"… The traveler follows the winding alleys, almost brushing his shoulders against the houses on either side while, up above, the sky is a chink of blue between overhanging roofs barely a foot apart; he crosses sloping squares where the different levels are accommodated by two or three flights of steps: he can see there is no shortage of flowers in the windows, or canaries in their cages, but the stench from the open gutters in the streets must be even stronger inside the houses, some of which have never seen the sun, and others at street level whose only window is the open front door. The traveler has seen much of the world and of life, and has never felt comfortable in the role of a tourist who goes somewhere, takes a look at it, thinks he understands it, takes photos of it and returns to his own country boasting that he knows the Alfama. The traveler must be honest. He went to the Alfama, but he does not know what it is. All the same, he walks and walks, and when he finally comes out at the Largo de Chafariz de Dentro – after being lost more that once as he knew he would be – he wants to immerse himself once more in its dark alleys, the twisting dead-end street, the slipper steps, until he feels he has at least learnt the first few words of the immense dialogue going on between houses, inhabitants, personal histories, laughter and the inevitable tears. Turned into a mythological beast by outsiders, the Alfama lives it own, difficult story. At times it is a healthy beast, at others it cowers in a corner licking the wounds that centuries of poverty have cut into its flesh and which do not heal. Even so, these houses have roofs, unlike other slums where the travelers’ eyes could discover no roofs and so doubted whether to call them houses at all." - José Saramago “Journey to Portugal”, page 339-340. "The Traveler" mentioned in the above text is the author Saramago himself ... ___________________ Yet who can understand Alfama in a brief visit for just a few days? Some even go for only an afternoon! Its long history, dated back in Moorish times, Alfama was described as the grandest part of Lisbon, history mentions that when Lisbon expanded, the new Christians moved out, leaving it to the local fishing community. Today none of the houses survive after the great earthquake in 1755, however, the labyrinthine streets remain, accommodating houses, shops and some Fado restaurants, all closely packed together, quite irregularly ... Walking up and down those becos (alleys) I feel like entering into a quiet village in a big city, an exceptional experience. Before sunset, I went to Miradouro de Santa Luzia, for the view of Alfama and River Tejo beyond, combined with the romantic colour of the sky, what could I say, in fact I were quite speechless. The next days I went to other interesting spots in Alfama (Castelo de Sao Jorge, Casa dos Bicos, Santa Engracia, quarters Santa Cruz, Mouraria, Graca ...), I hope to write something about them when time allows. ___________________ The photos and clips were taken during a visit of Alfama The music is Fado Português sung by Amália Rodriges ""Fado" (literally "fate") is often described as a kind of Portuguese blues. Popular themes are love, death, bullfighting and indeed fate itself. It is believed to derive from music that was popular with 18th Century immigrants from Portugal's colonies who first settled in Alfama." (source: rough guides) ___________________

• published: 29 Sep 2015
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