Portugal

At a glance

What your reading experience in Lisbon could look like

I have to start by saying that I have a first-love affair with Lisbon. It is the city where I began my literary travel in 2015. This was such a momentous experience for me that I wrote about it, and it appeared in the 25th anniversary edition of Chicago Quarterly Review.

Most mornings in Lisbon, I sat at Caneca de Prata, a warm and authentic Portuguese cafe, to read and write. Their coffee was strong and soothing, the owners of the cafe were friendly, and you never knew what freshly baked pastry you would be served that day.

My Airbnb apartment was just above Caneca. Clean and inviting, the spacious studio with floor-to-ceiling windows was in the middle of Rua de Prata, where you can access numerous restaurants, shopping plazas, a grocery store, and good music in the evenings, all by foot.

When I wasn’t reading or writing during the day, I wandered the Centro Cultural de Belém, Lisbon’s premier cultural centre and a complex of art display. I attended a reading at Grémio Literário, Lisbon’s oldest literary club, and I ate on their “Art Nouveau” veranda overlooking the Tagus River. I browsed bookshops and I listened to street music and sipped coffee from various outdoor restaurants.

What to do during your literary travel to Lisbon

• Browse bookstores: Lisbon is a city where you can find many English-language bookshops. Livraria Bertrand, in Chiado, was one of my favorites. It is a Portuguese bookstore with a small but good English selection. This is where I bought my first Saramago title and the booksellers were really helpful. Bookshop Bivar, with even more English titles, feels like visiting a cozy home library where you may come across a prized title. There are many more to choose from as you plan your literary travel.
• Retreat and read: I urge you to head to one of my favorite places: Go to Commerce Square, and head to the southern end, at the riverbank, where you will find steps to sit, have a quick lunch, read, and enjoy views of the Tagus River. An alternative is to walk around the city’s squares and pick one of many to sit, grab a coffee, and read.
• Walk or shop on Rua Garrett: Rua Garrett is a great street for solo or group walking. It has an array of shops, cafes, and sights. I bought a nicely threaded dress of Portuguese colors from a small boutique on Rua Garrett. It is a vibrant street, and you will most likely come across street performers.
• Four Lyrical Books to Read in Lisbon. Lisbon is known for its lyricism and poetical writings. Some poets you may not have heard about because they are not in translation. To learn more about Lisbon’s poetry, read: “Four Lyrical Books to Read in Lisbon.“
• Listen to street music. Lisbon is musical. At any time of day, you will most likely hear music emanating from some public space, music that is actually being played. Listening to street music was one of my favorite things to do. Grab a book and a cup of coffee at a cafe’s table on the plaza and enjoy a musical read.

• Book an evening of Fado. Fado is a type of Portuguese singing style you hear in cafes and pubs. Started as the “music of the poor,” it is melancholic and inviting and reminds me of the blues. There is an older style of fado that is associated with Lisbon. It is soul-stirring and affecting. You can also visit the Fado Museum and explore fado and literature.
• Take a literary tour: Lisbon offers literary tours based around your favorite authors. For instance, if you’ve read Night Train in Lisbon, you can have a reading experience in Lisbon by touring the book. My favorite tour was one where I explored Fernando Pessoa’s literary life through the Pessoa Walk. It will help you discover Lisbon through the eyes of a literary figure and help you understand The Book of Disquiet more. You will also see the poetry of the streets that Pessoa wrote about.

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