Lisbon - Day 3

Wednesday, June 8, 2016

This was truly a jam-packed day with a wide variety of sights and experiences.

We started the day at nearby Edward VII park, named for the British Monarch when he visited the city in 1902. Apparently the two countries have enjoyed a long friendship dating to the 1300's. I think a lot of it had to do with the English's affection for port wine. The park provided us with a great view of the Tejo (Tagus) River.

From there we went to the Monastery of Jeronimos. It was built by King Manuel (1495-1521) who ruled during "The Age of Discovery." He erected this limestone church and monastery along Lisbon's waterfront as a thank you for discoveries made by early explorers.  

Stretching 300 yards (3 football fields), it is an excellent example of Manueline architecture.

It was a very decorative style, using motifs from sailing, nature and emblems from important families along with features from buildings seen on voyages, especially In India.

We visited the church with its 75 ft. ceilings,

the cloister

and the monk's dining room with its tiled walks.  

We had a lovely day for photos. 

Then we took a break in the park and Robert treated us to a Pasteis de Belem, a little round custard tart in a puff pastry shell that is a trademark of the area. Although there are similar tarts sold throughout Portugal, these are special and only 3 people know the recipe. (Like the KFC recipe). They were still warm and they did melt in our mouths.

Across from monastery, we walked through a park to the river. There we saw the Monument to the Discoveries.

It was originally built in 1940 for a World Expo, but it was rebuilt in 1960 to commemorate the 500 year anniversary of the death of Henry the Navigator (1394-1460). He was the middle son of King John I and was the brains behind the expeditions, although he never sailed himself. The 170 ft. concrete structure features Henry in front, and on both sides, depicts the various people and professions involved in the explorations --from royalty and financiers to sailors, soldiers, clergy and poets. I have views from yesterday's boat trip of this monument, too.

Although we didn't have time, we were near the Belem Tower, which I saw yesterday from the boat. It was built from 1525-1520 in the Manueline style.

It was the last sight the sailors saw as they left the harbor and the first one on their return.

It used to be in the middle of the river and the monastery was at the end of the river, but it has filled in during the 500 years.

Then we went to the Gulbenkian Museum where we had lunch in the cafeteria. Afterwards we took a 1-1/2 hour tour of the collections. The Museum was a gift to Portugal by Calouste Gulbenkian (1869-1955), an Armenian oil tycoon, who collected over 5,000 art pieces (only 1500 on display) representing artifacts from ancient Egypt, Greece, and Turkey as well as 19th and 20th century paintings. One of the special features is his collection of Lalique glass and enamel jewelry.  Love this dragonfly.

His gift was an act of gratitude for hospitable asylum granted him during WWII.

We still had some of the day left, so I took the metro back to one of the squares where I caught this cute little funicular to the Barrio Alto

to visit San Roque church, one of Portugal's first Jesuit churches built in the 16th century. It is unique for its flat wood ceiling painted to look as if it has domes. 

I retraced some of our steps from yesterday and ended up at the Elevador de Santa Justa.

It is a 150-foot-tall iron tower, built in 1902 by a protege of Gustave Eiffel, to connect the Barrio Alto area with the Baixa down below. I had to wait in line about 30 minutes, but it was worth it. The views from the top were spectacular, especially with St. George's castle in the background.

I meandered back towards my hotel and was perusing a menu at a cafe, when a couple asked me to join them for a drink. Feeling in a festive mood, I did and ended up having dinner with them. They are from St. Louis and we had a great time chatting. Went by Rossio Square on my way back to the hotel. Love the pavement here.

Turned in early. Had to pack and regroup for a big day tomorrow - heading out of Lisbon to the countryside.

Lisbon - Day 2

Tuesday, June 7, 2016 

After a bountiful breakfast at the hotel (including a dessert bar), we headed off on an extensive walking tour of the city.

First up - how to use the metro. Robert gave us all viagem passes good for 48 hours and took us to a stop very near our hotel. Once inside, he pointed out the beautiful tile work on the walls. When the metro was first built in the 50's, the architect's wife was an artist, Maria Keil. She convinced her husband that the walls should not be blank. She then donated her time to designing tlles for the 9 original stations.   Her designs incorporated "minimal designs with maximum impact." Used here are about 8 different tiles arranged in different patterns and subtly directing traffic with arrows.

We began our walk in the Chiado area, which has become quite commercial, and came to the square that commemorates the "Carnation Revolution." This was the peaceful end of of the 48 year dictatorship on April 25, 1974, and the beginning of democracy.  The jacaranda trees that were planted from Brazil were still in bloom today in the square. 

Then we walked through an area with several buildings representing the intricate tile work that has dominated the architectural landscape throughout the city.  The tile decoration on the facade of this house, erected in 1864 on Largo Rafael Bordalo Pinheiro, features allegorical figures of Science, Agriculture, Industry and commerce.

Nearby are other buildings using various tiles.

Then we passed through the Baixa area, taking several outdoor elevators that took us almost to the top of one of the 7 hills of Lisbon where St. George's Castle is located.  

Originally built as a Moorish fort, King Afonso Henriques transformed it into a residence for Portuguese Kings in the 1200's.  In 1511 Manuel I built a more lavish palace near the water  and the castle was used variously as a prison and arms depot.  After the 1755 earthquake, the ramparts remained in ruins until Dictator Salazar began a complete renovation, rebuilding the walls to look medieval and adding gardens and battlements.

It was fun to climb the battlements and the castle offered great views of the city.

The castle is named for St. George, a popular saint in the 14th century known for fighting bravely.

After the castle, we walked down through the Alfama area. This was the area of Lisbon that survived the 1755 earthquake that took out most of the rest of the city. Consequently, it is very old and many of the dwellings don't even have indoor plumbing. The streets are steep cobblestones and locals hang their wash outside of buildings.

For years it was the home of the fish mongers, but now it houses mostly immigrants.

We continued down the hill to the wharf area, where trolleys run up and down the river front.

We ended up at Commerce Square, with its grand government buildings and city arch.

From here we dispersed - some to return to the hotel or explore other parts. Since it was a beautiful sunny day, I decided to take a river cruise. The 1-1/2 hour trip enabled me to see the city from the water, which is spectacular with all the red roofs.

The boat took us under the April 25 Bridge with the dolphins playing on the footers,

and on to Belem before turning around. We are going there tomorrow so more about that later.

Tonight we went to Casa do Alentejo

where we had another delicious dinner and were treated to a personal performance by 2 fado singers and their guitarists.

Fado is kind of like the blues, but is sung with more emotion. I was surprised by how deep and gutteral their voices were, but at the same time very melodic.  I would almost compare the sound to opera. It was a very entertaining night.

Lisbon - Day 1

Monday, June 6, 2016

After a 3-hour delay, we finally landed in Portugal around 11 am. Can't complain. Everything went smoothly, including the 14 euro cab ride to the hotel. My room was even waiting for me.

Normally I can't wait to go out and explore, but jet lag caught up with me early and I decided just to chill. Took a nice nap and freshened up, ready to meet my fellow travelers at 5.

We have a nice group of travelers of mixed ages. Our guide is Robert Wright, who is featured on Rick's podcasts about Portugal. 

Following information and introductions, we embarked on a walk down the Avenida da Liberdade.  This tree-lined grand boulevard connects the old town with the new, where our hotel, Hotel Lisboa Plaza, is located. Reminiscent of the Champs-Élysées in Paris, it is flanked by various shops and businesses and 8 noisy lanes of traffic.

Robert pointed out the "calada a Portuguese," the stone mosaic pavement. These can be seen all over Portugal and are unique to the country. They are made of limestone (white) and basalt (black) stones that are chipped to fit tightly together.

The work is done by hand by "calcateiros," who learn this art at a trade scool. There is some desire to dig them up or pave them over because they are slippery when wet and need repairing, but so far, the citizens have resisted.

We walked down to Rossio Square where the 1900 Rossio Station is located. You can read "Central Station" on its two horseshoe arches.

Next to it is Lisbon's oldest hotel, The Hotel Avenida Palace, built as a terminus hotel.

Then Robert treated us to "liquid sightseeing" - ginjinha, a favorite Lisbon drink. It is made from a sour cherry-like ginja berry, sugar, cinnamon and brandy. It is sold for 1.10 euros at funky old shops throughout downtown. It was really quite tasty.

From there we walked back up the Avenida and had dinner together at Sanchos. The weather was perfect and we had a lovely evening.

Louisville to Lisbon

Sunday, June 5, 2016 - Day 1

I'm off again! This time to Portugal, not only to explore its beautiful coast but also the farms, vineyards, rivers and countryside of the interior.  

I'm going on a two-week Rick Steves' tour. Several of my friends have experienced this tour and have given it rave reviews. I have been a fan of Rick Steves' guidebooks for over 5 years and decided it was time to check out one of his tours.

Portugal is one of the last Western European countries for me to visit. I've been to Spain 5 times, but like many travelers, I just haven't gotten over to its Iberian neighbor. Now is the time.

A few interesting facts:

Spain and Portugal have had the same border for over 800 years.

Geographically, Portugal is about the size of Indiana and has a population of 11 million. 

Through its sailors' expert navigational skills and the development of small, but well designed vessels called caravelles, the Portuguese explored the world in the late 15 and 16th centuries. By 1560, a Portuguese ship could sail all the way to China and not lose sight of land that Portugal dominated. Consequently, Portuguese is the sixth most common language spoken in the world today.

So now I am in the Newark airport awaiting my flight to Lisbon. We are having a rain delay but the sun has just burst through the window and I see a rainbow, so that is good. Hopefully, I'll soon be on my way! (Below, leaving Louisville)