Last month I spent a week in beautiful Lisbon. One thing that striked my attention was the endless similarities between the old "bairros" (districts) of the portuguese capital with the older parts of Corfu town. Lisbon was built on seven hills which overlook Tagus estuary. The streets in older parts like Alfama, Sé and Mouraria are narrow and mazy like those in the Campielo district of Corfu town. Most buildings are 3-4 storeys tall with roofs featuring red ceramic tiles similar to those found in Greece. Like what happens in Corfu, those medieval neighbourhoods are inhabited by elderly people who still hang their laundry to dry out of the window. Many buildings had been coloured with vivid mediterranean colours which look bright and warm under Lisbon's strong sunlight.
I would like to point out that, unlike Corfu, most of those medieval alleys are pedestrianized and access by car is only allowed to permanent residents. Streets are clean and most old buildings are being renovated thanks to program run by the municipal authorities. Also, the old districts are teeming with tourists all year round and few buildings are uninhabited or rundown. Another similarity I noticed was the abundance of those horrid tag graffiti which can be found in both places.
Below there is a selection of photos I took from various old neighbourhoods like Alfama and Bairro do Castelo. I wish our municipal authority had visited Lisbon and inspired by the way how Lisbon residents and officials respect and take care of their town.
