IN LOVE WITH LISBON » Video

Miradouro das Portas do Sol

Lily — Sun, 26 Oct 2008 21:56:51 +0000

Whenever I visit Lisbon evenings tend to find me at Miradouro das Portas do Sol, quietly drinking a beer or a coffee and writing up my experiences of the day whilst taking in the glorious view. It’s very easy to reach, take the number 28 tram. It’s the stop after the castle.

‘Portas das Sol’ literally means ‘doorways of the sun’ and refers to sunset. It is a wonderful place to come in the early evening and watch how the setting sun changes the colours of the water and the rooftops. I think each time I have had the same feeling of ‘now I am really here’ once I take my place beside the Tejo and feel the warm river winds caress my skin.

The light here is extraordinary. The terrace is dotted with palm trees and is spacious and wide. Sitting on the seats of the cafe that probably boasts the best view in Lisbon you gaze across Alfama to the boats on the water and beyond. From here you can see the magnificent structure of São Vicente de Fora Church. I love watching people’s faces as they reach the summit of the hill from the castle and realise what they have stumbled upon. Despite the many tourists that arrive here, few seem to spend time really taking in the atmosphere: a quick snap and they are gone as they spy the steps leading deep into Alfama.

There is a statue of St. Vincent who guards over the terrace and Lisbon. He is the Patron Saint of Lisbon and in his hands he holds a boat with two ravens. Perhaps it’s why I like this place and feel protected here; I’ve always had thing about ravens. They are healing birds and powerful medicine.

Just beside the cafe is a long veranda that juts out to offer a perfect place to stand and catch your breath. As usual on my last visit, the first evening found me here. I felt curiously emotional. A lone busker played intricate guitar as I stood by the rails looking out over the water. I was blessed with a few minutes where it was just me, him and the river and I let the feeling of saudade roll over me. It is moments like these, in the most romantic of places, when it is hard to stand alone. Without a lover’s hand to grasp, I sent my heart out over the water and hoped for just a moment he knew I was thinking of him.

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Lovely Lisboa – A Video

Lily — Thu, 27 Mar 2008 20:37:15 +0000

Thanks again to Ubi for hunting out this video on YouTube. A lovely series of images of Lisbon accompanied by a beautifully sung “Lisboa menina e moça”. Enjoy!

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Fados – A New Film by Carlos Saura

Lily — Sun, 23 Mar 2008 08:57:54 +0000

Oscar nominated Spanish director Carlos Saura has made a musical documentary on the subject of Portuguese Fado. From what I have read, this is Saura’s interpretation of Fado and includes many of famous fadistas including Amalia and Mariza as well as many more. More a series of vignettes including dance which is not characteristic of Fado, Saura brings together a series of impressions of the genre. It is a perhaps a personal journey that is always going to remain on step away from the truth as Carlos is not from Portugal but from what I have seen so far, I think it will be a very interesting movie to watch.

I have yet to find the movie available on Amazon US, UK or even on Portuguese site Fnac but I am keeping my fingers crossed. It may be well worth keeping an eye on your local arthouse independant cinema for showings of this.

Here is a trailer I discovered on YouTube and a link to the official site.

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Promoting Portugal – A Video

Lily — Mon, 17 Mar 2008 19:42:01 +0000

I just found this on You Tube and thought it was a lovely introduction to Portugal for those who are thinking of visiting.

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Portuguese Love Phrases – The Video

Lily — Sun, 10 Feb 2008 19:36:55 +0000

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Lisbon Castle – A Video

Lily — Thu, 03 Jan 2008 17:53:37 +0000

I found this lovely little video on Youtube and thought my readers would enjoy it.

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Portuguese Christmas Vocabulary – Video

Lily — Sun, 23 Dec 2007 17:37:19 +0000

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Convento do Carmo – Video

Lily — Sun, 02 Dec 2007 15:20:40 +0000

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Mariza – Cavaleiro Monge

Lily — Thu, 11 Oct 2007 17:24:36 +0000

Some time ago I wrote a post on my visit to Quinta da Regaleira so I thought I would post this video of Mariza as it is set in the grounds of the Quinta – thanks Ubi for pointing this out to me

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Mariza and the Story of Fado – The Internet Archive

Lily — Wed, 22 Aug 2007 20:20:08 +0000

I have just been wandering around the Internet Archive which is an absolute treasure chest of material. Here you can find open source and public domain video’s, audio files and pictures ranging from modern day to vintage. I clicked on the advanced search and typed in Portugal and it came back with hundreds of returns. It’s going to be one of those places I go to browse on a Sunday afternoon I think!

To start you off, I found this nice little video about Mariza and the Story of Fado which you can find here. You can watch the movie onsite or download it onto your computer.

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