Lisboa, Portugal

Another meet-up card, this time from the Postcrossing International Meeting in Lisboa on 9th & 10th June 2012. This one was a proper surprise - it was sent by my dear Dutch friend Astrid, I had no idea she was going to this meet-up! :O...! I'm a wee bit jealous.. :P She's been to so many of these meetings. This particular one sounds like a lot of fun (..although I bet all PC meetings are :P), and I recognise most of the people who signed the card, yay! :D

On this card you can see Elevador da Bica, a funicular in Lisbon, Portugal, that forms the connection between the Calçada do Combro/Rua do Loreto and the Rua de S. Paulo. It is operated by Carris.

The Bica funicular was opened on 28 June, 1892. It climbs the Rua da Bica de Duarte Belo for 245 metres from the Rua S. Paulo. The lower station of this funicular railroad is almost hidden behind a facade on the Rua de S. Paulo with the inscription "Ascensor da Bica". It was constructed by Raoul Mesnier de Ponsard and opened to the public in 1892. In 2002 it was designated a National Monument.

Lisboa, Portugal

I thought I would've posted more cards from Portugal here, but no, this is only the third (or second, as the first one doesn't show a view from Portugal). I should really do something about that as I have so many very beautiful postcards from Portugal. This one is SO nice, too. A pretty old window, a cat, gorgeous tiles, great colours.. what's not to love?!


PT-146938

The picture here is from Lisbon's Campo de Ourique district. The building has a typical facade with "azulejos" (glazed tiles). I tried to find more information about Campo de Ourique, and a lot of travel websites seem to describe it as a very beautiful and popular area in Lisbon with lots of old shops, cafes, a market, and generally a great atmosphere. This is what one website says:

For many centuries there was just a fortress on this hill, only much later, from 1880 until the coup that established the Republic in 1910, did this area develop into a self-contained residential area. Today, Campo de Ourique is one of Lisbon’s favourite residential districts. From small shops to designer boutiques there is a wide variety to choose from. Stroll through the tree lined High Street, Ferreira Borges, and take your time to feel its flair, do some window shopping and just allow yourself a break at one of the cult cafes “O Gigante” or “A Tentadora” and enjoy your bica (Portuguese expresso coffee). At the heart of this charming borough stands a covered market place rather interesting for its architecture. An agreeable place to sit down and fell the atmosphere of this area is the “Teófilo Braga” small park, where locals meet for a chat, a game of cards or just slowly sipping at their bicas. Other places of interest are: the former house of the poet Fernando Pessoa, the historical cemetery of Prazeres with elaborate sculptured family vaults, the Basilica da Estrela, a cathedral with an imposing baroque interior in a neo-classical building, just across, the beautiful Garden of Estrela, and last but not least, on the other side of this park, the English cemetery with church, where the novelist Henry Fielding (“Tom Jones”) is buried.

Sounds like a lovely area to me!



The stamp is from a set of 7 stamps issued earlier this year, depicting Rock in Portugal.

Lisboa, Portugal

I may not have ever been to Italy but I have been to Portugal. Not to Lisboa, though, but Algarve in the south. It was about twenty years ago but I still remember it as a lovely time. I'd love to go back one day to see if the place is anything like I remember it as being, but right now I'd be more interested in Lisboa.



This card comes from Miceu in Portugal. I've done a number of swaps with Miceu and have received some truly AMAZING postcards of Portugal. All those old houses, pretty windows and doors, narrow alleys, bright colours... ahhh!

I don't know much about the place shown on this card, apart from the fact that it shows 'Elevador da Lavra', a funicular that helps people climb the slope. Isn't the old tram (?) charming?!



This card came in an envelope with a bunch of other lovely postcards. The stamps on the envelope were equally wonderful. The top two were both issued earlier this year. The one on the left is from a set of 7 stamps depicting Rock in Portugal. This one here shows the cover of Moonspell's 'Wolfheart'. The stamp on the left is from a set of 6 stamps depicting Portuguese Cheeses, this one here showing Serra da Estrela. The smaller stamp underneath is from a set of 6 stamps issued in 2006, showing Portuguese Masks.