Welcome to Lisbon, the capital of Portugal. I wonder whether it was because of the christmas period, but Lisbon was a bit of a disappointment coz it was so quiet and bars/restaurants were closed during the 2 days that we were there. We had been warned before hand that we were going to be in Lisbon during the shutdown season.... just the timing/duration of the trip that we had opted to take. So Lisbon was probably the city which I had the least chance to properly experience. Our first night there, the girls and I took the metro down to the dock to grab a drink. By pure luck, we managed to find the sole restaurant that was open. But it was good as well, as we got to see the 25 de Abril bridge lighted up at night, and the statue of Jesus Christ in the far distance. The next day, on our day tour of the city, it was quite clowdy so visibility was that good then.
Day tour around the main sights of Lisbon. Pictures taken mostly from the moving bus, so not very good, but you can a brief idea of what the city is like.
Something I found unique about the Lisbon streets: the intricate patterns of the pavements. I was told that it's a very portuguese tradition and it's very common in Brazil and Macau as well, hints of Portuguese influence
Another typical portuguese feature, glazed tiles and salmon walls, hints from the Moorish periods in Portugual.
Belem Tower: The tower was built as a fortified lighthouse late in the reign of Dom Manuel (1515-1520) to guard the entrance to the port at Belém. It stood on a little island in right side of the Tagus, surrounded by water.
Lisbon other notable modern feature: Padrão dos Descobrimentos (Monument to the Discoveries). This is a 52m high slab of concrete, erected in 1960 to commemorate the 500th anniversary of the death of Henry the Navigator. The monument is carved into the shape of the prow of a ship in which stand statues of various explorers, as well as a statue of Henry himself. Adjacent to the monument is a square into whose surface is set a map showing the routes of various Portuguese explorers.
Jeronimos Monastery. The existing structure was started on the orders of Manuel I (1515–1521) to commemorate Vasco da Gama's successful return from India. It was originally meant as a church for the burial of the House of Aviz, but it also became a house of prayer for seamen leaving or entering port. Came in here on Christmas day and was able to partake a little of the Christmas mass :). Due to respect for the churchgoers, I didn't take any interior pictures.
Lisbon at night....
Portuguese Fado night optional outing. Fado (Portuguese:destiny, fate) is a music genre which can be traced from the 1820s in Portugal, but probably with much earlier origins. The songs are usually rather mellow in nature, accompanied by the portuguese guitar and (as told my our guide), usually about heartbroken romance stories :P. The dinner was traditional portuguese fair, with drinks included, and I got to try white port wine as an aperitif.
Me with the Fado singers after dinner. Quite impromptu picture. We were just saying goodbye and suddenly I just blurted out, "can i take a picture with you?" haha... So thick skin right...
Day tour around the main sights of Lisbon. Pictures taken mostly from the moving bus, so not very good, but you can a brief idea of what the city is like.
Something I found unique about the Lisbon streets: the intricate patterns of the pavements. I was told that it's a very portuguese tradition and it's very common in Brazil and Macau as well, hints of Portuguese influence
Another typical portuguese feature, glazed tiles and salmon walls, hints from the Moorish periods in Portugual.
Belem Tower: The tower was built as a fortified lighthouse late in the reign of Dom Manuel (1515-1520) to guard the entrance to the port at Belém. It stood on a little island in right side of the Tagus, surrounded by water.
Lisbon other notable modern feature: Padrão dos Descobrimentos (Monument to the Discoveries). This is a 52m high slab of concrete, erected in 1960 to commemorate the 500th anniversary of the death of Henry the Navigator. The monument is carved into the shape of the prow of a ship in which stand statues of various explorers, as well as a statue of Henry himself. Adjacent to the monument is a square into whose surface is set a map showing the routes of various Portuguese explorers.
Jeronimos Monastery. The existing structure was started on the orders of Manuel I (1515–1521) to commemorate Vasco da Gama's successful return from India. It was originally meant as a church for the burial of the House of Aviz, but it also became a house of prayer for seamen leaving or entering port. Came in here on Christmas day and was able to partake a little of the Christmas mass :). Due to respect for the churchgoers, I didn't take any interior pictures.
Lisbon at night....
Portuguese Fado night optional outing. Fado (Portuguese:destiny, fate) is a music genre which can be traced from the 1820s in Portugal, but probably with much earlier origins. The songs are usually rather mellow in nature, accompanied by the portuguese guitar and (as told my our guide), usually about heartbroken romance stories :P. The dinner was traditional portuguese fair, with drinks included, and I got to try white port wine as an aperitif.
Me with the Fado singers after dinner. Quite impromptu picture. We were just saying goodbye and suddenly I just blurted out, "can i take a picture with you?" haha... So thick skin right...
