[2] LISBON'S CITIZENS

Lisbon's citizens have a quiet, modest dignity about them self and are the most gracious of hosts. The streets teem with people of diverse ethnicity and dress. Many are recent immigrants from the African colonies of portugal's imperial past - Mozambique, Goa, Cape Verde, Macau, or Angola -
who arrived in Lisbon and soon founded their own little colonies, speaking a slightly softer portuguese. Other major cities on the Iberian Peninsula, like Barcelona and Madrid, are rather homogenous
by comparison. It's also remarkable, compared to other southern European cities, how many ordinary citizens are fluent in English.

The sadly erroneous image of portugal as a poor rural cousin of Spain is quickly being washed away. Travelers arriving to experience it for the first time, or their first visit in a long time, will find a city and country still in tune with portugal's glorious past, but invigorated by possibility in the new Europe.

Lisbon may be one of Europe's most ancient settlements, but the cataclysmic 1755 earthquake destroyed many of the city's finest churches and palaces. A prominent survivor is the Castelo de Sao Jorge (St. George's Castle), perched on top of Lisbon's highest hill. It was begun by the Visigoths, and expanded by the Moors, before being captured by Christian crusaders in 1147 after a four-month siege. The ramparts now protect quiet gardens with fabulous views.

The castle overlooks Lisbon's oldest and most picturesque neighborhood, Alfama.
The working-class quarter, once home to the city's elite, survived the tremendous earthquake,
but only the labyrinthine layout of the Moors remains. Belem, a residential suburb, is the city's most monumental district. It proclaims Portugal's Golden Age of Discovery, with the city's finest Manueline monuments.

The Baixa is lower, downtown Lisbon - a business district of Neo-Classical buildings, the stock exchange and government ministries, the city's principal thoroughfare. and grand squares. Most of the Baixa was lost to the natural disaster, but was quickly rebuilt on a grid.

The upper city, reached by trolley, elevator, or steep climb, is called the Bairro Alto. One of Lisbon's favorite mode of transport for quintessential neighborhoods, it Lisboetas and visitors alike. Is home to much of the city's nightlife, including fado clubs, restaurants, and bars. Within the upper city is the chic district of Chiado. Though much of Chi ado was razed by a devastating 1988 fire, it has been impeccably rebuilt and once again houses some of Lisbon's most elegant shops.
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