Day 10: Belem

 Thank you, Lisbon Marathon! We weren’t sure what would be closed or blocked due to the race, but since we relied on the underground metro and fenced-off trains to get around, not only were we not affected, but it appeared many locals decided to stay home until it was over. Arriving in the Belem neighborhood before the sites opened, we made the pilgrimage to Pasteis de Belem for the original pastries. The story goes that when all convents and monasteries in Portugal were closed in 1834 after a revolution and the monks and nuns were kicked out, someone who had lived at the Belem monastery started selling pastries using the nearby sugar refinery and a secret recipe from the monastery. Word spread, imitators opened shops closer to central Lisbon, but this shop claims to still make the secret recipe today. Honestly, they all tasted great to me but it was fun to visit the original location. 

Pasteis de Belem

We had a moment before mass started to duck into the monastery’s church, Igreja de Santa Maria de Belém, a lovely church housing the tombs of royalty, and more recently Vasco da Gama (he died in India, and was interned in his birthplace until the 1880s). The tomb just opposite his looked equally important, and I later learned it was for a celebrated poet from the same era. 

Igreja de Santa Maria de Belém

Entrance to Igreja de Santa Maria de Belém

Tomb of Vasco da Gama

We’d heard horror stories of the lines to enter Mosteiro dos Jerónimos, but were 2nd in line! Kara met a kindred spirit (also American), while we waited until opening and watched the hoards congregate as busloads of tourists arrived. Our early entry made it easy to enjoy the Cloister without it feeling crowded, and the intricate carvings blew me away. It was built to honor Vasco da Gama’s discovery of a sea route from Portugal to India, and likely funded by the profitable trade in spices like pepper that the discovery enabled.

Cloister at Mosteiro dos Jerónimos

Cloister at Mosteiro dos Jerónimos

Cloister at Mosteiro dos Jerónimos

Cloister at Mosteiro dos Jerónimos

Detail from the dining hall at Mosteiro dos Jerónimos; their biblical scenes were food-focused: Joseph in Egypt (and his food storage plan for pharaoh), and the miracle of the loaves and fishes.

Nearby and right on the river, we visited a monument to Portuguese exploration called Padrão dos Descobrimentos. Naturally, my favorite part of it was the map on the plaza in front of it, which was also where tour groups insisted on congregating.  

Padrão dos Descobrimentos--note the stonework looks like ocean waves at the base.

Map mosaic at the base of Padrão dos Descobrimentos, depicting the year of Portuguese arrival.

Detail of the map mosaic--loved the sea monsters and breezes off the coast of California.

Also along the water, and equally surprising for the light crowds, was Belém Tower. It was built in the early 1500s to not only defend the entrance to the ports of Lisbon but to also be a symbolic entrance to Lisbon and departure point for sailors. The four stories were connected by a small, tight, spiral staircase with staff serving as traffic guards to direct tourists one floor at a time.

Belém Tower

Belém Tower

All of this typically requires a full day to see due to crowds, but here we were and it wasn’t even lunchtime yet. Crossing over the race on a pedestrian bridge, I had to thank the runners for keeping everyone else away. Our city passes included several museums so while we headed to one nearby, we passed by Palácio Nacional de Belém–their presidential palace. We couldn’t go inside, but it was fun to see that their white house is pink. The National Coach Museum was large with an extensive collection that we mostly breezed through, but  a few standouts (and free entry) made it worth it.

Palácio Nacional de Belém

National Coach Museum

The other museum we opted to visit required hopping on a train, and a longish walk that was clearly not in the touristy part of town. But the Museu Nacional do Azulejo (National Tile Museum) was great for helping me appreciate how they made all those tiles we’d seen throughout our trip, and how the artform has changed over the centuries. Again, not a must-see but nice and glad it was included with the pass. 

One of my favorite mosaics in the museum: Mickey Mouse at Saint George Castle

One of the exhibit rooms as Museu Nacional do Azulejo

Example of tile work from the 1920s at Museu Nacional do Azulejo--I initially missed the pattern consists of grasshoppers!

This mural of Lisbon pre-1755 took up most of the large room; some of these buildings still stand today.

Our long trip and the warm day caught up with me, so I was happy we had time for a nap before dinner. We opted to stay close to the hotel, and ate at a place called Shiso Burger for our last dinner in Portugal. Feasting on a chili lemon burger, tempura sweet potatoes, cheesecake w/ yuzu, and mint lemonade confirmed we’d made the right choice. Back at the hotel, we got to enjoy the sunset on the top floor and watch day turn to night overlooking the city’s many hills. And of course, topping off the night with more pool time.

Dinner at Shiso Burger

Happy feet at the hotel pool; from this spot you could watch the incoming planes to the airport.

Day 9: Sintra

We returned to the lovely Rossio train station to take one of the earliest trains to the nearby town of Sintra. It was a short taxi ride up a steep road, followed by a short (also uphill) walk through the surrounding wooded grounds to get our place in line for Pena Palace, which luckily was behind a couple who’d hired their own English-speaking guide. While the visit was self-paced, lingering behind the couple helped me appreciate what we were seeing as we walked through the rooms and courtyards. It was built by King Ferdinand II (who married into the Portuguese royal family) using his own fortune and on the ruins of a convent destroyed in the 1755 earthquake. And as a Romantic who loved the arts, he brought in multiple architectural styles to evoke different times and places–Gothic, Moorish, Manueline, etc.. The interiors were mostly Victorian, and it was interesting to get a glimpse into what their daily lives were like in these private spaces. Attempting to take photos in the courtyard and seeing the long line as we walked out made me appreciate the early start. Overhearing another guide as we walked to the next stop, I learned that the surrounding forest included trees King Ferdinand had brought in from all over the world, making it one of the most important arboretums in Portugal. 

Pena Palace--a riot of colors and styles

Cloister of Pena Palace, reflecting it's prior life as a convent.

Grand Reception Room

Ferdinand II's bedroom

Balcony at Pena Palace

Inner courtyard of Pena Palace--note the crowds on the left trying to get their photo shoots without other people.

View towards the Moorish Castle and the ocean from Pena Palace.

Intricate carving in the Monumental Gate

Moorish Gate leading up to Pena Palace

Our next stop was the nearby 10th century Castelo dos Mouros (Moorish Castle), with the now-familiar story of a hilltop castle built under Islamic rule until the conquest of Lisbon in 1147 when it became a Medieval town before being abandoned. The views were fantastic, and with all the steep climbs up and down the fortress walls along the ridgeline I was happy to stop often and soak it in.

The Moorish Castle--we climbed every step and wall you see here.

From there we went a bit down the hill to Quinta da Regaleira, a 20th century palace most famous for the grounds. With a flair for the dramatic, they built grottoes and fake cave networks into their hillside gardens with a maze of paths to entertain guests. The most famous part, requiring the longest line, is an “Initiation Well”, spiraling down into the ground. 

Looking up from the bottom of the Initiation Well

Fake grotto at Quinta da Regaleira

Quinta da Regaleira

Tile background at Sintra Palace

Sintra itself is quite small, so we didn’t stay long in the town, but I finally succumbed to all the ceramic shops we passed and picked up a pair of dinner plates to bring home. It was nice taking the train during the hottest part of the day back to Lisbon, and relaxing for a bit at the hotel before going downtown near sunset. Dinner was more Bifana at Beira Gare, and more Pastel de Nata sampling, this time at Fábrica da Nata. And capping it off, more sauna!

Arco da Rua Augusta

Sunset on the Tagus River

Another great place for Pastels de Nata

All of the metro stations had tile art; naturally the map one (also the stop for our hotel) was one of my favorites.

Day 8: Porto to Lisbon

We stopped at a nearby bakery in Porto for breakfast pastries before hitting the road for the last leg of our drive, back to Lisbon. This time, we opted to take the toll road which meant a little less local color, but compared to the winding roads and going through towns on previous legs, it shaved hours off our drive. I’d found the LDS temple was close to the airport, so we stopped by just before returning the car. It’s in a newer neighborhood that seemed quite nice, but I was surprised to see no fence around the grounds and how close it was to the street. It became a little clearer when I saw someone carrying their groceries, as locals apparently use it to cut through on foot when running errands. The roads around the airport felt chaotic, so it felt great to drop off the car. 

Lisbon LDS Temple--this is practically the view from our parking spot.

Our taxi driver waited for us to check in and drop off our bags at the hotel before dropping us off at the top of Castelo de São Jorge (mercifully saving me from another hill). While we stood in line on the narrow cobblestone streets outside the grounds, our first glimpse was a splash of color, courtesy of the peacocks that wander the grounds. Inside, this was more about connecting to ancient roots than modern splendor. The site has been inhabited since at least the 2nd century BC, and it seemed like a who’s who of ancient civilizations had occupied it before the Portuguese in the 1100s: Phoenicians, Carthaginians, Romans, and Moors. Archaeological digs and historic interpreters in medieval garb helped to highlight this history, and after climbing a few towers and walking the walls, their museum helped connect the story through the objects they’ve found over the years. Plus, it’s hard to beat the view from this hilltop! 

View from Castelo de São Jorge. That bridge in the background is Lisbon's equivalent of the Golden Gate Bridge, and to the left is their giant statue of Christ.

Castelo de São Jorge--you can take a walk on the castle walls.

Archway in Castelo de São Jorge

Archeological dig in Castelo de São Jorge, revealing the centuries and civilizations who've lived there.

Artifact in the Castelo de São Jorge museum.

We started the Rick Steves walking tour from here and started making our way down the hill and towards the waterfront, stopping along the way for some incredible raspberry and passionfruit sorbets at a place called Alice. Arriving at Praça do Comércio, the town square on the waterfront, we were surprised to see bleachers being set up and the main statue fenced off. It turns out the Lisbon Marathon was that weekend, which would be exciting but we weren’t sure how this would affect our plans. Heading away from the water, we took a brief side trip to visit Sant’Anna, a tile company that’s been using the same hand-painted techniques since 1741. It was fun selecting a small tile to bring home to remind me of the gorgeous mosaics all over the country we’d seen.

Sé de Lisboa, (Lisbon Cathedral). You can get a tour of the city in those antique-style cars.

View from the Baixa neighborhood looking back to Castelo de São Jorge and Sé de Lisboa in the Alfama neighborhood.

Back on the walking tour’s route, the audio commentary helped me appreciate the change from the narrow, winding roads of the older Alfama neighborhood to the Baixa neighborhood’s wide, straight streets. It seems the norm in most places now, but the Baixa was completely destroyed by an earthquake in 1755 and this approach to rebuilding (led by a guy named Pombal with a military background) was novel at the time. It’s also where I started to appreciate the stone patterns in the sidewalk, called Calçada, made of black basalt and white limestone. It was a novel and beautiful solution to all the rubble left after the earthquake. A tour stop was Confeitaria Nacional, one of the oldest pastry shops in Lisbon, and it was fun perusing all the cases for a selection of cookies and pastries to sample later.

 

Our next stops were more somber, including the Igreja de São Domingos church, built in 1241 but rebuilt after a fire in the 1960s, and a small monument outside the church marking the massacre of Jews there in 1506. Just up the block was Rossio train station, only built in the 1800s but in the intricate Neo-Manueline style evoking Portugal’s glory days in the 1500s. On a quiet side street just around the corner from this bustling area, we ate delicious rotisserie chicken with piri-piri sauce for dinner at a place called Bonjardim. 

Rossio train station

Bonjardim's rotisserie

After dinner we walked to the nearby funicular with the lofty name Ascensor da Glória, and rode it up to Bairro Alto for the view and to stroll that neighborhood and continue the walking tour. An important stop was Manteigaria to sample their Pastel de Nata and watch how they’re made. Hot, fresh, and with an extra dash of cinnamon it was hard not to be impressed! Back at the hotel, I was delighted to discover their pool also included a sauna and a bade pool (think hot tub with different jets to target different muscles). Such a fat and happy end to the day. 

Ascensor da Glória

Sunset view over Lisbon's hills from the botanical garden

Tiled facade in Barrio Alto

Watching them make Pastel de Nata at Manteigaria