Here Comes the Sun

Lisbon is a very walkable city. Belem, Lisbon's westernmost district famous for its custard tarts (pastel de Belem), is mere 4 kilometres away from the city centre - an about 50-minutes' stroll on a hot summer day at the end of September. Even the airport is just 7 kilometres away, and it takes 15 or so minutes to get there by train. That's predominantly what trains (subway or suburban) in Lisbon are used for: to go to/from the airport or visit the satellite towns of Sintra and Cascais. Buses are handy when one needs to reach Belem (on a not-so-nice day or just in a hurry), or several districts near the city's eastern edge, or residential areas in the north. Everything else is almost literally a stone's throw from any point of interest - as the stone flies. The problem is that neither stones, nor arrows or any other unsophisticated projectiles are able to dodge and change/reverse direction in midair - and that's what humans would often need to do to reach their destination in Lisbon, also known as "the City of Seven Hills". Something no more than 300 metres away but on another hill inevitably means going all the way up, then across to the hill in question, and down to wherever the destination is. That's why there are more than just a few bus routes in Lisbon, after all - and a lot of workout opportunities for those who prefer to walk rather than take a bus.

Hills both present challenges and offer perks. One of the latter is an opportunity to see the city from above, and multiple viewpoints are scattered all over Lisbon. Most of them are regular - such as, for instance, "Miradouro da Senhora do Monte"/The Viewpoint of Our Lady of the Mountains that provides its fair share of spectacular views

However, there is one viewpoint in Lisbon that is unique - in fact, every bit as unique as its name - "Portas do Sol"/The Gate of the Sun - suggests.

Sunrises are all about transition. Neither light or darkness are special but the change from the latter to the former is - and to experience that change, one has to be there before the sun wakes up and starts stretching its rays, one at a time. For Lisbon in September it means, before 7 am. That gives one just enough time to catch and draw in hir breath before seeing it taken away when the magic begins.