Iberian Voyage 16 - Lisbon 1

Thursday April 18

No complaints about the Hotel. The location is great which is always a most important part. But … air conditioning in Europe … room doesn’t cool much down in the night. 

Hotel is quite large and so is the breakfast room.  Buffet starting at 7 am.  More and more you see “gluten free” and “vegan” sections which is great. 

Our Red Group was scheduled to start the sightseeing at 8:30 am. The bus took us very close to the cruise port and the Tagus River. That's where we start our walking tour.

The streets are very narrow. We see lots of houses with those famous tiles but also many which need desperately renovating/saving. I think our local guide called it the Alfama neighborhood.

We saw here how difficult it is just to paint the outside. Can you see the painter hanging?

Our local guide was very good as always. She also told us about a devastating earthquake in 1755. At a recent renovation of a very old building this technique was discovered which could prevent earthquake damage. 

So much impressive tilework. 

A landmark (Basilica of Our Lady of Martyrs) but we did not go in. Instead we had a few minutes to wander around (WC or taking photos).

This fence is here for a reason. 

Just look down. 

A minute later we walked there … and I looked up to where I had taken the photo. 

So many churches squashed between houses. 

The Praça do Comércio. 

Our local guide commented that this status must be the cleanest of all because the pigeons don’t like it. Most likely they think the snakes are real. 

Joana called this a “learn and discovery moment” because we all used the underground subway.

Judy made me aware that the seats were done with cork. Cork (harvested locally) is everywhere: handbags, gifts, bottle covers, decorations etc. 

The bus was waiting for us where we left the subway. I like to look out of the window. In Lisbon I am marveling about the plazas and sidewalks. Beautiful patterns in black and white done with little stones. Amazing. 

Well, my phone tells me that this photo is labeled “Jardim da Torre de Belém”.

It was quite busy there and no parking. The buses had to let the visitors off and very slowly drive around in a circle. It worked out that everybody was back when the bus was back. 

The next stop not far at all was “the Monument to the Discoveries “. It was really impressive. 

There is a strange fog today but we can still see the bridge we came over and the very large Statue of Jesus. 

The figures on this monument (16 on each side / 33 total) represent people from the Portuguese Age of Discovery. 

These great people of the era included monarchs, explorers, cartographers, artists, scientists and missionaries.

Joana had a new surprise for us. After all, this is a culinary trip. 

In front of the monument is a large place with a world map (as known in discovery time). Of course made in marble. Quite impressive. 

Then we cross the busy street underneath. 

Here Joana’s father and a friend are waiting with the very special tartlets still warm from one of the best bakeries. 

Seeing these people in the distance surrounded with press people, mics and cameras Joana got very excited. Strange politics going on everywhere. 

Then back into the bus to take us to Cascais. This is not the river any longer. This is the Atlantic Ocean. This area is famous for its waves. Surfers come from all over the world to break records. 

Our lunch place. 

This was an aquarium in the entrance with many lobsters. 

I can’t resist to have a look at the ocean and find the way behind the restaurant. But I am not going far because I realized that it would be very difficult to walk up the hill in that very fine loose sand. 

Time to get on the bus and back to Lisbon. 

Somewhere the bus must have let us out again and we walked back from there. Sorry to say that I can’t remember that detail. 

I do remember the statue of these two workers doing or repairing the stone plaza. 

Joana brings us to the bottom of this elevator but tells us it is silly to stand in line forever to pay to be brought up when you can walk up much faster for the same view. 

We had a lovely walk but finally were back at the hotel for refreshing and/or rest. 

We were not hungry at all for dinner. But we met Susan and Peter in the rooftop bar. One can go outside and admire the view. 

The four of us had a good time talking. We had something to drink and tapas. We had heard on our tour that a Portuguese Queen forced to live in Brazil had actually invented the Brazilian drink “caipirinha” and Susan wondered how that tasted. So that is what she and I had. It shouldn’t have that dome of ice though. 

We were talking so lively that I totally forgot to take a photo of the four of us. We need to make sure that if we are on a trip again together to be in the same group. 

And then it was time to go to bed. This was another day again full of experiences. Night night.