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Published: March 23rd 2011
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Wednesday 23nd February 2011
Drive from Evora to Lisbon staying the city’s municipal campsite which is well placed for visiting the city and surrounding areas of interest.
In the afternoon we catch a bus to Belem, famous as the place from which many of the great Portuguese explorers set off on their voyages of discovery. In particular, it is the place from which Vasco da Gama departed for India in 1497. Here we are able to pick up a ‘Lisboa’ card which will give us access to public transport and museum entry for our visit.
Belém's most famous feature is its tower, Torre de Belém, built as a fortified lighthouse late in the reign of Dom Manuel (1515–1520) to guard the entrance to the port. It stood on a little island in right side of the Tagus, surrounded by water.
Belém's other major historical building is the Mosteiro dos Jerónimos (Jerónimos Monastery) built as a monument to Vasco da Gama's successful voyage to India and funded by a tax on eastern spices. The monastery contains the tomb of Vasco da Gama.
The most notable modern feature is the Padrão dos Descobrimentos (Monument to the Discoveries). This
is 52m high, 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. We ascend to the top by lift after watching a video presentation of the history of Lisbon a good introduction for our visit.
On our return we are able to access free wi-fi in the site bar and watch Marseille (0) v (0) Man Utd in the Champions League.
Thursday 24th February 2011
Train to Cascais a popular beach resort 30km east of Lisbon. Lunch includes Grilled Sardines and Chicken Piri-Piri and is followed by beach time and Segway riding before we walk along the promenade to Estoril. Along the way we stop to admire the surfers riding the waves. Estoril, famous for its Casino and motor racing circuit is an attractive resort and after our walk an ice cream here is welcome before catching the train home.
Friday
25th February 2011
Today a bus to Lisbon and a tour of the city using as many modes of transport our Lisboa card allows.
First stop the Santa Justa Lift designed by Raul Mesnier de Ponsard an apprentice of Gustave Eiffel, built between 1900 and 1902 and powered by steam, converted to electrical operation in 1907. The iron lift is 45 metres tall with the top storey being reached by helicoidal staircases and a terrace that offers views of Lisbon Castle, the Rossio Square and the Baixa neighbourhood. There are two lift cages, each with a wooden interior and accommodation for a maximum of 20 passengers.
From here a short walk to the Jardim / Miradouro de São Pedro de Alcântara where we stop for welcome refreshment and get a great view over the city.
Next the Glória Funicular which was opened to the public on October 24, 1885. At first it was designed as a water-powered system, then in 1886 it was replaced by steam-power, and finally in 1915 electrified.
A walk through the shopping area of the Baixa leads us to the stop for the famous number 28 tram a great way to
see the sights of the city. It rattles past a unique selection of old Lisbon's sights, taking travellers through winding streets, past historic buildings and traditional housing. It takes us on a 45-minute ride from the striking Basilica da Estrela to the famous St George's Castle overlooking the Tagus River. The yellow trams were imported from the United States in 1901 to replace horse-drawn carriages as the prime mode of public transportation in Lisbon.
Following our tram tour we catch a train to Belem where we visit the Lisbon Electricity Museum housed in the old Tejo Power Station complex. The complex constitutes an old thermoelectric plant that supplied power to Lisbon and its surrounding area. The exhibits take the visitor through the process of generation using coal as fuel and end with an interactive area designed for children to experiment with various aspects of electricity this was enjoyed by the boys until closing time and our bus home.
Saturday 26th February 2011
Bus / Train to Sintra, a UNESCO World Heritage Site on account of its 19th century Romantic architecture. Attractions include the fabulous Pena Palace (19th c.) the castle Castelo dos Mouros (8th or 9th century)
and the Palácio Nacional de Sintra (largely 15th/16th century), in the town itself.
In 1809 Lord Byron wrote to a friend "I must just observe that the village of Sintra in Estremadura is the most beautiful in the world.
A walk around the attractive streets is followed by a visit to the Palacio Nacional, a past summer residence of the Kings of Portugal and now used occasionally for international conferences.
On our return to site the boys film their first epic based on a storyboard inspired by what they saw in Evora a few days before entitled 'attack of the giant clones' it is unlikely to be seen in cinemas nationally anytime soon ( see 'rush' attached )
Sunday 27th February 2011
Today we visit the former site of 'Lisbon 'Expo 98' now called 'Nations Park' (Parque das Nações).
A visit the Oceanarium is today’s highlight. It is Europe's largest aquarium inhabited by 16.000 animals and plants representing over 450 different species. Four biotypes, each recreating one of the world’s coastal habitats, are located in the four corner towers which encircle the central aquarium. Together, they constitute a representative set of ocean environments.
The Global Ocean tank, one of the world’s largest aquariums (4 million litres), is visible throughout a visit to the Oceanarium. The tank habitat is that of the high seas, and a good percentage of its inhabitants are large animals, known for being strong swimmers. The best known are the sharks, rays and barracudas.
After lunch we enjoy the view of the Vasco da Gama bridge from the waterside cable car. The bridge is a cable-stayed bridge flanked by viaducts and it spans the Tagus River. It is the longest bridge in Europe (including viaducts), and ninth longest in the world, with a total length of 17.2 km, including 0.829 km for the main bridge, 11.5 km in viaducts, and 4.8 km in dedicated access roads. The bridge was opened to traffic on 29 March 1998, 18 months after construction first began, just in time for Expo 98, the World's Fair that celebrated the 500th anniversary of the discovery by Vasco da Gama of the sea route from Europe to India.
The ride home on the bus takes us past Benfica’s Estadio de Luz where a home game against Maritimo is due to kick off. Consequently traffic chaos
means the journey takes twice as long as expected.
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