Fado and Street parties

On retiring to our hotel one night after dinner we heard music and cheering on our street. Opening the double glazed windows we saw there was an impromptu street party - about 200-300 people dancing and singing along to music played by a very talented busker. I was keen to go back down but as we had had a full day in Sintra,  we decided to just take in the joyous atmosphere from our window, as did several people opposite. 

Lisbon is well known for a certain type of music called Fado and to attend a venue to hear this was high up on my "to do" list. Many of the restaurants where you can hear Fado are located in the Alfama part of Lisbon, close to the port. The place we chose on the recommendation of the hotel proved to be wonderful. We arrived around 10:00 after eating elsewhere. It was an intimate setting with only 7 tables and images of famous fado singers (Fadistes) adorning the walls. Fado singing is impassioned, sung from the heart and usually accompanied by a musician playing a pear shaped mandolin style instrument called a Portuguese guitar or Fado guitar.  The nostalgic tunes are often about the sea or the life of the poor,  conveying feelings of sadness and melancholy, but also happiness and love.  We were lucky enough to hear three different singers - two older men in their 70s and a young man with a fabulous, rich and resonant tenor voice. No one talks or moves during the performances. Once a singer is announced,  the lights dim and the atmosphere becomes focused and intense. 

Young talented Fado singer (Fadiste) - the one on the right!

The Fado restaurant - Tadasca do Chico

We caught one of the local buses to the Castle of St George set on one of the many high viewpoints of Lisbon and marvelled at the skills of the driver as he negotiated an incredibly tight and steep ascent.  We decided against paying to go into the castle as the queue was ridiculously long and we had already seen some impressive castles at Sintra. Instead we paid to ascend the tower of the Castle church. The fee included a drink of your choice. I opted for port. Adrian, more savvy than me, chose orange juice. Of course access was up a narrow spiral staircase. We joined a happy throng once up there, all with glasses in hand,  admiring the view. There was not enough room to swing a cat. We had a great conversation with a young couple, a German man and his Taiwanese partner. Descent was equally tricky but with empty glasses.

Our last night in Lisbon, en route back to the hotel we found the street party again in full swing. This time we stopped to sing along and clap with all the others (well I did anyway!) - to well known Latin American and other songs eg La Bamba and Macarena.

Yesterday, we headed off from Lisbon in a rental car - an almost new Citroen 3 with 6 gears. So unlike the clapped out cars we had in Greece. The toll roads are amazing, and with speed limits of 120kph, distances can be covered quickly.  

Portugal's famous cod - apparently 1001 ways to cook it

One of Lisbon's funiculars - we gave our legs a break

View to the end of our street

Our street at night - very lively

Belem Tower

Belem Tower, built in the 16th Century was a fortress guarding the entrance to Lisbon Harbour and would have been one of the last things Portuguese explorers saw of their homeland as they set sail. 

Impressive sculpture on the seafront at Belem just outside Lisbon

Chillin' in the shade on a hot day in Belem