the Mediterranean cities of Europe. Built on seven hills, it impresses its visitors with a scenery hard to forget. 

The history of Lisbon dates back to the ancient times. According to legend, Lisbon - Olissipona - was named after Ulysses, who founded the settlement after the Trojan war. The Roman and the Muslim conquests mark its history, but the architectural landscape of our days speaks about a more recent event: in 1755, a catastrophic earthquake destroyed most of the city's structures. The plans for rebuilding Lisbon were made by the Marquis of Pombal, Portugal's most important figure of the Age of Enlightenment. Rational and elegant, the Neoclassical buildings provide Lisbon with its unique charm and the sense of sheer grandeur.

The city's closeness to the Atlantic Ocean was a key factor in the history of Lisbon. As seen from Praca do Comercio, the city's largest public square, the apparently limitless ocean, sparkling in the sunlight, fills your nostrils with its salty, fresh scent of adventure, taking you for a few moments on the wings of imagination, to the days when, in the same place, lied the capital of the Portuguese colonial empire. Some great explorer from the Age of Discoveries might have sensed the same calling of the ocean breeze, promising him the chance to find a new land, a new life, beyond the limit of the skyline and stormy waves, beyond the fear of the unknown. You close your eyes and let the windy waterfront of Lisbon tell its stories... And when, finally, the wind encourages you to go on with your own expedition through the city, you see modern ships making their way on the waters and remember that many have changed over centuries, but people's curiosity and enthusiasm will always lead to discoveries and improvement. Maybe, to travel means to discover and redefine your horizons. 

Proudly facing the estuary, the Commerce Square embraces its visitor with its yellow buildings that seem to encapsulate the warmth and brightness of the sun rays. Adorning the large opened space, there are two sculptural monuments projecting on the dark blue sky: the sculpture of King Jose I and the Rua Augusta Arch. 

Seen from the Augusta street, the arch marks the triumphal entry of the ocean into the sight of the visitor. Classical buildings solemnly assist to this monumental connection between the city and the natural landscape.

With every step further, small details catch your eye and unravel what the quaint charm of Lisbon consists of. The ascending and descending slopes seem to have been sculpted by nature to increase your eagerness to discover what comes next. Nostalgic music fills the air, apparently coming from nowhere, as if the wind itself sings the story of those places. Fado music, whose origins can be traced back to the beginning of the 19th century, is a Portuguese music genre characterized by mournful tunes and lyrics, often about the sea and the life of the poor. It evokes the life of the simple people, in middle of whom it was born, capturing in its rhythm the state of spirit of those times.

You can hardly find a street in downtown Lisbon without shiny cobbles. The small pieces of grey basalt and limestone bring a sense of the past. So do the ceramic art on the facades of buildings. Azulejos constitute a major aspect of Portuguese architecture and are mark of the Moorish influence. Applied on walls, floors and even ceilings, they are not only used as ornaments, but also for their functional capacity such as temperature control in homes. Displaying scenes from history or mythology, landscapes or geometrical patterns, azulejos offer a spectacular and unique touch of Iberian art on the streets of Lisbon.

Clattering through the narrow streets, yellow trams makes you wonder what would they lead you to. So, let's take one and head for some of the main touristic attractions in Lisbon!

Climbing up the hill, the Western facade of Lisbon Cathedral impresses with its austere and massive appearance, preceding the strongly-fortified Castle of Saint George. The Moorish citadel dates from Medieval period of Portuguese history. The castle complex consists of the castle itself, gardens and a large terraced square from which an impressive panorama of Lisbon is visible.

The mosaic of reddish roofs and brightly-coloured buildings is a landscape that imprints on your memories. Its silence inspires peace, hope and warmth. Distinct, but still very alike, people and places invade your thoughts, make you see the world in so many different ways. Maybe the reasons for travelling is to make changes and decipher what are the most beautiful things in life.

Even if the wide perspective catches your eye, you should never forget that all majestic images are made from tiny details, such as a Mediterranean garden with its thriving fruit trees in the middle of January...

A city is brought to life by its dwellers. All that can be seen, all architectural wonders, all that is spotted in the tourist guides exist as an expression of the local lifestyle, culture, history, nature. And nothing can offer you a more authentic sense of that place than the chance to discover it without any prejudices and expectations, as if you were the first traveler ever to come there: to decide by your own what is worth visiting or not; to discover by direct experience the local traditions, but not from the impressions of others. Somehow, to have the courage to start your own adventure, without knowing what to expect and just waiting for the place to reveal itself. 

Lisbon remains in my memory as one of the most beautiful places I've visited. Because it keeps its authenticity, because in its simplicity there is refinement and grandeur. Because of its mild climate and warm-hearted people. Because the scent of ocean and the incredibly blue sky. Wandering through memories on the cobbled streets, the reasons for travelling become clear: people travel to discover who they really are. And maybe more that that, to find out who they could be.