Chameleonic, Gracinha interprets Lives, recreating unique and inimitable ambiances that reflect stories, experiences and memories as unique as the identity of each client. Her portfolio includes projects for hotels and private homes across the World. Gracinha has been the creative ambassador for the brand’s internationalization, leading international projects that include four, five and six star hotels, as well as Boutique Hotels, which have earned her a host of illustrious Distinctions and Awards worldwide. We find out about her thoughts on Lisboa:
- Secret location?
In Lisbon Wake up in one of the Four Season´s beautiful rooms with a view, and after an amazing massage at the spa just prepare for one of the coolest cities in Europe.
My top five not to miss spots are
1) Princepe Real - walk around and loose yourself between amazing and hip shops and restaurants, antiques and vintage everything. The shabby Natural History Museum and its beautifull gardens with one of the largest butterfly cages are both a site for inspiration, and not so much in usual tourist walks. Isabel Lopes da Silva across the street from the museum has amazing vintage jewellery and objects and is a must stopover for collectors.
2)Lunch at Cantinho do Avillez for some Portuguese Food revisited, relaxed but usually crowded as it is advised to book a table .
3) The traditional but unique ride of the ELECTRICO 28 will give you an overall feel of this amazing city , get out at Calçada do Combro and visit the VELAS ORIETTO factory, centenary and magical candle factory, then get up in the ELECTRICO 28 again and go up to the Castello de Sao Jorge, a real city within the city, with its own codes .
4) Art is really happening in Lisbon right now, so have the hotel organize a tour through the best galleries and Artists work Ateliers . I am an Art Addict and always like to discover a city through its diverse patterns and language. Fundaçao BERARDO is a very good collection to visit in Belem also. I like it a lot. And for a very different approach museu da Cidade has the garden full of Bordalo Pinheiro´s Ceramic extra large animals , beautiful! Bordalo Pinheiro being one of our most important ceramists. Two must go see museums are The Fundaçao Ricardo Espirito Santo Silva Museum and Decorative Arts Workshops and the Azulejo Museum with a beautiful huge panel of the View of Lisbon starring on the inside walls.
5) you can´t be in Lisbon and not have a look at our amazing line coast, so Why don´t you visit one of Europe´s Best Kept Secrets- ESTORIL, known as the upper French Riviera in the 1950´s, refuge for decades of Aristocratic European families, with still a lot of clues from that time, there is one of the top Portuguese pastry shops GARRETT, umissable BOLO REI and Pastel de NAtA.
Head down to the most western point in Europe and make a wish as you look at the Horizon as the Sun Sets, one of the most beautiful views you will ever see, but almost always windy so bring a coat with you !
back to the Hotel take a relaxing swim at the Spa! Have dinner at BICA DO SAPATO my hint being, book for the CAFETERIA , as the tourist usually go to the Restaurant, and the CAFETERIA is for me the Best!
If you like to dance, you are only a foot away from LUX the unmissable night in Lisbon…
Would keep on going…but have to keep some secrets to myself J!
- Best view?
The top of the Four Season´s, worth going even if you´re not a jogger!
- A guilty pleasure?
Coffee…I am a coffee lover, and you can find some of the best in Lisbon. I have a few places I recommend for a good Expresso or Galao – the Portuguese café latte- coffee lovers dégustation, one of them being the TARTINE café and restaurant in the Chiado.my favourite Cappuccino in Lisbon.
Would not call it guilty, but definitely a pleasure.
- A weird talent? Or what's the wierdest thing you've /experienced in Lisbon?
Photography is one of my hobbies since I was a child, one weird talent if you might want to call it that is like to photograph strangers with their backs turned to me in various specific spaces I find inspiring, I have a diary full of pictures like this and most of them were photographed in Lisbon, some others around the world. Lisbon is very photogenic and beautiful and inspiring background to any Art and Design related activity.
- Where can we find you on a Saturday afternoon?
Well I have 4 Children from 3 to 9 so I will probably be having a hamburger by the river at my new discovery CAIS DA PEDRA restaurant –next to Bica do sapato mentioned earlier – had the best Salmon and Alfarroba bread hamburger = traditional Portuguese bread = they have amazing twist to hamburger interpretations and very good service child friendly place. After that might head to GULBENKIAN´s beautiful gardens and walk through my family in the contemporary wing. One of my favorites to do´s with kids, they have children guides that will walk you through a very special path of the museum, but book ahead.
Example: A beber um vinho no meu front porch, a surfar no guincho, etc.
- Where do you go "for inspiration"? I´m a globe trotter by nature, and one of the things that most make me feel complete is getting lost in a city. Well I have lived in Portugal for many many years, and still I can get lost in Lisbon…there is always a corner I didn´t look at, a path unwalked.
- A trend for Lisbon's future? I am loving the trends picking up on Lisbon´s amazing multifaceted personality like MEO out Jazz going on every year from MAy all through Summer jazz concerts exploring all the different green areas, Lisbon Week exploring Lisbon transversally with different historic, design, fashion walks and also all kinds of workshops to explore that week, Would like to keep one seeing more and more musical and Arty Trends keeping the city alive and exploring all the hills! Showing the in-between Lisbon, not just the touristic one.
- Favorite drink in the city? Coolest place to have a drink.
GinTonic seems to be the drink of the city right now in Lisbon. The coolest place I had one was at PARK, a bar on top of a Parking lot in Calçada do combro.
Example: Um cocktail xpto que só se pode encontrar não sei onde, o mojito de não sei quê, etc.
- What can you do here in Lisbon & nowhere else? Lisbon is Mysteriorus, so many historic references but also so heading towards the future. I like the sliding doors feeling in Lisbon, the fact that you can almost travel in time forward and backwards. I like the fact that I can live a very urban life and finish my day looking at the sunset at the beach in the blink of an eye.
- Favorite exhibition/book/band/movie? Gulbenkian is the Museum I go back to without even blinking, and never get tired of it.
Not being an exhibition but looking at the HUMans of Lisbon, look at the blog Alfaiate de Lisboa – Lisbon taylor- , and have a striking perspective of the Lisboners and Visitors of the city! Great eye, great photographs! Movie on Lisbon would have to be wim Wender´s -Lisbon Stories-, those kids running around with their recoding cameras always remind me of how many perspectives a city has, and not all are from 150cm up.
- Something you cannot resist? Walking on high heels even though Lisbon and High heels have a strange relationship…
- Have you found any similarities between Lisbon & Singapore?
Like with people , I enjoy different moods and different things in different cities. I expect that the city enjoys different moods and different things from me.Each one is beautifully exciting!
- Who's house would you like to decorate? (Alive or dead)
I don´t choose the project, the project chooses me …
- Someone NOT to be stuck on an elevator with?
sometimes it takes getting stuck with someone on an elevator to realize who he or she really is. Life is like a box of chocolates, and I certainly like to go outside my comfort zone. Lock me in…