Lisbon-revisited.

I first visited Lisbon back in 2016. It was a latecomer to my list of "must visit" cities. I loved it then. It was a place I could easily have lived in-if I spoke Portugese that is. It is historic, stylish and had real character and most importantly for me it had largely escaped gentrification. Real people lived in the city particularly the old quarter, Alfama. See photo below.
Back in 2016 there were plenty of tourists in Lisbon but they had not swamped the city.
When we visited Lisbon in 2018 we felt that it had changed and in particular the number of tourists seemed to have increased exponentially due to the number of cruise ships making day stops and new airline routes opening up. Lisbon Airport passengers had increased by 9.0% in 2018 over 2017 and I am sure 2019 will see a similar increase.
Lisbon had become a "hot" tourist destination and also due to the relatively low property prices and the attractiveness of the city a fashionable place to invest and live. Even Madonna has purchased a "pad" -actually a minor palace-in Sintra outside Lisbon.
This year's visit, last month, was a shock. Lisbon is being swamped by tourists. There were three huge cruise ships visiting on one day of our visit. This probably meant a minimum of 12,000 passengers arriving right in the centre of the city. The airport is flat out around the clock. Early in the morning and in the evening you can see the aircraft landing lights as they line up coming into land. The airport is bedlam. The buses and trams are packed. The traffic is as bad as Sydney. And new building, gentrification and rebuilding is everywhere. The old Lisbon is disappearing fast. My dream city has disappeared.

Alfama, old quarter Lisbon in 2016. I suspect this scene has gone.

A TAP jet en route to Lisbon airport. There is another one coming in on the left just out of the frame

Essential Lisbon-the wonderful trams.

The wonderful trams are still there and are still a valued means of transport for the residents as well as a major tourist drawcard. I love the Lisbon trams. But beware of pickpockets and hold on tight.

Many old shops and cafes are still there but many others are being forced out and replaced by multinationals. How can the Portugese with their love of coffee possible tolerate having Starbucks in their lovely capital ?
A favourite shop for us in Lisbon is the tiny Madeira Shop on Praca Dom Pedro. It is tiny but it is in a prime position and the proprietor and his wife-pictured below-have run it since 1959. They are both over 80 and serve in the shop every day-although their daughter does "help out". The Madeira Shop sells beautiful handmade products from the Portugese island of Madeira. The shop is so modest from the outside that most passers by would miss it and as the owner explained to us nowadays very few people appreciate hand made products and prefer to buy something cheap made in China or stiched together by child labour in a sweatshop in Bangladesh rather than an item lovingly crafted by hand. We have bought at the Madeira Shop on every visit but sadly I fear that its days are numbered.

The tiny Madeira shop

The owners of the Madeira shop

Nicola cafe. Vintage Lisbon. Close to the Madeira shop.

Sunrise in Lisbon.

On our three visits to Lisbon we have stayed at a wonderful little hotel near the National Museum of Antiquities. It is away from the centre in a quiet neighbourhood but very close to bus and tram routes. Nearby is a set of steps down to the waterfront. As usual I was up at the crack of dawn-in fact before dawn-when I came across this scene above with the old guy watching a glorious sunrise. He started talking to me and seemed to be completely unconcerned that I could not understand a word he was saying. I said "Australiano" and pointed at myself but he jabbered on. Perhaps he thought that we speak Portugese downunder.