When I first started traveling in earnest, I was skeptical of tours in cities. As much as anything, I love wandering through new places and discovering corners on my own. I worried that these organized trips were the province of tourists, not travelers, that absurdly Manichean distinction that seems to allow many of us to justify our habits while feeling just a bit superior to others. The truth, I have discovered since, is that a well-run tour, can be one of the real highlights of any city, a chance to explore a place with someone who loves it, and since travel should be about love, what could be better?
Over the past fifteen years of travel in earnest, a few city tours stand out in my memory–a historical tour of Bratislava with a guide who had lived and worked in Montana and a tour of Krakow come to mind immediately–but I’m not sure I have ever enjoyed a tour quite as much as the one I had in Lisbon on this trip. Our host, Elena, who told us that she had moved to Portugal as a student nine years ago “by accident,” greeted each member of our small group by telling us that she hoped we would become new friends. Over the course of three hours, that’s exactly how the experience felt.
Any little doubt that Elena’s warmth was something other than the practiced hand of a professional tour guide disappeared the moment we began our ascent into the Mouraria neighborhood, where our tour was periodically interrupted in the best possible way with Elena greeting and being greeted by people who lived there. While she certainly understood and shared the history of Lisbon, what felt most special about the tour was that it reminded me of those times I have visited friends in their cities and they were eager to show just what makes it special.
It’s easy to feign enthusiasm; it’s almost impossible to manufacture this kind of genuine love.
The other element that made the tour feel special was Elena’s hopefulness. While we certainly talked about gentrification and rising rents in the city, her genuine enthusiasm for the diversity of the city and evident love for its traditions, culture, and long-time residents–some of whom are featured on the walls of the Mouraria–made me appreciate the importance of being aware of the things that perhaps demand cynicism while remembering that we can’t forget the things that bring us unreserved joy.
When you are in Lisbon, there is just no better way to spend three hours than on this tour.
As I think about those fortunate enough to explore Lisbon with Elena in the future, I can’t help but think that she will, as Jose Saramago once wrote, “Start the journey anew. Always.” It’s precisely that willingness to see the world with new eyes and a fresh heart that made this tour–and others like it–experiences not to be missed for even the most jaded traveler.
You can book Elena’s “Heartbeat of Ancient Lisbon” tour as an Airbnb experience.
