Some moments are touched by the sparks of magic. What I feel when I recall this particular summer evening with Elizabeth at Miradouro de Santo Amaro is happiness. Lisbon at golden hour, the view over terracotta rooftops all the way down to the water, the shipyard, the motion of cars and trains on the bridge, the planes coming from faraway places flying low above our heads, the romance of this almost unknown viewpoint at the end of the world, with its sun-kissed, undulating stones inviting you to sit down and just look around.
“More and more I realize that now I like to take photos of people in special places, rather than take photos of the places themselves,” I confess to Elizabeth while sharing a cake at the end of the photoshoot.
“Right,” Elizabeth says, looking at the water in the distance. “It adds another layer.”
Layer upon layer, this is exactly what I see when looking at these photos. The joy of being in Lisbon, upon the colours of that end of the day at Miradouro de Santo Amaro, upon my loneliness and lack of direction in a city where I knew no one, upon the happiness of meeting a friend, upon the extraordinary feeling of resonating with another human being and sharing a moment in time with them.
Elizabeth and I agreed. For us, Lisbon is the most romantic place in the world and Miradouro de Santo Amaro the best place to bring your lover. Or someone who understands.