Portugal - Lisbon Escape to the Continent

On a July day in 1497,

an explorer set off from this very point to the Far East

and discovered a trade route that would transform this country

that I'm standing in into a world superpower.

Find out who he was

and where I am in just a moment on Escape To The Continent.

On today's show we're helping a couple find

an apartment with a view in one of Europe's most vibrant cities.

Ah, look, this is probably your tram, you can see it coming

and run down the stairs.

That's right, that's right.

And they'll get to sound out what it's like to live in such

a buzzy area.

-Just to warn you, you are next to a Fado club.

-OK.

So it might be something you need to acquire a taste for.

I think so. I'll get some good earplugs.

Today I'm in Lisbon, the second oldest city in Europe

and, of course, the capital of Portugal.

And this elegant construction behind me is the Tower of Belem,

a 16th-century fortress built to commemorate that epic

journey by Vasco da Gama, who found the first direct

route around the bottom of Africa to the Far East,

and in doing so, established Portugal as a world superpower.

Now, Portugal lost its monopoly on the spice route in the 17th century,

but this is a great reminder of its heyday, and of course,

its maritime heritage.

The city of Lisbon is Europe's westernmost capital, and lies in

the southwest of Portugal.

It sits on the north banks of the Tagus River estuary,

which flows out into the Atlantic Ocean,

where you'll find Lisbon's stunning sandy beaches,

including Cascais, lying just 30km outside the city centre.

In the eighth century,

the Moors, who were medieval Muslim inhabitants of North Africa,

began their occupation of Lisbon

and their influence can still be found at the Castelo de Sao Jorge

and around the streets of the Alfama district.

This area survived the earthquake and the resulting tsunami of 1755,

which reduced most of the city to rubble.

The swift reconstruction of central Lisbon led to some innovative

urban planning, which is revealed in the ornate

and commercial district of Baixa, where you can find

the pedestrianised thoroughfares of Rua Aurea and Rua Augusta.

It's easy to see why Lisbon city centre is home

to a tenth of the Portuguese population,

who are drawn to the alternative art scene and the vast array

of shops and cafes that this ancient city has to offer.

In terms of prices,

Portugal has long been regarded as a good place to buy.

The average price for a property here is £50,000,

which is a quarter of the figure back at home.

That's not true across the board, of course -

at the more expensive coastal resorts you pay a higher premium,

and also here in the centre of Lisbon

you can pay four to five times the national average.

Particularly in city districts like Baixa or Chiado.

The good news is, it's a buyer's market.

Since the global collapse prices here have dropped by about 22%,

although there are signs that that's going into reverse.

Which means this is a good time for British people to invest here.

Today's house hunters are James and Anne

and they've been partners for ten years.

Anne works in London and owns a home in York,

whilst James bases himself in West Yorkshire.

So, arranging to spend time together hasn't always been straightforward.

Quite a lot of the time we've been, sort of, living this life

where we've been apart during the week and only together at weekends.

Which is limiting in some of the things you can do.

But this routine is about to change

as Anne, who works in community development,

will be relocating to Lisbon.

Civil servant James will remain in the UK, but plans to make

regular trips to the Portuguese capital to be with her.

So, I already do quite a bit of homeworking, and I'm hoping that we

can get set up in Portugal, that it would be possible to do that.

I think we will be able to spend slightly longer

together even if we're longer apart, but it will change the rhythm,

it gives us the opportunity to experience a different way of life.

Although it's Anne's job that has prompted the move, Lisbon itself

has its own appeal, even for James who has only visited once before.

It's not all been, sort of, done up.

You can see that it was grand in its day

and still retains a good feel.

The first time I went to Lisbon was four years ago and it's a very

beautiful city, but also the people, it's a very warm, friendly place.

Anne already has an affinity with the city, but in order to really

immerse herself she's going to put her linguistic skills to the test.

I've been trying to learn Portuguese now for several months and I'm

having lessons, cos I think it's important to be able to communicate.

Although, in Lisbon in particular, so many people speak English,

I am determined I'm going to be able to hold conversations in Portuguese.

Anne may well be focusing on getting herself settled in,

but when it comes to finding a home it must accommodate James too,

as this Portuguese property will be a joint investment.

I think having both of us looking is important because

although it won't be James' primary home, it will also be his home.

So therefore that's important,

and I think we do notice different things about places.

My requirements out of the property are probably a bit different.

I'd be less worried about the interior and more

interested in where it was located and where you can get to from it.

And where you can keep your bike.

One thing, for me, is being able to get out of the house and either

take my bike for a cycle on the coast or go for a bit of a run around.

So, they need to find a home big enough for Anne, James

and the bicycle, but they also have some other specifications.

We like to live in the centre of a place, as we do here in York.

And that's partly because it is easy to move around a place.

We like to be able to walk to the cinema or go to cafes and things.

I like the buzz of being somewhere where there's

people on the streets and moving around.

And finally, we need to establish how much

they want to spend on a property that meets with their criteria.

Our maximum house price would be £300,000.

Our house hunters want to find property

located in the centre of Lisbon.

And now they've arrived here,

we're meeting up at a spot overlooking the city, to learn

more about what they're hoping to achieve with this continental move.

James and Anne, thank you for bringing me to Lisbon,

what an amazing day and an amazing view!

Yes, it's lovely, it really is!

Good choice of city to live in.

I think so too.

What brings you here?

I've got a new position starting in January this year, so for work.

And is it a full-time move,

are you going to be living here the whole time?

Well, we're both buying the property

but I will be living here most of the time and James some of the time.

Right, so the idea is that, James, you will be coming to visit?

Well, I'll still be working in the UK but hopefully spending as much

time as possible, when work allows, out here with Anne.

You want to move here because you love the city, or...?

I do love the city, and I like the excitement of coming to live

somewhere that's different from the UK.

Where in the city would you like to live,

cos obviously there's lots of different districts?

I'd like to live somewhere in the old town of Lisbon

but most important is that it's convenient for me to get to work.

So, near a metro or walking distance.

What sort of apartment are you dreaming about?

I think what I'm dreaming about is the old-style apartment blocks,

with big windows, the azulejo tiles, the wooden floors...

-Those are those beautiful blue tiles that you see everywhere.

-Absolutely!

Absolutely. Very Portuguese and traditional.

James, what are you looking for in the property?

Well, I think one thing I'd quite like is a large sitting area,

where I'd be able to look out over a bit of a view of the city

and I think also somewhere to store a bike.

Ah, yes, cos that's important in a city, cos you don't often get

garage space and things like that.

So, this is the sort of first house

that you've bought together, correct?

-Correct.

-Ah!

-OK, so we've got lovely properties, so let's go and see them.

-Excellent.

With a budget of £300,000, Anne and James are looking for

a city centre apartment, which would give Anne a short daily commute.

It should have a large living area, a minimum of two bedrooms,

a place to store James' bicycle and ideally some outdoor space,

and they'd like this in an elevated position with views over the city.

We're going to be tempting them with four potential properties,

including one where they'll be staying themselves, which should be

a good test for James, who has only ever visited this city once before.

But with Anne's job transfer to Lisbon due to start in just

a couple of months, the pressure is on to find her and James

an apartment that they can call their own.

Our house hunt begins in the desirable western

district of Lapa, which is knows by Lisboetas as "The Special Quarter".

This wealthy suburb is home to the Portuguese Prime Minister's

official residence, as well as the majority of foreign embassies,

making it well patrolled by police and security,

ensuring that it is both quiet and a safe place to live.

To the south of the area, close to the harbour and docks, you can

find the Museo Nacional de Arte Antiga,

Portugal's largest national gallery.

And for Anne, living here would mean a commute of less than

ten minutes' walk from our first property.

-OK, so this is the building that your apartment is in.

-Excellent.

Do you know this area? This is very close to where you work.

It is very close to where I work but I haven't been down

THESE streets, these streets are new to me.

What do you think about the neighbourhood?

I think the architecture's lovely and it's got a nice,

quiet feel about it.

I think my only question, at the moment, is whether it's too quiet.

-James, your first impressions?

-Very good, I like it.

So, the house is from the 1930s,

you've got the centre of the second floor here,

is the apartment that we're going to look at.

Obviously, you've got something that's being knocked down

and rebuilt here, but it will only be rebuilt

certainly no higher than this building.

-And obviously within the same kind of constraints.

-Yeah.

So, that's something to bear in mind. Shall we have a look inside?

I'd love to.

The block is only made up of three apartments. The one we're looking at

has Irish owners, who completely renovated it seven years ago.

And as our buyers aren't interested in doing any work themselves,

I'm hoping that it's got the sort of look they might be after.

Step into the sitting room.

Very nice, it's got lovely windows.

Lovely windows with Juliet balconies, yes.

What are your thoughts, James?

Not quite as big as I was hoping for.

Yeah, it's a fairly small apartment,

it's about 90 square metres, all told.

-But I like the way it's been done up.

-Yeah.

It's actually in great nick, it's these lovely floors throughout,

and actually all the paintwork is immaculate.

-And...

-Excellent.

..there's heating.

Yes, cos a lot of the apartments in Lisbon don't

and it actually gets colder in the winter,

so you've got three months where you're like, "Brrrr".

So, gas heaters throughout, which is actually a real bonus.

I think it's probably slightly smaller than we'd

imagined for the living room, but it's still quite a good size

and I like the walls not being straight, I think

that adds character to it.

These windows are facing east, so you get very early

morning light, but all the light is in the other

-half of the house.

-OK.

So, let's have a look at the kitchen.

Through this central hallway, into another, sort of,

eccentrically-shaped kitchen.

Uh-huh. But it's quite sizable as a kitchen.

-Yeah...

-In a funny sort of way.

A lot of continental kitchens are not as big as the ones that

-we have in Britain.

-That's right.

And this was much smaller,

this would have been a balcony space out here that they've

sort of put in windows, so it's like a winter garden,

a small one. They use it as a wash room.

Cos this is the sunniest part,

this gets sun all day cos it's south facing.

Ah, of course. No, it's perfectly functionable.

Is it something you can imagine using, is it big enough?

I think it is big enough.

I mean, you could put a table and chairs out there

and reconfigure the space and the use of it

but I think it is big enough.

I think the kitchen's perfectly fine for us,

we weren't looking for a big kitchen.

Erm, we do cook, so we will eat in a fair bit but,

yeah, my impression is it's quite compact, but I think we've

said that it's... In the area it's in,

that's what you might expect for a budget.

This apartment might be smaller than our buyers were hoping for,

which means that it could be a tight squeeze to fit in James' bicycle.

Thankfully, there's more space down the hallway,

where there's both a handy shower room and a modern bathroom

that would act as the en suite to the master bedroom.

So, you've got a lovely sort of suntrap here that is roasting hot,

cos it's directly south facing, and this balcony here is

quite big and actually quite a big space here.

This is by far the brightest room.

-Yes.

-Then you've got one other bedroom.

-This is obviously the back of the house, which is quieter.

-Yes.

But the view's quite nice, with the red rooftops and things.

Well, let's step out of the balcony... This is your outside

space, I'm afraid, not massive.

So, were you hoping for a garden?

Erm, we're not expecting a garden, but it's nice to have

somewhere where you can get the air and feel a bit of the outside.

So, does this fit the bill?

Erm, I think it matches my expectations of what might be

possible in Lisbon.

OK, so what do you think this is on the market for?

I think, given the location it's probably something around 290?

I might guess slightly less than that, 270,000.

Well, actually, this is on at just under £242,000.

It's less than I'd have thought.

So, it gives you a benchmark of how much you get in the

-posh bits of Lisbon.

-Yes.

Why don't you have a look, there's one more room to explore

and the other bathroom, and just think about the

constitution, whether it is

just too small for you, and then we can gather our thoughts

and head off to the next property.

-Great, excellent.

-OK.

Falling comfortably under budget, this second floor apartment

is located in a quiet area and comes with two bedrooms, one of which has

a south facing balcony, offering spectacular views of the city.

There's a separate kitchen and living room, and to cater

for those cooler winter months, it has central heating built in.

It's a nice, light room.

But I'm not sure that you'd get a double bed in here.

It would be part-time bedroom, part-time office space.

It's quite a homely place, you feel at home here as you come in.

It's compact, and it feels like it would be warm in the winter.

Perhaps negatives, it's maybe slightly smaller than I was

imagining, and maybe the outside spaces aren't quite right.

I liked it from the outside, I thought it was very appealing

but slightly disappointed with the inside.

It's quite modern and new and not the aged and the old.

It is a very sleepy area.

I can understand you might want a little bit more life if you

were living in Lisbon, but it's also safe... Safe but quiet, this area.

Safe but quiet, I think that's how you could sum it up.

Shall we go and explore some more of Lisbon?

-Let's do that.

-Follow me.

Portugal's age of discovery

from the 15th to the 17th centuries saw explorers setting sail

from the Atlantic, unearthing trade routes to Asia

and Africa, and bringing great wealth to the country.

King Manuel I, who ruled from 1495,

used this affluence to finance the

construction of the Jeronimos Monastery, in the western area

of Belem, from where the ships headed off on their voyages.

Following the Liberal Revolution in 1820, all convents and

monasteries were shut down and the monks were asked to leave.

By this time, the monks had built a

reputation for baking sweet custard tarts, known as Pasteis de Belem.

So, they passed their secret recipe for the tart on to the general store

and sugar refinery, just next door.

To this day, the tarts are still sold at the same general store,

called The Fabrica de Pasteis de Belem.

And as James and Anne would like to learn more about the city's past,

we've sent them to meet Miguel Clarinha, the store's manager,

to learn more about these famous pastries.

A businessman called Domingo Rafael Alves,

probably knew the product and the monks,

bought the recipe from the monks,

and using the sugar here in the refinery

started baking the cakes here.

In 1837, the year of the foundation of this place,

they decided to turn the sugar refinery into a factory

only for the pasteis, and that's how it began

and we've been here for almost 176 years,

with the same exact recipe.

So, would you like to have a go at making some now?

Just try and see how it's done?

-Yeah, that would be great.

-So, let's see the other room, OK.

One of the first stages in making this handmade custard tart is

to stretch the dough before it's cut into small pieces,

which are then placed into small cake tins, ready for moulding.

Now, you're going to try to see

if you can get the dough properly into the cup, yeah?

Look, look at me...

Very good.

The dough is not always the same, obviously,

because some of the ingredients change throughout the year.

Like flour, for instance, the way it reacts in winter

and summer is quite different.

Erm, other ingredients like the eggs, milk or the butter,

the sugar... Obviously the rest I cannot tell you,

you know, it's a secret recipe, you're just going to have to guess.

Finally, the secret custard recipe fills the doughy mould

and then they are baked.

And once the tarts are fresh out of the oven, they're ready for Anne

and James to sample.

Finally, we can try some.

Excellent.

-Are those going to be enough?

-I think so, they look fantastic!

So, usually, we put some cinnamon and icing sugar on top,

so you have to put the cinnamon first and now some icing sugar.

And there you go.

-Perfect.

-Now, ready to try.

-Great, thank you.

This looks better made than the one I did.

Our buyers may now have had a taste of Lisbon,

but Anne is relocating here with work in a matter of months,

so we need to turn our attention back to the house hunt.

It's James and Anne's second day in Lisbon,

and for our next property we're making our way a short distance

to the east, in Cais Do Sodre,

which is 30 minutes by foot from Anne's office.

This was once one of Lisbon's shabbier areas,

but in 2011 it was given a facelift and it has

since emerged as a buzzing and bohemian riverside neighbourhood.

Which should suit Anne,

who found yesterday's property in Lapa too quiet.

Here, you'll find a number of bars, clubs and live music venues,

all located on Rua Nova Do Carvalho,

or otherwise known as Pink Street.

For daytime activities the Ribeira Market is

just beside the train station.

This indoor market is over 130 years old, and there's fresh fish,

meat, fruit and veg on sale six days a week.

Conveniently located five minutes walk away from here

is our next property.

OK, guys.

-We have come to a much more lively bit of Lisbon.

-We certainly have.

-Do you know this part?

-I know it a little bit, not greatly.

-A sort of busy-ish road?

-Yeah.

But it's a much more vibrant area.

Yes. I really like it with lots of cafes and things around.

-So it feels more like what you're looking for?

-Yes, it does.

The property I want to show you is at the top of this building.

Amazing.

We thought that since you were coming here, and you did mention,

do you want to live in the Bairro Alto, is it going to be too noisy?

We thought it would be a very good idea for you to actually

-live here for the week.

-OK.

So we've rented it for the week so you can move in with your stuff.

Excellent! That'll be interesting.

So you can see how lively and colourful it is at night

and see how noisy it is. Because obviously that's important.

-Yeah, yeah.

-Cos you are on a tram line here.

-Yeah, yeah.

But high up it's not quite as noisy as it might seem.

Great, no, we look forward to that.

-Shall we peek inside?

-Let's do.

The top floor apartment inside this 19th-century building will be home

for Anne and James for the remainder of their time here in Lisbon.

However, this will mean getting used to a bit of a climb.

So no stairs, you said you didn't mind not having an elevator?

Yeah, I think it's the price you have to pay to get high in these buildings.

-Good training for you, James.

-It will be.

-With your bikes.

Here we go.

Step in here. Very different from yesterday.

That's really different from yesterday.

I wasn't expecting that, it's much more open

and modern than I expected it to be.

-Mmm, it's certainly modern!

-Yes.

What do you think, James?

It might take a bit of getting used to.

Too modern, too white?

Possibly a little bit for me.

I do like the ceiling because that is interesting and adds character.

I mean, it's very clean walls

because it's just been newly done up.

Erm, possibly lost a little bit of character.

The thing is, it's a blank canvas.

-You could do exactly what you wanted to.

-Yes, that's very true.

-I think we would have to put in some colour.

-Of course!

This property underwent a complete renovation six months ago

to cater for lettings, so it does have that neutral feel.

Let's see if Anne and James can look beyond the cosmetics

as we head to the kitchen.

Much more regularly shaped kitchen here.

It's certainly a better shape and size than other properties,

and I like the tiles cos, although they're modern,

they're in keeping with Lisbon.

And they do add a little bit of colour!

James desperately scanning for any colour whatsoever.

Some muted tones.

There's a little bit of storage in here.

Sort of neat...

Oh, right, there's a cubbyhole.

-Look at that.

-Yeah. A false wall.

-Space is not at a premium here, you've got lots of space.

-OK. OK.

You've got the two bedrooms at the front which obviously to the front

are a little bit more noisy, and then upstairs is your master.

Oh.

Within this split level apartment are two sets of stairs,

one leading to a storage area,

whilst the other takes us up to the master bedroom.

Quite a nice room up here.

Again, all very white, dressed for rental.

Quite a big size. It's unexpected to have this much space in the ceiling, I thought.

How does this fare as a bedroom?

Other than the slightly slopey roof

it doesn't have a lot of character in the room.

I think it's had that taken away and out of it.

There's not much of a view. These windows look out onto the light well

in the centre of the apartment.

But it's super quiet because you're right at the back of the building.

Yes, that's true. That would be a bonus given that the road is quite a busy road.

-And in the winter there's no heating in this apartment.

-Right.

It still kind of bothers my brain to think of a property that doesn't have heating.

-For England, that's unthinkable, isn't it?

-Yes, that's true.

-But they have electric heaters here when it gets a bit chilly.

-OK.

-Yes, slightly worrying, not having heating.

-Yes.

Even for southern Europe.

Although there's no central heating, our buyers might warm to the two bedrooms downstairs,

which each have balconies that offer views of the street life outside.

These two rooms at the front are a lovely aspect because

you've got the lovely sunny light coming in from the window.

-But obviously you're right on the street so it's a little bit more noisy.

-Mmm.

Yes, it's a really nice room.

-I really like the windows and everything and the light.

-Yeah.

The benefit is that you've got the balcony over the street

and although it's got buses and trams,

you're so high up it's not quite so intrusive.

Yes, I don't mind a bit of street noise in terms of the trams and the traffic.

The bit of street noise I don't want are people partying at three in the morning.

Let's take a look on the balcony because it's nice to get that street view.

-It's not a very wide balcony but enough to see the street.

-Yes.

BELL RINGS

-Oh, look, a tram.

-Oh, lovely.

-This is probably your tram, you can see it coming and run down the stairs.

-That's right.

No, it's a nice view, you get to see the real city

and the red roofs and the church and things. It's lovely.

-Down on to the square and the church bells.

-Yeah.

James, are you impressed?

I like the idea that you can look out across the city from here.

-It's got a nice city feel to it, hasn't it?

-Yeah, yeah.

No, I like this much more and there's something going on.

We seem to have got the location right this time,

and although Anne and James are staying in this rented accommodation temporarily,

to live here on a permanent basis has a price attached to it.

So it's a very spacious offering.

-There's more space upstairs which you can explore later.

-OK.

This will be your home for the rest of the week.

It will certainly be very interesting,

and it'll be a good test of how the building works when you're in it

and what it's like at different times of the day and night.

-So thinking about buying it as a property...

-Mm-hm.

..how much do you think it's on the market for?

Mmm.

Well, it's a totally different area.

I'm going to guess 220,000.

I'm going to go slightly higher at 240.

So actually this is on the market for over that.

-It's actually on at 243.

-OK.

So you're very close.

That would be the figure you would have to pay to own it.

-Obviously, it's a much bigger apartment.

-It is.

Plus the space upstairs. Why don't you have a look upstairs,

-and then I will catch up with you later.

-Great.

-OK.

At more than £50,000 under budget,

this recently transformed apartment has three bedrooms over two floors.

Two of the bedrooms come with balconies

which look out over the city.

It also has a storage loft space and open plan living room

and a newly fitted kitchen.

Oh, wow!

That's more storage space that you would ever need.

It is. It's good that it's been modernised,

because we do want somewhere that we can start living in straightaway

and don't have to do a lot of work on.

It's possibly lost some of its original features

that we might have liked to have.

I particularly like the rooms at the front.

I don't know that they aren't used as well as they could be

in terms of the use of space, so the best rooms are actually the rooms

you would use least in the property.

Well, this is where I leave you and say goodbye.

-It feels strange leaving you but this is your home.

-Great, excellent!

-Have a good evening.

-Thank you, and we'll see you tomorrow.

-Yes, indeed. Tell me how it went.

-We will.

-Bye.

Before and Anne and James settle into their new abode

they're heading to the shops to pick up some basic supplies,

which is a good opportunity for Anne to practise her Portuguese.

Then it's back to their rented home to decide which room they're going to sleep in.

-It's the nicest room in the apartment.

-It is.

I think we can probably live with the noise for one night at least.

It's a good test, but if we buy the place it would be like this every night.

It's another day in Lisbon for Anne and James,

who are looking for an apartment in the centre of the city.

Before they continue with their property search, they're enjoying breakfast in their apartment.

Did you sleep all right last night?

It took me a while to get to sleep, then I slept OK in the end.

-How about you?

-Did you not hear the noise at five o'clock this morning?

I think the nightclubs might have kicked out.

-You didn't sleep very well?

-No, I didn't sleep after that.

We'll move to the other bedroom, I think.

It's a shame because that's a really nice room, but...

it's a bit noisy.

-Just too much.

-Yeah, yeah.

-Yeah.

Anne and James had wanted a property that soaked up the city's atmosphere.

But will they reassess after experiencing the sounds of nightlife here?

Over the last couple of days I think I'm getting close to understanding what Anne wants

and it's not at all unreasonable.

She wants character, but she also wants a good location.

Of course, in the city, it's slightly more difficult because you can go from one street to the next

and the price range and the feel of the area changes completely.

So I'm hoping that the house today gives them

a little bit more in the character front, and it's a different

location, so we'll have to see whether it works for them.

The next property we're viewing is in Alfama,

the oldest district in Lisbon.

It's four kilometres east of Anne's work in Lapa,

which means her commute would take about 30 minutes by bus.

In the early 19th century Fado music was born here.

Once described as the Portuguese blues, songs can be

heard at a number of Fado bars and restaurants dotted around,

whilst the Fado Museum details the music's evolution.

-Do you know this part of Lisbon, Alfama?

-I know it a little bit.

This is drenched in Fado, this area.

We thought it would be better than the um-cha, um-cha of the clubs.

I agree with that. I definitely agree, that's right.

Mournful ah, ah, ah, ah all night long.

HE CHUCKLES

That's part of the factor of living here. It's a beautiful spot.

It is beautiful.

I think this part of Alfama is lovely

-and I would be quite interested to see what you two think.

-Excellent!

-Follow me, it's down here.

This district is also beside the cruise ship port along the Tagus River.

The apartment we've lined up is just three minutes by foot from the quayside.

The apartment I want to show you is the one here on the top,

these three windows.

They're beautiful with the tiles on the outside, really nice.

We wanted to show you one with the proper Lisbon

-blue tiles in the front.

-Yeah, should be interesting.

This is not such a quiet road, but actually up there

-with the double glazing you barely notice it.

-Yeah.

-Let's have a look.

-Excellent.

The Portuguese tiles are just the sort of traditional look our buyers asked for.

However, the architect owner has given the interior

of this apartment a more modern feel.

This one's for you, James, a big open space.

-Yeah, it's great.

-It's a good room.

-It's a goodie, isn't it?

To the front of the house, lots of sun.

You can see the cruise liners coming in, that's the river.

-Yeah.

-Yeah, that's close.

And these three big Juliet balconies with the lovely blue

wrought iron period details outside.

But a very contemporary space inside, so nice lifted ceilings

and the original floorboards have been restored.

This is much more like the thing we were imagining, I think.

What they've done, they've redesigned the whole space

because this is about 14 square metres, just this room.

It was lots of little rooms before.

-They've moved the living space where it's nice and bright.

-Yeah.

I think it gives us the sort of space to have a sitting area,

relaxing in, and also an office on one end of it, maybe.

Let's move through into the back of the property.

Down the hallway are two bedrooms, and two bathrooms.

And at the far end of the property is a third bedroom which

comes with its own modern en suite, with a roll top bath.

This back room is obviously the master bedroom.

Yes, it's quite big, actually.

And you have got these big MDF shutters, so you can completely block out all the light

-and the sound.

-And quite a nice view over the tiles.

-The little houses.

-Yes.

-Just to warn you, you are next to a Fado club.

-OK.

It might be something you need to acquire a taste for.

I think so! I'll get some good earplugs.

There's double glazing and the shutters, you know, is very good.

Does it have heating?

Interestingly, it does.

You can just about see these little squares.

-It actually has heating elements in the walls.

-Really?

The radiators are in... Have you never come across that?

So it's a variant on underfloor heating, it's in the wall heating.

Yeah.

-A great deal of thought has gone into this apartment.

-Yes, it has.

And it looks like they've got quite a lot of storage space in there.

And talking of storage...

One of the great things about this house is it has so much storage.

This is all storage. This is storage. This is a guest toilet.

But, look at this, James, this is for you.

ANNE LAUGHS

-Yes.

-It's a bicycle store.

-Yes.

-That's incredible.

-It's especially made for bikes.

-It's incredible.

-It's incredible.

-Do you like that?

-Yeah.

And the kitchen...

Oh, yeah, that's a nice, modern kitchen.

An extremely modern kitchen bringing in lots of light.

-You've got the drying balcony there.

-A-ha.

-Through those doors.

You've got a nice skylight here.

Then they've punched through this hole, so you've got the dining room

through there so you can see through to your guests.

Yes, it's got some interesting tiles on the floor.

Yes, these are actually handmade south of here, in the countryside.

The owner had them made specially in these colours.

Is it something you could imagine working in, living in, cooking in?

I probably could, if I could get my head around it. There's quite a bit of space, actually,

I could rattle around in when I'm here on my own.

Yeah, it's a nice, contemporary space. I like the rooms.

It's great that despite being a noisy area,

both Anne and James are so positive about this property.

It's nice to come back into the sunshine. It's a lovely, big flat.

-It is.

-OK. So, how much do you think it's on the market for?

-I'm going to say 310.

-And I'm going to guess 300,000.

In this case, James is closer

because it's actually just under £299,000.

It's a lot of apartment in, I think, a great area. Go and explore.

We've whizzed round and there's lots to explore,

lots of nooks and crannies, lots of storage. Don't get lost.

-Absolutely.

-OK.

-And I will see you at the door.

-You will indeed.

We must be onto the right track here.

It's a beautiful apartment - very big, maybe too big,

but it's got a lot to offer and very stylish.

Valued at just under our buyers' maximum budget,

this contemporary designed flat has three double bedrooms,

a large living and dining area,

a kitchen with traditionally-designed floor tiles,

in-built wall heating

and a good storage area that could accommodate James' bicycle.

That's a great chalkboard. I can see you really using that.

-You'd be busy there, working your equations out.

-Yeah, I would use it.

I know you would! And I like the way they've put that picture frame

around the gap. I think that's really clever.

Yeah, the old picture frame.

Yeah. It's a nice picture frame as well. I like that.

My thoughts about this apartment are it's really nice.

It's big. It's light.

It's got a great sitting/living area.

It's got a lot of the features we were looking for

and it's been really well thought out.

Yeah, looked like a nice apartment to live in, I think.

I could see myself living in this sort of space.

It's just getting used to the size of the place.

Very elegant. You look right at home...

coming down the stairs.

OK. So, that's one done.

-Excellent.

-OK.

-Moving on.

Both of our buyers are eager to familiarise themselves

with the Portuguese capital, particularly Anne

who will be mainly living here on her own.

So, we've arranged for them both to meet expat Celia, who has lived here

for over 30 years and is part of an English-speaking theatre group.

-Hello. Lovely to meet you.

-This is our personal tram.

-It is.

-Shall we get on?

-Yes.

We're jumping on one of the early 20th-century designed

red sightseeing trams, which take a picturesque route

around the city centre

and will take us towards one of Celia's favourite spots.

-Would you say this is a good time for Anne to move here?

-Yes.

I think it is a good time, actually.

It's sort of finding itself in a new way now.

-And is the food good?

-I think it's wonderful.

I mean, that little place, Satelite, for example.

That's a wonderful little restaurant where you can go,

and there are hundreds of them all over Lisbon

where every day the dish of the day will be different.

You have two or three choices, you'll have a meat and a fish

and it's all home-cooked,

freshly bought that day from the market.

It couldn't be better. Just irresistible,

-even after all these years.

-What is the housing market like here?

A lot of European cities, lots of people rent, not many people own.

An enormous amount of rental. An enormous amount.

And it's not easy at all, especially at the moment

with the economic crisis.

-Yeah, that's hit Portugal quite hard.

-Very hard. Very hard.

-Do you see it in Lisbon?

-Oh, yes.

What advice have you got about learning to settle in into Lisbon?

Move around. Walk around. Get on a tram. That's what I did.

What about the language?

How important is it to learn, master, Portuguese?

I'd like to say it was very important, because I think

you lose so much without it. But having said that,

I think it's more difficult to learn it now

because so many people speak English.

To make real, seriously good friends,

-the language schools here are very good.

-What about outside Lisbon?

Are there lots of things to do outside of the city?

-James is a keen runner and cyclist.

-Oh, yes.

In fact, cycling is becoming...

even in Lisbon...

They've just recently finished cycle paths right along the river.

With the tram journey complete, Celia has invited us

to join her at a rooftop bar

so that our buyers can get more of a sense of what it's like

to live here in the city.

OK. This is our moment to pick Celia's brains, really,

-about the pluses and minuses of being here.

-Mm-hm.

What about the minuses? What are the downsides?

Bureaucracy's not great.

Sometimes the attitude in shops and post offices can be a bit...

I would say unfriendly, almost,

but that's probably the first time you go in there.

Then the second or third time you go, suddenly,

"Oh, she's been here before,"

and you might get a smile.

-You have to make an effort to integrate and...?

-You do.

Are there any other sort of clubs or associations to join

-or link in with, at least to start?

-Lots of things.

There's a group which is called the British Historical Society,

which obviously originally was that,

very British sort of expat,

but it's not any more, it's very international.

They organise really, really interesting tours

to interesting places in Portugal.

-How about the weather? Is it always this sunny?

-You wish!

No. It can rain and rain and rain.

I mean, last winter really was pretty bad.

-I didn't think we were ever going to get to the end of it.

-Still warmer than the UK?

-It's a lot warmer.

But there is this problem that most houses are not heated,

and so whereas in England you can go inside at Christmas

and be in a short-sleeved shirt,

here you'll be in your polo-neck jumper with a scarf on indoors.

I'd just sort of be interested in the opportunities

and the positive side of living in Lisbon, as you see it.

There are so many different aspects to life here.

It's beautiful. And if you remember to look at what the city is,

instead of just driving past it, it's constantly beautiful.

Huge number of places to go, things to see, theatres,

concerts, you name it.

There's a huge number of things to do in Lisbon.

-Are you sold?

-I am sold.

-Here's to Lisbon.

-Lisbon.

-Yes. Cheers.

Some helpful advice from Celia.

But before James and Anne consider laying down their roots in Lisbon,

there are some important practical points they should consider.

Firstly, the buying process is done in two stages,

and typically a 10-40% deposit is paid at the first stage

to secure the property.

After completion,

one of the biggest costs to consider is the property transfer tax

called IMT, which is similar to stamp duty

and is set on a sliding scale depending on the property price.

Lastly, if you choose to cash in on the profitable tourist trade,

remember that non-residents are obliged to pay tax

on any rental income.

But most important of all is to get proper legal advice

before signing any legally binding documents.

Anne and James are continuing to familiarise themselves with Lisbon,

and are heading to a local Fado restaurant for dinner,

and to hear first hand the music

that is so intrinsically associated with the city.

Have you heard Fado before?

I haven't heard it before, no.

-Have you not? Oh.

-Have you?

-It'll be quite interesting. I have heard it.

Yeah, yeah, yeah. I like the music.

-Some of the singing can be a bit sort of too melancholy, but...

-Yeah.

-..we'll see who's on tonight.

-Give it a go.

It'll give you an idea of what Portuguese people are like.

-Certainly in the history of it.

-Yeah.

Very atmospheric.

THEY PLAY FADO MUSIC

HE SINGS IN PORTUGUESE

It's the end of the evening and our buyers are turning in,

as there's still one more day of house hunting to go.

All of the properties we've shown Anne and James so far

have been really in the centre of Lisbon,

and that's sort of limited how much of an outdoor space option

we can give them.

So, for the mystery house, we have got outside space,

a lovely big balcony and fantastic views.

Something that's quite difficult to achieve in the city centre.

But we've gone outside,

and we have gone perilously close to the extreme modernism

that they both seem to be allergic to.

Let's hope it works.

The final destination for our house hunt takes us

5km outside the city centre, to eastern Lisbon,

around the modern development known as Parque das Nacoes.

This was once an industrial wasteland,

but the site was completely transformed

for the World Expo in 1998,

where 11 million visitors from 130 countries visited

in less than five months.

As this World Fair coincided with the 500-year anniversary

of Vasco da Gama's sea voyage to India,

an ocean theme became the inspiration

for the architecture within this modern area.

-Now, I'm sure you're not surprised to be here...

-Correct.

..because any trip of Lisbon property wouldn't be correct

without having a bit of Expo.

-That's true.

-You know the area?

-I know it a little bit.

It doesn't feel like you're in Lisbon,

but then you do get the benefits of the water

and the wide boulevards and things.

It's completely different - this is why it's the mystery house.

-Well, it's a world away from anything else I've seen in Lisbon so far.

-Mm.

Yeah, I mean, it's been beautifully designed,

very highly awarded, got lots of architectural awards.

-It has a slightly unreal feel to it.

-Yeah.

Well, you're not actually living right on the waterfront here.

The property I want to show you is a little bit further away,

so let's go and see the property.

Expo is now one of the largest redevelopment projects in Europe,

with a desirable riverside residential neighbourhood

as well as bars, restaurants and shops.

The flat, traffic-free lanes around here make bike riding

the best form of transport, which will appeal to keen cyclist James.

Cable cars, which run from the Olivais Docks,

move across the skyline and offer impressive views,

whilst back on the ground the wide promenade

looks out to the Vasco da Gama Bridge, which stretches for 17km,

making it the longest in Europe.

Anne's journey to work would take around 45 minutes by bus

from our final property, which lies on the south side of this district.

What we thought is, we've shown you three

properties in the centre of Lisbon, which is what you asked for...

-Mm-hm.

-..and I'm sure you're aware that Lisbon

and Portugal itself has been through quite a rough time, financially...

-Yes.

-..and a lot of those properties lost a lot of money.

But in Expo, all the buildings that were built

held their value throughout the crisis.

So, we were thinking, OK, so you're coming over here for your job,

but in a few years, you said yourself, your job might change.

-Mm-hm.

-So, do you want to be left with a property hot potato,

or would it be worth looking at a property that's in an area

that's probably going to increase its value?

What are your thoughts about that theory of ours?

It's very pragmatic and sensible

in terms of economics of house purchase.

But that's possibly not our main criteria here.

Yeah, but we wouldn't want to lose a shedload of money, either.

Well, no.

I mean, hopefully the economy will bounce back, but you never know.

-Sure.

-What are your thoughts about this sort of block,

and indeed this area?

I think it's hard to say about the block until you see inside,

cos it is about what's inside rather than what's outside.

Not sure quite what it would be like

living in such a large block of flats.

This might not be the period property

that our buyers had in mind, but being only seven years old

it does have some useful purpose-built features,

including underground parking, where James could store his bike,

a video entry system,

and a lift that we're taking to get up to this fourth floor apartment.

-Well, this is the big selling point.

-It is.

As you can see, here we've given you what we haven't managed to give you

in any of the other houses, which is outside space.

And a good view of the river.

An amazing view of the river, yeah.

This is actually a long-term investment,

if you want to think about it in those terms,

because this whole area in front of us -

it doesn't look very appealing at the moment -

is actually going to be completely redeveloped in the next five years.

This little building here,

the modern building at the other side of the car park,

is stage one of a primary school.

This highway is going to be removed

and it's all going to be just local roads.

And why this is a good long-term investment

is that this is the south side of Expo,

this is the side closest to Lisbon.

Short term, it does mean that you have to watch a building site.

Yeah, I think, sadly,

we'd be more focusing on the shorter term than the longer term.

-Mm.

-I think so.

Having something that was nice now would be more valuable to us.

Well, that wasn't really the start I was after.

Continuing with the tour,

we're making our way to the kitchen next door.

Quite modest.

Very different offering from the kitchen this morning.

It is indeed.

Almost the opposite, in the sense of it being small and very basic.

-It's quite plain.

-Yes, it's quite spartan.

All of these properties are thought of, often, as rental properties,

with the very basic kind of fittings

and fixtures that you move in and either do them up

for your own living standards or you keep on renting them.

There's a huge number of foreign investors

who buy up these properties and then rent them to students,

rent them to commuters.

Yeah, I think that says it all, doesn't it?!

-Mm.

-Students and commuters.

Yeah, and that's obviously not really our plan, so...

This flat comes with two good-size double bedrooms

which both have built in wardrobes.

But somehow I don't think that's enough to sway our buyers.

This is the master.

-It's quite small.

-A little bit.

-And...

-Does have heating, though.

Does have heating. Looking on the positive side.

Yes, it's small - a little bit of storage,

but you do have an en suite.

So there are two bathrooms, even for a small flat.

Again, for rental, really.

Yeah, I can see how it would work for rental,

but we're looking for somewhere to live in.

-Yes.

-Which isn't quite the same.

It was always a risk making this the mystery property,

but at least it reaffirms that whilst

there are lots of practical benefits to buying here,

they would rather find a home that they're emotionally drawn to.

So, have you had a thought about how much it might cost?

I would guess 260,000.

I think with the parking and storage it might be more,

so I'm going to say 270.

Right, OK. So actually this is on the market for just over £241,000.

Oh, OK.

So, even though it's a small property

compared to some of the ones I showed you, it's a stable price.

Those prices have held very well. Why don't you have a quick look?

There's a bedroom you haven't seen,

-and I'll see you out the front.

-OK.

-OK.

For £241,000, this fourth floor property comes with two bedrooms,

which both have en suites,

a living room with an adjoining terrace offering great views

of the Tagus River, underground secure parking,

where James could store his bike,

and with the area undergoing significant redevelopment

there's a strong financial incentive to buying here.

The mystery property isn't for me.

I can see that it's a good investment given its location,

but I'm looking for somewhere to live.

It didn't really have many features that we were really

interested in, I think.

The few things it had going for it were probably not things

we were looking for.

-HE SIGHS

-OK, not such a grand finale,

but let's find somewhere we can sit

and talk about all the properties we've shown you in Lisbon,

-and draw some conclusions.

-Great.

Lisbon showcases some fantastic architecture,

but it's not all about the stunning buildings.

Even at ground level there are beautifully decorated

pavements where both traditional and modern designs

range from business logos

to complex imagery.

These are known as calcadas,

and they were first introduced in 1842 by a military prison commander,

who instructed his inmates to cover the ground

with pebbles of white limestone and black basalt stone.

It was so successful that by 1895, it became mandatory

for all new paving projects in Lisbon to have this calcadas effect.

Now most of Lisbon's streets have been paved this way,

and many other Portuguese cities have followed suit.

More recently, Lisbon's Parque das Nacoes district

was completely paved in 1998 for the World Expo.

These pavements were adorned with images of sea monsters

and wavy patterns.

I've come here to meet construction inspector Fernando,

who works for Lisbon's municipality,

to learn more about this unique paving method.

So, Fernando, we're here to talk about pavements.

I didn't think I'd ever talk about pavements on television, but...

Something to see, yeah.

-This is very special Portuguese paving, isn't it?

-Yes.

But it's not just in Lisbon you find it.

No, you can see it in almost every Portuguese city.

Also in colonies, like Senegal and Mozambique.

So, the Portuguese, wherever they go, they take the calcada with them.

And can we see some contemporary workers doing it?

Yes, actually, there are some roadworks going on right now,

-so let's go.

-Sure.

The handmade process was once carried out

by hundreds of highly-skilled craftsmen,

but now it's a dying art form

that's largely restricted to conservation work,

as the stone is less abundant

and modern, cheaper materials are preferred.

Ah! So, what's the name of this street?

We are in Avenida da Liberdade.

-And how old is this calcada?

-1919 to 1924.

So, what are they doing here?

They are restoring part of the motif.

They have to install the wooden mould.

-I see, that's the pattern here.

-Yeah.

Then they fill with white stone, all around the mould.

As you can see, every stone they put in the pavement,

they have to cut it, shape it to the place where you have to put it.

-So it's like mosaic work.

-Yes.

-Afterwards, they put sand in it to fill the joins.

-Uh-huh.

-Then they use the...

-Like a tamper.

..the tamper to tighten up the stones.

-So there's no cement, there's no...

-No cement.

-Just sand.

-There's no cement.

So how many people are working like these guys?

We have about 20 people doing this kind of work.

But real artists, there are only six.

-Six. Are you one of them?

-No.

-Oh.

-He is, he is one of them.

-Bom dia.

-Boa tarde.

-Boa tarde.

-Can I have a go?

-HE SPEAKS PORTUGUESE

FERNANDO TRANSLATES: You have to measure in the place

the size of the stone.

He draws a line, he cuts the stone

and then he puts the stone in the place.

It all seems very simple until the cutting with the hammer,

-that sounds like the hard part.

-That's the hard part.

-Like this?

-Yes. Not quite.

-HE SPEAKS PORTUGUESE

-That bit.

-Yeah.

-Yeah.

-If it's OK...

-Oh! Too much.

You cut too much, yeah.

-See, now there's a hole.

-Yeah.

Rubbish.

You see? Pow!

Too much.

OK, so have you got another one?!

-OK, so I'm imagining the curve...

-Yes.

-OK.

Ah!

-Yeah, good.

-A-ha!

-Good.

-My second career.

-Not bad, not bad for a first attempt.

-Yes.

Obrigado.

-It's hard work!

-Yes.

-But it's a beautiful thing.

-Yeah.

Obrigado.

I might have got lucky with my first attempt at cutting the calcada,

but I'm not sure we've had as much success with paving

the way for Anne and James' move here to Lisbon.

So, as the day draws to a close,

I'm meeting back up with them to find out.

After a day of property shopping

until the sun has set here in Lisbon,

I think it's no mystery

that the mystery house is not really a contender.

But I'd be very interested to find out which other properties

have charmed James and Anne.

Let's find out.

Well, it's been a long week here in Lisbon.

Cos James, you don't know the city so well -

has it been interesting seeing different neighbourhoods?

It has, yes.

I think I've seen a lot more of Lisbon this time than I did previously.

How was it staying in the apartment

and actually sort of test-driving it?

I thought it was quite a useful experience, for me at least,

to get a feel what the city's really like.

I thought it was a useful exercise to do that,

and you sort of notice some of the quirks of the flat.

And when we look at the houses and think back over them,

is there one that stands out as a clear contender?

I think the one that is a contender is the house in Alfama.

I think it's a really lovely property.

I think the thing that I'm not sure about is how noisy it might

be in the evening, because it is an area with clubs around it.

-Particularly Fado clubs.

-Particularly Fado clubs, yes.

So, has the week focused your mind

on what it is that you do and don't want?

I think it's helped in showing what the money

that we have in our budget will buy.

And I think that the question of noise...

So when you say that, you mean that that's become a crucial factor?

I think so.

I mean, I'm always aware that in a city there's going to be some noise,

but some of the places that we've been to

with the windows open have been quite noisy.

Let's focus on the flat in Alfama,

because if you go and you sort out

that the sound of the Fado singing is not too devastating,

what might happen in that instance?

Because you've got to start thinking about moving here, right?

I mean, I think if the Fado isn't too bad, I think we'd go back

and have another look at the property.

Can you imagine actually living there if it worked out?

I think I could in that flat, because it was a really nice flat,

and it had plenty of room, and it was finished to a high standard.

Great.

And so is that right, that you have two months before your job starts?

-Yes.

-And will you be renting somewhere until then, or...?

That's right, just rent and stay with friends.

Well, I hope wherever you end up, enjoy yourself here in Lisbon.

-Thank you.

-Thank you.

That's it, that's the end of our first foray

into city living on the show,

and I hope you've enjoyed your tour of the sights, smells,

sounds and property of Lisbon.

And I think we did pretty well in finding that Alfama flat

for James and Anne.

All they have to do is get used to the sound of Fado

as they fall asleep.

And all you have to do is tune in next time for more

Escape To The Continent.

Anne and James decided that the apartment in Alfama

was too noisy for them.

Anne made a number of trips back to Lisbon,

and I'm pleased to say that she managed to find their dream home

in Lapa, the same district as the first property we showed them.

And we wish them the best of luck in their move.

If you're planning to escape to the continent

and would like our help, you can apply online at...