Sandy's arrival and a couple days in Lisbon and Cascais

Saturday, Terry's friend Sandy arrived at about 9:00 AM.  She will be with us the rest of our say in Portugal and then to Barcelona with us for a couple of weeks.  

Keeping Sandy awake for the rest of the day. We walked her up and down the hills of some of our favorite places.  Church of Saint Roch, She had to touch lottery man in case she buys a ticket. 

The Miradoura Sao Pedro de Alcantaro

This is the city's most famous cafe, opened in 1905 with a magnificent art nouveau decor and known for the intellectuals who stopped by on a daily basis in the early 20th century. One of them was poet Fernando Pessoa, whose bronze statue (perhaps the most photographed in the country) stands amid the clientele of both young and old.  This cafe is in the Baixa Chiado district uphill not far from the Rossio Plaza

After lunch a walk through the Alfama district

We ended up at another favorite Miradoura for a drink overlooking the rooftops of the Alfama and then home.  We cooked in and had an early night. 

On Sunday we decided to do some museums.  Just a note, museums are mostly free on Sundays.  First The Museum Calouste Gulbekian.  

We were not able to take pictures here.  However, it is a museum well worth seeing if you are ever in Lisbon.  The Gulbenkian Museum, one of the world's great museums and one of Europe's unsung treasures. Part of the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation, it houses a magnificent collection of Egyptian, Greek, Roman, Islamic, Asian, and European art. It was substantially renovated and modernized in 2001 (many of its masterpieces were on display in New York's Metropolitan Museum of Art during renovation), and can't be missed during a visit to Lisbon. This is one of the world's finest private art collections, amassed over a period of 40 years by oil magnate Calouste Gulbenkian, who was one of the 20th century's wealthiest men. In his later years he adopted Portugal as his home, and donated all of his stupendous art treasures to the country when he died in 1955 at the age of 86.  A billionaire many times over, he spent 10% of his annual income on the collection of the art in this museum.  Beautiful rugs, pieces of furniture, paintings everything.  It was amazing that so many of the Egyptian, Greek and Roman vases, dishes etc. were complete and not just shards or reconstructed pieces.  It was a beautifully laid out museum every piece seeming to have adequate room to be admired.  Highly recommended

We decided to have lunch in the little cafe attached to the museum, then headed back into the center of Lisbon and up the elevator to the Alfama area to the Museum of Decorative Arts.

The 17th Century former city palace of the Count of Azurara stands on the Largo das Portas do Sol  in Alfama, in the heart of Lisbon’s historic centre, and currently houses the Museum of Decorative Arts. The banker Ricardo do Espirito Santo Silva, whose family was one of the richest in Portugal, acquired the palace in 1947 and donated his collection to the museum.  This great  museum gives a picture of aristocratic life in the 18th and 19th century.

On display is magnificent Indo-Portuguese furniture, a priceless collection of silver and Chinese porcelain, and several Flemish tapestries from the 16th and 18th centuries. 

Coupe Berlin Carriage 

The staircase up

and up

This little cafe and patio was up the stairs on the second or third floor - a little surprise

The pose

Hugemongous candle sticks

This tapestry is 16th century woven in Tournai.  Recent studies suggest that the procession represented might have been based on Eastern Africa and is probable that it portrays a specific region of Africa that the Portuguese visited.  If you look closely you can pick out 5 giraffes, part of a leopard, an elephant, part of a zebra, crocodile and men women and children.  It was quite magnificent.

The white inlaly is all ivory

Music Room

Queen Maria ! Room

Four Lid Table, the most elaborate lid being the games table for checkers, chess and backgammon

King Jose and Queen Maria bedrooms

Showcase Room

Cadaval Room - Caparison with the Dukes of Cadaval Coat of Arms.  Decorated with pieces of silver, it was used in court festivities such as pageants and bull fights covering the back of the horses.

17th Century Sleeping Room

Dining Room

Central Hall

King Joao V Room

Miniatures Room

Nativity Scene Room

Sandy selecting her favorite chair in the Chair Room

Headed down the hill again to rest a bit before dinner.  Went to dinner at a restaurant known for its roasted chicken.  It was delicious.  As we were heading back down the street home, we heard some music playing.  It was a street twosome with electric guitars and they were playing and singing American music from the old days, such as "House of the RIsing Sun"  old Beatles tunes and a bunch of others.  They were set up next to a sidewalk cafe, so we sat down and listened for probably an hour and a half.  There was a young man sitting next to us who took our picture and I got to talking to him.  He was in Lisbon for the weekend.  Lives and works in London, but originally from Columbia.  He, of course, spoke very good English.  Anyway the music was great and we had a really good time.

We didn't get home until around 11:00 pm which is late for us.  Ha.

Monday, we decided to go back to the little fishing village of Cascais.  No rain today, it was beautiful

 

Beautiful harbor

Fishing boats

Sand sculpture.  Very neat

City Hall

King Don Pedro

Lunch out doors in Cascais

After lunch we wandered back up through this cute village to the train station and home.

Headed to dinner in a beautiful building.  The wine was very good, the food so so.

I have already announced to the other two girls that tomorrow is a down day for me.  Am really tired, as we have been going non stop for about  6 days.  Need to rest my weary body.