After seeing several forts and churches in Portugal, I was ready to proclaim that in Lisbon, structures were built either for the sanctity of the soul or the land.

But wait, what was this curious place that I was dropped off at? The name that the tour guide enunciated pressed my curiosity even further, “Alfama”.

I looked up, that name suited this wonderfully colorful area of Lisbon that had clustered together forming narrow alleys with hidden delights at the end of them.

I was glad I had worn running shoes on this trip as the elevation changed drastically in the little part of Alfama I explored. It is a part of Lisbon that, for the most part, was spared in the earthquake of 1755. The walls and little vignettes I caught framed by windows and doors in Alfama were brimming with history and life.

From a balcony I saw a little cat and thought, “Ah, if you could sing my little creature, how your song could echo through the maze of buildings and awaken all its history.”

Loni Stark
Loni Stark is an artist at Atelier Stark, psychology researcher, and technologist whose work explores the intersection of identity, creativity, and technology. A self-professed foodie and adventure travel enthusiast, she collaborates on visual storytelling projects with Clinton Stark for Stark Insider. Her insights are shaped by her role at Adobe, influencing her explorations into the human-tech relationship. It's been said her laugh can still be heard from San Jose up to the Golden Gate Bridge—unless sushi, her culinary Kryptonite, has momentarily silenced her.