Day 11: Lisbon Finale

With a few more things to see and do in Lisbon, our last morning started with a ride on one of the city’s iconic trams along a scenic route. They’re still using the tram cars from the 1930s, complete with wooden interiors, and we caught Tram 28 at the top of a hill in the Alfama neighborhood to ensure a seat at the start of the route. It shimmied and wound down narrow streets, crossing town to the Baxia’s wider, flatter, and straighter streets before climbing another hill.

Riding in Tram 28

Riding in Tram 28; notice how close we get to the buildings and narrow sidewalks on some of these turns.

We got off near Praça do Comércio to take pictures in the square sans marathon scaffolding, and walked to a fancy outdoor elevator called Elevador de Santa Justa. While it was nice to be spared climbing the hill, there are other means to do that and I can’t say the ride itself was worth the wait. 

Praça do Comércio

View across the Tagus River

Elevador de Santa Justa

Praça Dom Pedro IV--more ocean wave patterns on the ground

But it dropped us off right next to Museu Arqueológico do Carmo, the museum of archaeology built in the ruins of a church from the 1755 earthquake. In a place with so many millennia of history, the association of archeology only began in the 1860s, and it was interesting to see what they chose to highlight.

Museu Arqueológico do Carmo

Walking down the hill, we visited the Time Out Market for a light lunch. A few years ago, the travel magazine converted an indoor market into a food court with stalls from some of the city’s best cooks, making it a travel destination in itself. With so many delicious options to choose from it was difficult to decide, but I opted for the Croqueteria and my meal confirmed I’d made the right choice. Returning to a walk through the Baxia, we made one last stop at Confeitaria Nacional, where I selected a few final pastries–why choose just one? 

Croquettes at the Time Out Market

Tram 28 Route

Tram 28 Route

Monumento ao Calceteiro, a monument to honor the skilled workers who build the sidewalk mosaics

Confeitaria Nacional

Finale pastries

Street lamp in Lisbon; this logo of the city depicts crows watching over the remains of Saint Vincent as they were brought to Lisbon centuries ago (Vincent was the patron saint of Lisbon until 1981, when they swapped him for Saint Anthony).

We got off at a different metro stop to walk through a park back to our hotel, and discovered that just around the corner was a Bansky museum. With only time to see the lobby before catching our flight, it was an interesting note to end our trip on and a reminder that for all we managed to squeeze into this trip, while Portugal may be known for sending explorers into the world it has many things to discover.

Lobby of the Banksy Museum

After all the hills and stairs we'd climbed in Portugal, I felt like this was one of the takeaways of the trip.

 ...and of course, I had to map our trip.

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.