It’s street art that can feel a little unsettling at first glance, yet also playful depending on how you see it. You’ll find the Iberian Lynx sculpture in a parkland setting near the river estuary, not far from the Parc des Nações district—a striking mix of color, texture, and perspective.
Standing proudly on the waterfront at Parque das Nações, the Iberian Lynx sculpture by Bordalo II is more than just eye-catching street art. Built entirely from discarded plastics, textiles, and scrap materials, it transforms waste into a vibrant reminder of what’s at stake: the survival of one of Europe’s most endangered species.
🐾 Why it matters:
The Iberian Lynx once teetered on the brink of extinction.
Bordalo II’s work highlights how human consumption and pollution threaten fragile ecosystems.
By turning trash into art, he forces us to confront the impact of our choices while celebrating resilience and beauty.
🌍 A message in color:
Every patch of fabric, every piece of plastic, tells a story of waste repurposed into awareness. The lynx’s piercing gaze and bold form invite us to rethink what we throw away—and what we stand to lose if we don’t act.
The Iberian lynx is the world’s rarest wild cat — and one of conservation’s biggest comeback stories. Once on the brink of extinction with fewer than 100 left in the wild, this spotted feline with its dramatic ear tufts and beard-like whiskers is now slowly reclaiming parts of Spain and Portugal thanks to massive rescue efforts.
If you ever find yourself at Rossio Square, beware of the wavy tiles! They’re famous for creating that optical illusion where the ground looks like it has random speed bumps popping up — but don’t worry, it’s actually flat (I double-checked before blaming my eyesight).
Walking across it is already confusing enough when you’re sober… so I definitely wouldn’t recommend trying it after a drink too many. You’ll start wondering whether it’s the pavement moving or you. 😂
Just outside the monastery in Montserrat stands a striking modern sculpture often referred to as the “inverted face.” Unlike the sacred figures inside, this belongs to Montserrat’s contemporary art collection, where perception and illusion are central themes.
The face appears hollowed inward rather than fully formed, which creates a strange effect: no matter where you stand, it feels like it is looking directly at you. This isn’t supernatural—it’s a well-known visual phenomenon caused by how the brain processes faces. We are so strongly wired to expect faces to be convex (protruding outward) that when we see a concave one, our mind automatically “corrects” it. As a result, the eyes and expression seem to follow us as we move.
The sculpture itself does not move—but our perception of it does.
From one angle it reads as a face, from another it dissolves into abstraction. That tension between what is real and what the mind insists on seeing is precisely what makes it so unsettling.
There’s no official connection to Montserrat’s stranger folklore or extraterrestrial stories. But in a place already wrapped in legend and silence, even a psychological illusion can feel like something more.
5th Tribute to Popular Saints – Invitation by Juvenal Nunes
This June, Juvenal Nunes invites readers and writers to join in celebrating the Popular Saints. His initiative, Uma Quadra para um Santo, encourages us to share our own reflections, poems, or stories, accompanied by the festive badge.
I’m happy to participate with the following post — a tribute to Saint Anthony and the joyful traditions of Lisbon in June.
Every year in June, we celebrate the Feast of Saint Anthony. Growing up as Catholics, most of us knew him as Saint Anthony of Padua — the saint of lost things — the one we pray to when something goes missing, often with a sense of quiet urgency and hope.
It was only during our visit to Lisbon last year that we learned from our guide that Saint Anthony was actually born in Portugal. That discovery added a whole new layer of meaning to his name for us, especially when we began to see how deeply he is woven into the city’s identity — right down to his curious “sardine congregation” and the lively street celebrations that are associated with Lisbon each June.
One thing you quickly discover in Portugal is that sardines are far more than just a fish — they’re practically a national symbol.
Every June, especially in Lisbon, the city is said to burst into street parties, music, and the unmistakable smell of sardines grilling over open flames. Saint Anthony, the patron saint of Lisbon, is honoured with lively festivities, and somewhere along the way, the humble sardine became the star of the show.
Part of the charm lies in an old legend about Saint Anthony himself. When people refused to listen to his sermons, he is said to have preached to the fish instead — and the sardines supposedly gathered and “listened” attentively, their heads rising above the water. Whether taken as faith, folklore, or metaphor, it’s a story that perfectly captures his connection with the sea and with everyday people.
Mural painting in the sacristy of the Basilica of Saint Anthony of Padua. Saint Anthony preaching to the fish - Wikimedia Commons
Sardines also happen to be in peak season in June, making them both abundant and delicious — the perfect food for large street gatherings. Affordable, simple, and shared communally, they became inseparable from the festival over time.
Today, sardines appear not just on grills but in art, souvenirs, and playful installations — a reminder of how a simple fish became a national icon. I can’t help but wish I could experience the festival in person one day.
When I stepped into the Montserrat Cathedral, I was puzzled to see people standing not just in the nave, but right up in the sanctuary itself — the sacred space around the altar. My guide explained why: that’s where the Black Madonna of Montserrat is placed, the statue known as La Moreneta, and where pilgrims from all over the world come to touch her hand, believing their prayers will be heard—and answered. Pilgrims reach her through a special passageway that runs from the abbey into the cathedral, leading behind the altar so they can approach without disturbing the service.
At Santa Maria de Montserrat Abbey, high in the jagged peaks of Montserrat, sits one of Spain’s most mysterious icons: La Moreneta—the famous Black Madonna of Montserrat.
But here’s the part most guidebooks don’t dwell on…
Legend says she wasn’t “placed” there—she was found. Shepherds reportedly saw strange lights in the mountains and heard music echoing through the rocks. When they followed it, they discovered the statue hidden in a cave. Attempts to move her failed—she became impossibly heavy, as if she had chosen that exact spot to remain.
And that’s where things start to get… interesting.
Because Montserrat itself doesn’t look like an ordinary mountain. Its serrated, almost sculpted formations feel otherworldly—almost unreal. Over time, that combination of eerie landscape + unexplained lights + a mysteriously “anchored” statue has sparked whispers of something beyond the usual religious narrative.
Some visitors and locals have even claimed that, late at night—when the monastery is quiet and no one is around—you can hear faint singing drifting through the mountains. Not from the famous boys’ choir, the Escolania de Montserrat, but something softer… harder to place.
Those who’ve heard it describe the voices don’t sound entirely human—carrying a strange, melodic rhythm, almost like a hymn in an unfamiliar language. Not quite words, not quite music… something in between. A few who’ve heard it say it feels ancient, as if echoing from another time—or even another civilization.
Wind through the rocks? Echoes playing tricks? Or something else entirely?
No one really agrees—but the stories persist.
And then there’s the statue itself.
The Black Madonna, doesn’t look like most traditional European depictions of the Virgin Mary. Her dark tone, stylised features, and almost perfectly symmetrical form give her a presence that feels timeless… and to some, strangely extraterresterial.
Of course, there are more grounded explanations too. Historians believe her darkened appearance is likely the result of centuries of exposure to candle smoke and soot inside the church, gradually transforming what may once have been a lighter-toned figure into the striking image we see today. In fact, many Black Madonnas across Europe are thought to have darkened in similar ways. Others suggest the darker tone may have been intentional—symbolic rather than accidental, reflecting deeper theological meanings or connections to older traditions.
And then the mystery deepens even further—because Montserrat is also tied to one of history’s greatest legends: the Holy Grail.
Over the years, theories have suggested that this very mountain could be hiding the sacred cup itself. The idea became so compelling that even Heinrich Himmler—obsessed with mystical relics—reportedly visited Montserrat in search of it.
So now the story layers itself:
A Black Madonna discovered after mysterious lights. A mountain that feels almost otherworldly. Whispers of singing in the dead of night. And the possibility—however remote—that the Holy Grail lies hidden somewhere within these peaks.
Of course, historians will point to grounded explanations—Romanesque artistry, natural geology, and centuries of storytelling shaped by faith and folklore.
But standing there in Montserrat, surrounded by those surreal peaks and centuries of devotion, it’s not hard to understand why some feel there’s something more.
Because whether you believe in miracles, myths… or something that simply feels alien in its mystery— Montserrat doesn’t just hold history.
It holds something you can’t quite explain.
The jagged peaks of Montserrat rise like giant stone fingers above the monastery, their unusual shapes giving the mountain its name — Montserrat, meaning “serrated mountain.”
When mist or fog drifts across the ridges, it adds an extra layer of mystery and intrigue, as if the landscape itself is guarding secrets it doesn’t want to reveal.
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