The EGOS conference. Although there were over 1000 European scholars in Lisbon (and a few like myself with name badges reading "University of Gothenburg, UNITED STATES") the conference experience was that of an intimate group. Loyalty was expected by and to advance the scholarship of the subtheme: all members of each subtheme met to share papers , without any knowledge of of other groups, apart from the paper listings in the Proceedings. Because I was interested in the scope of "my" subtheme, this organization "worked" for me. I did not even glance at the content of other subthemes, lest I should be distracted, but I mingled and talked with others during the (plentiful) breaks. My subtitle of the coffee break photo reinforces the secrecy of the work of the subtheme #32 members. However, attendance cross-subthemes was not discouraged, and "strangers" frequented our sessions, including one person who had heard Ulla and me present elsewhere and came for a "repeat performance." I hope we did not disappoint her!
The city. All cities are alike in many ways, and to the extent there were different neighborhoods and places of work, play, and historical interest, Lisbon was like other cities of Southern Europe. Our tourist-type bus ride the afternoon we arrived provided a sense of space and place, and afterwards we travelled via bus, metro, trolley, and tram, getting frustrated by maps without street names, and guide-book locations without detailed addresses. Images in my memory are of different styles of architecture (not all captured in photos), much graffiti, and an "urban beach scene" along the coast at Cascais.
The history. "Of course" all European cities are old, and I was aware of the Portuguese tendency to explore -- there is a vibrant Portuguese community in Stonington, because the two coastlines "face" each other -- but I was unprepared for the richness of diverse cultures represented in the monuments. Not only did the Portuguese explore -- represented by the Monument to the Discoveries at Belem -- but waves of conquerers and trade routes resulted in juxtaposed styles in architecture and art.
Beyond the city examples, the UNESCO National Heritage site in the hills north-east of Lisboa at Sintra (about half an hour by train). We visited three of the four "buildings", the 8th century Moorish Castle with its walls and turrets, the mid-19th century "toyland palace" of the monarchy, and the royal palace built in the 14th century and extended in the 16th century, with its diverse arches and spaces, towers and courtyards. No photographs were allowed inside the furnished palace interior, most probably because visitors would never leave as they attempted to capture it all.
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