Portuguese Sidewalks

— During our first walk in Lisbon, Portugal, there was one thing that caught our eyes immediately: the intricate and carefully crafted Portuguese sidewalks. We were staying just a couple of blocks from the tree-lined April 25 Avenue. Once we settled in our home for our stay in Lisbon, we went to explore the city. The moment we got to the April 25 Avenue, our eyes marveled at the beauty of the sidewalks.

The use of black and white stones on sidewalks is ubiquitous in Lisbon. In fact, this artistic use of stones is something the Portuguese took to Brazil, too. You must have seen photos of the Copacabana Beach sidewalk in Rio de Janeiro. In Lisbon, there are beautiful displays of ships and other themes on their sidewalks. One particular square that captured our attention was the Dom Pedro IV square. The sidewalk clearly gives us a three-dimensional effect everywhere you go. The design evokes ocean waves as you can see in the photo above. As you walk around the square, if you follow these patterns, sometimes you do get the feeling they are indeed three dimensional! Look at the design carefully.