A serenade in the rain or a good excuse to get under the covers?

A SERENADE IN THE RAIN OR A GOOD EXCUSE TO GET UNDER THE COVERS? 

 

Grey days require a different soundtrack, a hot chocolate or some slippers. Or open your umbrella and set out to explore places that warm the heart, even if the weather forecasts say that temperatures are dropping.
Find out what you can do in Lisbon, even when it’s raining…

 

» Playlist for a rainy day

 

The Water’s Edge
While the music plays, let’s get down to some reading. "It's warm at the beginning and cold at the end," is the saying in November. The days are getting shorter, by 51 minutes in Lisbon and 57 in Porto. The cold tentatively graces us with its presence and a scattering of rain arrives. Since 1929, the Portuguese almanac has been presenting weather forecasts for the whole year and a "useful repertoire for everyone", including everything from astrology, proverbs, phases of the moon, tides, sowing seasons, seasonal fruits, fairs and holy days. This is a survival manual for daily life, published annually by Editorial Minerva and retaining its original design. With 2023 on the horizon, the Judgement of the Year forecasts: "We begin the year 2023, ruled by the Moon. The Moon is a body full of mystery and symbolism, not only for astrology but also for the study of science. This body is strong in influencing rituals, tides and harvests. The Moon in astrology is a strong sign of our emotional identity. In the Chinese horoscope, it will be the Year of the Rabbit, a year of peace, kindness and serenity towards others. It will be a year when each of us can rearrange our lives, heal past wounds, restore inner balance and serenely plan our future”.

Price: €3.00

 

Brotéria
The former Condes de Tomar Palace, in Lisbon’s Bairro Alto quarter, has been returned to the city through the Brotéria project. This was the cultural centre of the Jesuits in Portugal who, in 1902, launched the journal Brotéria-Sciencias Naturaes which is today the country’s longest-running cultural publication. Over the years, the areas of interest and reflection in the publication have increased and, since 1955, Christianity and Culture have become fundamental themes in the journal.
It is worth wandering around the four-storey building, which preserves its architectural and decorative features in each uniquely beautiful room. Between 1973 and 2013, this was the home of the Hemeroteca de Lisboa, which now boasts a gallery, a library-archive with a very rich collection, work and study rooms and a regular programme of conferences, lectures and courses. There is also a pleasant restaurant and café. The podcast (https://soundcloud.com/broteria) with the editors of Brotéria continues to feed curiosity about the subject matters discussed, providing an encounter of faith with urban cultures.

 

Rua São Pedro de Alcântara, 3, Lisbon
From Monday to Saturday, 10am to 6pm
Free admission

Oceanarium
This is the perfect day for diving into five million litres of salt water and four marine habitats as if they were just one ocean. And you don’t even need to get your feet wet! Just visit the Lisbon Oceanarium and pass through the mild, tropical and cold waters of the Planet’s different oceans. As well as the collection of fish, amphibians, birds, invertebrates, mammals, plants and algae, you can immerse yourself in the most beautiful tropical forests in an exhibition by the artist Takashi Amano,"Underwater Forests”. The music is by Rodrigo Leão, an original composition created to accompany the largest "nature aquarium" in the world, with 12 tonnes of sand, 25 tonnes of volcanic rock, 78 tree trunks, 46 species of aquatic plants and 40 species of freshwater tropical fish. For a more complete experience watch "One, the Sea as You've Never Felt It", an immersive experience through an art installation by director Maya de Almeida Araújo. The exhibition is the result of eight months of filming around Portugal to capture the connection between Humankind and the Sea. With the use of artificial intelligence, it creates movements that would otherwise be impossible.

 

Esplanada D. Carlos I, Lisbon
Tel. 218 917 000
Every day, 10am to 8pm (last entry at 7pm)
Full-price ticket: €25 (adult) / €15 (3-12 years)

Musex – Amor Veneris
Rain can be a good excuse to stay at home and get a little romantic, but why not learn a little more about the mysteries of the human body and embark on "Amor Veneris - A Journey into Female Sexual Pleasure"? This is the first exhibition at Lisbon’s pedagogical sex museum to have a scientific and artistic character. It addresses female pleasure and aims to offer a didactic, playful and provocative experience. On arrival, you are invited to enter the building which symbolically represents the female body, and there are two options to continue your journey: enter the exhibition with or without consent. Each visitor can discover the rest for themselves. Afterwards, you can get back between the sheets and make out to your heart's content.

 

www.musex.pt
Alameda Hermano Patrone, Algés
Tel. 214 111 400
Closed Mondays and 24th & 25th December
Admission: €5
Runs until 10/12/2022

 

 

Museum shops
There is a popular Portuguese saying that goes ‘Anyone who walks in the rain gets wet’... so don’t forget your umbrella. The most original ones are sold in museum shops and are decorated with works of art. Who said that the sky above our heads has to be grey and heavy just because the sun refuses to peek out?

 

Gulbenkian Museum Show
Av. de Berna, 45A, Lisbon
Tel. 217 823 000
Monday to Friday, 10am – 6pm

 

Loja dos Museus
Praça dos Restauradores, Palácio Foz, Lisbon
Tel. 213 478 333
Tuesday to Saturday, 10am-1pm and 2pm-6pm

 

 

Garrafeira Imperial
If you've tried a wine from one of the PortoBay hotels' menus you want to take back home, you're sure to find it at Garrafeira Imperial. Voted Portuguese Wine Merchant of the Year 2021 by Revista de Vinhos magazine, it has an impressive collection of labels from all of Portugal's wine regions. The service is personalised, with advice according to the customer's taste and the amount they intend to spend so that you get the best value for money suggestions. There is also a selection of international wines and spirits, but the offer is less comprehensive, as the store wants to showcase the quality wines made here in Portugal. If you're lucky, you can combine a visit with a tasting held by a winemaker which takes place twice a month; all you have to do is sign up. Even from a distance, you can buy that wine that stayed in your memory online (www.garrafeiraimperial.com). Regardless of the weather, the effect of opening a bottle of wine and pouring out a glass is the same as a relaxing massage...

Rua D. Pedro V, 44, Lisbon
Tel. 932 082 515

Bettina & Niccolò Corallo
Is there anything that warms our hearts more than chocolate? In the most famous chocolate factory in Lisbon, along with coffee and the handmade production of chocolate in varieties ranging from pink pepper and salt flower, ginger and orange, hot chocolate is made from small productions of carefully selected cocoa. In a pure state, with no additives, a pleasure of the gods.

 

Rua da Escola Politécnica, 4, Lisbon
Tel. 213 862 158

Calouste Gulbenkian Planetarium – Living Science Centre
While the clouds can be the worst enemies of star gazers, at the Planetarium you can travel through space regardless of the weather conditions. There are various sessions throughout the day, covering themes such as the "Birth of Planet Earth", which reveals the origin of the Solar System, the formation of the Moon and how the Earth became a planet that sustains life, or "Stars, Galaxies and Beyond", focusing on nebulae, star clusters and galaxies and exploring celestial landscapes. The programmes are perfect for all the family to take to the air and explore the cosmos.

 

Praça do Império, Belém, Lisboa
ccm.marinha.pt/pt/planetario
Tel. 210 977 350
Closed Mondays
Admission: €6 (adults) / €3.50 (3-12 years)

Lachoix
There are days when the rain gets the better of you, and pyjamas and slippers are your best friends. But that shouldn’t mean getting sloppy; on the contrary, you should dress stylishly as if you were going out, without sacrificing comfort; because the pandemic has multiplied the range of comfortable clothing available. As for slip-on shoes, the Portuguese brand Lachoix produces limited editions of loafers and slippers; these highly comfortable, stylish flat shoes look good with any outfit, whether for wearing around the house, for everyday use or for a night out. Even when the ground is slippery from the rain.
You can follow the latest releases and buy online at Instagram @lachoix.official.
But cheer up and go visit the shop - it's on the same street as Brotéria and the Garrafeira Imperial and Bettina & Niccolò Corallo are very close by.

 

www.lachoix.com
Pátio do Tijolo, Príncipe Real, Lisbon

 

 

If you prefer to stay indoors…
Take a tea or a spa treatment… at the PortoBay Liberdade hotel, you can take advantage of overcast days by enjoying the indoor pool. If you choose to have a restful afternoon nap, we can offer you a pillow menu.
For a hot meal, at the Bistrô4 restaurant, we have suggestions to suit all tastes. At the Il Basilico Lisbon restaurant, within the PortoBay Marquês hotel, you can enjoy the intense flavours of Italian pasta, pizzas and risottos... while the rain falls outside.