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Published: October 7th 2017
In trying to be mindful of staying cool in this unusual heat wave, we started our day with a trip via subway to the fantastic Callouste Gulbenkian Museum. Gulbenkian made his money in oil, and amassed a wide ranging art and artifact collection which is now housed in a well-laid out museum in the middle of an exquisite park, complete with ducks, waterfalls, and sun bathing turtles. Seniors get half price at every venue we've been to, so it was a bargain at 5 euros each.
We then took the subway back to the waterfront, where Rick Steves let us down for the first time (and not the last time today) by suggesting a streetcar ride to Belem, instead of the train. The street cars were packed, and hot. We visited the Convent of San Geronimo, but only the church, where Vasco da Gama's tomb is found.
After that visit, we walked to the very famous Belen bakery where the delicious natas got their start. The scene was crazy with hordes of tourists awkwardly trying to buy pastries from the very patient staff. This is the first place that we've seen large groups of Chinese tourists.
Our next
Pigeons occupy the top floor of the building across from our apartment
There is rent control in Lisbon, and many landlords are forced to abandon part or all of their buildings...short term rentals (like Air BnB) seem to able to get around the rules...stop was the President's residence and the Royal Riding school with its exhibition of carriages. After the last major earthquake the residence was moved out of downtown Lisbon to the suburb of Belem. You can't visit the residence, but we watched the changing of the guard.
We took a very crowded tram back to Lisbon proper, and did a second Rick Steve walk in Baixa. It was very crowded at first, since we were near a cruise dock, but the crowds thinned as we moved away from the water. Rick let us down once again in his recommendation for dinner...food was mediocre at best...
On the way home, we sampled the national drink, ginjinha, an alcohol made from sour cherries, visited a few plazas and buildings and once again climbed up that steep, steep hill!
I was so tired I went to bed without finishing this blog, so it's a day late!
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