Tram on the Hill Lane

Tram on the Hill Lane is an original illustration set in Lisbon Hills, Portugal. It lies in mid-latitudes, where the climate is mediterranean — hot dry summers, wet winters.

A small single-car tram climbs a steep narrow lane with its trolley pole on the overhead wire. House fronts are faced with blue-and-white patterned ceramic tiles, and laundry hangs between balconies. A slice of estuary shows at the bottom of the hill.

Why are the trams this short and narrow?

The tram is short and narrow because the streets are — a system built to fit a hill town rather than the other way round. Glazed tiles on the facades are weatherproofing before they are decoration: they shed driving Atlantic rain and reflect summer sun. Laundry strung outdoors year-round says winters mild enough that things actually dry.

Terpano is a free daily geography puzzle. You study one original illustration, place a pin on a borderless terrain map, and see how close you were. There is no account and no sign-up; progress stays in your own browser. It plays in 11 languages.