So Long November...

Another month that comes to its end! We are about to enter December and soon this year will be over. In Lisbon, the Autumn has been mild, with sunny days inviting to stroll trough the city. Some of the places visited have already been featured on the blog: Central Tejo, Jardim da Estrela and Street Art at LX Factory. But I've been in a lot of great places that I'm anxious to show you. Soon, I promise!

Working on the blog (more posts on Barcelona, Paris and Buenos Aires), engaging in some collaborations with other sites (you can find them here) and a new project (is travel related, and when the time comes will tell more about it) have taken most of the time. This coming month I'll be trying to keep things going around here while making all the holiday preparations, so if you'll notice some radio silence, its for a good cause.

These nine photos are the Top 9 for November on our Instagram account. You can follow us there for daily photos and tips.



Follow my blog with Bloglovin

Lisbon Chronicles | Street Art at LX Factory

Lisbon is well known for its street art, presenting allover the city great examples of the work of both Portuguese and foreigner artists. If you appreciate street art, maybe the names of Vihls and Bordalo II are familiar to you, as they have works all over the world. While Vihls is particularly known for carving faces on building facades, Bordalo II creates amazing works of art from trash.

The trendy LX Factory, in Alcântara, is a creativity hub installed on an old and abandoned factory from the nineteenth century. Today, is house for numerous companies related to art, fashion and design. It holds an hostel, several restaurants, cafés and shops that serve both visitors and the people who work there. Along with the regular events, shows and markets that take place at LX Factory, visitors can enjoy over a dozen works of street art scattered all over the grounds from artists like Bordalo II, Mário Belém, Hugo Makarov, Miguel RAM, Mariana Dias Coutinho, Mais Menos, Derlon (from Brazil), Millo (from Italy) and many others.

Work by Bordalo II

Work by Bordalo II

Work by Miguel RAM

Work from Derlon

Work from Derlon

Work from Derlon

A Streetment from MaisMenos

Work by Mariana Dias Coutinho

Mural Desassossego (detail) by Mário Belém and Hugo Makarov 

Mural Desassossego (detail) by Mário Belém and Hugo Makarov

Work by Millo

Chronicles from Paris | Place des Vosges

Once a swamp, the Marais (french word for marshland) district grow in importance on the fourteenth century due to its proximity to the Louvre Palace. In the seventeenth century became the favorite living place for the richest families in Paris, who built sumptuous mansions characteristic of the neighborhood. Today the Marais is a dynamic part of the city, with modern boutiques, great art galleries, upscale hotels and restaurants.

One of my favorite places in Marais, and probably one of the Parisian squares that I love the most is Place des Vosges. Perfectly symmetric, is one of the oldest planned squares in Paris. Entering through an arch, one can admire the surrounding red brick facades of the houses, stroll under the arcades, visit the shops, cross along the central garden or seat in a restaurant or cafe.

We opted for having crepes with ice-cream at Ma Bourgogne (19, Pl des Vosges) and they were delicious. But if you want to have a full meal and you're not under a tight budget there is a three Michelin star restaurant L'Ambroisie (9, Pl de Vosges) considered one of the best and most beautiful restaurants in Paris.

This square was the scenery of many historical events through the centuries and house of several prestigious people, like cardinal Richelieu or the writer Victor Hugo. Its possible to visit the Maison Victor Hugo (6, Pl des Vosges) where the autor lived for sixteen years and where he wrote most of his master piece Les Miserables.

The Place des Vosges can be the ideal place to start (or to finish) a walk in the Marais, currently one of the most charming districts of Paris. Some of the must visit spots include the Musée Picasso Paris, the Hotel de Ville and the Rue des Rosiers, the main street of the Jewish quarter.

You can get there by subway (stations Bastille and St-Paul), or walking from Île de la Cité, crossing Pont Notre Dame.

Chronicles from Barcelona | La Boqueria Market

La Boqueria Market, was the first of Barcelona's local markets to be formally created. When it firstly opened on March 1840, the market occupied the former grounds of Saint Joseph's Convent. Nevertheless its history started centuries ago.

Although its origins are uncertain, is known that, placed in the Ramblas of Barcelona, there used to be a market since the thirteenth century, where peddlers sold their goods. As the Ramblas acquired growing importance so the market grow and was set where it could attract more visitors and buyers.

Informally established, as an open air market, in front of the gates of the old city wall, local traders and farmers sold their products to clients there until the middle of the nineteenth century when the market was moved to its current location. In the beginning of the twentieth century La Boqueria was transformed in a modern market, with gas illumination and a metal cover for protection of food, vendors and clients.

Today, La Boqueria market is the oldest and more famous food market in the city, attracting buyers from all over the world. It offers fruits and vegetables, meat, fish, spices and sweets, presented in carefully decorated stalls. Usually crowded with visitors, La Boqueria is a space full of life and animation that without a doubt deserves your visit. You can have a meal there or buy something to eat during the day (the fruits are great) or to bring home as a gift to your friends or a treat to you (can tell you that the fruit jello's and the marzipan fruits, on the last photo, are absolutely delicious!).

La Boqueria
La Rambla, 91 - Plaça de la Boqueria, 08001
Barcelona

Opening Hours and Ticket Prices:
Open Monday to Saturday, from 8am to 8.30pm.

Free Entrance

Lisbon Chronicles | Jardim da Estrela

Although its oficial name is Guerra Junqueiro Garden, commonly is known as Jardim da Estrela (Estrela Garden) and if you are in the neighborhood (for instance, visiting the basilica) is really worthwhile to save some time to visit it.

Situated in Estrela district this naturalistic garden follows the romantic design of the English parks. With over 11 acres, the garden was inaugurated in 1852 and was a popular site for the inhabitants of Lisbon in the second half of the nineteenth century. Then it used to have some elements than can no longer be found like a Chinese pavilion an a live lion in a cage (who became famous as the Leão da Estrela).

Today is a lovely place to take the children on weekends, to rest, enjoying its tranquility,  to read or to jog. It presents a great diversity of vegetable species and still keeps most of the statuary from the nineteenth century and the beginning of the twentieth. It has a play ground, lakes (with ducks), a bandstand (that was originally on Passeio Público - today's Avenida da Liberdade) and also a kiosk and a restaurant with a terrace over the lake.

On the first weekend of the month there's an arts and crafts market (10am to 7pm) and on summer is home for one of the stages of OutJazz music festival.

Jardim da Estrela
Praça da Estrela, 1200-667 Lisboa

Opening Hours and Ticket Prices:
Daily, 7am to 12pm.

Free Entrance

You can get there by bus (Carris: 709 / 713 / 720 / 738), on Tram 28 or walking from Largo do Rato (Metro Station Rato, Yellow Line), trough Álvares Cabral Avenue.