September 2, 2019

September 2, 2019

This morning we had our city tour of Lisbon. We started at the north end at Parque Eduardo VII. The park has a nice view down the center of Lisbon but unfortunately the sun is not in the favorable direction. We need to come back in the evening.

We then drove back to Belem to visit more of its sites. We start at Lisbon’s iconic World Heritage Belem Tower. This small castle-like structure was part of the defensive works that protected the port from attack by Barbary Pirates. The island it sits on used to be further offshore. From this riverside port began many of Portugal’s voyages of exploration.

A few hundred yards up river is the Monument to the Discoverers, This prow-shaped memorial has a line of the iconic figures in Portuguese history. Prince Henry has the lead, followed by Bartholomew Diaz who first rounded Africa, Vasco da Gama who first reached India, and Magellan who circumnavigated the globe. Magellan started his 3-year voyage 500 years ago in 1519.

Back in Lisbon we visited the main Cathedral, it is built in the pre-Renaissance Romanesque style with thick walls and a rounded barrel arch nave. The exterior looks more like a fortress than a church. Not surprising. Construction started in 1147, right after Lisbon was retaken from the Muslim Moors. Its solid frame helped it survive the 1755 earthquake that destroyed much of Lisbon.

Back at Fig Tree Square near our hotel we left the tour group to explore on our own. Our first stop was for a taste of Lisbon's iconic drink. A shot of Ginja (cherry-flavored liqueur) in an edible chocolate cup. Decadent!

Like San Francisco, Lisbon is built atop hills. Travel is made easier with numerous trolleys, funiculars, and elevators that climb the steep inclines. Down the street we find hidden in a building the first of two elevators that takes us to the Castle Summit. Aimee and I feel like we found some secret only locals know. On the Castle grounds we get a great view over Lisbon, especially the Tagus Riverfront and Suspension Bridge. We then walk atop the defensive walls of the inner Castle. We have seen many castles so it is not that exciting. We also breeze through the archaeological exhibit which consisted of mostly broken pottery.

Afterwards we take a stroll downhill through the Alfama neighborhood of narrow winding lanes. We stop at a couple scenic spots overlooking a sea of orange-tiled roofs. Aimee always reminds me we need to stop and smell the roses occasionally, so we have a beer at one of the terrace cafes.

We catch a trolley back down and then walk to the historic 100+ year old Santa Justa elevator that lifts people up to the Bairro Alto (high neighborhood). This iron structure was designed by a student of Gustave Eiffel. Unfortunately it is a major tourist attraction and there is an hour wait to ride it.

We punt and walk north towards the Ascensor da Gloria. We stop for a photo in Praca do Rossio. It has a fountain and monument to Pedro IV on a nice tiled plaza facing the Opera House. The plazas and sidewalks of Lisbon are all decorated with stone mosaics. Something we also saw in Rio de Janeiro, a former Portuguese city.

The Gloria Lift turns out to be a funicular train. We only have to wait a few minutes before we are whisked atop the hillside to the Bairro Alto. We first stop at a viewpoint and then walk west to visit Sao Roque Church, one of the oldest of Jesuit churches. It has a faux-domed wooden ceiling. The nave is lined with richly decorated chapels. The Jesuits must have had money. Their churches seem to always be over-the-top. We stroll this hilltop neighborhood ending at another scenic funicular,

It is getting late so we took a trolley back to the lower central neighborhood called the Baixa. We walked the pedestrian street from the Praca do Commercio back to our hotel. This low-lying part of Lisbon was completely destroyed by the 1755 earthquake and ensuing tsunami. Lisbon's damaged areas were quickly rebuilt in a modern grid structure. All the buildings have the same simple Neoclassical style. Many have tiled fronts and iron balconies. Along the way we tried another of Lisbon’s signature little custard tarts. Freshly made onsite, it was delicious.

After resting at the hotel we joined some friends for dinner. I tried the grilled sardines. They were just so-so. We finished it up with another shot of Ginja in a dark chocolate cup.