sunnylisbon

Most Portuguese I encounter are very kind but in the touristy spots it's a different story. I know they have to deal with some unsavory people as there are just too many tourists all over the downtown. Luckily my experience has been very very pleasant as I frequent museums not that many people visit. At National Sports Museum at Foz Palace, Having fun taking a closer look at all the sporty stuff, I decided to introduce this museum to other people. However, when I googled it, I found some comments which were horrible. Foz Palace is not open to the public normally. However, the part which houses National Sports Museum is open from Tuesday to Saturday. There are two entrances. One for the concert and the other for the museum, which is closer to the Info center. It can be confusing so some might try to get into the museum through the wrong door. Then they get turned away without a proper explanation due to language difficulty. And some people even

I am a people person. I do love meeting new people and many say I am very fun and interesting. However, as you grow older, you feel you need "me" time as well as "us" time. Born and raised in a culture which forces you to think and act as "WE" all the time, I feel blessed and liberated living here in Portugal. How exciting to see this man always there doing what he does. Here you can dance to music in a street and you are not to be frowned upon. Here you can sit alone at the riverside and do nothing for the whole day. Even so, people don't think you are crazy or weird. You can be just yourself. Though traveling all over the world, I am still learning how to be myself. Sometimes talking with travelers from Korea helps me to learn about who I am. Yesterday I met this wonderful lady who has been traveling for 10 years. Ever since she decided to take an early retirement at 50, she never looked back. In Korea most people dres

Silence and Memory. What a cool title~ From 10 Dec 2018 till 24 Feb 2019, one of Lisbon Museums,  Torreão Poente was supposed to hold the exhibition called Silence and Memory. And thankfully, they decided to extend the exhibition until March 2nd. So you have a last chance to visit this wonderful and memorable place. When I got there, I was the only one appreciating all the info. It's such a pity that there is not enough publicity about this kind of events. The first room you enter introduces you to Jose Saramago(winner in 1998), Toni Morrison(winner in 1993) and Patrick Modiano(in 2014). There are comfortable chairs and a table full of books. You can take a look at some of Nobel awards winning books. Even if your native language is not Portuguese, don't worry. The man there provided me a laminated English version, so I had no trouble understanding everything. I liked this phrase below by Jose Saramago best. So I introduced this to my fellow Koreans i

To enjoy Lisbon better, you should learn about Portuguese history. Whenever you see the statue of Jose I standing high on Comercio square, you wonder who the person was. Most visitors from Korea just pass through, taking pictures of the squares and cathedrals. I was one of them. But now, after reading Portuguese history and events, wherever I go and see, I get to enjoy a piece of its rich culture better. What I love most about is its naming system. Hospitals, bridges and roads are named after very important people. Well, some of names are after historically important people in Korea, but not a lot. Here I started to pay more attention to street names, wherever I go. And look them up, learning more and more about Portugal. And I love Pousada. Preserving the past and history, it still serves its purpose. I also love statues on the street, making me curious. After learning about them, I post the info on my Korean blog. Starting just 2 months ago, I have about

Yesterday I met a Korean teacher here in Lisbon. Finding my Korean blog very informative, she wondered who I am. So she contacted me and asked me to meet her in person. She has been here for two years, teaching Korean in a college. As she works during weekdays, she was only available on weekends. Right before I met her, it was broad daylight After I met her, it was as dark as this. We talked over five hours about living here in Portugal. Pros and cons of her life here in Lisbon. She used to teach Korean in Hungary, so it was more interesting to see her perspectives Living and traveling are somewhat different as far as I know. I have been to Hungary but just as a traveler, not as a resident. So what she told me about Hungry was very intriguing. That's for another time. Now let's get back to Portugal. Well, what she loves most is friendly Portuguese. And technology is way better than in Hungary. (Of course, not as good as that of Korea. The prog

This is the final leg of Óbidos walking tour.  Here, to enjoy better, you need to know a little bit  about the Portuguese history.  17. St. Mary's Church Igreja de Santa Maria There used to be a mosque in the Muslim period and after the first King of Portugal took over Óbidos, he built a church on this ground. Igreja de Santa Maria is the place where King Afonso V and Isabel got married in 1447, when they were fifteen years old. As cousins, they had known each other for a long time and Isabel's father was also the regent for the young king. She is thought to have been poisoned to death at the age of 23.  Her father was killed and her brother was exiled.   So later the queen cleared her father's name and had him reburied.  It is suspected that her attempts to exonerate her father got  her enemies to feel threatened so they poisoned her.    Her last son later becomes King John II.  Inside the church,  don't miss the masterp