The first part of our holiday trip began in the Alfama neighborhood of Lisbon, which is the oldest part of town (over 800 years old). This area is well known for its hilly streets as well as the close quarters (residences are side by-side, with buildings only several feet apart in some areas).
Exploring the nooks and crannies by foot is always our favorite travel activity and, in fact, we averaged walking about 8 miles a day…loving every minute of it. Wherever we walked, it was Bill at the front with me at the rear, and Brook sandwiched in between. It works out well for us that Bill is the navigator (he’s great with maps), and with Brook sandwiched at the center we can keep a close eye on her (so that she doesn’t wander off too far). And I’m usually at the end, happy with my camera at the ready.
It seemed that wherever we went, there were photo ops, such as this everyday scene of a pretty cloth hung out to dry. It’s coming across these everyday things that stops me in my tracks – to me their casual, humble beauty is stunning.
What else was stunning were the gorgeous views at the tops of the hills. We were so lucky to arrive at this sight when there was sunshine…oh how good it felt! It was the perfect reward after a tough red-eye flight.
Here’s a shot of Bill and I fresh off the plane.
And here’s one of me and Brook. After all the walking up the steep hills, we needed a little break so we leaned up against a huge castle wall.
Bill noticed that the walls were made with actual shells and coral, which fascinated him to no end. And actually, everywhere we went Bill often stopped to inspect the walls. I like how he enjoys looking deeply at things too – whenever Bill discovers interesting finds and shares it with us, we also get to benefit from the experience. Having more eyes makes it more fun! By the way, Brook has a good eye too and during our trip she turned us on to many sights that we might otherwise have overlooked.
Going slow gives us a chance to spot wonderful surprises like these lingering peacocks. They also chose to take a rest on the walls…
…so that they could enjoy this incredible view of the sun going down (Bill captured this glowing scene from atop a precarious wall with his phone camera while I was busy trying not to fall off the edge!)
And speaking of things going down, way beneath the castle (encountered during the next day’s walk) there was an abundance of graffiti everywhere.
I’m not so sure that I like all of this personal expression on public space. It feels like an invasion of some sort and to me, it ruins the beauty of what’s underneath or next to it. I guess I don’t really get it.
However, I do get the one below.
And I got it even more after getting home. I translated the message into English (thanks to Google Translate), and it reads “In doubt, tell the truth”. This message speaks to me, in its simplicity and also in its complexity.
Another graffiti sight that stopped me in my tracks was the one below. It’s minimal and not so in your face, but I liked it. I liked the handwriting and I liked the color and composition…so simple yet direct. And I had no idea what it said or meant…
…until I got home and did the Google Translate thing again. It reads “There is light within you”…can you believe that?! You can image how excited I felt when I first read those words! The message is exactly what I believe. And to see it with my own eyes that someone else sees it the same way…way across the ocean, in another land, and in another language. I just love it. I love that others know this light, that they feel this light, and that they believe that everyone has this light. With all this light, the world can be an amazing place…and it is an amazing place. How lucky we are to be in it together.
Shine on my friends and be bright! And don’t forget to go slow so that you can take it all in. Sometimes it’s literally written on the walls…it is everywhere.
13 Comments, Comment or Ping
Hi Becky. Thank you for sharing your beautiful trip. Bright light inside. What a beauitful gift we have to play the role of reflectors of this light.
January 9th, 2014
how amazing that you found that message. interesting how you can travel to a new place and discover that others feel the same. beautiful to share your trip and beauty with your family.
enjoy the day.
we’re not snowed in anymore, sun is shining and it’s a glorious day.
January 9th, 2014
Gorgeous gorgeous gorgeous! What an amazing trip to see all of these things. I think the blue girl ‘graffiti’ is a Banksy! I would love to see a real work of his. Thanks for sharing all this Becky
January 9th, 2014
Thank you for sharing your trip with us! What a neat place to explore.
January 10th, 2014
You trip sounds so lovely. It’s amazing to travel to foreign lands and see how similar the people are to us. We are children of the same light and all children brilliant divine beings of love’s magnificence!
Thank you for sharing your insight, your interpretations and your LIGHT,
JoJo
January 10th, 2014
Beautiful post, thank you. I wonder how you chose the location of your vacation. It doesn’t look like there were crowds of tourists! How nice.
January 10th, 2014
Thanks for the sweet messages ladies. And to answer your question Laura – We pick locations based on flight ease/access, cultural experiences such as food, language variation and history. And with an eye towards experiencing an interesting/different way of life. We also consider the weather and how far our money will go (prefer places that are not typically too expensive). Plus, we sometimes end up in places where Bill has work engagements (after he works we all get to play together). Basically, I like to avoid the high season (which often come with crowds and high prices) whenever possible.
January 10th, 2014
Oh, Becky, what a wonderful trip! And how good to know that there are others out there who actually look at walls, as I always do! My thoughts go to the hands that created them, the lives involved, how they lived….so yes, I do like to look beyond the obvious, too. You are too kind to share all your thoughts and photos with us!
January 10th, 2014
what gorgeous photos of a magical place Becky. I can almost imagine being there myself. Not sure I like the graffiti so much (esp. when it’s overwhelming) either but it is everywhere any more. And when you stumble upon something meaningful and special as you did, well, it is a reminder that all graffiti has a special meaning to someone somewhere. Thank you for sharing.
January 11th, 2014
Wow! I am not a traveler but you make everything look so fun and interesting! And I love that you have such a close knit family – very rare these days. Thanks for sharing these, they are beautiful!!
January 13th, 2014
How perfectly fitting in this simple written message of “light within you”. Lovely trip and just the way Mr. C and I like to explore places. Slowly and up close and personal. I am not a fan of graffiti as I believe it speaks to my strong dislike of vandalism. Why deface our public spaces just goes beyond my understanding. Maybe old billboards would be a good place for “artistic expression”/graffiti. Happy New Year Dear and Creative Blessings…
January 14th, 2014
Sherry, I really like your idea regarding graffiti, and it’s a perfect example of how to repurpose. You have a terrific mind with wonderful ideas…thanks for sharing.
January 15th, 2014
I so enjoyed your post on Lisbon. Many years ago my husband, a Sicilian, and I traveled to Portugal. Our first days too were spent in the Alfama section of Lisbon. We just loved the closeness of the little houses and the narrow streets. People we met along those street were the friendliest. On our flight home my husband turned to me and said…..Lisbon is a place where I would love to retire. We always talk about going back for a visit and, truly, reading your post has made us dream again about returning someday.
January 21st, 2014
Reply to “The Walls of Lisbon”