Category: Travel

Lisbon, the first stop on my Mediterranean adventure

We visited the tower of Belem, saw the monument to Henry the Navigator and all the other explorers of the discovery age then toured the oldest neighborhood of Lisbon, Alfama. This is the most picturesque place I have ever seen with tiny, narrow up hill winding streets. The buildings are ancient going back to the 1700’s, when this area was devastated by an earthquake leaving only two original buildings. But they rebuilt again in the same location. I am fascinated with the beauty of ancient architecture especially when I consider the tools they worked with to make these buildings a work of art. Here in Lisbon many of the old buildings are faced with beautiful tile work.

Tower of Belem
Monument to Henry the Navigator and others of the Discovery age

Avenida de Liberdad is a beautiful wide street with a park running through the middle of it. In the parks are small garden restaurants, lovely place for a meal or just a glass of wine.

Avenida de Liberdade
Park on Avenida de Liberdade
Lisbon is lovely
Old Lisbon

Lisbon is a lovely city and many parts are quite modern. But they are plagued with horrible traffic and rising rents to the point that families have had to move out of the inner city to areas out side of Lisbon and commute to work increasing the traffic situation. While tourism fuels much of the economy it has driven prices up beyond what the locals salaries can handle.

I loved Lisbon, next chapter Seville.

JIMI MAMOU SINGER MUSICIAN SOUL MAN

Jimi has always been a bit of a Zihuatanejo legend. Starting when he and wife Judy came to Zihuatanejo at the invitation of Guitarfest and never turned back. Jimi plays, blues, soul, and rock and role from it’s heydays of the 50’s and 60’s into the 2000’s and still draws a crowd. It’s the music we grew up with and many believe, as I do, we had the best music ever.

Wednesday night a film crew was here from California to complete a documentary about the music scene in the North Beach area of San Francisco which Jimi was a big part of.

Jimi with a painting of himself, a gift from a friend and fan
Judy and Jimi dancing
Even the young videographer got a chance to dance with Bernie himself a Zihuatanejo legend
Jimi and Judy, forever young

North Beach was the “happening place” with great clubs that gave many a star their start. Places like The Hungry I, and the Purple Onion, Big Al’s and of course the Condor, famous for Carol Doda who originated topless dancing. It was also the home of the Keene Art Gallery among others. An exciting vibrant place during simpler times. My sister was a chorus girl, dancing at Bimbo’s 365 club the summer of 61.

I grew up in a small town 40 Miles north of San Francisco, and even though we were under age and couldn’t get in to many of the clubs it was still a thrill on a Saturday night to roam the streets of North Beach and listen from the sidewalks and alley ways.

I imagine only a small handfull of those musicians are still around and not many would still be playing. But here in Zihuatanejo we have had the pleasure of spending our winters listening and dancing to the music of our youth, with one of the greats, Jimi Mamou.

I would be remiss not to mention that not only has Jimi blessed this community with his music but he and Judy have been a vital part of the community, one of the original and continuing sponsors of Sailfest serving on boards and committees, working in the background helping to strengthen this community for all the citizens here.

Signing off KO