Another sunny day. We got an early start and went to a bigger grocery first, came back and dumped the stuff then went looking for a place that sells transportation cards for Lisbon. It's like a phone card where you pay 50 cents for the card and then add amounts to the card, which is then rechargeable. We found the shop easy enough and got our cards. Then we decided to do a hop on / hop off bus with a route that that took us through the city and then to the Belem district, our destination for today. We did not get off until Belem.
Jeronimos Monestery
"In 1496, King Manuel I (1495–1521) asked the pope for permission to build a great monastery in thanks to the Virgin Mary for Vasco de Gama's successful voyage to India. The request was granted and construction began on the Mosteiro dos Jerónimos on January 6, 1501. The project was funded by treasures from explorations in Africa, Asia, and South America, as well as a stiff tax on the Portuguese-controlled spice trade with Africa and the East".
We decided to leave the exploration of the inside for another day and walked across the street to this huge garden.
The fountain behind Terry was going off as the buss arrived at the stop. By the time we got over here it was no longer going
and waited and it never went off
We decided to go find some lunch and saw that the famous little shop that created the Pasteis de Belem also served simple lunches. Turns out this place was huge with a maze of rooms one after the other. (i'm sure the tourists come by the bus load especially in summer). It was very busy even for this time of the year, but we found a table.
Pastéis de Belém
In the early 19th century in Belém, next to the Jerónimos Monastery, there was a sugar cane refinery linked to a small general store.
Following the liberal revolution of 1820 all convents and monasteries in Portugal were closed and the clergy and workforce were forced to leave. As a means of making a living, someone from the Monastery began offering sweet pastries for sale in the store; they rapidly became known as "Pasteis de Belém" (Belém Pastries).
At the time Belém was still quite a distance from Lisbon itself and was reached mostly by steamboat. Nevertheless, the grandeur of the Jerónimos Monastery and Tower of Belém attracted visitors who soon developed a taste for the delicious pastries that originated in the Monastery.
In 1837 "Pasteis de Belém" began to be made in the buildings next to the refinery following the age-old ‘secret recipe' from the Monastery. The recipe, which has remained unchanged to this day, has since been handed down in secrecy through generations of master bakers who make the "pasteis" by hand in the bakery's "secret workroom".
The ones we had here were the best. Served warm with powdered sugar and cinnamon as toppers and the absolute flakiest crust. Yum! Yum! Yum! If your ever in Lisbon, make your way to Belem for these delicious pastries.
Refreshed, we headed back to the bus stop. Just as we arrived, the fountain finally came to life again. Just like "Old Faithful", it apparently only goes off about every hour (we think). Ha
Off to Torre de Belem (The Tower of Belem)
Built in 1515 as a fortress to guard the entrance to Lisbon's harbor, the Belem Tower was the starting point for many of the voyages of discovery, and for the sailors it was the last sight of their homeland.
It is a monument to Portugal's Age of Discovery, often serving as a symbol of the country, and UNESCO has listed it as a World Heritage monument.
Built in the Manueline style, it incorporates many stonework motifs of the Discoveries, sculptures depicting historical figures such as St. Vincent and an exotic rhinoceros that inspired Dürer's drawing of the beast.
The architect, Francisco de Arruda, had previously worked on Portuguese fortifications in Morocco, so there are also Moorish-style watchtowers and other Moorish influences. Facing the river are arcaded windows, delicate Venetian-style loggias, and a statue of Our Lady of Safe Homecoming, a symbol of protection for sailors on their voyages.
At the entry upper battery area
Stairs to the lower battery area
The architect, Francisco de Arruda, had previously worked on Portuguese fortifications in Morocco, so there are also Moorish-style watchtowers and other Moorish influences. Facing the river are arcaded windows, delicate Venetian-style loggias, and a statue of Our Lady of Safe Homecoming, a symbol of protection for sailors on their voyages. Up another spiral staircase
Even some doors are too short for me
and up another level to the top
Back on the ground, we walked over to a "Memorial for the Fallen", which commemorates the soldier that fell in the Portuguese Colonial War, also known as the Overseas War in Portugal, which was fought between Portugal´s military and the emerging nationalist movements in Portugal´s African colonies between 1961 and 1974.
One last look at the tower
By this time our legs are tired and we just got back on the bus and rode to the end
The 25th of April Bridge, completed in 1966 and originally named after dictator Salazar, this suspension bridge across the Tagus River changed its name after the revolution of April 25, 1974.
It is a spectacular sight from any direction, with an overall length of approximately 1.5 miles, and the longest central span in Europe (3323ft), longer than San Francisco's Golden Gate Bridge, which it resembles.
These neat little pods are seats with their own shade trees.
We stayed in tonight and cooked a pot of Chili. Tired.
No comments:
Post a Comment