Our travel bookshop in the neighborhood of São Bento is an excellent beginning to a visit in Lisbon. From here, follow the tram track, because as you go up you have little shops, like tea shops where you can buy tea, little places to eat, get a drink.
And then we start going up, following the tram tracks. As we go up, to the right there's this beautiful view over the river. It’s called the Miradouro at Santa Catarina.
And then I would eat a little snack and maybe go to a movie. There's a place to eat when you are at the miradouro. There are these stairs and a little cafe there, and from the terrace, you have the same view as at the miradouro. Nice salads, all that, great juices.
Then I'd come back to the main street with the tram and go the cinema. There's a cinema called Ideal, and they have indie movies. Then go out in Bairro Alto.
Most people just stay in the more touristic places and they don't walk around. But it's nice to just get lost. You have to forget the travel guide, and just walk.
What do tourists usually look for at your bookshop?
Travel guides for Lisbon, or a novel that takes place in Lisbon. My favorite is The Night in Lisbon. During World War 2, many Jews from around Europe fled to Lisbon, and it was a route to the United States. In this book, this young man who is trying to go to the States tells his story to a Portuguese man and they go from cafe to cafe to talk as places close, because they've only just met, they're strangers. So you have the story of a young couple and also the story of the places that these two men go through the night in Lisbon.
But that’s not the one I sell the most. The one I sell the most is Night Train to Lisbon. Because of the movie, the one with Jeremy Irons. Unfortunately there are also a lot of other Lisbon books but they're not translated.
Miradouro de Santa Catarina is a popular meeting spot, with a fantastic view of the river. With a kiosk, a cafe, and lots of space to sit and picnic, this viewpoint is one of my favorites.