No one reads this anymore. Doesn't matter. This will be precious information for the good and loyal visitors we may have on the site.
There have been a few places creeping up at night in Lisboa, some new, others older. But they're a fine alternative to the foreign invasion of Bairro Alto (although we still love Bairro! :))
However, there are days where you don't want to end up in Sr. Domingos's bar, Mezcal, Lábios de Vinho, Bica, Ginginha or the Spot. There are days where you just need something.. different!
Teatro Ibérico: During the day, workshops and theaters. At night, a theatre stage converted to a club dancefloor. Not crappy music either. Last time I was there, old-school funk was painting the scenario. And what a beautiful scenario indeed.
Rua de Xabregas (just after bridge near Lux, 2nd on the left)
Bacalhoeiro: This one has been around for a while but we hadn't gotten round to writing about it. The Associação Bacalhoeiro is in Rua do Bacalhoeiro, between the Casa dos Bicos and Rua da Madalena. Up on the last floor, lives a small house converted into a cosy bar. You need to be a member to get in (5€ membership) and it's free.
A couple of times a week, you will be allowed to the floor downstairs which has been converted to a gig hall - the music is, of course, 5 stars. Balkan folk, fado or a mixture somewhere in between seems to be the norm.
Rua do Bacalhoeiro, 25
Fábrica de Braço de Prata: A beautiful old factory restored into a bookshop/bar/shop/projection hall. 1.50 euro per loirinha (or ruiva). A huge esplanada. Good atmosphere. Good people. And even a little bit of culture. What possible reason do you have for not going there?
Is anyone out there?? Sorry dudes/dudettes, its very difficult to maintain a site. HOWEVER, does anyone feel like writing in this space? We definitely won't be able to keep this alive with regular posts - but can you?
If you live in Lisboa, please let us know... Obviously, there is no money or anything around here - just a feeling of wanting to help others out. So, yeah, give us a shout at info - at - brighterplace - dot - com :)
Pessoal Tuga! É muito dificil manter este com posts actualizados. Alguém que esteja numa onda ERASMUS e que saiba escrever inglês (aliás, escrevam na lingua que quiserem - Português, Espanhol, Francês, Italiano, Inglês, Japonês, Esperanto... o que quiserem :)), é só dizer. Arranjamos uma continha para vocês poderem escrever o que acharem bem neste espaço... info - arroba - brighterplace - ponto - com :)
It's been a very very very very very long time since this has been updated. So here's a few things that have happened/will happen in Lisboa's Summer of 2007:
- Cachupa: That beautiful old flat has closed down :( It's the end of an era... Modern times unfortunately mean modern changes. And Cachupa now has an 'official' spot, right next to the (ex) B.Leza. Still, there is always someone on the lookout as it is not meant to open at 4am. But the charm has gone...
B.Leza: The African neighbourhood of Rua do Poço dos Negros is slowly fading away... Now it's turn for B.Leza: The classic spot is closing down because it... was bought by a fucking real estate company. Goddamn it: why can't things stay the same...!
Santo António: Santo António was last week. The best night of the year has come and gone. Alfama was beautiful once again. The old mixing with the new, Pimba with Hip-Hop, Fado and Drum and Bass. Sardinhas assadas and a lot of Super Bock. Until next year...
More and more ERASMUS students are coming to Lisbon every single year. So much that SIC played a 5 minute news piece about this beautiful phenomenon. Enjoy, it's your spotlight :)
Just a quick note apologising our loyal visitors for the lack of updates. But I have settled down now, and promise to be back with more stuff than ever before (well, sorta). Até já! :)
I bet you've seen literally hundreds or even thousands of different photos taken of the Cristo-Rei statue. You've seen it at night, during the day, from behind, from the Miradouros in Lisbon, from the left, from the right or maybe you've even been on top of it. But I bet you haven't seen it from here. Forget picture-perfect postcards, this is suburbia!
Most of you have seen him and walked right by him, not paying much attention. Every time I go out to Bairro Alto, there he is, playing his half-necked guitar and whistling his tune away. He usually sits at the bottom of Rua do Norte or on the right side of Rua Garret just before the Largo de Camões.
Most of you fail to notice, but this dude actually has a lot of talent and understands a lot about music. Even with a half broken neck of a guitar, it's always incredibly perfectly tuned. During the day, it is not uncommon to see him studying music books along Rua Garret and talking to random people about guitars. And even though he may be homeless, I have yet to see him in a bad mood. Even if only half the world's "musicians" had the love for music like him, the world would be a better place. So next time you go by him, pay a little more attention, and even if you can't be bothered to chat with him, at least leave him a coin or something as a token of appreciation :)
OK, I lied. Kumpa'nia Al-gazarra actually hail from the magical village of Sintra. But it's close enough to Lisboa :) And for them to be here, it obviously means their music is amazingly beautiful. Fado, Arraial, Pimba, Ska, Balkan folk music, Klez, Reggae and Traditional African music are just some of their influences. Needless to say, the result of this crazy mix of sounds is somewhat refreshingly inebriating. Drunk dancing with drunk music and drunk people is what it feels like. Even if you are not! And speaking of Kumpania Algazarra, they are playing at Galeria Zé dos Bois this Saturday, 27 January. And it's only 5 euros entrance... :)
I've tried thousands of different ways to describe O´questrada's sound. But I can't. The closest I can get is a weird but beautiful fusion between fado, ska, reggae, samba, bossa nova, funáná and others. In other words, you simply cannot describe their sound in one genre. Which is good. Another plus point that it is 99% acoustic and every single instrument sounds beautiful. The voice, the accordion, the guitar, the cavaquinho and any other instrument in the middle they decide to use just sounds perfect (including... body parts!) They sing in Portuguese, French, English, Brazilian Portuguese, Criolo and other languages that we couldn't decipher. The above video was taken a few days ago at a gig at Maxime - it is a cover of Killing Me Softly. If you ever wondered how a theatrical, exaggerated, acoustic version of Killing Me Softly sung at any mercado would sound like - it would be this. Beautiful :)
As you should know by now, you can send us stuff to include in our "Just In" section to the right. Although it is meant to serve as an agenda, we sort of put in anything really. The other day we got this funny announcement for a house. If you send us funny stuff like this one, we'll definitely put it up on the homepage. Much better than the usual "house with one room, internet, in historic district.." bla bla bla. So here goes, the ERASMUS house for 250 euros with love included:
"ola, somos duas estudantes italianas, duas estudantes belgas,uma estudante portuguesa e o gato stella estamos a procurar alguem que quer viver connosco. A casa fica na avenida duque de loule (marques de pombal). O quarto custa mais ou menos 250€ todo incluido (internet, luz,agua,gas,amor) interessado? liga 960492776 (leni) 960375593 (fien) nao italianos/as, nao belgos/as temos bastante ;)"
"Professor Bambo: Raped me and many more women in his office. God will punish you. Cheater (and other synonyms). Pimp. Liar and cheats everyone that looks for him. Cheated me out of thousands of euros. WORST THAN THE DEVIL ON EARTH!"
You are now officially warned: Don't look for Professor Bambo's services!! :)
You see them around. You catch them in those nights of stupid drunkenness. The stereotype says they're not pleasant, they're rude, they shout at every moving person or object and they love their mother (Look for the "Amor de Mãe" tattoos on their forearms!). Here's a video that contradicts those stereotypes (well - I am sure he still loves his mother!). A happy taxi driver, in front of the Amoreiras, blasting out his arraial music, singing and dancing in the taxi queue. Either the dude is a very happy person... or he's drunk! Let's hope for the first one :)
LED Bombing was, officially, a success. Well done to the Movimento Acorda Lisboa - it was nice to see generations from the smallest kids to the oldest grannies smiling, laughing and throwing "throwies" at the statue. More funny was to see a group of probably about 100 people gathering around the statue and throwing stuff at it - and looking at the reactions of people passing by! Again, well done and please bring us more initiatives like this one for the good of Lisboa... Acorda Lisboa! :)
The new craze arrives in Lisbon. LED Bombing involves LEDs (those little lights), a battery and a magnet attached so you can throw them anywhere and they will stick! And it happens this weekend at Parque das Nações... This event is "sponsored" by the Movimento Acorda Lisboa ("Wake Up Lisbon Movement") - it is nice to know there are people out there using their initiative. Like Banksy put it "A lot of people never use their initiative because no-one told them to" - well, here is this movement that will hopefully bring many more initiatives like this one and inspire others to do the same! The above video shows what LED Bombing looks like in Linz, Austria. Light up your life! :) (PS - It happens this Saturday, 13 January, behind CC Vasco da Gama in Parque das Nações - the target is that weird sculpture - Estátua Homem Sol! - at 19.00)
This is what ERASMUS is all about. That wall at the end of an ERASMUS stay written in all languages. Even though it may be written in Spanish, English, Italian, French or Portuguese, at the end of the day the language is one: ERASMUS. This picture was taken at a student house in Picoas in Lisbon. Photo was taken by Giovanni Prestige. (Click title to enlarge)
Man and Unable's big blue bunny is spreading terror in Lisbon. No one is safe. One of the funniest Portuguese music videos ever. And the music is fucking great too... Can't think of a better way to begin the year ;)
YGGY Lounge Bar - YGGY Lounge Bar opened up December 2006 and can proudly proclaim its place as one of the cheapest bars in Bairro Alto. Both in beers and spirits. And unlike other cheap bars in Bairro Alto (which are tascas, really), YGGY is actually a lounge bar. Good music, modern looking decor and to add to that 2 Mozambican dudes who are very cool serving up the cheap drinks. That's 75 cents a beer or €2.50 a mixer :)
Music Box - A little music box opened up December 2006 in Cais do Sodré. In it, you will find music. And music. Followed by more music. Music Box promises to become a prime spot in the Lisbon nightlife scene. A variety of gigs are on every week, chosen to satisfy all rock, dance, hip-hop, reggae, dubstep... basically, all music lovers. A VJ is present every night to project images on the video wall, the decor is just right and we love those arches on Rua Nova do Carvalho (no, nothing to do with those golden, yellow, capitalistic arches that students love so much...). Drinks could be liiitttllee bit cheaper...
- Clube Mercado, one of the most 'happening' bars in the Lisbon nightlife, is shutting down at the end of the year. Due to lack of licencing, lack of space, noise problems, air conditioning problems and others, Clube Mercado will shut down after the end of the year. Worry not, they will be moving the space to where the old Fluid bar used to be in Santos (Rua D.Carlos I). And their name will change to Mini-Mercado. Unfortunately, the new bar won't have a stage for bands - but the directors have promised monthly gigs in other places around Lisbon.
- Galeto restaurant has shut down. Apparently, health inspectors went round and weren't too pleased... But I am sure that after some work, the 40+ year old Galeto will reopen again to feed us in the wee hours of the morning. UPDATE: Today morning, Friday 22 December, Galeto reponed after being closed for about 1 week. Everything is normal again.. :)
- Varandas has closed down. Forever. The best caipirinhas in town (or next to the beach) are no longer. It is a sad day for all of us...
Again, and for the fifth consecutive year, The Legendary Tiger Man graces us with a live performance at Galeria Zé dos Bois in Bairro Alto on Christmas Day. For those of you who don't know, The Legendary Tiger Man is an amazing one-man band, heavily influenced by that old Blues sound. Watch a clip of "Fuck Christmas, I Got the Blues" above. To be honest, with everything being literally closed on the 25th December, this has to be, by far, one of best things to look forward to about Christmas!
This day in age, nobody has got time for even a hug. With so much crap going around them, people tend to forget small little 'insignificant' details.
The other day, I was walking around Bairro Alto at night when I noticed some people with a banner saying "Free Hugs" and "Abraços Grátis". And it was great, people would just come up to them and hug them as if they knew each other forever. The "Free Hug Project" has been going on everywhere around the world. The States, Korea, China, Sweden, France, UK, Brasil, Australia... everywhere!
The above video was something I found on youtube about a group of people who decided to distribute free hugs around Baixa, Lisbon. Ignore the cheesiness of the music. But it does feel nice when you know you live in a city where people just hug for the sake of bringing a smile to someone's face. :D
"One of the few places in the Lisbon nightlife where you can sit down on a 'pouf', have a tea and smoke a shisha. They offer a very large selection of teas, some food and tobacco ranging from apple to 'tutti-frutti'. Ideal for a week night, after dinner, with friends, some shisha and lots of conversation."
"Cachupa is Cabo Verde's national dish - a stew of boiled beans and corn with fish or meat. Those who eat it (I am a vegetarian) say it is lovely. And you can have it right here in Lisbon. Cachupa is the name for a restaurant that is not really a restaurant. I'll explain: It is (or was) somebody's home on the last floor of nº73 in Rua do Poço dos Negros - and at 3am every day, they open the living room to the public. Needless to say, the Cachupa is not an official restaurant. However, it is an excellent spot to drink in a "homey" environment or have a good late-night meal. The place (best way to describe it) starts filling up after 5am and I have no idea when it closes. But after sunrise, for sure. The regulars, the movie characters, the owner (Sr. Vitor) and everything that happens here won't be your regular night out. You will, without a doubt, leave Cachupa with a story to tell. Trust me :)"
Portugal may have a lot of unemployment (7.6% apparently). There may be a big deficit in the economy. The most powerful person in the country may be the president of some village football club (FC Porto, that is). Some say Portugal is the gateway of South American cocaine into Europe. And North African hashish into Europe. And Southwest Asian heroin into Europe. More and more young Portuguese graduates are moving out to countries like Luxembourg. And the UK. And France. And a whole bunch of other cold countries that pay at least double the salary in Portugal.
But, goddammit, who gives a shit? After all, Portugal has the BIGGEST CHRISTMAS TREE IN EUROPE! That's right, nobody's taking that away from Lisboa. If anyone even dares to try and talk about the economy or any of that crap, you know what to say: Mine is bigger than yours!
Ahh yes, world music. Whatever that means, we love it! Lots of percussion, african rhythms, latin vibes, a bit of the old reggae popping in and out and general good feeling all round. Terrakota is an AMAZING Portuguese band who have been all around the world spreading that good feeling. If you don't believe us (as if), play the above video. Terrakota at their very best. And Friday, 8 December, they play by the beach at Long Beach Bar in Carcavelos :)
Did you know you can actually rent an eléctrico from Carris?. I'm not exactly what you could do with a rented eléctrico. But the most obvious has to be a tram party! If we can ever be bothered and get our lazy asses up, hell, maybe even we could organise something like this one day! That, of course, will probably be the day an ERASMUS student comes to Lisbon and actually... studies. But if you have the patience, the balls and the will, you can organise your own tram party! If you do, let us know, of course, we will surely be there :)
"Everyday except Fridays and Saturday, you can come here and listen great (and sometimes, not so great) Fado. I'm not gonna bore you about the history of Fado - if you don't know what it is, look it up. All you need to really know is that Fado is beautiful, sad and melancholic. If you're into that type of thing, listening to a man or lady sing along with four (great) guitarists in the background will get you going. The Fado sung here is known as "Fado Vadio" - they're not professionals, yet they're not amateurs. Anyone can sign up to sing a Fado here - provided you actually know how to sing Fado. As an American girl I met the other day said: "It's like Karaoke... but Fado Karaoke!" Uhm, not exactly. But sorta. Important thing to note is that this fado house is not as pretentious as some other places around Bairro Alto - which is good. And you can also eat well here." in Bars, Restaurants and Clubs Lisbon
Tourists are terrorists, according to this graffiti in Bairro Alto. I wouldn't be that extreme. But they sure as hell have the power to (unknowingly) change a city around. 5-10 years ago you wouldn't walk down Rua Augusta or around Chiado and find restaurant menus in English. Or seeing tascas with that ugly "Coca-Cola" menu with burger and fries. Fernando Pessoa used to sit in Brasileira and have intelligent conversations back in the day. Nowadays, it's rare to find anyone even Portuguese at the Brasileira. Mostly tourists taking that world-famous photo with the statue of Fernando Pessoa sitting down having a coffee. How the world as changed... What do you think? To what extent should tourism affect a city? Will Rua Augusta become another Ramblas? Or has it already? Have your say... (photo by ajvlasman)
One thing that is quite difficult to figure out when living in a different country is what radio to listen to. Dozens and dozens of radio stations are broadcasted on FM and it's kind of hard for one to figure out which ones are the best. Truth be said, there aren't that many radio stations that play good music in Portugal... A few of them, however, can boast their music qualities. In our opinion, there are only three that are worth tuning into. Read on...
Yep, that's what we want and what we need. Students need to live on the cheap and every little helps. Free is good. The Câmara Municipal in Lisbon has just recently started an innovative project aimed at providing free WiFi spots in 21 open spaces around Lisbon. Gardens, miradouros and others are the chosen ones... Read on to find which ones and where they are.
Did you know that Portugal is the country where you can buy the cheapest hash and LSD in Europe? Apparently it is because we are closer to the producing countries (of cannabis, at least), thus reducing transportation costs. Read on to find the exact price of hash, weed and LSD in the streets of Portugal. (And then you say you're in Lisbon to study!)
"One of the best spots in Lisbon for a good late night dinner. How many restaurants in the world do you know that are open for 20 hours per day (McDonalds and similar don't count as restaurants)? You can have a snack before going out at night and have breakfast after coming back. And the food is delicious. And quite cheap. The bar\restaurant is a classic spot that has survived generations since the 60s. One of those very rare places that you don't get to see these days..." in Bars, Restaurants and Clubs
Welcome to all ERASMUS and other students living in Lisbon. Finally, a site that has all the info you need to know about living in Lisbon as a student.
Looking for student accommodation in Lisbon? Look no further. We have info where you can look up different websites and find your ideal student accommodation.
And, finally remember this space is yours. Send us your feedback, comments, suggestions. Your favourite bars in Lisbon, clubs, restaurants, etc. Or even write an article to go on this page. Just get in touch with us!
