Pick up any guidebook from the 1920s, from the time when tourism began to take off on the Iberian Peninsula, the kind that contained in great detail all the services that cities offered. There’s a very famous one, simply called Guia de Portugal, in several volumes. You’ll find delicious information such as the names of the owners of the most obscure taverns, the addresses of the main newspapers, descriptions of monuments signed by renowned historians, where to get a taxi and, who would say, where to get a sidecar ride.
That’s right. Back then, cities like Lisbon were criss-crossed by sidecars that provided transport services. Need to get from Downtown to the Belém district while avoiding the growing traffic? No problem. Jump in here, put on the right leather hat and goggles to protect yourself from the wind, and let’s go. This was the age of new machines, of the lure of speed. Means of transport could also be futuristic.
Today it’s perfectly possible to replicate that everyday experience of the first decades of the century – but a little slower, you don’t need to speed up too much, it’s even inadvisable! Lisbon is a stunning film that can be seen in many ways. The experience now is retro-futuristic. In the Portuguese capital, sidecars no longer function as simple taxis, but they are there, and we know exactly which one you should try. Your driver is more than a driver, he’s a great connoisseur of Lisbon, and he’ll take you to corners that even the tutkuk can’t reach. Oh, and helmets and stylish goggles are still compulsory! Let’s go!
