Portugal “Querer E Poder

Lisboaaa!!!! I will be back as soon as I get some money (lol).

On a serious note, Portugal has to be the most beautiful country that I have seen yet. This country is so gorgeous! The funniest part about it is that this is the country that I have seen the most graffiti in. This might sound really weird but it is true, and it’s not the graffiti that makes it so beautiful. If anything, because the country was so beautiful I was able to look over the graffiti walls. The scenery of the cities, beaches, ancient architecture, and the colorful or pure white homes really made this country pop. While I was in Portugal I spent two days at two different beaches just because of the views (not exaggerating).

At night the Portuguese didn’t come out until late - probably not until after 11pm - they eat late and party late. The lifestyle that the Portuguese live is just so laid back. I had the best food in Portugal and the greatest time (lol). 

Unfortunately, right now Portugal is not in good economic standing because of their economic crisis. Because of this, when you visit the center of the city, you’ll tend to see many outside street actors, artists and entertainers working to earn 
some extra money. 

The coolest street performer that I saw was a man posing as a juggling sculpture.

Even though the country is experiencing economic downfalls right now, I would still recommend anyone to go and have a good time. While I was there I was able to visit some of the country’s special sights as well - the Castle of São Jorge and the Alfama District.

The Alfama District

Alfama is the oldest district of Lisbon, Portugal. It is between the Castle of São Jorge and the Tagus River. The Alfama area contains many important historical attractions, restaurants and fado bars. During the era of Moorish domination, Alfama was the first neighborhood started in the city. During the medieval and early modern European times, many Europeans referred to anyone of African or Arab descent as a Moor but there were no specific people or groups of people that were classified as Moors. It is a term made up from European settlers during that time. However, it was during this specific time that Alfama was established. The district of Alfama is a beautiful place to see that has great views overlooking the city.

               

The streets in Alfama are small and very narrow due to the Great Lisbon Earthquake that took place in 1755. The houses are so close to one another that you can hand something right out your window to your next-door-neighbor. Although this tragic natural disaster took place it truly helped create a unique look for the district of Alfama. In Lisbon, Alfama is known to be a poor area with bad neighborhood conditions. But when I went to the district it didn’t even register to me that it was a poor neighborhood. I could tell it was an older area but it was still a beautiful historical place.

Today in Alfama there are some new restaurants and renovations on some of the older houses. There are also many small businesses and entrepreneurs that I was able to meet when I was in the area. One in particular was a woman who was interested in handmade jewelry from any kind of scraps of metal, plastic and utensils. My friends and I spent about 2 hours in her shop looking and talking to her about business. 

There were so many amazing designs to her jewelry; we were so upset that we couldn't afford much. Unfortunately, she didn't allow pictures to be taken, so I was unable to do so. However, my friends and I did have her custom-make dog tags for us. Everyone had engraved their own personal statements that meant something to them. I told the woman I wanted something in Portuguese that meant setting your mind to something eliminates the impossible. The words to symbolize what I was looking for took forever to come up with but when she finally figured it out, I was satisfied (lol). She thought of an old Portuguese saying that meant exactly want I was looking for: “Querer E Poder,” which is a Portuguese statement that means what you want, you get and if you set your mind to it nothing is impossible. Out of all my souvenirs from different countries this is one that is dear to me. The symbolism of my tag represents my story of getting to where I was that day and all the hard work it took.  Not to mention, Portugal is one of my favorite countries so it was just right to have a necklace that sits near my heart (lol).

St. George’s Castle

The Castle of São Jorge (St. George Castle) is also an ancient landmark that was built during the 6th century. Saint George's Castle is oldest parts dated during that time, when it was fortified by the Romans, Visigoths, and eventually the Moors. It also served as a Moorish royal residence until Portugal's first king Afonso Henriques took over in 1147 with the help of northern European crusaders. The castle was dedicated to St. George, the patron saint of England, commemorating the Anglo-Portuguese pact dating from 1371.The castle looks over the whole city of Lisbon and is located at the top of the highest hill in the city; and it is one of the main historical attractions in Lisbon.

                              

                     

Trying to make the sunset on my way to St. George's Castle, I was pretty disappointed when my friends and I missed it. I was told by many of the residents in Portugal that it was a sight you must see, so we left the beach and tried to catch it. Unfortunately, we didn't end up making it for sunset but the city was just as beautiful at night with all the city lights.