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Luz. Light. When you arrive, it’s the first thing you notice. When you leave, it’s memory will haunt you. Every time you look up a sky that isn’t Lisbon’s, you will shake your head sadly – say to yourself, “It’s just the same”. ‘Lusco Fusco’, Lisbon’s blue hour, is the best time to experience the city’s singular light in all its misty majesty. It’s that span of twilight that stretches between sunset and night. When you leave Lisbon, the light will have filled your soul. You too will be blue.
Lisbon is the capital and largest city of Portugal with an estimated population of 505,526. It is one of the oldest cities in the world, and the second oldest in Western Europe, predating other European capitals such as London, Paris, and Rome by centuries. It is the most occidental city in continental Europe bathed by the Atlantic Ocean, and warmed by the sun all year long. Lisbon enchants travelers with its unusual light, which reflects off the water onto white tiled streets, with buildings designed around luminosity, shade and shadow and often searching out river views. Lisbon has experienced a renaissance in the last decade, with a contemporary culture that is alive and thriving and making its mark in today’s Europe.
The workshop will take place during the week where Lisbon celebrates and honors its patron, St. Antony. The so-called ‘festas de Santo António’ (St. Antony festivities) reach their highpoint on the evening of June 12, with the parade of popular marches along Avenida da Liberdade. On the afternoon of June 13, a procession in homage to the popular Saint – who is believed to foster marriages – winds its way through the streets around the Sé cathedral and provides a special religious flavour to the festivities. Evenings are animated by traditional festivities in Lisbon’s oldest neighbourhoods – from Castelo to Mouraria, Graça, Alfama, Ajuda and Bairro Alto – with lots of music and dance to the rhythm of popular songs. Decorated with coloured globes and garlands, the city’s streets are invaded by the smell of roasted sardines and sweet basil accompanied by paper carnations and paintings that allude to Santo António (in Festivities of Lisbon, visitportugal.com).
Around Lisbon: Estoril, Cascais and Sintra
Hotels within walking distance
VIP Executive Entrecampos Hotel
Useful links
Airport: https://www.aeroportolisboa.pt/en/lis/home
Buses: http://www.carris.pt/en/home/
Taxis: http://cooptaxis.pt/en/
Subway: https://www.metrolisboa.pt/en/