A few days in Lisbon

. . . and a different way of seeing, using both OM and iPhone

2148 words; 18 photographs; 11-minute read

We arrived in Lison on a perfect day at a perfect time. Our TAP flight landed early at 5:15am local time, Easter Sunday. By the time we were through passport control and had collected our luggage, we were hungry and found some delicious Portuguese coffee, pastéis de nata and almond Jesuitine. Yes, Captain, we’ve landed!

By then, night had transitioned to dawn and we were treated to the glorious colours of a cloudless spring morning. Sadly, we had a taxi to catch and couldn’t stop to capture those colours. However . . .

Fifteen minutes later, our taxi deposited us at the Praça do Comércio, right on Lisbon’s waterfront and steps from our accommodations. Not being able to get into our apartment until later in the day, we simply enjoyed the sunrise on what turned out to be a spectacularly beautiful day—not the easiest thing to do with two checked bags, two carry-ons, and two day packs, but hey, it is what it is.

The photos I’m presenting here are a reflection of how I saw and experienced Lisbon. When travelling, I always make a point of capturing the essence of place — photos that reflect less of the touristic and more of the real culture. To achieve this, I have no hesitation switching between my OM-1 and my iPhone. I use what will get the photograph in the often limited time I have. I’m also a realist and pragmatist, and try not to take things too seriously. I’m not shooting for Condé Nast or National Geographic Traveller. I’m having fun, seeing what I can see and capturing what I hope portrays a more intimate view of the places I visit.

The M.Zuiko 12-100/4 PRO lens stayed on the OM-1 the whole time we were in Lisbon. The 12-100 is the perfect ravel lens providing the equivalent of 24mm to 200mm at a constant aperture and sharp from tip to tail. This set-up hangs unnoticed on a shoulder harness under my right arm. It really is the perfect travel camera, along with the iPhone, that is. Both are there when I need them.

In the captions, I’ll state the focal length and any variation from the ƒ5.6 and ISO 200 settings that were used almost exclusively with the OM-1. I mostly used ƒ5.6, which really is the sweet spot for sharpness and for depth-of-field; ISO 200 is the camera’s base ISO providing great speed and the largest dynamic range. All photos were processed in Lightroom.

Early one morning

There we were with this big empty square and not a tourist in sight, yet the golden sunshine streamed its way in. Even the Instagrammers weren’t up yet, though it didn’t take long before they arrived in droves.

I always like it when I’m presented with “downtime” or unplanned time while travelling. It gives me chance to look around and simply experience a place, taking note of details I would otherwise miss.

For example, we had been on the waterfront, at the Cais das Colunas, for about half an hour enjoying the sun and the lapping waves of the Tagus River when we suddenly heard singing or chanting from the steps leading down to the water. We still have no idea what it was all about as we didn’t recognize what the fellow was singing as Muslim or Christian, but he was there for about half an hour, then disappeared without us noticing. Interesting.

After a delicious Portuguese brunch, we ended up spending most of the day in and around the square. This included a couple of hours killing time and cooling off (it was 26°C!), sipping sparkling water at the Beer Museum. I know, a missed opportunity, but after being up for the last 24+ hours, beer would have put us to sleep!

Moving Pictures

Sitting there gave me chance to watch the many trams passing by and think about how best to capture these iconic features of Lisbon. Stationary just didn’t cut it, so I used Live Photos on the iPhone, changing the setting to Long Exposure. I love this technique for introducing another dimension to otherwise static photos.

Each time we were in Praça do Comércio, I watched as the “Bubble Man” delighted dozens of children with his hundreds of bubbles created with a a net of rope dunked in a tub of soapy water.

On our first evening, after a dinner of tapas, I used Live Photo Long exposure technique to capture the atmosphere around the Rua Augusta Arch, right around the corner from our apartment. We prefer staying i apartments, typically booked through Booking.com or AirBnB. For less than the cost of a hotel room, we get a whole suite with kitchen facilities, ideal for breakfasts, evening snacks or an even dinner. Part of our travel experience is shopping in local grocery stores, which really gives us a feel for a place.

Don’t think this Live Photo technique works perfectly on the first attempt; it usually takes a few tries to get the cropping and the blurs just right. The trick is to remember that, in converting the Live Photo to a long exposure, the software must crop the original on all sides. Also, if people move too fast, such as walking across the frame, they may not show at all. Then you have the people who are just standing around, looking at their phones; they’re not ideal either. But it’s fun, and it sure beats the typical tourist shots.

A Tourist in Lisbon

The last couple of days, we’ve been enjoying the tourist sites. One day, we had an excellent guided tour of the Castelo de Sao Jorge. In typical European fashion there were many layers of history to unravel: first the Phoenicians, then the Romans, followed by the Suebi, the Visigoths, the Muslims and finally the Portuguese Kingdom. This is what makes European travel so fascinating—you never know what historical influence will pop up where.

I took a few around the castle, but not many. I didn’t feel entirely inspired after our guide confirmed that much of the castle is a nationalistic reconstruction from the 1940s, designed to create pride in the Portuguese during the fascist dictatorship that ended in 1974.

But we also like surprises. Bypassing the cathedral, we took the historical Tram 28 up to the Church of St. Vincent de Faro—a big, old, dark, fairly plain church. Begrudgingly, we paid the €6 entry fee to the Monastery and—wow! Once we were through the dark, old rooms, displaying the historical, gaudy and, no-doubt priceless trinkets and of the Catholic Church and we were presented with one of the largest collections of original 17th century wall tiles in situ in the world. And, for once, they are not stories from the Bible, but scenes of everyday life or, at least, everyday life as depicted by the privileged class.

I’m not one to photograph the works of others, but I found the depictions fascinating studies of character. I know, it sounds esoteric, and it’s not on anyone’s “Top Ten” list for Lisbon, but everyone goes to the those same sites and takes the same picture. We’re always on the look out for something a bit different, and this was.

Now, it’s the end of a rainy Day 3. We’re back at our apartment, sipping €2.99 Syrah, eating sheep milk cheese and listening to Cesária Évora, the closest music we have to Portuguese. We had an early dinner tonight at a favourite Lisbon eatery, the Time Out Market. Great food and a festive atmosphere, there’s nothing like eating tooth by jowl on wiped, but not washed tables.

Over the few days we were in Lisbon, we also visited the Monument to the Discoveries and enjoyed a boat tour of the Tagus River, a definite highlight. Seeing Lisbon from the water gives a great perspective.

Despite having a Lisboa Card, which is great for transport and entries to museums, we ahd to take a pass on the Jerónimos Monastery. It was raining and the event the Lisboa Card queue was not moving, so we abandoned that idea. Oh well. It’s still there if we return to Lisbon one day.

Another highlight of our few days here was attending a Fado music experience. Fado is the traditional music of Portugal, played on a twelve-string Portuguese guitar accompanied by singing and a classical/traditional guitar.

Between the food, the culture and the history, Portugal has certainly met and exceeded our expectations. We’re now on our way southwards, by train, to Faro, and our villa apartment at Ferragudo. With nice weather ahead, I hope to be up early for the sunrise over the cliffs of the Algarve and up late for some astrophotography.

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