Carris Tourist tram

On a recent visit to Lisbon, I was eager to experience the highs and lows of hilly Alfama, the city’s oldest district and home of the tragically soulful Fado music.  Needless to say, the 27-degree midday heat meant I wasn’t going to walk there.

Enter Carris. For just a couple of Euro, Lisbon’s iconic number 28 yellow tram offered a veritable roller-coaster ride, whisking me and my video camera around hairpin bends and making short work of the steep, tightly-knit neighbourhoods.  In the glorious May sunshine I was thankful for the opportunity to just sit back and take it all in, but the journey was generous enough to reward me with gorgeous, fleeting snapshots of daily life in Alfama’s beautifully hectic streets.

Alfama's Surprises

Alfama exudes unconventional prettiness. Sitting inside the tram, my camera half hanging out the sash window, I was privy to the artfully dishevelled paintwork of duck-egg blue townhouses, the kaleidoscopic whirl of chipped azulejo wall tiles, the smoky whiff of grilled sardines and the gentle, outdoor chatter that goes hand in hand with the city’s café culture. From fluttering shirts and bed sheets hung on pavement washing lines to a balcony of sunflowers in full bloom, picturesque surprises seemed to await me at every turn.

Whenever the tram came to an abrupt stop (this happened frequently due to crazy, haphazard street parking), I got the chance to look around and appreciate the remarkable interior of the tram.  Carris trams are decked out to look like they’ve been frozen in time.  Vintage fixtures have been perfectly preserved to include polished wooden benches, leather upholstery, brass fittings and glass lanterns.

The sunny yellow trams have been providing Lisbon with an electrified transport service since 1901. The ones used to this day are reconditioned versions of trams manufactured between 1936 and 1945.  The number 28 is a cheap, clean and surprisingly entertaining way to get around Lisbon. Just make sure you get yourself a good seat!

• Tickets for the number 28 tram cost just €1.40 and depart from Martim Moniz Square, with stops all along the way to Alfama and Sao Joao Castle.

[geo_mashup_map]