sunnylisbon

Traveling Lisbon, I am sure you saw copies of Bordalo pinheiro's artworks. Especially his sardinhas. Museu Bordalo Pinheiro  is a very small place but its google rating is 4.5. Its location  is very close to Pimenta Museum and its garden. So visiting those two places together is a win-win. Featuring nature and characters from fables, his artworks take you to a new realm of possibilities. Very emblematic. You can see these sardines all over Lisbon.  His whimsical, quirky works remind me of those by Gaudi. Pinheiro (1846-1905) and  Gaudi (1852-1926) have something in common. Especially when you see his copies of works placed inside the garden of Pimenta Palace, you will understand what I am talking about.  

With a Lisboa card, a wonderful starting point of your trip can be at the Story Center . It tells you the stories and memories of Lisbon. At Comercio Square(Praça do Comércio), you can see the statue of Jose I Don't miss Lisboa Story Centre to find more about Lisbon. The Story Center is at the Comercio Square , Praça do Comércio. It's also called Terreiro do Paço, meaning Palace yard. Sounds familiar? The metro stop right next to the Story Center is named after it. Without the earthquake which destroyed most of Lisbon, the city would have Ribeira Palace at the Comercio Square with a royal library full of precious books and records of the glorious Portuguese past. pictures featuring Ribeira Palace from Pimenta Museum The Palace was made by Manuel I. So if it were here now, people would line up to see Ribeira Palace as they do at Jerominos Monasetry . With all the gold coming from Brazil, the royal family collected priceless artworks from a

LX factory has become a landmark for anyone who loves whimsical and quirky artworks. Rooftop bar, Rio Maravilha How about visiting it right before the sunset? At the rooftop, there is a bar called Rio Maravilha , which means 'wonderful river.' Feel the energy with all the people having a blast. There are lots of things to enjoy. It's just a fun place to be. Whenever I am there, I always appreciate the bee by Bordalo II, one of my favorite artists in Lisbon. Not only using wastes can he create wonderful artworks but he also makes us think about materialism, consumerism and greed. I just love his messages. Traveling in Belem district, you will also be enchanted by his racoon near Berardo Museum . By the way, don't miss the bookstore called Ler Devagar at LX factory. It means read slowly. Pietro Proserpio's work itself makes the bookshop worth the visit.

Every Friday from 18:00-22:00, Oriente Museum  offers free admission to all. It has two permanent exhibitions. One is on the Portuguese presence in Asia. The other is the Kwok On Collection, which is on the Chinese opera. It was very impressive to see how expansively Portuguese influenced from East-Timor to Japan. I am not Chinese, but I have been to China many times. So it was fun reminiscing about my trips while enjoying the collections. On the wall are some synopses of famous Chinese operas to understand collections better. My favorite story is the one about white and blue snakes. Once upon a time in China, there were a thousand-year-old white snake and a five-hundred-year-old blue snake. They mastered meditation and managed to attain human forms. On a rainy day, they bump into a young man. This gentleman lends them an umbrella. As he has a crush on a White snake, he visits her to get back the umbrella as an excuse. Then they get married and liv

What if there were no earthquake in Lisbon? Things would be very different now. The Throne Room at Ajuda Palace After that incident, a lot of things changed. The Royal family lost their home and they need a new home fast. So Ajuda National Palace began as a temporary palace. Not only can you see the beautiful Portuguese palace but also you can enjoy different temporary exhibitions.  Due to the financial and political matters, it is still unfinished. However, despite its humble facade, it is well worth the visit. The Palace has more than 30 lavishly decorated rooms. Each room has laminated sheets of info in various languages so you can appreciate all the items in each room. You can see the number 34 on the upper left side, right? There are more than 30 rooms with all the explanation.  Must-sees at the Throne Room  I personally wanted to see the blue room but it is now under renovation. Planning to visit again, I took some pictures of

MAAT means Museum of Art, Architecture and Technology. The reviews are somewhat controversial. Some love this place and others don't. It consists of two buildings. One is a power station and the other is a beautiful white tile building. I personally think the white building itself is worth the visit. Look at the pictures I took. I am not such a good photographer but the building is so interesting that it made me feel like a professional. Inside the exhibitions change often so it's better to check what is on before heading there. This building is a power plant. It's interesting to see artworks exhibited inside the plant.  The power plant is no place for those with weak knees. To see the exhibition, you have to climb up and down. Well, as my knees are not good, next time I will just move onto the white building. On the white building, you can go up to the lookout. There are not many stairs, mostly ramp. So it's an

My husband used to go on TV and recommend books to read on national TV in Korea. And he traveled just to attend book fairs all over the places. Now settled here in Lisbon, we feel privileged to attend the biggest book event every year. Book fans like us would appreciate the following info. (A) Lisbon Bookfair.   Feira do Livro de Lisboa(Lisbon bookfair) is held every year on the Edward VII Park . This year from May 25 to June 13, you can enjoy books, stories, foods and more at the fair. Last year's bookfair (B) Five bookstores to visit here in Lisbon (1) # Bertrand Livraria · R. Garrett 73 Bertrand is the oldest one still operating bookstore in the world. It won the Guinness World Record in 2010. A must-visit. Inside you can witness its history all both walls. I just love the book smell at that place. (2) # Simao , a petty used bookstore.  Livraria · Escadinhas de São Cristóvão 18 The smallest bookstore in Lisbon. Probably the smallest in th