Reading in
Portugal
Lisbon, Portugal is one of the oldest cities in the world, dating back to pre-Celtic times. It is a city that gives a nod to the literary lifestyle. You can read and retreat among gorgeous architecture, cultural diversity, and numerous bookshops and cafes.
Lisbon 2024
Portugal View
Language
Portuguese
Common polite phrases:
Desculpe- Excuse me
Desculpa- Sorry
Obrigado or Obrigada (female)- Thank you
Anchor in the Chiado district
Elegant and chic, Chiado has great food, coffee and wine. Go shopping on cobblestoned streets and sip Vinho Verde at an outdoor historic cafe. Browse a bookstore or attend a scheduled reading. And did I mention Fernando Pessoa? Take a “Pessoa Walk” and visit places frequented by the poet.
Recommended Books
Raised from the Ground, by José Saramago
The Book of Disquiet, by Fernando Pessoa
The Piano Cemetery, by José Luís Peixoto
28 Portuguese Poets, edited by Richard Zenith
At a glance
My reading experience in Lisbon
I have a love affair with Lisbon, 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 people friendly, and you never knew what freshly baked pastry you would be served that day.
My Airbnb apartment was just above Caneca, (hosted by super host, Maria). 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.
Things to do
- Browse a bookstore: Livraria Bertrand is a Portuguese bookstore with a good English selection.
- Retreat and read: Go to Praça do Comércio, 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.
- Walk and observe: Rua Garrett is a great street for solo walking. It has an array of shops, cafes, bookstores and sights.
- Take a literary tour: The Pessoa Walk will help you discover Lisbon through the eyes of a literary figure.
