Lisbon - Portugal

A few days before Christmas I've received an huge package sent by Vitória. She sent a couple of Christmas gifs including a card from Tibet and this one from Alfama, Lisbon's most emblematc quarter and one of the most rewarding for walkers and photgraphers. 

Foto: W. Müller * © Edição Vistal

This quaint medieval district (once the Moorish and Jewish quarter before it became a fishing community) is the oldest neighborhood in Europe after El Pópulo in Cadiz. It's like a small village, standing as a time capsule to the years before Lisbon was destroyed by the 1755 earthquake, as it remained standing thanks to its rock-solid foundations. 

Put away your map and wander aimlessly through its "becos" (alleys) and "largos" (small squares), allowing your senses to be the guides. You'll see magnificent river views and laundry out to dry from balconies, smell fish being grilled in a corner, hear the sounds of Fado coming out of a restaurant, taste authentic traditional meals, and touch some dazzling tilework. Set in a visually stunning hill that extends to the neighborhood of Graça, this is Lisbon at its most picturesque and the very soul of the city. 

Life here continues much as it has for centuries, but walk down towards the river and you're once again in modern times: old warehouses have been renovated and turned into some of the city's coolest hotspots. in: http://www.lisbonlux.com/lisbon/alfama.html