COMPANHIA NACIONAL DE BAILADO CLASSICAL AND MODERN BALLET Set up in 1977, the Companhia Nacional de Bailado is Portugal’s leading dance company. Throughout its 30 years of existence, it has been responsible for the first national productions of classical ballets such as Swan Lake, Romeo and Juliet, Giselle, The Firebird, The Nut Cracker Suite and The Consecration of Spring. It has also presented works by modern and contemporary creators such as Balanchine, Lifar, Limon, Forsythe, Keersmaeker, amongst others. In relation to Portuguese choreographers, its repertory includes works by Armando Jorge, Fernando Lima, Carlos Trincheiras and Olga Roriz. Besides its regular tours in Portugal, the Companhia Nacional de Bailado has performed in Spain, France, Switzerland, Germany, Brazil and China. With its Turkish artistic director, Mehmet Balkan, the CNB and its corps of 80 ballerinas has worked regularly with the Portuguese Symphonic Orchestra, the Lisboa Metropolitan Orchestra and the Porto National Orchestra. It is based at the Camões Theatre at the Park of Nations. In May and June, the Companhia Nacional de Bailado performed A Midsummer Night’s Dream. The Company then began a national tour of the ballet, taking it to Coimbra, Porto, Évora, Alcobaça, Figueira da Foz, Faro, Serpa and Aveiro. In November, when it returns to Lisbon, it will present Dançar (Dance) a work by Hans von Manen, and in December, D. Quixote. Teatro Camões Passeio de Neptuno Park of Nations Tel.: 21 892 36 70 30 _ 31
JOÃO LAGOS Organiser of sports events MY LISBOA “The magnificent light of Lisboa” Lisboa is my <strong>city</strong>, where I was born and which I learned to explore and love from my childhood. At that time, it was a much calmer <strong>city</strong> than it is today, with the trams travelling up and down the hills, and the boys playing football out on the street, or on some terrace, chasing after a cloth ball, which didn’t bounce as much and was easier to control. I owe my love of sport to Lisboa because that’s where it all began. Today the <strong>city</strong> has grown, modernised itself, but the light has remained unaltered. The magnificent light of Lisboa, on the rooftops and the pale coloured houses, the marvellous riverside and the <strong>city</strong> which stretches down to the edge of the Tagus, are all what make Lisboa so unique and unrepeatable. The whole <strong>city</strong> faces towards the river, to the south, and at midday, it is filled with light, giving it a joyful air, which warms the houses and their inhabitants. Lisboa is today, as it always has been, a gentle, agreeable <strong>city</strong>, enjoyable to walk around, whether it be through the streets of the old neighbourhoods which meander up the hills, or along the modern riverside area, where we can find a vast array of bars, restaurants and shops, ready to satisfy any tastes and any budgets. I confess that this is my favourite area of Lisboa, because of the light, because of the wide-open views, and it’s here that I would like to take you, the reader, when you come to visit our <strong>city</strong>. The Belém area/ the Jerónimos Monastery: There is certainly a lot to see at the Jerónimos Monastery, which any guidebook can tell you about much better than I can. But, walk towards Belém (even before the famous Pastéis de Belém, that you absolutely cannot miss) and explore the Tropical Gardens. These are beautiful, spacious and extremely quiet. Leaving them, go down towards the river, crossing the Praça do Império on foot, and you will find an underpass that brings you out directly in front of the Monument to the Discoveries. This monument, along with the Tower of Belém, definitely deserves a visit and you will find detailed descriptions in all the guidebooks. However, you should also know that there is a great restaurant just 2 steps away, which is the Vela Latina. If you can, choose the restaurant section and not the terrace, otherwise you will have your back to the river. The menu certainly has excellent fresh fish cooked to suit your choice and neither will you remain indifferent to the wine list. Having eaten, return by the pedestrian footbridge and visit the Belém Cultural Centre which stages some of the best cultural events that Europe has to offer. Architecturally, the building is very interesting and its contents are very varied. There is an excellent view of the river from the esplanade. There are also various options for shopping and eating. Continuing on our journey: just two steps away from the same place is the Maritime Museum, which has a lot to tell about the Portuguese and the sea. After that, the Planetarium, an extraordinary display and a chance for a rest in a comfortable chair looking at the night sky of Lisboa. Imagining that you will want to go out on this particular night, I have some more suggestions: head along the riverfront, but take something warm because the night can be chilly. In Santa Apolónia there is the restaurant Bica do Sapato, which will certainly exceed your expectations: ask your hotel to reserve you a decent table so you won’t run the risk of having to eat late. If you feel like dancing you have Lux just nearby. Getting in might seem a bit restrictive but it’s for your own comfort. Dress up in your best “fashion style” and they’ll certainly let you in. If you prefer something more local, you have the Docas where, bar after bar, restaurant after restaurant, will guarantee you a fun and a well-spent night. If you can last the pace until dawn, I leave you with two final suggestions: watch the sun come up from the Adamastor gardens in the Santa Catarina neighbourhood or from the Portas do Sol, near the Castle, and you will understand what I mean about the light of Lisboa. Welcome to my <strong>city</strong>! FROM SARDINES… Another of Lisboa’s urban rituals is the celebration of Saint Martin’s day, on 11th November. According to tradition, at this time of year, chestnuts are roasted and the new wine tasted. As a sign that winter has arrived, the <strong>city</strong> fills up with street vendors selling roast chestnuts. The white smoke billowing from the fire, the strong but pleasant smell, the crackling of the salt thrown on to the chestnuts, all help to warm the souls of passers by, who interrupt their hurried pace to buy a dozen, wrapped up in a typical cone made of newspaper. “Hot and tasty… Hot and tasty”, cry the street vendors. Roast chestnuts, just like sardines, have to be eaten hot from the coals. According to tradition, the festas de São Every year, the people of Lisboa greet the beginning of Summer by “decreeing” the opening of the sardine season. Taking advantage of the warm nights, ideal for eating out in the open-air, the alfacinhas (an affectionate term for natives of Lisboa, meaning baby lettuces) commemorate the 13th June, the day of their patron saint, Saint Anthony, with a series of initiatives in which grilled sardines are an essential feature. The marchas populares, a costumed parade of the traditional neighbourhoods down the Avenida da Liberdade, arraiais (street parties) at the Castelo, Graça, Mouraria and the Alfama, and the Lisboa nights buzzing with light, colour and music. From the very old to the very young, from the most traditional to the most fashionable, at this time of year all the alfacinhas have one thing in common, which brings them all together in the same space in cheerful interaction – grilled sardines. Accompanied by red wine or beer, eaten with boiled potatoes moistened with olive oil and a salad of lettuce, tomatoes and peppers, the sardines are grilled and eaten hot, preferably on a piece of bread, which absorbs the oil. The final treat is to eat the piece of bread, which has been soaked with the juice of ten, twelve or even more sardines…. A typical Mediterranean diet. Where can you eat this typical Lisboa dish? In hundreds of places, from the more classical restaurants, in modern areas, to the local taverns, in the old neighbourhoods of the <strong>city</strong>. If you can, try eating the sardines in the open air – this is more in line with the spirit of the dish, and the strong smell (possibly the only inconvenience) evaporates more rapidly. … TO CHESTNUTS Martinho (Saint Martin’s celebrations), are rooted in pagan times. They include the roasting of chestnuts, the sampling of the wine in the wine cellars (of which the água-pé, a wine lower in alcohol, is the preferred choice for the occasion) and jumping over the bonfire. This is a social occasion for all generations and it is called the magusto, the time of rest, after the intense harvest period for the wine in September and October. Before the advent of the potato in Europe, which spread to its far corners (17th century), the chestnut was part of the essential diet, especially in the countryside. Besides roasting, it can be boiled, puréed, used in soups, sweets etc. How to prepare chestnuts for roasting? Wet them (this helps the salt to stick to them). Make a cut in each of them. Add the salt. Add some herbs (this increases the flavour). Place them in the fire (or on a tray in the oven, or on a grill). A quarter of an hour later, the chestnuts will be roasted. 22 _ 23
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