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| A view from Alfama |
Down
one Alleyway
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ALFAMA.....If you like designer shopping and banking, Baixa is where you could spend a lot of time and cash. I, however, prefer quirky and different. I loved Alfama. If I had to do it again, I would definitely have tried to find a hotel in this oldest quarter of the city. City planners in 1755 wished that the earthquake had damaged Alfama a lot more. Some of the homes there have foundations dating back to the West Goths, but the winding alleys that cross the neighborhood are a legacy left by the Arabs. Even the name of the neighbor is believed to come from the Arabic word "al-Hama", referring to a thermal spring that once bubbled in the area. MARTIN |
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The neighborhood definitely changed over time. In the Middle Ages, it was the residence of the well the wealthy and respected segments of society. In the 16th century it was more the home of fishermen, sailors, and laborers. By the 18th it was the city's red light district. (Hmmm . . . did they even have red lights back then?) And, it's hard to imagine but it got worse in the 19th century. The neighborhood became a center for disease. Not that there weren't diseases in the 18th century . . . but this time tuberculosis threatened those dwelling in overcrowded, substandard conditions. MARTIN |
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Much of the neighborhood still needs renovating, but that is happening. And, unlike Baixa that tends to roll up the streets when the sun goes down, Alfama is alive with Fada music into the wee hours of the morning. Now, if the winding streets and alleyways weren't enough charm, there were yellow cable cars that somehow were able to pull themselves up those hills. Alfama was just delightful to explore. MARTIN |
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| Copyright 2009 by Phillip Martin All rights reserved. | |||||