The ingredients for a fantasy novel

As I was walking down Avenida da Liberdade, right in the heart of Lisboa, I realized how romantic it looked. In spite of the boisterous designer shops, the loud kiosks that serve hot drinks and cocktails and the constant cars driving up and down, if you walk right in the middle of it, in the large and wide sidewalk, of black and white cobbled stones, all that noise is hushed down by trees.

And then you notice it: the beautiful designs in the sidewalk, the statues, the shade, the quietness. And just in case you're lost amidst this bucolic scenery, there they are: arrows. One pointing to Praça da Alegria (Square of Joy), Príncipe Real (Royal Prince, if you cynical you can also translate to Real Prince) and Rato (Mouse).

I took another look (and a picture, too!) of the signs and laughed at the thought of Lisboa having just the right ingredients for a Louis Carrol/C.S. Lewis, fantasy novel.

Namaste!