On our first weekend in Portugal, we found ourselves in Loures, a civil parish located in the greater Lisbon area. It wasn’t a place that was on our radar, but we came across it after spending some time at Expo 98. Rather than walking back through all the tourists, we opted to go to the Moscavide metro station. And though we’re pretty good at navigating, we still found ourselves at the train station as opposed to the metro station. So in order to get where we needed to be, we ended up inadvertently exploring this little neighborhood.
Where the rest of Lisbon is full of elaborate old homes and tiled walls, Moscavide had a different feel. There were still some tiles, but there was also a distinct 60s and 70s feel to a lot of the architecture. The area also felt a lot more close-knit. For example, we saw more people hanging out on the street and moving a bit more slowly. At the club pictured above, we heard music and children laughing, enjoying the afternoon with their families. And a bit later in the afternoon, we passed what seemed like half the area’s population on their way to a pre-Palm Sunday celebration at a local park.
Though it certainly wasn’t the most beautiful or lively part of Lisbon, Moscavide has its own feel of community that was quite unique, and I am glad we accidentally came across it, because it gave us yet another perspective of life in the city.
