Afar, A Retrospective: A Poet’s Travel Guide to Lisbon, Portugal

Unpacked by Afar

This podcast episode is part of Afar, A Retrospective. As part of Afar’s 15-year anniversary celebration, this episode from our sister podcast, Travel Tales by Afar, was selected as one of our favorites. We hope you enjoy it as much as we do—and stay tuned for more archival Travel Tales episodes from September - December 2024. Explore more of our favorite stories over the years at afar.com/fifteen.

Two months after her house burned down, Afar sent the award-winning author of Miss Burma, Charmaine Craig, to Lisbon, Portugal, with 24 hours’ notice. Without a plan, Charmaine aimlessly follows tourists through cobbled streets before stumbling upon the grave of one of the country’s most beloved authors: Fernando Pessoa. Following in his footprints, her trip transforms into a poetic journey through loss, impermanence, and hope.

Portugal’s Elusive Poet: Fernando Pessoa

In this episode discover:

• The world’s oldest bookstore, Livraria Bertrand.
• How Portugals’ streets recovered after fire and earthquakes.
• Where to follow Francis Pessoa’s legacy in Lisbon.

Twin Flames, Twin Houses

Don’t miss these transformative moments:

[01:39] Lost history and landing in Lisbon.

[05:02] Meeting Francis Pessoa: a master poet of impermanence.

[08:00] Echoes of destruction, from L.A. to Lisbon.

A Literary Adventure in Lisbon

The only book Charmaine Craig brought to Lisbon was The Book of Disquiet by Francis Pessoa. Though she knew the author lived in Lisbon,Charmaine didn’t expect to stumble upon his tomb in her first 24 hours. In this episode, an unplanned trip to Portugal becomes a deeply personal, poetic tour through grief, impermanence, and hope.

Resources:

• Read Charmaine’s original story.
• Visit Charmaine’s website and buy her books, Miss Burma and My Nemesis.
• Plan a trip to Lisbon with Afar with content like the best things to do and see or these guides to the perfect day or weekend.

Be sure to subscribe to the show and to sign up for our podcast newsletter, Behind the Mic, where we share upcoming news and behind-the-scenes details of each episode. And explore our second podcast, Travel Tales, which celebrates first-person narratives about the way travel changes us.