Gatvoices #2

At Gat Rossio we promise you an unforgettable, worry-free break. Unfortunately, life doesn’t always go to plan, but our Maintenance Manager Carlos Viegas knows how to provide guests with a perfect hotel stay: he quickly and efficiently solves any technical problems that may arise to make sure that nothing gets in the way of fun and relaxation. Carlos is known for his professionalism and doing his job with a smile!

In this poem, Carlos tells us that the secret is that he loves what he does at Gat Rossio, even if he is sometimes dragged out of bed on his day off!

Usually, if you like what you’re doing, you’re doing just that: doing what you like. It’s not really work, it’s passion.

If you work with passion, it becomes love. You no longer get tired or stressed; you always find a way out.

When you don’t get tired doing what you do, you have more time, space and energy for yourself and others.

When you’re not caught in the illusion of time, you have more of it to dedicate to yourself and those around you.

If you don’t have time for yourself ‒ to create, to care, to love ‒ what do you have left to offer?

If you don’t love yourself, how can you love others and appreciate them or learn with them?

If you can’t find what it takes inside you, do you intend to find it on the outside or in others and let life choose for you?

If you rely on others’ opinions and incentives, good or bad days, where is your freedom?

I believe that if we make mistakes or fail sometimes, we should unconditionally accept, forgive and love the most important person in our lives: ourselves!

The important thing is to do the best you can. Even in difficult situations, we should cooperate and stop pointing fingers.

Alternative neighbourhoods in Lisbon

In every Lisbon neighbourhood, there is always at least one coffee shop that offers a large selection of plant-based milks or desserts to suit any type of diet. There are also poetry recitals or other art events, hair salons with an industrial vibe, markets that sell goods made by small craft businesses, organic food markets, graffiti-covered walls or live street music. Whichever neighbourhood you decide to visit, you will always discover something new.

Alcântara

@villageundergroundlisboa

Visit Village Underground Lisboa, a co-working space and arts venue built with shipping containers and old buses. The Village is a true work of art itself, and is also sustainable.

Marvila

This former industrial area is now home to beer factories, coffee shops, restaurants and the huge events venue, Fábrica Braço de Prata. It is also perfect for exploring on an urban art tour.

Read our full guide here: https://whereis.gatrooms.com/the-guide-to-discovering-marvila-lisbons-secret-district/

Graça and São Vicente

@timeout

The old quarter boasts narrow streets and spectacular views over the Tagus River that can be enjoyed from one of the many lookout points. It is also the ideal place to really delve into the local culture by browsing the Feria de Ladra second-hand market, for example.

Discover more Lisbon markets here: https://whereis.gatrooms.com/a-market-for-every-day-of-the-week-in-lisbon/

Mouraria

@visitlisboa

The birthplace of fado music is packed with little streets that lead to traditional fado music houses or restaurants and bars that serve international cuisine. This neighbourhood also holds other treasures for you to uncover, such as the smallest bookstore in the world.

Find out more here: https://whereis.gatrooms.com/travel-smart-in-lisbon-mouraria/

Arroios and Saldanha

@duartedrago

These two neighbourhoods are defined by their rich cultural offer. Discover English-language bookstores and parks and gardens for reading them in, markets that sell delicious fresh fruit and a thriving alternative nightlife scene. From Saldanha, make your way down to Praça Martim Moniz to make the most of this neighbourhood, too.

Discover Lisbon in a weekend

Welcome to our 2-day guide for discovering our favourite spots in Lisbon. If you are lucky enough to have more than a weekend in the city, make sure you take a look at our travel blog: https://whereis.gatrooms.com/

Day 1

Our adventure begins as we leave the Gat Rossio hotel in Baixa to discover the neighbourhood’s emblematic squares: Praça dos Restauradores, Praça do Rossio and Praça do Comércio. Make sure you get an early start to avoid queues at the Elevador de Santa Justa (Santa Justa lift).

@lisboando

Move on to Chiado and take a stroll down Rua Garett before making a pitstop at the famous A Brasileira café for their speciality: a delicious cup of “bica”, a Portuguese espresso.

@traveldailymedia

Make time to browse the shelves at Bertrand, which they say is the oldest bookstore in the world.

@10things

Are you a brunch lover? If so, Topo Bar is the place for enjoying good food and great views.

Later, delve into Portugal’s fascinating history in Bairro Alto. Visit the Museu da Farmácia (Pharmacy Museum), the MUHNAC (National Natural History and Science Museum) or the Museu de São Roque and its sacred art.

Admire the ruins of the Nossa Senhora do Vencimento do Monte do Carmo Church.

@cntraveler

End your afternoon wandering through Rua do Norte and Rua da Rosa. Have a drink at the Park bar before enjoying a night of authentic fado music in Tasca do Chico.

Day 2

Your Sunday morning is for the Alfama neighbourhood. Take a walk through Castelo de São Jorge (Saint George’s Castle) and relish the fabulous views from the Santa Lucía and Jardim do Recolhimento lookout points.

@lisboando

As you make your way down Rua de São Miguel, you will come across some well-guarded secrets, such as the Miradouro das Portas do Sol lookout. Make sure you also visit the legendary Lisbon Cathedral–Sé–or the Renaissance palace, Casa dos Bicos.

@suitecasemag

Finish your whistlestop tour of the city in Mouraria, which is making a comeback thanks to its narrow streets, alternative bars and restaurants and its vast number of fado music houses.

The Gatrooms Hotels art galleries

Gatrooms, the chain behind the Gat Point Charlie Hotel in Berlin and the Gat Rossio Hotel in Lisbon, stands apart for being an integral part of the cultural offer in its home cities. It holds four exhibitions a year in each of the two hotels, among other events such as workshops and artistic performances.

This autumn, we have the privilege of exhibiting the work of well-known international artists who draw on internal reflection and use different techniques to push the boundaries of art. The exhibitions will run from September to November.

 

In Berlin, the “Picatsso” exhibition by Sol Felpeto.
See the vernissage pictures

Venezuela-born Sol Felpeto is a multicultural artist who, in her own words, “seeks to translate art into something immediately catchy, making a connection between the known and the new to create emotions”. In this respect, and in her desire to “rewrite history using animals”, Felpeto has adapted Picasso’s masterpieces using her unique Pop Artoons style, replacing the classic protagonists with cats.
https://www.solfelpeto.com/

 

In Lisbon, “The Art of (de)construction” by artist Marco Laborda.
See the vernissage pictures

Artist Marco Laborda hails from Barcelona and, as he himself explains, wears “several hats, all of which tilt towards art.” Fascinated with portraiture, collage is his main form of artistic expression, in which “he cuts and pastes vivid elements to produce portraits that are reminiscent of Francis Bacon’s disfigured characters or Francisco de Goya’s realistic portraits”.
http://marcolaborda.com/about/

 

The best thing about an art gallery being in a hotel is that it is open to the public every day of the week:
Gat Point Charlie Hotel: Mauerstraße 81-82, 10117 Berlin
Gat Rossio Hotel: R. do Jardim do Regedor 27-35, 1150-193 Lisbon.

 

Travel Smart in Lisbon: Chiado

@christophertriplife
Chiado is known as one of the most elegant, bohemian neighbourhoods in Lisbon. The ruins of the Convento do Carmo embody part of the area’s rich history, and the hum of its streets, such as Rua Garett–which is surrounded by countless theatres, museums and cafés–transmits its frenetic energy.
Chiado is just a short, easy ride from Praça dos Restauradores on the No.28 tram.

@Ray – www.101motivosparaviajar.com
If you need to fuel up for a busy day, A Brasileira is the perfect place for enjoying a bica.
Interesting fact: “Bica” is Lisbon slang for an espresso. Legend has it that this word came into being in this very café when its founder, Adriano Telles, put a sign on the door that said “Beba isto com açucar” (B. I. C. A) (drink this with sugar).

@PastelariaBernard – www.facebook.com/PastelariaBenard
To accompany a strong cup of coffee with a French-style croissant, make your way to Pastelaria Benard, but if a delicious, freshly baked local custard tart is what you’re craving, head over to Manteigaria.

@get10things.com
If you’re more of a brunch lover or fancy some petiscos (tapas) with great views over the city and the Santa Justa lift, Topo bar is the ideal place, both during the day and in the evening.
A visit to Chiado means opening yourself to new experiences that you couldn’t have anywhere else. Isn’t that what travelling is all about?
Let’s see if we can get your juices flowing with these two:

@visitportugal – www.visitportugal.com
Why not eat lunch at the restaurant at Palácio Chiado, a palace that dates back to 1781?

@cristinaconde – blog.bibliotech.education
Or how about sipping a coffee while you read a book at Bertrand, the oldest bookshop in the world? Fernando Pessoa was a regular here!
These are just a few of the exciting new experiences waiting for you to discover in one of the hottest areas in Lisbon.
Don’t forget to make the most of the infinite options for enjoying the city’s hectic nightlife too, such as a stop at Cinco Lounge, one of the first cocktail bars in the city, or indulging in the creations mixed at Toca da Raposa, another cosy, bijou cocktail venue.

Summer in Lisbon

Praia de Galapinhos
@vortexmag

Summer in Lisbon is all about getting out and about–gone are the days of being trapped indoors studying or sleeping the holidays away! The Portuguese capital is jam-packed with great activities and adventures at this time of year, so get a move on!

Find the best ice cream at Italian parlours

Traditional Italian ice cream makers set up shop in the city years ago, so the quality of this summer delight in Lisbon is second to none!

Gelados Conchanata, Gelato d’Avvero and Mú Gelato Italiano are our go-to ice cream parlours. Check out our post on where to find the best ice cream in Lisbon at https://whereis.gatrooms.com/7-heavenly-ice-cream-parlours-in-lisbon/

@theinesmoreira

Never leave the water!

Make time for a day trip to the best beaches along the Atlantic coast, such as Praia do Magoito and Praia da Adraga in Sintra, Praia do Guincho and Praia de Carcavelos in Cascáis or Praia de Galapinhos in Setúbal.

Praia de Carcavelos
@vortexmag

What about an open-air picnic?

Lisbon is a great place for a picnic under the summer sun, which is why here at Hotel Gat Rossio we offer our guests a packed lunch to enjoy wherever the fancy takes them.

Our favourite picnic spots are Jardim Botânico Tropical, the mercifully wind-free seafront at Algés (Passeio Marítimo at Praia de Algés) and the gardens at the Fundação Calouste Gulbenkian for a quiet lunch overlooking the river.


@Algés Beach – by Giuseppe Milo – Wikimedia Commons

Eat, drink and be merry on the best terraces in Lisbon

If you don’t feel like going to the beach, why not head to a bar for a refreshing drink on a city terrace. Great venues include the Therapist, a restaurant located in LX Factory that offers therapeutic menus, Esplanada da Mata, which is set in wonderful natural surroundings, and Sky Bar, which offers fantastic views over the Tajo River.

@manuelmanso

Discover our full list of rooftop bars in Lisbon at https://whereis.gatrooms.com/work-drinks-views/