Lisbon, Portugal – two days with an Olympus OM1 and black & white film.
 

Back when international travel was easy, we took so much for granted. How adding a couple of days to an itinerary could allow checking out a new city on the way to or from someplace else. On my return journey from a dive trip to Cabo Verde (which I will write about in another post), I added an extra night in Lisbon on the inbound leg.

A colleague gave me a 'heads-up' to stay and wander the narrow streets of the old part of the city, called Alfama. Here, trams rumble the cobbled streets, which exude character. To complement this vibe, I brought along a recently serviced classic film camera, the Olympus OM1, from the early 1970s – and a few rolls of black and white film.

I first shot and developed film in the early 1980s, so this was not new for me. It did feel strange leaving the endlessly flexible, computer-driven digital cameras, though. But, it was also liberating – just a paper map and a mechanical camera.