The Belam Tower........guarding the entrance to Lisbon since the 1600's. Somehow, we snuck in!
On Tuesday (March 28) we flew from Barcelona to Lisbon, Portugal. We have stayed here in the capital of Portugal, which is also the largest city in the country (approx. 600,000), for five nights. Today we'll board the Norwegian Sun and begin our nineteen-day journey back to Florida. If you're looking to impress your friends and family with your incredible knowledge, you can tell them that Lisbon is Europe's western most capital city and the only one that is on the Atlantic Ocean.
Lisbon is often compared to San Francisco. A few similarities between the cities are:
Cable cars..........just one of the similarities between Lisbon and San Francisco
The flight from Barcelona to Lisbon was less than two hours and very easy. We used a taxi to get from the airport to our hotel (Casas da Baixa) in the Chiado district of the city, which is conveniently located near the city center and just a 10 minute walk to the waterfront. Our cab driver, who spoke very good English proudly shared a bit about his country and city on the way to the hotel. He said the biggest challenge they are currently facing is that Portugal (especially Lisbon and Porto) are becoming extremely popular. Many properties are being bought up by foreigners, which is driving up the cost for Portuguese citizens. We told him we could relate and that certain parts of the US are experiencing similar challenges. It's nice to be in a desirable place, but it comes with it's own set of challenges.
We arrived late in the day and hungry, so we headed out to get something to eat. We were pleased to see that there are numerous restaurants in our neighborhood. From our hotel balcony I can see seven restaurants, and there are many more within a block or two. We noticed an Asian restaurant across the street was just starting their evening service and that a small line had formed at it's door. Asian sounded tasty and the line convinced us that it was probably good, so our choice of where and what to eat was quickly determined. It turns out it was so good, that we went back a second time, the very next night! Having now spent five nights here, we highly recommend the neighborhood. The hotel was wonderful in every regard, until the dance club below us stayed open until 2:00 AM on Friday and Saturday nights. But then again, we tend to be heading for bed at about the same time the locals (young and old) are heading out for the evening.
The front of our hotel. It is unstaffed and self check-in. There was a minute or two of confusion when we arrived and didn't know which room was ours or how to get in, but we quickly got it resolved and love the spacious accommodations!
From our balcony we can see seven different restaurants.......with many more just out of view. Eating good in the neighborhood!
The red and white table cloths (left) is Pizzaiollo (very good pizza) on the right is Boa Bao the Asian restaurant we had enjoyed twice. So many restaurants so little time!
Pad Thai Noodles with chicken
Steamed eggplant (excellent)
Amazing desert of pineapples, apples, chocolate spring rolls and vanilla ice cream...........because you can't live on steamed eggplant alone!
Sunset at this time of year is around 8:00. We were heading in as most folks were heading out!
Boa Bao
Having spent some time in Lisbon before, our game plan for our visit was similar to that of Barcelona, wander around and enjoy as much of this historic city as possible. Based on how our legs are feeling, I think we accomplished that goal.
Cascais
Our first full day in Lisbon we did venture outside the city a short distance. We took the 35-40 minute, very affordable ($3.00 US roundtrip) train ride from the Cais do Sodre Transportation Center to the Monte Estoril station. From there we walked along the seaside promenade to the beachside town of Cascais. We enjoyed walking around the small, picturesque, laid-back community that is popular with both locals and tourists. The train ride itself is well worth it as the train hugs the shoreline, first on the Tagus River and then the Atlantic Ocean. For the best views, if possible, sit forward facing on the left side on the way out and forward facing on the right on the way back.
Along the seaside promenade from Monte Estoril to Cascais. It's around one mile and really scenic.
The beach at Cascais. This was taken in the morning and it wasn't very crowded. By the afternoon it was bustling. The water temperature is still chilly so most folks were soaking up the sun and only a few hardy souls were in the water.
This is the Cascais Municipal Building. It contains a library and there is a nice park behind it.
Lisbon's Market is directly across from the Cais do Sodre Transportation Center. It's divided into two sections, a traditional market and a food court. We saw a long like at one vendor so we hopped in. They were selling beef croquettes that looked like Cuban stuffed potatoes, which we love. Turns out the meet was pureed and there was no potato. We may be getting older but we're not ready for pureed meat just yet. We're still trying to figure out the attraction!
Beef Pho at Boa Bao. We saw it on the menu the first night and wanted to try it. It was delicious!
Along the Waterfront and in the City Center
After our venture out to Cascais, we spent the rest of our time in Lisbon, doing what we do best, wandering around, bench sitting and both enjoying and appreciating where we are. The waterfront area is lively with cafes and restaurants along the way. We really appreciate the laid-back approach Europeans in both Spain and Portugal have in terms of enjoying the moment. We sat one afternoon at a popular waterfront cafe for well over two hours with a small pitcher of sangria visiting with a couple who will also be on the cruise. There were no attempts to rush us out or order more, just relax and enjoy, it's all good!
The city center is located just a short walk off the waterfront. There are numerous streets, with shops and restaurants. Some of these are "pedestrian only" while at other times you're sharing the road with cars, cable cars and tuk-tuks. Drivers are courteous and while you should never assume they're going to stop at cross walks, they are very good about it.
Walking to Belam
Although we don't put in the same amount of miles per day as we used to, we still enjoy exploring by foot. We retraced a walk from a few years ago that took us from the waterfront near the city center to the Belam Tower. Most of this five-mile walk is along the waterfront and quite scenic. It takes you under the April 25 bridge where you can get an interesting photo. You can get a picture with the bridge and the statue of Christ the Redeemer across the river. The bridge looks like San Francisco's Golden Gate Bridge and the statue looks like the Christ the Redeemer statue from Rio de Janeria, Brazil. While Lisbon's bridge and statue are iconic in and of themselves, it looks like you have the two more famous ones from San Francisco and Rio in the same shot. One note of interest: Lisbon's Christ the Redeemer is actually a few meters taller than Rio's.
The April 25 Bridge and Christ the Redeemer. A little San Francisco and a little Rio.
I'm not sure when it was erected, but this recognizes Portugal's Healthcare Heroes who served bravely during the pandemic. It's located along the waterfront.
Near Belam there is a museum which offers great rooftop views. This is going towards the Belam Tower.
Once you reach Belam there are numerous interesting sites worth checking out. These include the Belem Tower (officially the Tower of Saint Vincent), which was built in the sixteenth century as a fortification for the city as well as a point of embarkation and disembarkation for early explorers. Also worth checking out is the Padrao do Descobrimentos which was built in the 1940's and made permanent in 1960 to commemorate the 500 year anniversary of Henry the Navigator's death. I have to confess, I remember the stories of some of the early explorers, but Henry the Navigator isn't one of them. Based on the size of the impressive monument, he must have been pretty good!
The Padrao do Descobrimentos in memory of Henry the Navigator.
The Belam Tower
Across the street from the Padroa do Descobrimentos is the Jeronimos Monastery and Cathedral. You can access this area by an underground tunnel that connects the two areas. The monastery houses a archeology and maritime museum and requires an entrance fee to visit. Entrance into the Cathedral is free of charge and well worth visiting.
Outside Jeronimos Cathedral
The Monastery Towers
Inside the cathedral. There is no entrance fee and it's well worth visiting.
In the old days we would have walked the five miles back to the city center. That was then, this is now and we paid the $1.30 each and took the train. We still ended up covering just under ten miles........not a bad day of wandering!
Pizza is always a good way to end the day. This was from Pizzaiollo just steps from our hotel.
We've enjoyed listening to buskers (street performers) all over town. We've been fortunate enough to hear some good ones. Our favorite was the trio at the bottom left (the drummer got cut out of the picture).
For our last full day in Lisbon, we again enjoyed wandering around. After a nice lunch at a small bar/cafe overlooking some of the city center we walked up the high tone Avenue de Liberdade. A tree lined street with expensive shops on either side. At the top of Avenue de Liberdade is Parque Eduardo VII. The park is set high up overlooking Avenue de Liberdade and down to the waterfront. We stopped for a bit before slowly making our way back to the city center and towards our hotel.
Along Avenue de Liberdade!
Lisbon is full of monuments, plazas and parks!
Parque Eduardo VII, Avenue de Liberdade, and the Tagus River in the distance.
Inside the church of Saint Dominic. Groundbreaking on the church was in 1241 and at one time it was Lisbon's largest church. It was the site of numerous Portuguese Royal weddings. It was damaged by an earthquake in 1531 and completely destroyed by the massive earthquake of 1751. It was rebuilt completely. In 1959 the church was heavily damaged by fire. Although it has been restored, evidence of the fire can still be seen. To further complicate the church's historical past in 1506 thousands of "New Christians" (previously converted Jews) were massacred by a Christian mob. It was also the execution site of Gabriel Malagrida, a famous Jesuit missionary in 1761.
It's true confession time now. Other than the croquettes we loved all the food in Barcelona and Lisbon. However, last night we were really tired and meals are not quick over here. There's a McDonalds just around the corner. The Big Mac's were quick and tasty.
In a few hours we'll be on the Norwegian Sun. It's a nineteen day crossing that will end in Miami. There are nine ports of call. Two we visited on the Enchanted Princess. Most we've been to previously, but there will be a few new places to explore also. We don't feel there is real value (for us) in purchasing an internet package on the cruise ship. So don't look for another blog post for a couple of weeks.
Speaking of blog posts. On March 27, 2016, I posted my first blog. It detailed us selling the house, all our stuff and getting ready for retirement at the end of April. This is blog number 698..........I can't believe it. It's been an amazing journey with an incredible life partner. We both feel so blessed and plan to continue our journeys for as long as possible. Whether you're a regular reader or just occasionally check in to see what the idiots are up to, thank you from the bottom of my heart. I hope it provides some entertainment, information and maybe a bit of inspiration!
This was taped to a post in Cascais. Good words to live by!
