Exploring the courtyards
of Lisbon’s Alfama
You may recognize the enormous arch,
which was featured in the 1996 miniseries
“Gulliver’s Travels.”
The main pedestrian street, Rua Augusta,
is filled with cafes, restaurants, shops, local
department stores and international retail-
ers like Zara and H&M. Ten minutes up
the street from the Arch and Square, we
sampled pastel de nata (egg custards) at
Manteigaria, where they make the pastries
by hand—right in front of you—as they
have for more than a hundred years.

Just a few minutes further stands one
of Lisbon’s most iconic tourist attrac-
tions: Elevador de Santa Justa. At the top
of the Elevador, you’ll find some beautiful
views of Lisbon—safely behind decorative
iron gates.

Next to the Elevador and panoramic view
are the gothic ruins of Igreja do Carmo, a
church that was partially destroyed during
the big earthquake. Today, graceful arches
stretch over the ruins like the rib bones.

This was once the largest church in Lisbon.

Kids will feel like adventurers exploring
these ruins.

AN OCEAN OF FUN
Lisbon Oceanarium is one of the larg-
est aquariums in Europe, home to 8,000
marine animals from the world over. It
is located in the Parque das Nações, a
modern waterfront district built for the
1998 World Expo.

The aquarium is divided into five differ-
ent zones, each representing a different
ocean. Residents include sharks, rays, col-
orful fish, coral reefs, sea otters, penguins
and even piranhas.

BÉLEM’S BEAUTIFUL
MONASTERY, MONUMENT
AND MORE
One of the highlights of Portugal is
Jerónimos Monastery in Lisbon’s Bélem
area. It’s easy to get lost for hours in the
two-story cloister—perhaps the best in
Europe—with its richly carved images and
decorative arches. Look closely—the kids
will see faces carved in nooks and crannies
16 Washington FAMILY JUNE 2023
throughout these outdoor walkways: peo-
ple, animals and mythical creatures.

Next to the monastery is the National
Archeology Museum, featuring sculp-
tures, fragments and artifacts from the
ancient world.

Across from the monastery is the iconic
Monument to the Discoveries with Henry
the Navigator standing at the front, fac-
ing the water, ship in hand and flanked by
other explorers like Vasco da Gama.

Nearby, Bélem Tower erupts from the
water. Built in the 16th century, this was
a starting point for navigators setting out
to discover new trades routes. The mas-
sive tower became a symbol of Portugal’s
expansion and wealth.

A LESSON IN
PORTUGUESE MUSIC
No stay in Portugal is complete without
experiencing fado—the Portuguese ver-
sion of the blues. The songs originate from
a time when women sang of sailor hus-
bands who never returned from sea.

The Fado Museum offers a glimpse of
fado’s history. However, the best way to
learn about fado is to experience it in the
air around you, in an authentic setting.

Be wary of unsolicited invitations to step
into a fado establishment without looking
it over first, or you may find yourself wail-
ing a fado-esque tune about the loss of your
money. For a rustic, folksy experience, we
enjoyed Tasca do Chico. For a pricier, glitz-
ier show-club experience, Clube de Fado is
a good choice.

OKAY KIDS, WHAT WAS YOUR
FAVORITE PART OF PORTUGAL?
No doubt, the best part of a trip to Lisbon
is the trip itself. But there can also be a
lot of fun in anticipation and reflection.

Prepare the kids by sharing pictures and
travel stories (like this one) so they can
anticipate some of the adventures ahead.

On your return flight, or back home, spend
a little fun time reflecting with the kids.

What was each person’s favorite parts of
the voyage? It may be something discussed
during your planning, or something com-
pletely unexpected.

In more ways than just the sights you
see, that’s the wonder of travel: not the
things you expect to find, but discovery of
the unexpected. T
Eric D. Goodman is author of six books and more
than 100 published travel stories and other stories.

Learn more about his travels and his writing at
EricDGoodman.com COAX THE KIDS INTO
THESE MUSEUMS
Trying to include all of the
marvels of Lisbon in one short
article (or visit) is like trying
to discover a new spice route.

Here are a few museums worth
navigating. The National Tile Museum, or
Museu Nacional do Azulejo, contains
one of the largest collections of
ceramics in the world.

Alfama’s Museum
of Decorative Arts
has been preserving
the traditions of
Portuguese decorative
arts since the 1950s.

Here, we took in ceramics,
textiles, porcelain and tile panels, and
enjoyed a demonstration of how to
apply gold leaf to woodwork.

Portugal’s National Museum of
Ancient Art, one of the most visited
museums in Portugal, includes forty
thousand items, including paintings,
sculptures, gold, furniture, textiles,
tapestries, ceramics and prints.

Lisbon’s Military
Museum showcases
cannons, weapons
and military items from throughout
the ages. The building, a 16th century
cannon foundry and weapons
storehouse, is beautifully embellished
with coats of arms and crests.

The Maritime Museum explores
the history of the Portuguese
Navy and sea explorers, with
countless model ships and nautical
paraphernalia. The Calouste Gulbenkian
Museum is the most impressive art
museum in Portugal and one of the
best private art collections in Europe.

The National Coach Museum
houses the most impressive
collection of carriages
in all of Europe. The
opulence of some
of these gilded
carriages puts
today’s luxury
vehicles to shame.




On Pointe:
Summer Travel Prepares D.C. Youth for Ballet Careers
BY SASHA ROGELBERG
Students of Houston Ballet Academy
LAWRENCE ELIZABETH KNOX (2022), COURTESY OF
HOUSTON BALLET
S ummer is often synonymous with
fun for kids—a break from the school
year where they can see their friends,
participate in sports and activities or
just “be.”
But for children who have a passion for the
arts, it also offers another opportunity: time
to delve deeper into their craft—maybe even
far from home! That opportunity arose when
Houston Ballet came to Washington, D.C.,
earlier this year to scout for its pre-profes-
sional summer intensive.

From June 17 through July 22, 224
students ages 12-18 chosen for the program
from across the country will gain valuable
skills in independence as they set off on an
adventure to Texas.

Two local teens who auditioned through
the Washington Ballet look back on their
journey as past participants and reflect on
what the program has in store for them as
they return this year.

First position: Beginnings
Ballet dancers at the Houston Ballet in Texas
make the art look easy, flexing and pointing
their toes, weightlessly gliding through the
air, each move precise and synergetic with
the accompanying musical compositions.

But to perform on stage — in Texas or
elsewhere — requires years of training and
discipline. While some aspire to reach the
Houston Ballet at the apex of their careers,
other young dancers begin theirs at the bal-
let’s academy.

The Houston Ballet summer intensive
gives many young dancers the lift they need
to begin their careers. And for many, the
dream of a dance career starts not long after
they can walk.

Northeast Washington native Keaton
Linzau fell in love with “Swan Lake”
at age 3, listening to CDs of the Pyotr
Ilyich Tchaikovsky compositions in the
car with his mom. By age 12, he had
auditioned to be a child extra in the Kennedy
Center’s annual production of “The
Nutcracker.” “I had no ballet experience, but they just
needed kids that could kind of skip around
and be happy,” he says. “So, I auditioned and
got in, and then through doing that, they
were like, ‘Do you dance somewhere?’ and I
was like, ‘Well no’, and they were like, ‘Well
you should start dancing.’”
After studying at the Maryland Youth
Ballet, Linzau, now 18, auditioned for
the Houston Ballet’s summer program
in 2018 but didn’t attend until 2019. This
year, Linzau will join the program at the
Professional 2 level.

Second position: A prestigious
academy Houston is an unsuspecting locale for a
prestigious dance academy, but because
it’s an epicenter for energy companies and
is home to the Texas Medical Center, one
of the largest in the world, the city has
resources to spare. The Houston Grand
Opera and Houston Symphony have
helped cement the city as a hotbed for
the arts.

When the Houston Ballet’s academy
was founded in 1955, the city welcomed
it, according to Houston Ballet Executive
Director Jennifer Sommers.

“The arts community in Houston is
vibrant and diverse in every single way you
can define that term,” she says.

Linzau wasn’t the only young dancer
drawn to the program for its prestige.

Zachary Mench,18, from Fairfax, Virginia, has
been dancing for the past 10 years. Also par-
ticipating at the Pro 2 level, he auditioned
for the summer intensive as a chance to
develop his craft.

WashingtonFAMILY.com 17