Things to remember after you leave Lisbon.

A little poem from the archive.

The Alfama neighborhood of Lisbon, Portugal.

when we leave Lisbon, help me to remember

how we wandered through the Soul of Alfama¹ as sunlight flickered in the trees

and warm sea breezes blew through the narrow becos²

past homes covered in colorful azulejos³ and over the deep red terra-cotta roofs 

only to find us up in the hills, sliding our feet along the slick limestone streets

agreeing how lucky we are it didn’t rain this afternoon and that we didn’t get those things we thought we wanted when we were younger

so we had open palms to fill with pastel de natas⁴ and espressos 

and each other.

A pastel de nata (left) and a peek down one of the alleys.

1. Alma de Alfama or “The Soul of Alfama” is an outdoor permanent exhibit in one of Lisbon’s oldest neighborhoods. The photographs of some of the most charismatic characters in the area, whose families have made Alfama their home for generations, are printed onto limestone. Read more about the artist and the exhibit here.

2. alleys in Portuguese.

3. The glazed ceramic tiles that decorate much of Portugal.

4. A delicious Portuguese egg custard. Read more about them here.