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Like a dejected colonialist, in early 2001 I was forced from Africa. Creeping back to the Old World, I found myself in Lisbon, Portugal. A beautifully crumbling old city, Lisbon is similar to San Francisco in climate, geography, and tectonic activity. The main difference being, aside from the language, the choice of roofing material. This was homebase while I rotated to work in Algeria. For 1-1/2 years I tolerated 4 weeks in the Sahara to enjoy 4 carefree-weeks in Lisbon. |
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Everyone asks: Why Lisbon? Well, Air Gabon cancelled this connecting flight, everyone stranded in Libreville for three long days... |
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...and there was this woman.... |
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Mena stole my heart and I chased her to Lisbon. I had been in Angola on business and she was visiting family. We were both trying to get back to Nigeria. One weekend and a few months later we both relocated to Lisbon, where Mena has family.
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The dog I found out about later. |
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There's no white picket fence, but we do own property in the Old World: a 2-bedroom apartment on the second floor, in a narrow cobble-stoned neighborhood. |
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For centuries, Portugal was a colonial power sustained by an army of
young, poor, often uneducated, soldiers. These men were posted to the
colonies in Brazil, Angola, Mozambique, etc, where they had a far better
life. Those that could, stayed, but
most eventually returned to Portugal, where they longed for the better
life. Finally, in the mid-1970's a group of officers overthrew the Portuguese dictator.
The country has had a representative government for less than 30 years.
For this reason, Portugal lags Europe in many areas: education, development, wealth. Until recently, property was rent-controlled to the point of absurdity. As a result, owning property became a burden and many buildings have fallen into serious disrepair. Our building, originally built in 1933, has seen better maintenance, but many buildings across the street are abandoned. |
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Our neighbor across the street has probably lived in this tiny one-room apartment most of her life. Although abolished, rent control remains for the older generation. Today, she probably pays around $20 per month. From this window, nothing escapes her attention; there are no secrets in our neighborhood. |
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Not all of Lisbon is a crumbling relic. Once the last holdout departs, the developers swoop in. This is the castle district and has been almost entirely renovated. One can get lost for hours in these narrow winding streets. |
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Because I was rotating 4/4 into Algeria, lots of time was dedicated to fix-r-up's. The original kitchen included a fireplace where meals were cooked (the previous owner used a hotplate). The finished product ain't Martha Stewart but it is ethically sound. |
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The Parental Units paid a visit in May. Can you spot the tourist? |
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We visited castles...
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The walled city of Obidos.
And the summer palace of the Portuguese Monarchy. |
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And, of courses, Portugal has some of the best beaches in Europe...
