A Watercolor of Chiado and Alfama, a Lisbon Summer Morning
2023-06-27
A Watercolor of Chiado and Alfama, that’s how a slow morning in Lisbon began, on our last trip there.
The days were hot, sunny, with that good breeze in the shade and time moving really slowly. It was during the breaks from walking through Chiado and Alfama that the late morning found its best refreshment, a good sangria.
Sometimes it’s good to mix things up. Not always beer, not always wine. Sometimes the moment calls for a sangria, or a tinto de verano, like they do in Spain. At this particular restaurant, we ended up with a sangria and Beirão, mixed just right. Halfway through our morning walk, we stopped there, ordered some rissóis, and had the sangria to open up our appetite.
Chiado and Alfama, between tourists and memory
Even in territory taken over by restaurants that only cater to tourists, some places still hold on to a bit of their history. This was one of them. Good food, good service, and a reminder of what restaurants in Lisbon used to feel like, before this wave of tourism.
This watercolor of Chiado came out of exactly that, that rare chance to stay a while without any rush. Without being pushed out so another tourist could sit down, order just a pastel de nata, and leave. It was time gifted to us.
I recorded that moment in watercolor and ink, trying to hold on not just to the place, but to that stretched out feeling of time the morning brought. Urban sketching in Lisbon is always like this, less about the perfect postcard, more about these small moments we almost let slip by.
Coming back to Lisbon is always good, especially when we find these corners that hold their ground, sangria on the table and time to spare.