Lisbon sits where the Tagus spills languidly into the Atlantic, and though the pace of this ancient capital once followed the river’s example, modern Lisbon moves practically at a dead run.

Credit or blame goes to Portugal’s membership in the EU, which is causing bridges to be built, trams to be modernized and skyscrapers to pop up as if given a mega-dose of Viagra.

Rest assured, the old city lives on amid the construction din, as the scent of coffee drifts down narrow streets of the Moorish Alfama, the mournful sound of fado music seeps from Barrio Alto nightclubs ...