Swedish in Lisbon: LisbonInsideOut Interview

Interview, Lisbon, LisbonInsideOut, Portugal

All pictures provided by @mosdefcuz

Interview LisbonInsideOut: Linus, a Swedish Multitasker in Lisbon

What is LisbonInsideOut?

LisbonInsideOut is a new interview series that I’ve created to learn why foreign people (who live or have lived in Lisbon) chose this city, and what they love about it.

This week I’m introducing you to Linus, a Swedish guy that decided to trade a cold winter in Sweden for a sunny Lisbon. He’s now living back home, but his love for Lisbon hasn’t faded. He even created a gallery just for that on his 500px profile.

Who is Linus?

I’ve only known Linus as @mosdefcuz, the name he chose to represent himself on Instagram. When this Swedish guy left Lisbon a few months ago, I was sad that I was no longer going to see his beautiful captures of Lisbon streets and his incredibly funny captions. I was fascinated by his story, and I think you will too!

What made you move to Lisbon?

It was a plan that formed when a couple of friends and I were recuperating after a night out in a rain-soaked Sweden, two winters ago. We vowed not to suffer through another one and began looking at countries closer to the equator, and ultimately decided on Lisbon, due to its great surfing conditions. The rest, as they say, is history.

How long were you here?

I lived in Lisbon for about a year.

What do you do/what is your profession?

My career has pretty much consisted of what is available at the moment. While in Lisbon, I worked as an IT-technician, and as of now, I build houses in northern Sweden. So I guess you can say I still haven’t figured out what to do when I grow up.

What was your favorite place in the city, and why?

It honestly feels like choosing which one of your children you love the most, at least I imagine that would suck as much.

But strolling around Alfama is definitely one of my favorite things to do, with all the old cobbled streets, the winding stairs, and the occasional visit from tram 28.

There are always interesting characters to look at, scenarios to observe and pretty, old facades to shoot.

If you could take something from Lisbon home, what would it be?

This may be off-topic, but I’d take the club Lounge and place it next to my current house.

What was the main thing you liked to photograph in Lisbon?

It mostly boiled down to a lot of street and architecture, and that’s how I got to see a lot of the city that I probably wouldn’t if I didn’t have an interest in photography.

I loved the availability of being able to step outside my door, walk around without a destination for a few hours and stumble across countless scenic photo opportunities. I also love that the whole city is one great (forgive my choice of words here) mess.

What I mean by that is that no houses look the same, and it gives some sense of history. At least to me. Not everything has to be perfect, like straight lines; it’s alright to mix and match.

Old houses in Lisbon

Any other interesting facts worth mentioning?

Not really, I just hope this great city stays the same and doesn’t get too spoiled by northern tourists like myself.

Where can you follow Linus adventures?

While Linus might still deciding what he wants to do when he grows up, I can tell you he is a fantastic photographer with excellent storytelling skills! You can follow him on Instagram @mosdefcuz or at his 500px profile here.