In the course of our travels we have visited three places claiming to be the oldest continuously inhabited city in Europe - Athens, Cadiz and Lisbon. It's probably impossible to judge which has the most convincing claim. Anyway, we're headed for Lisbon which probably has the weakest claim of the three due to its geographical position. Both Cadiz and Lisbon were first established by the Phoenicians as trading posts in the time of transition between the Bronze and Iron ages, as they spread westwards from their home in the Levant across the Mediterranean and beyond. It is certain that their merchants traded tin in Cornwall and it is thought that they may have journeyed as far south as West Africa seeking ivory.
The name Cadiz is derived from the Phoenician word Geddis, meaning walled place. This is pleasing for the modern city's historic centre remains a 'wall place' to this day. Common sense asserts that Cadiz must have been established before Lisbon because the latter is further from the Phoenician's home cities of Sidon and Tyre. However the archeological evidence and ancient literary sources are counter-intuitive, giving a date around 1100 BCE for the foundation of Cadiz but placing Lisbon a century earlier.
Perhaps linguistics solves the conumdrum. The root of Lisbon's name is Olissipo or Alis Ubo, variously defined as either 'beautiful harbour or 'safe haven'. Some etymologists suggest that the Phoenician place name may reflect an earlier one rooted in a proto-celtic language spoken by native tribes. Maybe the Phoenician trading port was developed from a pre-existing settlement. No matter what, it's undeniable that the place simply states the obvious. Stretching along the north shore of the mighty Tejo, a few kilometres from the sea, Lisbon still provides a safe haven and remains one of the world's most beautiful harbours.
It has rivals, we've visited a few - Sydney, New York, Hong Kong, Marseille, Naples - but Lisbon is unique not just because it has been a significant port for three millennia, but also through its role in the development of intercontinental trade during the 'Age of Discovery' making it an early pioneer of globalisation.
We headed to the usual place - the Orbitur camp site in Costa Caparica. The town is south of the Tejo so you have to catch the ferry from Trafaria to Belem to reach Lisbon. A local bus connects with the ferry, but the last couple of times we've stayed here we've opted to use our bikes.
There's a cycle way connecting the campsite to the ferry terminal - a twenty minute, occasionally bumpy ride. The bikes are carried free on the ferry. Once you disembark, Lisbon waterfront has a cycle track running all the way from Belem to the Alfama.
Cycling gives you the opportunity to appreciate the less renowned places that the bus simply passes through. For example Trafaria; it remains a slightly rough and ready small satellite town across the river from Belem.
The place's most memorable site being a clutch of giant silos at the nearby bulk carrier dock. The town centre has character and a lively street life, retaining an authenticity that Lisbon's old centre across the river - the Alfama - lost some decades ago.
We stayed four nights in total at Costa Caparica, enabling us to visit Lisbon twice as well as catch up with mundane domestic stuff like doing the laundry.
Day one we spent mooching around Belem. It was a Saturday so the area was busy with both locals and tourists. We locked the bikes up at the ferry terminal, the esplanade was so crowded cycling wasn't really an option. The whole area is a bit of a tourist trap, but we are tourists so there was a certain inevitably about the way we fell into it.
Trap number one in terms of selfie opportunities is probably the Padrão dos Descobrimentos - 'Monument to the Discoveries', a gigantic, somewhat ghastly, neo-Fascist sculptural ensemble celebrating Portugal's pioneering role in connecting Europe to the Far East and the Americas in the early Renaissance period. The first time I saw the monument back in 2016 I was quite rude about it. It is true, the story it tells is one of greed, enslavement and cultural vandalism.
Nevertheless, it represents a key stage in the development of global consciousness denoting the moment when Copernican thinking began to have a major geopolitical impact. I guess it's the Early Modern equivalent of the way 'Earthrise' prompted the 'overview effect' in the latter part of the Twentieth century.
Tourist trap two is the Torre de Belém, an elaborately decorated small fortress built in the early sixteenth century. It's function was part military - to protect the harbour entrance. However it had a a ceremonial function too, the tower's loggia providing a sheltered viewpoint for the court and nobility to greet the latest arrivals from Africa, Brazil, Goa and the Far East bringing valuable spices and other luxury goods to enrich the Portuguese aristocracy. It is probably the premiere selfie spot in the city. It was packed. We joined the queue but resisted taking selfies.
What we really needed was lunch. There are lots of pop-ups and food trucks in the area serving fast food to hungry selfie seekers. We opted for tostas in a waterside place - they were fine, in truth you can't really go wrong with a toastie.
As well as historical monuments tourists also flock to Belém because it is home to Pastéis de Belém. The place is the spiritual home of the 'pastéis de nata' - the super delicious Portuguese egg custard tart. It is world famous - a celebrated national treasure - epitomising pastéis in the way Bettys of Harrogate does for afternoon tea. Most days there is a big queue to get a seat in the place and today was no exception. On our last visit we swapped allegiances and went to another bakery across the street. Sarah, as an ex-Lisboasta pointed us in the direction of Manteigaria last year, explaining that the recently established bakery had gained the reputation amongst locals for producing even more delicious pastéis than the traditional place.
Because it's not quite so well known it's easier to find a table. Like last year we agreed that their effort was very sumptuous indeed, if a little too hot as ours was from a batch that had only come out of the oven minutes earlier.
However, the only way to establish which were the best was to sample both. So having scoffed the Manteigaria ones we crossed the road and bought two pastéis from the older place's takeaway counter. Luckily there was a small park nearby so we found a bench and continued our taste test.
Verdict - both are delicious but subtly different. The Manteigaria tart was definitely creamier and a little heavier. Maybe the classic Pastéis Belém had better balance between gooeyness and crunch. Will we be back in Lisbon next year? In all likelihood. An opportunity for further research.
There is another nagging gastronomic question which brings us back here. Which restaurant does better smoke grilled fish - La Sirene in Sagres or Lisbon's Ultimo Porto in the corner of the old Cruise terminal in Doca de Alcântara? However today is Sunday and Ultimo Porto is closed so further research into the fishy question will have to wait until tomorrow.
Instead we had a slow morning, sorted some laundry then pedalled off to join the Sunday crowds on Costa Caparica's enormous esplanade. Lisbon has been a few small resorts nearby. Cais Cais to the north of the mouth of the Tejo is quite stylish. We visited the place a few times when we flew out to see Sarah and Rob when they lived here. Costa Caparica is situated on the southern shore. It's not quite so up-market, more a mass tourism destination developed by the look of it in the 1970s and 80s with rows of bland mid-rise hotels.
It's not horrible, and since I have a soft spot for mid-Century style architecture I found the boxy tower blocks quite pleasing, expressions of a recent past that was more positive about the future than we are at the moment.
We went in search of a restaurant that had good reviews on Google. It was tricky to find, and when we finally located it down a gloomy alley between two tower blocks we concluded the reviews did not quite match the reality. Instead we headed back to the van and had a simple lunch there.
Monday - back to Lisbon on the ferry. The bike track follows the riverside wending its way past dockyards and warehouses, some still functioning, others repurposed into marinas lined with fashionable restaurants but interspersed with abandoned industrial sites awaiting their hipsterish apotheosis.
All the while the mighty Tejo sliding by, it's a living river dotted with yachts and dinghies, ferries and cargo ships. No cruise ships today - the new terminal near Alfama, Lisbon's ancient centre, is controversial. Like in Barcelona and Málaga the malign effects of mass tourism on house prices and rents is a hot topic.
The old terminal built in the 1930s for passenger liners is mostly empty, but one corner is occupied by Ultimo Porto a great fish restaurant much loved by Lisboastas, but somewhat off the tourist trail. We'd caught the 11am. ferry from Trafaria to ensure arrived as the place opened.
The chef was lighting the big charcoal barbecues by the terrace as we locked-up our bikes. There were plenty of free tables but they soon filled-up, it's very popular with locals even on a Monday lunchtime.The restaurant really is in the middle of the docks, surrounded by stacked-up containers and the giant mobile cranes that move them about.
We were hoping for linguado but it wasn't available. We settled for dorada instead. The fish was well cooked, served simply with boiled potatoes and greens.
Nothing fancy, but very delicious, a bit of a faff to eat though. Dorada can be bony and when cooked whole it's a question picking through it with care.
We finished off with a creme caramel and a chocolate mousse - all a bit Eighties and Delia! There classics when done well.
Next a slow pedal back retracing our route. We paused next to the Maat building, Lisbon's spectacularly curvy modern art museum. It's a post-modern triumph, enhancing the waterfront without dominating it. What is the opposite of a 'carbuncle' I wondered. A signature building I suppose, and I think the Maat could be described as such.
There are a spectacular views from the roof terrace, especially of Ponte 25 de Abril bridge which gives the Golden Gate a run for its money on terms of being the world's most iconic suspension bridge.
Just to complete the scene a guy was busking boss nova. Because of Portugal's historic links to East Africa, Cape Verde and Brazil one of Lisbon's delights is street music, from Fado, to Samba and Afro beats - you are constantly surprised by the skill and professionalism of people playing great stuff in the hope of picking up a few euros from passersby.
A sunny day in early spring, the Tejo glistening, gulls wheeling, people relaxing and a seriously good bossa nova soundtrack. Definitely a 'moment'. I had only just commented that to make it perfect we needed some Jorge Ben. As if by magic or telepathy the guy on guitar moved on to 'Mas, Qué Nada' - that joyous opening riff - perfecto.
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