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Christmas & New Year's Celebrations

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Jose Kevo
Jose Kevo
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2 out of 5
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Christmas & New Year's

  • March 20, 2001
  • Rated 2 of 5 by Jose Kevo from Middle-of-Nowhere, Missouri
Christmas & New Year's

Coming to Lisbon for the Holiday season was a mixed bag that I don't regret, but also probably wouldn't recommend. Compared to other European cities, the Portuguese renditions mirrored the culture's ultra-conservative approach to everyday living.

Not only were decorations minimal, there were no Christmas bizarres, fireworks or even city-wide festivals. Cathedral bells had rocked Barcelona at midnight on Christmas Eve. Slipping out of Mass early to enjoy the same, I was highly disappointed! The Silent Night approach only eulogized abandoned streets.

Planning daily activities was also rather difficult. Hours of operation change during the holidays; some museums and attractions up and closed the entire week. With no way of knowing until too late, spontaneity is definitely in order; self-entertainment the better way for making the most of limited opportunities.

There didn't even appear to be many travelers, and often felt like having the city all to myself. Considering hustle and bustle of a previous Spring visit, absence of crowds wasn't the only difference. Unlike Spain and Italy which provided mild Mediterranean climates during the Holidays, Lisbon faces the Atlantic with cool, damp winters.

Many of the older structures were leaking; heating systems unheard of. Make sure your accommodations have ample bedding! Umbrellas were rendered useless by strong winds whipping off the Tagus. Water-resistant clothing is certainly recommended over potentially saturated cottons, as are lighter items for layering. Depending on how much the sun peeked through determined how much got peeled off, as days heated-up quickly.

For New Year's Eve, house parties appeared to be the norm, though riverfront restaurants and Bairro Alto bars advertised bashes. I stayed-in to pack and just before midnight, scaled the fire escape to wait atop my pension.

Traditional clamour involved people banging pots and pans from balconies while random fireworks fizzled across the City. The goose bumps highlight was when every ship along the Tagus began sounding their foghorns in concerted effort.

-- Consider booking one or both flight segments on actual holidays. Flying out on New Year's Day saved $34.

-- If departing on a holiday, plan for extra time with early flights! The Bairro Alto taxistand near my pension was vacated; the few passing already occupied. Best bet is walking to the nearest major transportation center, where other passengers are getting dropped off. I ended up schlepping my bags down the 275-steps of Calcado de Duque to Rossio terminal, and still waited in-queue for over an hour.

-- With so much of Lisbon hit-and-miss during the holidays, it was a great opportunity for taking Day Trips. Regional train and bus service schedules ran as usual. On this second visit to Sintra, it was certainly better without the crowds.

There wasn't much open in the towns of Obidos or Nazaré, but they're still worth exploring and having all to yourself. Queluz Palace was the only one which changed their hours of operation during the holidays, and required a second attempt.

From journal Lisbon's New Age of Discovery

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