Wednesday 27 July 2011

Lisbon Style: the Metro

You thought Lisbon was all about ancient history and ruins? You would be quite wrong there.

Take the metro for instance ...


(Yes, this is an underground station). It's the shiniest and cleanest I've ever seen - spacious, fast and blissfully uncrowded. See how it shines!


Who takes photos of the underground?


Me. Sorry, I live in London where it wouldn't occur to me to photograph my daily tube voyages unless I wanted to depress myself even more.


The stations here are all beautifully decorated, each one different. I've been getting strange looks from people - the mad blonde estrangeira who squeals with delight, snapping through closing carriage doors ...


Some say way too much money was invested under the ground when Portugal joined the EU ...



... I say - if only the London underground looked like this.

4 comments:

  1. The stations look like venues and the evening shots like night club entrances. As the money is already spent - might as well enjoy what is was spent on!

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  2. Wow! Obviously, Lisbon's metro is vastly different from our aging New York City subway system.

    I have questions...how extensive is the Lisbon network? How many hours/day is it operational? Are the platforms and trains every crowded? Are they heated/air conditioned? Was private funding involved in the creation of this gleaming system? How much does a ride cost? Does Lisbon also have extensive bus service?

    I am so curious to find out more about how one place can be so different. Also turning a bit green with envy! xo

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  3. Hi Frances - the network covers the main areas of the city pretty well, with four lines (bearing in mind that the city is not huge in size). As far as I know it operates from 6.30 am to 1.30 am. I've been using it every day to travel to the university and to downtown Lisbon and amazed at how uncrowded it is. The only time I couldn't get a seat was late on a Saturday night. Yes, the trains are air-conditioned! 1.80 euros gets you a return ticket in the main zone. I think it benefited from a big funding boost from the EC when Portugal joined in 1986, but hosting Expo '98 and the football championships in 2004 also brought money for improvement. There's also a good bus service and taxis are relatively cheap (compared to London, anyway), but the most fun way to get around the city is on the old electric trams which have open windows in summer and are brilliant for getting up and down the many steep hills in the city! Hope you get to visit some day ...

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  4. Karen, thank you so much for filling me in on all those details. It is always such a mystery as to why and how somethings are so different in different places.

    Yes, I also do hope that I can some day have a visit to Lisbon. Know that I would love it.

    I've had a relaxing day off today, and actually did get some drawing done. Tomorrow, it will be back to work, and I will again be relying on our less than beautiful subway system.

    xo

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