Lisbon is one of the oldest cities in the world, and the oldest city in Western Europe, predating other modern European capitals such as London, Paris and Rome by hundreds of years.
Julius Caesar made it a municipium called Felicitas Julia, adding to the name Olissipo. Ruled by a series of Germanic tribes from the 5th century, it was captured by the Moors in the 8th century.
In 1147, the Crusaders under Afonso Henriques reconquered the city and since then it has been a major political, economic and cultural centre of Portugal.
Unlike most capital cities, Lisbon’s status as the capital of Portugal has never been granted or confirmed officially – by statute or in written form. Its position as the capital has formed through constitutional convention, making its position as de facto capital a part of the Constitution of Portugal.
We began our journey to this beautiful place on an overnight train from Madrid…
Filled with charm and old world experiences…
A Marvelous Multi-Course Meal…
Marvelous Views zipping by………We had a Private Cabin with Full Bath
……and there she is, Lisboa, waiting for us to explore her beauty…..
We stayed in the Hotel Ibis (our fav European chain), just steps from the center of all the action…
Lisboa……….filled with Charm……
Glorious Art……….
Unique Inventions……….an Elevator in the Street to take you to the Higher Neighborhoods……
Wherever you turn, Beauty ……….. The Castle of St. George, always watching over you….
If you want to read more about this Beautiful Place………..CLICK HERE
The Streets filled with Delightful Cafes…..
Who could resist these delights…………..certainly not I……..everyday, my favorite place for coffee and a goodie!!
The Beauty of Lisboa is only outdone by the Kindness of Her People…
We, of course visited The Tower of Belem….CLICK HERE…
What Wonders You can find in the Streets…….
How we loved our time in Beautiful Lisboa…….and look forward to our return someday….
Tales and Travels of the Tinman 
Oh the luxury of first class (bath included) train travel. How fabulous. Tinny, you know how to travel in style. And Lisbon!! Shades of Casablanca and “letters of transfer”. The architecture is magnificent beyond belief. I am pea green with envy looking at the plates of food. What a dream of a holiday. XX V.
Oh dearest Virginia, you bring such a smile to my face. We did so love Lisbon and are now looking forward to our train trip to you! We will be having a full bedroom suite on the Canadian train; however, they do no offer private showers! This shall be interesting, since we spend the first four days and three nights on board. They do promise us fresh flowers and champagne each day…….
I am late in reading this post but I relished every word and photo! What an adventure and to travel by train. And I have never heard of a street elevator but I think it is a good idea. Enjoy your Canadian train and visit with Virginia. Will look forward to marvelous posts! We have often talked of traveling by train up to Canada. Journey mercies to you both! Cheers!
Lisbon is a marvelous city and your pictures are lovely. I looked for those tiny custard tarts everywhere I went and sometimes they were just coming out of the oven…delicious!
Thank you for visiting. Yes those tarts are just amazing. I found all the food to be so yummy and loved the Portuguese culinary applications to all seafood.
Makes me want to go to Lisbon….I was there many years ago it was a beautiful and then laid back city. Thanks for sharing. Larry
I so love following along on your journeys especially to places I’ve not had a chance to visit.
Karen, thank you so much for your kind words. We are preparing for our two week train trip across Canada……can’t wait!
I know you will enjoy the experience and I can’t wait until you share your story and photos. It sounds like an adventure that I would really enjoy. 🙂
Last time I was in Lisbon I took 3kg in one week – just love the pasteis de nata (custard tarts in English?) and that cheese on your last picture, mmmhhh