Category: Postcards from around the world

From Spain we are moving on to Portugal and the capital city of Lisbon. A compact city which despite its hills is very walkable, but you can also get onto one of the historic trams which is a common mode of transport for Lisbonites. The no. 28 is the best known, but there are others.

And don’t miss the Glória funicular which leads to the São Pedro de Alcântara Miradouro overlook above Lisbon or the Santa Justa elevator designed by Ponsard, a disciple of the great master of iron works, Gustave Eiffel, more than a hundred years ago.

I spent a few days exploring, mainly walking around the various districts of Alfama, Bairro-Alto, Baixa-Chiado and Rossio and admiring the views from the various viewpoints around the city.

But do not miss a visit out to Belém where you will find two unique monuments: Jerónimos Monastery and the Tower of Belém which are World Heritage Sites.  This historical and scenic district, along the River Tagus, is about 3 miles (5 km) west of downtown Lisbon. Getting there by the 15E tram (which goes to the tower) proved difficult from the train station Cais Sodré, as by the time it reached this stop it was full. Patience paid off though and just when we were considering catching a bus, one came along with standing room.

There was already a queue to get into the monastery and with time being short we opted to just look from the exterior and instead visited the nearby Maritime Museum which is a World of Discoveries. It reflects the importance of the experience and knowledge that the pioneering Portuguese navigators brought to the world. Great if you are fascinated by the Portuguese explorers (as I am). 

The Museum of Contemporary Art is worth a look too before crossing over to the Jardim da Praça do Império (Empire Square), built for the Portuguese World Exhibition (1940) which commemorated the 800th anniversary of the independence of Portugal and the 300th anniversary of the Restoration.

Because of a main road and railway lines you need to use an underpass to get to the area along the waterfront which is lovely.

Here you find the extraordinary Monument to the Discoveries / Padrão dos Descobrimentos which was first erected in 1940 in a temporary form, as part of the Portuguese World Exhibition, built with perishable materials. The 171 ft (50 m) tall monument was reconstructed in 1960 to remember the 500th anniversary of Prince Henry the Navigator’s death. You can go up to the top but again be prepared to queue.

The figures includes explorers like Vasco da Gama and Magellan, monks, cartographers, kings, writers, navigators, and missionaries among many other professions. At the base of the monument is a large mosaic with a world map showing where the Portuguese explorers landed and important dates during their expeditions.

And there is a lovely walkway alongside the River Tagus to the Belém Tower,

Of course our last stop was to the popular Pastéis de Belém patisserie which is the original home of the delicious Pasteis de Nata or Pasteis de Belém (custard tarts). Good coffee too.