To start this new series we present you Lisbon in Us by Teresa Mouro, where the co-author of getLISBON aims to illustrate her relationship with the city, so present in her day-to-day life.
Lisbon is the city where I was born and where I’ve always stayed, my home… I can’t imagine living elsewhere!
But Lisbon is so special and charming that it has become my passion, my world.
While embracing the getLISBON project, my friend and partner in this adventure, Gracinda, asked me about its sustainability. We’re not an agenda and apparently, writing curiosities about a city can be a finite subject.
I told her she could be rest assured that we can talk about Lisbon, its history and heritage indefinitely. Today, 120 articles later, I’m even more sure of that.
Lisbon is an inspiration in itself, and the better I get to know it, the greater is my awareness of the unknown. It fascinates me to question and discover its secrets. It frustrates me to see the heritage I would like to preserve, disappearing. But I only have the power to make it known with my witness statement… and that’s what I do.
And what do I testify? A bit of everything, the original and what characterises the city, my perspective and my experiences, my memories, what I like and what makes me feel like I belong to the city and like she belongs to me.
And what’s Lisbon besides being an European, cosmopolitan and multicultural capital?
Lisbon is a stimulant to the senses! There are cafés on every corner where “bicas” (espresso) cheer us up and pastéis de nata (sweet custard tart) sweeten our lives.
The intense flavours of its varied gastronomy are associated with seasonal scents.
In the time of jacarandas, the smell of roasted sardines is a constant that brings us to the Lisbon Festivities. Summer dazes us with the intense fragrance of lindens and during cold weather it is the smell of roasted chestnuts that, mixed with the smoke, warms us.
The river also contributes not only with its aroma marked by the tides, but also with its reflection and varied colour to the magic of Lisbon’s light. This phenomenon that I observe daily surprises me every time! A unique, dramatic light made of contrasts of lightness/darkness, to which the artistic heritage of the city contributes but also benefits from.
The Tagus river brings us the horn of the boats on foggy mornings, the calls of seagulls and the constant buzzing of the bridge that connects both banks. From the usual humming of the city, the shaking and tinkling of the trams that mixes with the ringing of old church bells stand out.
I feel the soul of the city in the guitar chords, in the poems of Ary dos Santos sung by Carlos do Carmo and in the emotional voice, a combination of prayer and preaching, of Argentina Santos.
This is my Lisbon, made of countless viewpoints where time stops and invites us to reflect, contemplate and admire.
There’s a lot to love here and even the pavement stones, cut with perfection and rigor, and the tile covering of the colourful, flowery and luminous façades are a source of pride and amazement.
| Lisbon in Us by Teresa Mouro | |
|---|---|
| Mini introduction | Born in Lisbon in 1967, licentiate in History of Art, co-founder of getLISBON, art lover, apprentice and artisan of history |
| An inspiring place | Any viewpoint to be dazzled; the garden/viewpoint of the National Museum of Ancient Art to dive in the Tagus |
| An unmissable visit | Museum of Portuguese Decorative Arts and the Workshops of the Ricardo do Espírito Santo e Silva Foundation |
| Her mouth waters with… | The bitter aftertaste of coffee together with the cinnamon sprinkled on a pastel de nata |
| A song… | Lisboa Menina e Moça sung by Carlos do Carmo |
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