Bringing in the Year of the Rat.

Filling in the blanks.

Last full day in Lisbon.

29.01.2020 - 30.01.2020
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We had done two tours in a row so wanted to end on a day of doing our own thing again. There were a few more things we were interested in doing or seeing within Lisbon so we decided to get a day ticket and do as many of them as we could fit in.

We started by buying rolls, ham, egg tarts and water from Lidl then heading to King Edward VII Park to eat our breakfast Al fresco there. This park is called after the British king - Edward VII. He visited Lisbon in 1903 to reaffirm the Anglo-Portuguese alliance.

The park starts around Parque metro station and stretches all the way down a hill to Marquis de Pombal Square. There are good views from the top of the park and there is a statue of the Marquis de Pombal on a column at the bottom. The park also has ponds, statues and hot houses. This is the largest park in the center of Lisbon. It is divided into three sections. The central section is a sloping grassy area with geometrically patterned hedges. There are two landscaped gardens on either side of this.

We visited the monument of the 25th of April. This is at the top of the central slope. This monument commemorates the 1974 Revolution. It was created by João Cutileiro, a Portuguese sculptor. It has a fountain in a basin with a crumbling wall and broken columns. There is a huge Portuguese flag flying behind the fountain. Apparently it is the biggest flag in Portugal.There are great views over the city and the River Tagus from here. On the other side of the road from the fountain there is a statue called Motherhood by Columbian sculpture Fernando Botero.

Tiles in Parque Station.

Sailing boats on a pond.

Statues.

Statue.

Monument of 25th April.

Huge Portuguese flag.

Central grassy area and view.

Botero's Motherhood.

Next we got back onto the metro and went to Olaias Station on the red line, not to go anywhere but to look at the station itself as I had read it was the most elaborate station on Lisbon's metro network. The station was designed by Tomás Taveira and its artwork was created by Pedro Cabrita Reis, Graça Pereira Coutinho, Pedro Calapez and Rui Sanchez. It's very colourful and psychedelic to say the least.

Olaias Station.

We got back on the metro and headed to Biaxo-Chiado Station. We used this station many times, but this time I made a mistake about the exit and ended up purely by chance at an area we had passed on the 28 tram which I wanted to explore. I had no idea it was right next to this station.

The area consists of two connected squares Largo do Chiado and Largo do Cameos. Largo do Chiado has theaters, shops, bookstores and cafés. This area was once the literary center of Lisbon and is known for having a bohemian character. The area is named after a sixteenth-century poet, António Ribeiro, nicknamed Chiado or squeak. His statue is in the centre of the square. There were building works all around it as the square was under repair when we visited. Ribeiro lived in this area. He is known for his poems and satirical dramas. There's a famous cafe here called the café Brasilia. There are two Baroque churches on these squares. One is the sixteenth century Italian church - Igreja do Loreto. The other is the Igreja de Nossa Senhora da Encarnaçao, which was built in 1708. I visited the Igreja do Loreto. The adjoining Largo do Camões is named after poet, Luís Vaz de Camões. He is considered to be Portugal's greatest poet. There's a statue of him in the square dating from 1867. It was created by the Portuguese sculptor Victor Bastos.

António Ribeiro, hard to photograph due to construction work.

Cameos Square.

Igreja do Loreto.

After looking around these squares we jumped on a 28 tram. I had noticed a huge mural of a girl soldier with a carnation in the barrel of her rifle when we had spent the day going back and forth on the tram, but I had not had time to photograph it.

The Carnation Revolution was a military coup. It happened on the 25th of April 1974. The revolution began as a coup organised by the Armed Forces Movement but received a huge amount of unexpected popular support. The revolution led to the fall of the Estado Novo Regime, terminated the Portuguese Colonial War, and ultimately resulted in a democratic Portugal. It was almost bloodless. During the revolution Celeste Caeiro was working in a new restaurant in Lisbon called Rua Braamcamp. The restaurant had planned to give out carnations to their customers to celebrate their opening, but the opening got cancelled due to the coup. Celeste was told she could take the flowers home but instead she passed them out to the rebelling soldiers and they placed them in the muzzles of their guns. When they saw this, other people began buying carnations and giving them to soldiers, too, hense the name Carnation Revolution.

The mural I saw was in the Alfama area. After looking at the mural, I walked all over this area as it had beautiful tiles houses, the Monastery and Church of Saint Vincent de Fora and the Pantheon.

The Carnation Revolution.

This is not my photo but shows the real Carnation Revolution as it happened.

The Church and Monastery of Saint Vincent de Fora was founded in the twelfth century by King Afonso Henriques. De fora means the church was originally located outside the city walls. Saint Vincent is the patron saint of Lisbon.

Vincent was actually born in Spain in the third century. He joined the Christian church in Zaragoza and was appointed as deacon to Bishop Valerius. Roman Emperor Diocletian, angered by the spread of Christian doctrine, ordered them to be arrested. Valerius was exiled and Vincent was horrifically tortured but would not renounce his faith. In AD 303 he was finally put to death.

After his death Saint Vincent's followers placed his body on a ship and sailed westwards. They were shipwrecked at the Cape of Sagres and Vincent's remains were buried there. Legend states his body was guarded by a flock of ravens. In 1175 when the Moors were being driven out of Portugal, King Afonso Henriques decided to transfer Saint Vincent’s remains to Lisbon where he had a monastery built for him - the Monastery of Saint Vincent de Fora. This monastery was destroyed but was eventually rebuilt by King Philip II of Spain. Later King Afonso had Vincent declared the Patron Saint of Lisbon. In Vincent's honour Lisbon's Coat-of-Arms depicts a sailing ship with ravens on the bow and the stern.

Saint Vincent's Church.

Bridge near Saint Vincent's Church.

Fountain near Saint Vincent's Church.

Saint Vincent's Church.

Flowers in Saint Vincent's Church Garden.

Behind the church and monastery there is a lovely viewpoint which overlooks Lisbon's Pantheon.

The Pantheon.

The Pantheon was originally Santa Engracia church. It was built by Princess Maria in 1570 and became the centre of the Slaves of the Holy Sacrament, a powerful religious sect. On the 15th of January 1630 the church was desecrated and its images and statues were utterly destroyed. A man called Simon Solis was blamed for the desecration though he denied it. Simon was sentenced to death by fire and was so angry he cursed the church saying it would never be restored.

The Holy Slaves decided to utterly rebuild the church rather than just restore it, but this was delayed again and again due to wars, struggles for independence and other problems. It wasn't until the 1910 revolution when the Portuguese monarchy was overthrown that the restoration started again. It became symbolic that the new regime would finish the previous monarchies failings. Construction was completed in 1966, though the church became the National Pantheon housing the interred bodies of many prominent people.

This area also has some lovely tiled houses and shops.

Tiled Houses.

Tiles.

Graffiti.

After looking around this area we got back on a 28 tram to go to Martim Monitz Square and the metro station. I did a bit of souvenir shopping around here, buying compact mirrors with Portuguese tile patterns on them and evil eye keyrings.

I also saw another attractive mural, though I'm not sure who it's of. I've subsequently tracked it down. It's called Inês’ and it's by a Norwegian Artis called Ener Konings.

Mural of Inez by Ener Konings.

Martim Monitz Square.

We took the metro to Restauradores and attempted to go up the Santa Justa Elevator for views, but the queue there was huge so we did not bother. Instead we noticed a free elevator which said Castle Elevator on it. When we got off we crossed a road and went in a second elevator. We ended up at a viewpoint and within easy walking distance of the castle. We walked through the area near the castle then watched the sunset at the viewing area.

Santa Justa Elevator.

Castle area.

Viewpoint.

Sunset.

After watching the sunset we went back to the Biaxo-Chiado area and had dinner. We had cod fillet, cod cakes and cod cakes with cheese. Then it was home for a swim.

Cod fillet.

Cod cakes.

Restaurant.

Next morning we had a swim in the light for a change. Then we headed to the airport. We took some photos of a Sagres beer advert, a broom advertising the Harry Potter Exhibition and then headed to the lounge. On the way to the gate a shop specialising in tinned sardines and other tinned fish caught our attention.

Last swim.

Last swim

Sagres Advert.

Harry Potter's Broom.

Lounge.

Sardines.

Then it was on the plane and back to Hong Kong and the year of the rat and sadly a major outbreak of disease. Not a good start to a new year for Hong Kong.

The Year of the Rat.

Posted by irenevt 02:47 Archived in Portugal Comments (6)

On a Quest for the Templars....

Day Trip to Tomar.

26.02.2020 - 26.02.2020

On our visit to Almourol Castle.

We also had a tour booked for the following day. We had originally intended to do a trip to Fatima, Obidos, Batalha and Nazarè, but for some reason a trip to Tomar to see sights connected to the Knights Templar caught our attention and we went with that one. Our guide's name was Jaoa.

The first thing he did was ask about our level of expertise on the Templar Knights. "Sort of none," was the short answer to that one. Since then though I have acquired information from our guide and read up on the subject.

Gualdim Païs.

The Templar Knights were originally known as the Poor Fellow-Soldiers of Christ and of the Temple of Solomon. They were a Catholic military order based in Jerusalem, founded by a French knight named Hughes de Payens in 1119. Their original purpose was to protect Christian pilgrims heading to the Holy Land, as they had to pass through Muslim lands and were sometimes robbed or killed there. The Templars also offered an early form of banking service whereby pilgrims could deposit valuables in their home country and use the receipts for these to withdraw money during their pilgrimage. Over time the order grew richer and more powerful.

However, things started to go wrong for the order in the late twelfth century, Muslim armies recaptured Jerusalem, forcing the Knights Templar to retreat. Eventually they established a new base in Paris. However, King Philip IV of France was heavily indebted to the Templars and resolved to destroy the movement rather than repay his debts. On Friday, October 13th 1307, under orders from King Philip many French Templars were arrested and brutally tortured until they confessed to false charges, including heresy, homosexuality, devil-worshipping, and even spitting on the cross. After confessing the knights were executed. Pope Clement then issued a papal bull abolishing the order on the 22nd of March 1312. This marked the end for much of the Templar Order, but not in Portugal.......

The Templars.

In Portugal King Denis I revived the Templar group in Tomar renaming them the Military Order of Christ. He did this in gratitude for the help Portugal received from the knights during the Reconquista when they pushed the Moors out of northern Portugal. King Denis also negotiated with Pope Clement's successor, Pope John XXII, for recognition of the Military Order of Christ and its right to inherit Templar assets and property.

Our first destination on our Templar tour was Almourol Castle - a beautiful castle located on a small island in the Tagus River and only accessible by boat. The Castle of Almourol was originally a Lusitanian fortress. In the twelfth century it was entrusted to Gualdim Païs, Master of the Templar Order in Portugal. He rebuilt it in order to protect the southern border of the Christian part of Portugal. Almourol was particularly strategic because it commanded views both up and down the Tagus River. The area further south of Almourol was at that time still occupied by the Moors.

As we stood on the banks of the Tagus River looking at Almourol Castle, I could not help feeling a little bit homesick for Scotland. Almourol made me think of a Scottish Castle sitting in the middle of a loch. There was no boat in sight when we arrived and our guide was worried as he thought it might be cancelled due to rainy weather. Fortunately, it wasn't. The crossing on the boat is very short. There are two landing stages. We had to get off at the further away one and walk across some sand banks as the tide was low. We then followed a path surrounded by trees, giant cacti, thick layers of moss up to the castle itself. Everywhere was very green. Inside the castle there are stairs to climb and walls to walk. There are stunningly beautiful views up and down the river.

Almourol Castle.

The Tagus River.

Boat to the castle.

Getting to the castle.

Inside the castle.

Views from the castle.

Next we drove to Tomar sometimes known as the City of the Templars. In the twelfth century the land here was given by King Afonso Henriques to Gualdim Paes. Gualdim Paes was a Portuguese knight who helped the king fight the Moors and drive them out of Northern Portugal. Gualdim Paes used the land to build the Castle and Convent of the Order of Christ. This is located on a hill overlooking the town of Tomar.

Notable features of the convent include its charola - a round part of the church modelled on the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem. Another feature is the Manueline Window created from 1510-1513 by Diogo Arruda. It displays a variety of nautical references relating to Portugal's overseas expansion, such as ropes, knots, globes and crosses. The overseas expansion of Portugal owed a lot to Henry the Navigator who led the Order of Christ for twenty years and did a huge amount to bring about Portugal's "Age of the Discoveries" using the wealth of the Convent of Christ to finance his voyages.

Castle Walls.

Castle Gate.

Castle walls at the Convent of Christ.

Flowers at the castle walls.

Convent of Christ.

The Convent of Christ.

Garden, Convent of Christ.

Cloisters.

Charola.

Charola detail.

Manueline Window.

Another elaborate window.

Restored Convent Doorway.

Tiles.

Room.

Stairway.

Refectory.

Corridor.

Detail.

Eating Utensils.

Merchandise in gift shop.

After visiting the Castle and Convent of Christ, we had lunch in the cafe just outside the entrance to the convent. We opted not to have a big lunch and instead choose some cheese and ham pastries, chicken pastries and cod cakes to share.

Lunch.

View from the hill.

After lunch we went for a walk around Tomar town. We started by walking along the banks of the River Nabao which flows through the centre of Tomar. We walked past Mouchão Park which is located on a little island in the river. There is a large wooden water wheel here - a symbol of Tomar's industrial past.

The River Nabao.

We walked through several old town streets and stopped to admire the tiles on several houses.

Old Town.

Tiles.

Images of the Templars.

We walked to the town's main square the Praca de Republica. The town hall is here and the sixteenth century Church of Saint John the Baptist. In the centre of the square stands a statue of Gualdim Pais, founder of the town. The church was rebuilt by Henry the Navigator and later expanded by King Manuel.
Like the convent, the church is an important example of Manueline architecture.

Saint John the Baptist Church.

Town Hall.

After visiting the church we walked to a nearby synagogue. This is the only medieval Jewish temple to have been fully preserved in Portugal. It was built in the mid-fifteenth century. In addition to being a religious building, the Synagogue was also a school and a court for the Jewish community in Tomar. It was closed in 1496 when King Manuel I expelled the Jews. After that it became a prison and later a hayloft, granary, warehouse, wine cellar and store. In 1923, Samuel Schwarz, a Polish Jew who had come to Portugal to work as a mining engineer bought the Synagogue and restored it. In 1939 he donated it to the Portuguese state to house the Abraham Zacuto Luso- Jewish Museum.

Synagogue.

Nearby doorway.

All around Tomar there are symbols of its famous festival. This is called the Tomar Tray Festival or Festa dos Tabuleiros. This festival takes place from late June to early July every four years. In this festival girls and women prepare ‘coroas’ or crowns made of loaves of bread and paper flowers. In the festival they will form a procession and carry these on trays on their heads. Some historians think the festival originally revered Ceres - the Roman goddess of fertility and the flowering plants. Others trace the origins to King Dinis and his wife Saint Isabel de Aragão who began the festival as a way to honor the Holy Spirit. The females participating in the festival wear white dresses to symbolize purity. Their crowns are topped with a dove or a cross.

Festival crowns.

Images of the festival.

Festival crowns.

Images of the festival.

Finally, we went to see the Aqueduct of Pegões. This is around six kilometres long and has 180 arches. This aqueduct was built in the seventeenth century by Filipe Terzi in order to supply water to the Convent of Christ from four springs in the Village of Pegões.

Aqueduct of Pegões.

After that we drove back to Lisbon. On the way we passed the Sagres brewery and Sporting Lisboa's Stadium. Before dropping us at our hotel Jaoa took us for a closer look at the aqueduct next to it.

Sagres Brewery.

Sporting Lisboa Stadium.

Aqueduct.

We then had a swim and went for dinner. I had baked cod. Peter had club sandwich. We both thought this was the best meal of the holiday.

Baked cod.

Club sandwich.

Beer and Cider we bought at the convent.

Posted by irenevt 16:04 Archived in Portugal Comments (11)

There's something sinister in Sintra ....

A day trip to the coast.

27.01.2020 - 27.02.2020
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Next day we had booked a day trip to Sintra and Cascais. We actually knew we could easily do both of these places on our own by public transport, but the trip included Cabo da Roca - the most westerly point of continental Europe and the Mouth of Hell. Both of these are unreachable without a car.

Our tour guide was called David. He was extremely apologetic about being three minutes late. When I think that in Vietnam we waited for our day trip to My Son for over an hour only to be told "Hurry up, you two, get on the bus!" when our guide finally arrived .....well personally I found David extremely pleasant. This was a small group tour. There was an Indian woman from Mumbai and a Spanish couple from Catalonia on it. Our first destination was the town of Sintra. It is actually only twenty-five kilometres away from Lisbon. On the way we passed Benfica Stadium. I asked David if he was a fan. He said he hated them and was an avid follower of Sporting Lisbon.

Benfica Stadium.

Sintra is situated within the hills of the Serra de Sintra. It has many elaborate palaces, luxurious mansions and the ruins of an ancient castle. We began by exploring the old town. Dominating the old town center, is the Palácio Nacional de Sintra with its two massive chimneys. There's also a main square, old buildings and steep cobbled streets. I liked it immensely. We were sent off to buy our tickets for the next sight Pena Palace. Then we ended up in the middle of a school trip; the children were keen to practise their English on us. They were really quite cute. We took in the view from a view point and visited the church. Overlooking the town there is a huge ruined Moorish castle. It looked wonderful.

Views.

Town Fountain.

Souvenir Shop.

Main Square.

. Sintra Streets.

Sintra Streets.

The Castelo dos Mouros or Moors' Castle was established during the ninth century to guard the town of Sintra. After the Christian conquest of Sintra, it fell into disrepair. It was partially restored in the 19th century by King Ferdinand II.

Moorish Castle.

The Palacio Nacional was at one time a favourite with the Portuguese nobility. They lived here from the early fifteenth to the late nineteenth century so it is Portugal’s most lived in royal palace.

The Palacio Nacional.

Sintra City Hall was built in 1906 by Adães Bermudes, one of the major figures of the Art Nouveau in Portugal.

Sintra City Hall.

Saint Martin's Church was built by king Afonso Henriques in the twelfth century. In 1755 an earthquake damaged the church and it was restored on the eighteenth century. Outside the church there is a viewpoint looking over the town.

Saint Martin's Church.

I also bought some ginja - a sour cherry liqueur that is a speciality of Sintra. Don't know what it is like as I haven't opened it yet.

Next we headed up to Pena Palace which should have been the highlight of the trip. I'll put a picture of it below.

Pena Palace.

It was just like that. Shall we move on?

OK actually that picture was taken from a display stand. This is where the trip took a turn for the worse. We had been persuaded by our guide to pay extra for transport to the palace which we did. When we arrived we joined the queue. They really packed people on like sardines. We didn't get on the first one. We waited for the second and it started to rain. By the time we got to the palace it wasn't just raining, it was raining torrentially and there was a driving wind. It was difficult to see, difficult to stay upright and difficult to walk. We could scarcely see the palace even when we were in it. By the time we got inside we were soaked through. There were masses of visitors despite the weather. We had to walk through in a sort of queue. We were not allowed to take any photos inside. Yes the inside was spectacular but I did not enjoy this visit and all of my photos of the outside are through a thick blanket of rain. Going back was even worse. There was a huge queue for transport and it was freezing. We were last back to our tour and very late because of the long wait. When we got back, we were drenched and like blocks of ice.

Friendly cat.

Dripping wet forest around the palace.

Foggy Palace.

The land now occupied by the palace was originally home to a chapel dedicated to Our Lady of Pena. In 1493, King John II and his wife, Queen Leonor, went on a pilgrimage here to fulfill a vow. Later King Manuel I had a monastery for the Order of Saint Jerome built here, but this was ruined in the Great Lisbon Earthquake of 1775. In 1838, king consort, Ferdinand II, bought the monastery, all of the surrounding land and the Moorish Castle. He then transformed the remains of the monastery into a palace. The palace was designed by Wilhelm Ludwig von Eschwege. Construction took place between 1842 and 1854. In 1889 the
Palace became the property of the Portuguese State, and after the Republican Revolution of 1910 it was transformed into a museum.

Details.

Next on our itinerary was Cabo da Roca - the most westerly point on continental Europe. Our poor guide told us it was normally really stormy there, so he was expecting it to be just like Pena Palace, and for us to get more and more upset. Amazingly it wasn't. It was cold but calm and stunningly beautiful. Cabo da Roca has a lighthouse, a cross shaped marker stating it's the most westerly point in Europe and a lovely rocky coastline.

Lighthouse.

Marker.

Coastline.

Next we visited the Boca do Inferno, or the Mouth of Hell. This is a sea-arch formed when a cave collapsed after being continuously pounded by the stormy Atlantic Ocean. In rough weather the spray from the huge Atlantic waves pouring into the Mouth of Hell shoots into the air like an erupting volcano.

Shells for sale at the Mouth of Hell.

The Mouth of Hell from one side.

And from the other.

Coastline.

Coastline

Coastline.

We drove past a beach which is famous for surfing.

Our final destination was the magnificent coastal town of Cascais. Cascais used to be a little fishing village. In fact fishing is still carried out there. Then it became a popular summer retreat for the Portuguese nobility, because of this it has many spectacular mansions. It also has an old fort that has been converted into a luxury hotel, a pretty town square with a museum, quaint cobblestone streets and lots of places to eat and drink.

Cascais is all about fishing.

Fishing.

And boats.

The old fort is called the Cidadela de Cascais and dates from the fifteenth century. It used to stand guard over the western end of the Tagus Estuary. Nowadays it's a luxury hotel with many examples of modern art.

The Fortress.

Art.

In front of the fortress.

Cascais's main square is home to its town hall and a statue of King Pedro. Like many old areas of Portugal it has highly patterned cobblestone floors.

Cascais main square.

One of the most beautiful buildings in Cascais is the Museum Condes de Castro Guimarães. This magnificent mansion was built in 1900 by Jorge O'Neill. In 1910 it was bought by Count Manuel de Castro Guimarães. When he died in 1927 he left his house to the state to be used as a museum. The museum displays paintings, furniture, porcelain and jewellery.

Museum Condes de Castro Guimarães.

Cascais also has a wonderful seafront and beach. It's possible to walk along the front to nearby Estoril.

The seafront.

The Seafront.

Lastly we took a walk through the quaint streets of the old town and grabbed a beer and coffee before rejoining the tour.

The old town.

Drinks.

Old style pub.

On our way back to Lisbon we passed without stopping through Estoril. This is a beach resort and is home to the Palácio Hotel. This hotel is famous for a number of reasons. One is that during the second world war, Portugal was neutral. This hotel housed Russian secret agents, British spies, German undercover agents all at the same time. Apparently Ian Fleming stayed here briefly. Next to the hotel there is a huge casino called Casino Estoril. This was supposed to be the real inspiration for Fleming's novel 'Casino Royale' though he later changed the setting of his novel to Monte Carlo as the casino there was more famous. I'd have liked to look around both places but we just whizzed past. I managed a quick photo of the hotel.

The Palácio Hotel, Estoril.

Posted by irenevt 01:42 Archived in Portugal Comments (8)

In the shadow of Christ .....

The world through a fog.

26.01.2020 - 26.01.2020
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Christ the King.

Next day we decided we would go and visit the huge Christ the King statue that stands on a hill in Setubal on the other side of the River Tagus.

Christ the King, or Cristo Rei as the Portuguese call it, can be seen from all over Lisbon. This huge statue stands with its arms outstretched, blessing the city of Lisbon. Christ the King dates from the 1950s and was built in gratitude for Portugal avoiding the horrors of World War Two. The statue is based on the Christ the Redeemer statue in Rio de Janeiro.

Christ Rei.

To get to the statue we first took the metro to Cais do Sodre, then we took a ferry across the Tagus River to Cacilhas. At Cacilhas we were horrified to find that the world was covered in a thick blanket of fog and we could hardly see anything at all. This almost put us off going up to the statue as there are supposed to be wonderful views from there. Fortunately, we persisted even though we had to wait a long time in the freezing cold for bus 101 to appear in the bus station and take us up the hill.

Getting there.

Cacilhas.

In the grounds around the statue there are various smaller religious statues, the stations of the cross, a cafe and clean free toilets. There are also some wonderful trees. These include olive trees and what I think are sago palms. They look like giant pineapples.

Statues.

The gardens.

From the edge of the hill the views are stunning. I particularly loved the view of the Ponte 25 de Abril or 25th April Bridge. This was partially covered in fog and looked like it was floating in the sky. The city of Lisbon itself was jutting out of a huge blanket of fog.

The 25th April Bridge was completed in 1966. Originally it was called Salazar Bridge after Portugal's much hated dictator, but after the Carnation Revolution of April 25, 1974 its name was changed. The bridge is 2278m long making it the longest central span bridge in Europe. It is very similar in design to San Francisco's Golden Gate Bridge.

The bridge in the fog.

Lisbon floating on the fog.

Ships in the fog.

We sat and ate a picnic on the edge of the hill and we loved it so much that we were still there when the fog melted away, so we got a foggy view and a clear view. Both were sensational.

When the fog cleared.

The Christ statue stands on a structure resembling a giant pair of stilts. It is over 110m high. Inside the monument is the Chapel of Nossa Senhora da Paz, which is small, tranquil and peaceful. I paid five euros to take the lift up to the platform the statue is located on. When you exit the lift, you still have a few stairs to climb, then you enter a gift shop and another chapel before stepping out onto the viewing platform. The free views from the hill's edge are amazing, but only look out on the river. From the paid viewing platform you can see in every direction and you get a close up view of the Christ statue.

Christ Rei.

The chapel.

Christ statue.

Paintings near the statue.

Chapel on the upper floor.

Views.

The entrance.

After visiting the statue we went to the cafe for beer and delicious Portuguese coffee. We really took our time with this sight as we wanted a very relaxed day with none of the rushing about of the previous two days. It was really enjoyable.

In the cafe.

After a very pleasant morning at the Cristo Rei we returned to Cacilhas and were pleased to see the fog had disappeared there, too. There was even a bit of sun. We saw a submarine called the Barracuda at the docks there. Not sure if you can go on it or not. We did, however, go on the spectacular sailing ship next to it called the Dom Fernando II e Glória.

The Barracuda.

The Dom Fernando II e Glória.

The Dom Fernando II e Glória is a wooden-hulled, 50-gun frigate belonging to the Portuguese Navy. She was built in Daman in Portuguese India and was launched in 1843. She was initially used in the India run which connected Portugal to its colonies in India. She remained in active service until 1878. Unfortunately in 1963 she was almost completely destroyed in a fire and remained beached in the River Tagus mudflats for the next 29 years. In 1990 the Portuguese Navy decided to restore her and she is now used as a museum. She is currently the eighth oldest warship in the world.

A painting of The Dom Fernando II e Glória in her heyday.

This ship is beautifully restored. You can wander around her decks and go inside and visit several floors where waxwork models of sailors take part in scenes from everyday life onboard ship.

All hands on deck.

Ship's doctor.

High dining.

Sailors' sleeping quarters.

Less formal dining.

Cooking on board.

Storage barrels.

Ropes.

After visiting the ship we took a walk round the harbour looking at the lighthouse, views of Lisbon and the panda poster wishing us a Happy Chinese New Year.

Lighthouse.

Views of Lisbon.

Happy Chinese New Year.

When we returned to the metro station a large police brass band were performing. They were pretty good and were surrounded by a large appreciative audience.

Police band.

Back home we went swimming then had dinner. I had veal in a cream sauce. Peter had beef in bolo do caco. Bolo do caco is a flat round bread, made from flour, sweet potatoes, yeast, water and salt. It comes from Madeira.

Cheers.

Dinner time.

Beef Caco do bolo.

Veal in cream sauce.

Posted by irenevt 23:49 Archived in Portugal Comments (6)

Of castles and cakes.

Belem and the Castle of Saint George.

25.01.2020 - 25.01.2020
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We knew today would be a repeat of our first visit in many ways but we decided to do it anyway. After all we had only visited Lisbon's most famous sights once and that was in 2011, so we started off by heading to Lisbon's castle. To get there we took the blue metro line from Zoological Garden to Restauradores Station.

Restauradores Square takes its name from the restoration of Portugal as an independent country in 1640. This came after sixty years of Spanish domination. The obelisk in the centre of the square depicts the battles fought during the Portuguese Restoration War.

Restauradores Square.

Near Restauradores Square there is a monument to the pavers who create Lisbon's cobblestoned pavements with their lovely pictures and patterns. The monument shows two bronze figures: one is crouched down chipping at a stone, the other is using a tool called a maço to press the stones into place. This monument was created by Sérgio Stichini in 2006.

Monument to the pavers.

Next we walked to Rossio Square which is cobblestoned and covered with wave patterns. It has two baroque fountains and a twenty-seven metre high column monument to King Pedro IV in the centre. The Dona Maria II National Theater is on this Square.

Rossio Square.

Then we walked to nearby Figueira Square to catch bus 737 to the castle. Figueira Square is a major hub for buses and trams. There are great views of St. George's Castle from here. In the centre of the square there is a bronze equestrian statue of King João I. There was a small market in this square.

Figueira Square.

From Figueira Square we took the bus to Saint George's Castle - Castelo de São Jorge. It cost 10 euros to go in, less for Peter as he's over 65.

Saint George's Castle dates from the sixth century. It was built by the Romans on top of some earlier fortifications. Later parts were added by the Visigoths and the Moors. At one time the castle was a royal Moorish residence. Then in 1147, Portugal's first king - Afonso Henriques, captured it, driving the Moors out. He was helped in this by northern European crusaders on their way to the Holy Land. The castle is dedicated to St. George in commemoration of the Anglo-Portuguese pact dating from 1371.

You enter the castle through a main gateway. In the first courtyard there is a statue of King Afonso Henriques. There are great views over Lisbon from the castles walls. Much of the castle was destroyed in the Great Earthquake of 1755, but there are still long stretches of walls and eighteen remaining towers. Inside the castle there are many peacocks wandering around. There is also a restaurant, cafe and toilets.

Saint George.

King Alfonso Henriques.

Views.

Peacocks.

The raven, the symbol of Lisbon.

Castle Walls.

Statues.

Archaeological Site.

We had brought a picnic with us to the castle and it was very pleasant to sit in the sun and enjoy fresh rolls, ham, cheese and tomatoes for brunch.

After the castle, we took a walk around the nearby area to take a look at the old houses with their colourful washing lines and balconies. We also visited the castle church.

Around the castle.

Then we returned to Figuiera Square and caught the number 15 tram to Belem. You can catch it here or in Commercial Square.

Belem is located on the Tagus River. It is known for its seafood restaurants and beautiful tiled houses. Sites worth visiting here include the Tower of Belem, the Discoveries Monument, Jeronimos Monastery and the Pastéis de Belém patisserie.

Belem was once the location of Lisbon's shipyards and docks. Great seafaring voyages of the past departed from here, such as the fifteenth-century voyages that discovered the sea routes to India, East Africa and Brazil. Nowadays Belem also has lots of areas of green parkland, many places on the river for drinks and snacks and several modern museums.

We found quite an interesting wall mural in Belem and a statue of the sorting hat from Harry Potter. It was there to advertise a Harry Potter exhibition. We walked to the discoveries monument then along the seafront and past the marina to Belem Tower and the nearby military museum. We then took a look at the Jeronimos Monastery but only from the outside. We had intended to have egg tarts in the Pastries de Belem, but its main hall was being renovated and the queue to get inside it was right down the street. We took a look at some of Belem's colourful houses and cafes, discovered another little statue filled park then attempted to go home.

Wall mural.

The Sorting Hat.

To get to the Discoveries Monument, you have to use an underpass at the end of the gardens in front of the Jeronimos Monastery. The Discoveries Monument was built in 1960 to commemorate the 500th anniversary of the death of Prince Henry the Navigator. It is supposed to look like a sailing ship ready to depart on a voyage. It has several sculptures of historical figures such as King Manuel I, poet Camões, Vasco da Gama, and Magellan. At the prow overlooking the river stands Prince Henry the Navigator. The only female on the monument is Queen Felipa of Lancaster She was the mother of Henry the navigator. There was a yacht race next to the monument when we were there.

The Discoveries Monument.

The Discoveries <br />Monument.

The Discoveries
Monument.

The Discoveries Monument.

Cruising the Tagus River.

Lighthouse.

Yacht race.

Marina.

A museum we passed.

We stopped for ice-cream on the way there.

And a beer on the way back.

We walked along the seafront via an ice-cream shop till we got to The Torre de Belém or Tower of Belem. This was built between 1514 and 1520 in the reign of Manuel I as part of the Tagus River defence system. The Tower is on an island attached to the mainland by a bridge. This tower has become one of the symbols of Lisbon.

Belem Tower.

Buskers at Belem Tower.

Belem Tower.

Near the tower there is a seaplane monument. This commemorates Gago Coutinho and Sacadura Cabral who were the first pilots to fly across the South Atlantic Ocean. Their biplane was called the Santa Cruz. Their flight left Lisbon on the 24th of March 1922 and arrived in Rio de Janeiro on the 6th of June 1922. This was a distance of around 8,400 kilometres and it took seventy- nine days.

The biplane monument.

On the other side of Belem Tower is a war memorial, and the Museu do Combatente or Military Museum.

Cenotaph.

Bust.

When we returned through the underpass and headed towards the Jeronimos Monastery, we were passed by lots of people in traditional Portuguese clothes. It was getting late so we just viewed the monastery from outside.

People in traditional Portuguese clothes.

The Jeronimos Monastery was built by King Manuel I in 1502. It stands on the site of a hermitage founded by Prince Henry the Navigator. Legend has it that Vasco da Gama and his crew spent their last night in Portugal praying in the hermitage before setting sail for India. The monastery was built to commemorate Vasco Da Gama's voyage and to give thanks for its success. Nowadays Vasco da Gama's tomb is inside the monastery. Other famous people buried here include poet Luis de Camões, King Manuel, King Sebastião, and poets Fernando Pessoa and Alexandre Herculano. Monks of the Order of Saint Jerome had to perform duties including giving guidance to sailors and praying for the king's soul.

The Jeronimos Monastery.

We had intended to eat some egg tarts at the famous Pastéis de Belém patisserie, but we discovered it had a queue a mile long as part of it was closed. I pushed my way through to take a picture of the cakes then we had a look at the main Street of Belem and a little park.

The cakes.

The queue.

Belem.

The park.

Stupidly, and it was my fault, instead of getting the 15 tram back we jumped on a bus which went past a metro. It got so dark I could not see the metro from the bus and we did not know where we were or even where the bus was going. To my relief I suddenly recognized a building I'd seen from the 28 tram the previous day - I think it is the Portuguese Parliament Building - so we leapt off and went to the tramline, but the mix up meant we did not get back in time to swim so I was in the bad books for the rest of the day.

Parliament at night.