I remember the first day the idea of creating this project came up. We lived in Central Europe, we had already had a cold winter and a very hot summer, with a lot of work. We were homesick, to feel closer to our homeland, to change of scenery and abandon the distant and cold character of that life. And suddenly Edu said something like: What if we do this in Lisbon? At first, the name Lisbon seemed abstract, distant, utopian and almost impossible. In truth, I thought it would be just an enthusiastic and fleeting idea. However, there was a strong desire for change and to start deciding what to do with our future.
Little by little, Lisbon began to sound more and more often… as if this strange and abstract idea started to become tangible… We began with an exploration of the terrain: How? When? Who? The information began to flow in Edu’s head: books, maps, texts, Internet searches, imagination, dedication, many hours… and finally he said: I have the free tour finished. This was November 2016. From that moment on, we understood that it was not just an illusion: it was becoming a reality. After the free, came the creation of Alfama and Belém, and like a mother when she gives birth to her children, they had to be taken care of and fed, read, transformed… And the next step was: to see the city on the ground.
I will never forget that trip: Dani, Flor, Edu, Elena and me, Beatriz. We arrived in Lisbon in December 2016. The first sensations were incredible. Lisbon has a unique, magical light… I have been in few places like this, with that joy that its streets give off… that decadent nostalgia that evokes a glorious past… a bohemian city, with charm, magic… At the same time, those first good and great sensations were turning into uncertainty… Creating something and starting from scratch in a new place is never easy: the feeling was optimistic and at the same time, we were thinking: “How much work remains to be done.”
Everything was left: months of study and work: because that original creation had to be shaped: change routes, add information, cut out information that was not needed, make it entertaining, entertaining: in short, it had to be a perfect blend of history and fun. Constant trial and error finally made it ready to be internalized. It is perhaps the most beautiful and most sacrificing part of being a guide. It was March 2017 and we were studying while listening to fado and watching spring start to come alive in the city.
After months of overcoming the obstacles that the bureaucratic road put in our way, we finally started work on May 6, 2017. I remember it was a rainy day and there were very few people on the street. All were very intense sensations and, finally, the 10 o’clock free tour, with Flor, came out. And also the 12 o’clock tour and the Alfama tour. It was a reality! We were telling people about something we had created ourselves. There are some things that cannot be defined in a few words.
Since then, things have changed a lot. We started as 5, now we are 10. And when there are moments in which difficulties make you lose confidence… what I think is: I trust the people who make up this project. Each member of the team is special and brings something essential to the rest. Safety, strength, impetus, courage, fun, understanding, patience, empathy, culture, learning, tolerance, creativity…
In short, I hope this project grows, mutates, transforms… but above all, I hope it never loses this spontaneous, intense, effervescent essence… that makes the work to be done with passion. The best reward is to read the feedbacks of the people I told you: An amazing experience!!! We want to continue creating that joy, we want to give the best we have and do it with all the love we can!
This is Blue Emotion Tours.
Blue Emotion Tours is Elena, Eduardo, Flor, Dani, Rafa, Pato, Ali, Patri, Raúl, Beatriz.
