WHERE TO GO IN LISBON

October 23, 2013

After living in this city for five months and countless city trips to Portugal’s capital ever since, I had to compile all my favorite hangouts in one handy city guide. So, if you’re wondering how a semi-local twenty-something spends her time in Lisbon, this is it!

At the end of this post you can find a google map with all my tips, neatly organized by category. On that map, you’ll find even more tips that I’ve collected from my most trustworthy sources, and intend to try out myself in the future. Have fun!

Last update: January 2024

KAFFEE WELTEVREE

October 19, 2013

kaffee weltevree via au pays des merveilles

A new academic year means a new Existenz team and new Existenz cafés. Since I don’t live in Leuven anymore, these cafés are the perfect excuse to go back and catch up with old friends. (I even wished I could fly back for an evening of Existenz festivities when I was living in Lisbon.) This year’s opening event was called Kaffee Weltevree and took place in the courtyard of our beloved castle (the home of Leuven’s architecture department). The combination of the fairy tale like surroundings, the live music, the friends I hadn’t seen in a while and the obligatory beers resulted in a great evening. I’ve called this city home for five and a half years and nights like this remind me why.

(You can find Existenz on facebook here to stay up to date with their activities.)

EXPLORED_ parc de bercy in Paris

September 21, 2013

parc de bercy via au pays des merveilles

After reading this description about Parc de Bercy, I couldn’t wait to explore this Parisian park. It didn’t really live up to my expectations, maybe because I had my hopes up too high, maybe because I didn’t have much time to really discover this park since I was meeting up with Marijke later, but I did end up with some photos I’m pretty satisfied with. Maybe next time I’m in Paris, I’ll give it another shot when I have more time on my hands!

PARISIAN HOUSEWARMING

September 14, 2013

parisian housewarming via au pays des merveilles

My friend, who I was visiting in Paris, just moved into his new apartment a few days before I arrived. That called for a house warming, and the boys planned this very nicely in the middle of my visit. Here’s a little impression of what the coffee table looked like the morning after and how the apartment transformed from before the party until the morning after. Luckily those boys know how to clean…

parisian housewarming via au pays des merveilles

all photos by me (except for top right)

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EXPLORED_ the Abbey Bookshop in Paris

September 6, 2013

Scan0014 2

When it comes to bookshops in Paris, the most famous is without a doubt Shakespeare & Co. But if you make the effort to walk two streets further, The Abbey Bookshop is what you find. This Canadian bookshop sells probably the same english literature (I am not sure since I didn’t feel like standing in line to enter Shakespeare & Co), but is much more quiet and I didn’t encounter one single tourist here… Here you can explore thousands of books, stacked on bookshelves or piled up against the walls, while enjoying a cup of tea or coffee offered by the owners. Definitely a must-visit when you’re a bookworm visiting Paris.

PARIS

August 30, 2013

Paris via au pays des merveilles

After spending one week in Portugal, I took the plane straight from Lisbon to Paris. Living in Belgium, we don’t often get the chance to fly to Paris, and I have to say landing in Paris around 11 PM has resulted in the most beautiful view I’ve ever had from a plane window. No photos unfortunately, as I wasn’t seated by the window, but I still enjoyed the view a lot. That being said: here’s a little impression of how I spent my days in Paris. I was visiting a friend who lives there now, and he took me to all his favorite places. We chilled by the Seine, had drinks at an amazing african bar slash vintage shop slash museum called Le Comptoir Général (80 quai de Jemappes) and explored Deyrolle, a wonderful taxidermy store (46 rue du Bac). And those photos from the Louvre, you ask? Those were taken when my friend was at work and I met up with Marijke, who you might know from the fantastic blog called Goesting. Good times!

paris via au pays des merveille

all photos by me

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LIFE IN BELGIUM

August 23, 2013

via au pays des merveilles

Here’s an analog diary of what I’ve been up to these last months, from the first ‘terrasje’ of the year (drinks outside on a terrace), to a Float Fall concert in bilbo for record store day (listen here), to M-idzomer festival in Museum M, the stairs of Leuven’s central library where I have been studying the past weeks, to a rooftop barbecue in Antwerp literally hours after I got back from Paris (best welcome back to Belgium!), to everyday sights in Leuven (like the plant filled windows that I pass almost daily, another confetti smiley that I discovered only now thanks to a friend and the castle of Arenberg where our design studios are located) and one last view at Museum M, when I went to see my photos for the first time with my sister. I might have complained a lot about missing Lisbon and being back in same-old Belgium, but looking back, this doesn’t look so bad now does it? All thanks to my wonderful friends who make Belgium feel just a little bit warmer…

all photos by me

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EXPLORED_ cinema lá em baixo in Lisbon

August 17, 2013

One thing I was really looking forward to during my trip to Lisbon, was visiting the cinema on the rooftop again. After I discovered this wonderful place, I made a habit of going every week to have a cheap vegetarian diner with a great view over the city, watch a free movie, catch up with my friends and meet new people. Unfortunately school (and the cold weather) got in the way and by the end of my 5 months in Lisbon, it had been weeks, if not months, since the last time I was there, so this was definitely on my list when I came back to Lisbon for a week. Unfortunately, the weekly event changed from cinema la em cima, on the rooftop of an apartment building, to cinema la em baixo, in RDA69. (Here you can also get your bike repaired and on Sunday they serve delicious pizzas for only 2 euros.) Since it was way too hot to sit inside, we had our delicious meal on the streets. Despite the change of location the atmosphere and the people are still amazing, and as usual I ran into some familiar faces. Definitely a must-go if you’re ever in the city! You can find more info about the cinema here.

EXPLORED_ jardim da Estrela in Lisbon

August 9, 2013

jardim da estrela via au pays des merveilles

Because it was so hot while I was in Lisbon, I spent most of my days in the park or on the beach, reading, taking a nap or having a picnic with some friends. These are some photos of an afternoon with my friend Lisa and her friends from faculty at Jardim da Estrela. We brought the slack line and a guitar and enjoyed the beautiful park. (Including the crazy guy riding around on his bike with his stereo blasting…) Going through these photos while I’m studying makes me miss these carefree days even more…

BACK IN LISBON

August 2, 2013

lisboa via au pays des merveilles

all photos taken with a diana f+ by me

My week in Lisbon was spent catching up with old friends while having lunch at a roof terrace, eating ice cream in the park and chilling and dancing at out jazz. I enjoyed well known places that I missed and discovered new ones that popped up or even just by looking at the city with new eyes and paying more attention while wandering around. I made a trip to the beautiful beach of Palmela to get some rest from the tourist flooded city and complained about the heat (40 degrees, yes) a lot. As you can imagine, it was great to be back in the city that feels like my second home. This wasn’t my last return for sure! (For those of you who are new to the blog, I lived in Lisbon for 5 months thanks to the erasmus program. You can find my blogposts on my amazing time in Portugal here.)

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M

July 31, 2013

Some of you might know that during the past academic year, I was chosen to represent my faculty (engineering sciences at the university of Leuven) as an artist in residence. Together with the other ‘faculty stars’ (each in their own discipline), I got to attend workshops and had the chance to display some of my photos in the halls of the university. However, the cherry on the cake is our current exhibition: me and the four other photographers have our work up on the walls of museum M! I’d love to hear what you think, so if you’re in the neighborhood, stop by to take a look at our photos in the entrance hall (that means it’s for free, so no excuses!) and check out the museum too, the rest of the collection ain’t that bad either. (Our photos will be displayed until August 11, so you’ve got a week and a half!)

Now that I have your attention: I’m also looking for an affordable room in a fun house in Antwerp as I’m leaving Leuven behind in September (or even at the end of August if I find something sooner). If you’ve got some tips, shoot me an email!

Here’s a bonus photo of me looking very proud in front of my photos:

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ART APPRECIATORS

July 13, 2013

art appreciators via au pays des merveilles

Ever since I came across this post by Miss Moss, I’ve been wanting to do a similar post devoted to art appreciators, but with my own photos. These past few years I’ve done quite a few city trips, and there’s always at least one museum visit involved. There photos have been taken in museums all over Europe: Belgium, Denmark, Lisbon, Germany and Austria. You’ve seen most of these before, but I loved going through all my old travel photos and selecting these, brings back great memories and makes me anxious to visit some new museums!

art appreciators via au pays des merveilles

all photos by me

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WATERSCAPES

May 31, 2013

au pays des merveilles

Most of these photos, you have already seen in different blogposts, but I wanted to gather all of them together and share them in one post. While in Portugal, I became fascinated with the river and the ocean and how the water always looks so different in every photo, how much strength the waves could have, beating down on you while you are trying to keep standing up in the breakers, the water pulling on pushing on your legs and the sand swallowing your feet a little bit more with every passing wave. Living so close to the ocean and always having a view at the river Tejo around the corner, really changed how the city felt. I miss having such openness and immensity so close.

au pays des merveilles

all photos by me

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LIFE BACK IN BELGIUM

May 24, 2013

Unfortunately, it’s that time of the year again: the exams are coming up, so us students are locked up behind our books and not allowed to think about anything else, like… let’s say blogging. Which means it’s probably going to be (even more) quiet here in the next few weeks, especially since these are the last photos I saved up to share with you. Today I’m sharing a little bit of randomness: my favourite boots on the grass during that first day of spring back in march, some impressions of Antwerp during a school trip (luckily on one of those other rare spring days), the view on Leuven from the top of this year‘s Existenz location and Portico Quartet in the AB, one of the few concerts I’ve done since I got back (I’m saving up to go back to Lisbon!) but definitely one worth remembering. There were very few tickets sold, resulting in a very intimate concert in the AB club covered in twinkling lights and a little talk with the super friendly band afterwards. I’m ending this with ‘Ruins’ by Portico Quartet, because even though I loved how intimate the concert was, they deserve a much bigger audience!

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jQH0GPL33uc&h=37]

all photos by me

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EXISTENZ MAXIMUM 2013

May 17, 2013

existenz maximum via au pays des merveilles

If you’ve been following my blog for a while, you know my love for Existenz, the organization of first master students of architecture in Leuven, who make it their goal for the year to turn an abandoned building into a playground for everyone who loves art and architecture (and an occasional drink and dance), and this for only one week. As every year, this year’s edition was a blast. The location, the old bottling plant of Stella Artois, was breath-takingly beautiful (that light!) and I think the photos show it well, which explains the photo overload after the jump. (In case you can’t tell: I got myself a new camera (canon eos 650d) and I’m thrilled with its results!)

ITHAKA

May 10, 2013

ithaka via au pays des merveilles

Last year I was very impressed by Ithaka (a yearly exhibition of visual arts organized by students), so this year I had to check it out again. Unfortunately I was a little bit disappointed, (maybe because of the location that wasn’t nearly as impressive as the one from last year?) but these balloons filled with colored pigment by Laurens Mariën kind of made up for it.

ithaka via au pays des merveilles

ithaka via au pays des merveilles photos by me

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SAUDADE

May 4, 2013

igreja do carmo, lisbon via au pays des merveilles Sadly, these are the last photos of Lisbon I have left to share with you… The only post, reminding of my 5 month Erasmus in this wonderful city, that I have yet to prepare for you, is an overview of all the amazing places I have discovered there. The emails I’ve been getting from you, tell me that this would be very helpful! (Although I’m still happy to share my thoughts and tips via email with you, so don’t be shy.) Anyway, these photos are from the time the lovely people from Existenz (I used to be one of them, 2 years ago) spent in Lisbon, while travelling through Portugal. I sacrificed one precious day of my last 2 weeks in this city to show them around (with the help of a friend who has some tour guide experience) and take them to my favorite places in the city. Here you see glimpses of Igreja do Carmo (or at least it’s floor), Alfama and the breathtaking view from Miradouro da Senhora do Monte.

FRAGMENTS_ costa da caparica

May 3, 2013

costa da caparica via au pays des merveilles

My friend’s last day in Portugal (sadly he had to go back to Belgium too, but I was smart enough to book my flight one week later) was spent doing what he loved the most: surfing at costa da caparica. It was the first time I went to this surfer’s beach (quite the trip as well with all the public transport problems we had) and it was really calm that day. Not the best day for surfing (which I can’t, unless you give me a board with a sail and some wind), but the view was beau-ti-ful. I still can’t get over how beautiful and fascinating the ocean is, and I wish I’d live closer to the sea here in Belgium. (Although it probably takes as long to get from Lisbon to the ocean as from my side of Belgium to the coast due to the slow trains in Lisbon, but it felt different, it felt like you were constantly aware of how close it was.)

THE OTHER SIDE

April 26, 2013

the other side of the rio Tejo via au pays des merveilles

Twice I ventured to the other side of the rio Tejo, this time for a friends’ goodbye party. Naturally this went together with a picnic in one of the old ruins, accompanied by lots of live music (both on real and improvised instruments found along the road), cheap wine, a gorgeous view on Lisbon and a breathtaking sunset over the Tejo. How I miss my beautiful city and my beautiful friends.

PORTO

April 20, 2013

porto via au pays des merveilles

Our road trip ended in Porto. I visited this city before, but this time the weather was a bit of a letdown, despite having had the most amazing weather during the rest of the trip. But no harm done, we managed to get inside casa da musica (which wasn’t possible the first time I was there) and visited the museum and park of Serralves. And of course the next morning, when we had to go home to return the car, the weather was wonderful again!

porto via au pays des merveilles

roadtrip via au pays des merveilles

porto via au pays des merveilles all photos by me

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COIMBRA

April 19, 2013

coimbra via au pays des merveilles

After visiting Peniche and Fatima, our road trip took us to the beautiful city of Coimbra, where we were joined by another friend, completing our travel company. We were offered a place to stay and a tour around the city by a friend who I knew from his erasmus in Belgium. He showed us their stunning faculty of architecture (located in an old hospital), casa da escrita (a writer’s retreat where I wouldn’t mind spending my days studying, the design by Joao Mendes Ribeiro is definitely worth checking out) and the beautiful little streets and views that Coimbra has to offer. It wasn’t my first visit (the first time I went to Porto, I also made a stop here to meet up with my friends) and I don’t think it will be my last! This town holds one of the oldest universities in Europe and with all the students wearing their typical black capes, it easily feels like you are on the set of a Harry Potter movie. If that is not a reason to visit, I don’t know what is!

coimbra via au pays des merveilles

coimbra via au pays des merveilles
all photos by me

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FATIMA

April 11, 2013

au pays des merveilles

After having a picnic on the beach in Peniche, our road trip contined to Fátima, a pilgrimage town where people come to ask for health. Next to burning the traditional candles, you can buy all kinds of body parts in wax (hands, hearts, breasts, lungs, you name it) and let them melt in the bonfire next to the candles. We only stopped here for a short time, to take a look at the church and the shops with religious souvenirs, and then we continued our trip. Next up: Coimbra!

au pays des merveilles

all photos by me

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PENICHE

April 6, 2013

au pays des merveilles

As I’ve told you before, during my last weeks in Portugal, I made a short road trip to Porto with a few friends. The first stop we made was Peniche, a small town known for its beaches and surfers. No surfing for us though, we were just here to have lunch, which was more complicated than expected thanks to me being a vegetarian. (Not so common in Portugal, unfortunately.) Despite the helpful portuguese lady, we didn’t find a place to eat, but it all turned out for the best! we ended up having a picnic on the beach, accompanied by a smart dog who waited patiently for us to finish our lunch and toss him our leftovers. A little bit later, we were back on the road and off to Fatima. Stay tuned for the rest of the trip!

au pays des merveilles

all photos by me

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EXPLORED_ flower power in Lisbon

March 22, 2013

At Flower Power in Lisbon (calçada do combro 2), you can eat and drink between the most gorgeous flower arrangements – not so suprising since this café / restaurant is part of a flower shop. Both the beautiful decorations and the artwork changes regularly, so you’ll never be bored if you come to this place regularly. Oh and the food is pretty good too, so you don’t have to come here only for the wonderful interior and the view at the famous elevador da bica right across the street.

EXPLORED_ café Tati in Lisbon

March 15, 2013

café tati, lisboa, via au pays des merveilles

Since this little café in Lisbon was close to my home and on the way between my apartment and the metro to the university, this was my go to place to work on my thesis (or the blog, because yes, this place has free wifi) while enjoying a cup of (cheap!) coffee and the company of likeminded friends. But Café Tati has more to offer than free wifi and a cosy interior, they also have an extensive book collection and if you keep an eye on their facebook page, you’ll notice they regularly organize jazz concerts, which are tested and approved by yours truly. The food is very tasty and affordable as well, so if you’re in Lisbon, I recommend you to enjoy at least one drink here. (Rua da Ribeira nova 36)

EXPLORED_ Primeiro Andar in Lisbon

March 9, 2013

When you take the small candle lit corridor that leads you to this hidden gem, you will find an indoor basket court and next to it, the entrance to Primeiro Andar (Rua das Portas de Santo Antão, nº110 in Lisbon). With it’s cosy sofa’s and occasional concerts, you’ll find yourself right at home here. For more Lisbon tips, take a look here.

EXPLORED_ Fabrica Features in Lisbon

March 2, 2013

The Fabrica Features shop is located above the united colors of benetton shop at rua garret 83. This place that caught my attention before, but I never really understood how to get to that fourth floor. That is, until someone told me you actually had to go into the benetton shop and take the elevator up. So, in my last week, I finally managed to visit this more or less hidden gem. Here you find beautiful pieces of art and all kinds of items that would make wonderful gifts for dear friends. (Seriously, how amazing are those sea shell headphones at photo four?) Fabrica Features Lisboa blogs here about their new products and exhibitions.

ZAZOU

March 1, 2013

zazou, lisboa, via au pays des merveilles

Zazou is the place to go if you are looking for authentic portuguese products. Wether it’s sardines, soap, wine, ceramics or paper ware, this place will have something you like! And if you’re tired from walking Lisbon’s hills, you can always take a seat in their café. I haven’t actually tried this myself, but seeing all the products the shop carries, it should be good! You can find this lovely bazar slash café at calçada do correio velho 7, Lisbon.

POIS, CAFE

February 23, 2013

pois café, lisboa, via au pays des merveilles

Pois, café is a well known destination in Lisbon for people who are looking to have a coffee or a meal in a cosy environment. This place is filled with books and magazines, which you can read while seated in comfy couches or you can bring your laptop and use the free wifi. It’s a little bit more expensive than the common portuguese prices (which are very cheap in comparison to what I’m used to in Belgium), but it’s definitely worth it to spend time here on a cloudy afternoon.

pois café, lisboa, via au pays des merveilles

pois café, lisboa, via au pays des merveilles
all photos by me

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EXPLORED_ LOSTin Lisbon

February 22, 2013

lost in lisbon via au pays des merveilles all photos by me

The LOSTin café has appeared on the blog before, but this place is so beautiful I thought it deserved another post. LOSTin has the most beautiful terrace with an amazing view over Lisbon, perfect for spending hot days in one of their cute sofas with a glass of fresh juice.

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SAUDADE

February 21, 2013

lisboa via au pays des merveilles

It’s been almost a week since I’ve left my beloved Lisbon and moved back to Leuven, but I’m still missing my home away from home. This beautiful city and the wonderful people I’ve met there have found a place in my heart and will never be forgotten. I’m trying to get used to my daily life in Belgium again, but I’m not letting go of Lisbon just yet. During my last weeks in Lisbon, I have made sure to photograph all my favorite places so I can put together a real ‘au pays des merveilles’ Lisbon guide for you. So in the next few weeks you can expect a lot of posts about charming cafés and cool bars, which will be concluded with a little overview so you can easily find what you are looking for if you would make a trip to this amazing city. However, I didn’t spent all my time in Lisbon these last weeks, I also made a short roadtrip with some friends to Peniche, Fatima, Coimbra and Porto. The photos from this trip are being developed as we speak, so you can expect those too once I’ve gotten around scanning them.

STREET ART IN LISBON

February 9, 2013

au pays des merveilles

I have already dedicated two posts (here and here) to street art in Lisbon, and here is yet another one. Lisbon is just filled with it! In the next photos you see the famous graffiti on avenida almirante reis, by Lucy Mclauchlan, SAM3, and BLU, work by Alexandre Farto (aka Vhils) (also featured in this post), urban knitting and one of the many noses (take a good look at the photo!) that were at one moment everywhere in Lisbon.

ALMADA

February 8, 2013

au pays des merveilles

A while ago, I showed you pictures from a trip I made to the christo rei statue that’s facing Lisbon from the other side of the river. You already saw some (digital) photos, but I hadn’t showed these analog ones yet that I took on the way over there, while it was still light enough to experiment a little bit with my new (old) camera.

CARCAVELOS

February 7, 2013

all photos by me

After one week of absence from the blog, I’m back from my roadtrip to the north of Portugal and showing architects from Leuven around in Lisbon. I have one more week left in this wonderful, wonderful city, and I’m planning to enjoy it to the fullest. In the mean time, I have some posts planned for you with analog photos from my 5 month stay here, starting with these from back in october, when my best friend visited me and we spent an afternoon at the beach. Good times.

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EXPLORED_ La Bohème in Porto

January 26, 2013

la bohème in porto, via au pays des merveilles all photos by me

One last Porto tip today: this lovely coffee shop slash cocktail bar in rua das galerias de paris, where you can also find this wonderful shop. In La Bohème, we found tasty cocktails on the well designed menu card for a very fair price and we enjoyed them in a beautiful interior, of which you can see more photos here. (Unfortunately it was a bit too dark to take decent photos myself, but luckily there’s the internet to solve that!)

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CASA DA MUSICA

January 25, 2013

casa da musica via au pays des merveilles During our trip to Porto (of which I told your more last week here and here), one of the things we couldn’t miss, was visiting Casa da Musica, the famous concert hall by OMA. Unfortunately we could only see the entrance hall and the café from inside, since the rest of the building was closed, but nevertheless we enjoyed it and of course I took loads of photos!

A VIDA PORTUGUESA

January 19, 2013

au pays des merveilles

You already know I have a slight obsession with beautiful packaging (see my branding pinterest board and this, this and this post), so when I entered ‘A Vida Portuguesa‘, I thought I was in heaven. This store sells all kinds of authentic portuguese products, from sea salt to soap and from notebooks to sardines and all are wrapped in the most beautiful packaging. Unfortunately it’s a little bit expensive, and some of these items you can find cheaper in local drug stores, but the shop is beau-ti-ful and it’s fascinating to roam around and check out everything they sell. The photos from this post are taken when I went to Porto (it’s one of the shops in Rua da galeria de paris, which I talked about yesterday), but they also have a shop in Lisbon, located in a really cool old building but a lot smaller. Anyway, if you’re in Lisbon or Porto and looking for souvenirs, this is where you should go.

PORTO

January 18, 2013

au pays des merveilles
When one of my friends wanted to come and visit me, it turned out it was much easier to meet in Porto than for her to come to Lisbon. Since I hadn’t been in Porto yet, this seemed like the perfect opportunity to discover another portuguese city. We started our 2 day trip with a free walking tour, offered to us by the hostel where we were staying. (The hostel was lovely so if you’re looking for one in Porto, this one is approved by au pays des merveilles!) and later on discovered the city a little bit more on our own. Especially rua da galeria de paris caught or attention, with it’s interesting shops and bars (I’ll show you some later!) and the hand made market that was going on.

au pays des merveilles

all photos by me

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LX FACTORY

January 12, 2013

au pays des merveilles

I’ve already posted about LX factory before and recommended it to a lot of people and everyone seemed to love it. And so did I, obviously! After the first time, I went there three weeks in a row to check out the market. The market changes every time, so this time I found an artist creating wooden boxes as wall decoration (he has more interesting one’s than the one in the photo, but unfortunately I don’t have good photos of those and I don’t know his name… bad blogger!), decorative roosters and birds (so portuguese) and tasty looking soap. Me and my friends enoyed some portuguese pasteis and coffee at café na fabrica, of which you already saw the terrace (last photo in this post), but this time I also photographed the lovely interior for you. (Good blogger!) However, these times I also wandered around the site a little bit more and discovered that the more quiet part is pretty interesting too, with lots of graffiti and interesting spaces. I really wouldn’t mind having my office here someday!

THE WALL – part two

January 11, 2013

au pays des merveilles

This is my second post with photos I’ve made of walls, and I doubt it ‘s the last one! These are all taken in Lisbon (the azulejos – colorful tiles – on the photo above are proof of that) while exploring the city.

OLA LISBOA

January 5, 2013

au pays des merveilles

Here’s a little collection of random photos I’ve taken during my stay in Lisbon: in here you see some photos I took in Alfama and Mouraria, when I joined a friend who is a tour guide on one of his walking tours, there’s also some photos of the view from the miradouro da santa catarina, one of my favorite places in the city, and from when I was on my way to LX factory with some friends and we stopped at the miradouro next to the national museum of ancient art, where you often find old people playing cards and from where you have a view at the port. You’ll see photos of my own discoveries in Lisbon, when I was wandering the streets while looking for an apartment. On one photo you see my friend taking a rest from feira da ladra, and on another my friends buying ginginja from a lady who makes it herself and sells it from her living room window. There’s also a photo of my friends getting pastries at the illegal bakery (that’s right! If you know where to go, you can find delicious pastries at 4 in the morning!) and a photo of the nightly view you have from the roof (a perfect spot to chill out at night) of the oasis backpacker’s hostel, my second home here in Lisbon. (I feel like I need to dedicate a post to that place, if anyone is looking for a hostel in Lisbon, that’s definitely where you should go.)

As you can imagine, there’s a lot of photos after the break, but if you’re interested, here you can find all my posts about Lisbon.

STREET ART IN LISBON

January 4, 2013

au pays des merveilles

When I visited Lisbon last year, I dedicated a post to all the wonderful street art I came across, and this year I’m doing the same. I’ve gathered quite a lot of photos over the past few months, so take a look after the break!

PORTUGUESE SOUVENIRS

January 2, 2013

au pays des merveilles As I promised on facebook, here’s a little recap of typically Portuguese things I bought since I’ve been in Lisbon.

FEIRA DA LADRA

December 28, 2012

au pays des merveilles Feira da ladra, or the ‘thieves market’, is a huge flea market that is held every tuesday and saturday at Campo de Santa Clara in Lisbon. Rumor has it that if you get robbed in the city, you can find your stolen goods here and buy them back. There’s a lot of junk here, but you can also find nice bags, clothing, jewelry, furniture and other vintage treasures. Oh, and this also where I go to find cheap batteries!

Next to the market, you also find little shops here, selling gorgeous old books (like the Jules Verne series, I’m tempted to get one just because they are so beautiful, even though my portuguese is not good enough to be able to actually read them), leather backpacks and contemporary portuguese design. (By the way, you’ve already seen this market on the blog: photo two and three in this post.)

SAUDADE

December 27, 2012

au pays des merveilles

I’m spending this week at home with my parents and sister, to celebrate christmas with my family, catch up with my friends and do some studying (unfortunately). Being away from Lisbon, even if only for a few days, I already miss it! That’s going to be though when I have to get home in february to finish my semester in Belgium… Anyway, like I already told you many times, I still have tons of photos to show you of my favorite city. I thought I’d start with these analog photos, taken with an old nikon reflex camera that my grandparents gave me before I left. This black and white film was actually still in there from when they used it! You’ve already seen some of the photos I took with it in my post about the manifestations, but here’s the rest of them. The quality is not that good since I didn’t have a scanner in Lisbon (I took photos of the photos – inception!), but I still like them very much.

au pays des merveilles

all photos by me

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TAPADA DAS NECESSIDADES

November 24, 2012

Tapada das necessidades is where during september outjazz took place. I’ve showed you this park when it was filled with people, music and a wonderful atmosphere, but when there’s no festival going on, it’s a place-to-be as well. In some places you feel like you’re in a jungle, and then there’s that old greenhouse and other abandoned buildings waiting for you to be discovered.

CRISTO REI

November 23, 2012

Whenever you’re on a miradouro (a viewpoint) in Lisbon and you look across the river, there’s Jesus staring right back at you. So together with a friend, I went on a little adventure to ‘the other side’ of Lisbon. Instead of taking the ‘normal’ road through the city up to the statue, we opted for a little bit more exploring so we walked along the river and later ventured through some abandoned buildings to get up the hill. We left a little bit too late and didn’t bring any flashlights, so it became a little bit more adventurous than we aimed for, but we made it to Cristo Rei right when they were closing, and the sweet nun let us in anyway, so we got a private nighttime view.

CHAPITO

November 16, 2012

Chapito is another one of those places where you have to go if you’re ever in Lisbon. This circus school also houses a restaurant, including a terrace with a wonderful view and a bar where regularly a band plays on a former swimming pool which is transformed into a stage. Every sunday you can come here for live african music and in my experience, it’s always good!

CCB

November 9, 2012

One of the things I was really looking forward to when my best friend came to see me in Lisbon, was paying a visit to the CCB, or the Centro Cultural de Belém. We both love visiting museums of modern art (the fact that we spent all our money on museums when we were in Vienna says enough) so this was a must-do during her stay. The CCB was one of the most fun museums we’ve visited together: one of the artworks included a sandpit, parrots, a tent and required bare feet, while another one existed out of a room with mattresses on the floor, rock’n’roll music and projections all over. I’ll warn you right now for the photo overload, but I just couldn’t resist showing you all the wonderful art this museum has on display! Oh – and they get two thumbs up for their creative use of signage!

IGREJA DO CARMO

November 3, 2012

The former convent, Convento da Ordem do Carmo, and it’s church were severely damaged during the earthquake in Lisbon in 1755. Until this day, the ruins of the Igreja do Carmo, are the biggest proof of the earthquake. Nowadays, it’s an archeological museum which you can visit for only €2,50 if you’re a student. In my opinion, you don’t have to go there to see the ‘archeological treasures’, but just to enjoy these breathtaking ruins.

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