Lisbon - we'll be back!

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Lisbon is an exhausting city, but you just have to keep on going!

We took the 728 bus from outside St Apolonia station out to Parque das Nações, the Park of Nations which was the site of Lisbon's Expo World Fair in 1998. On seeing the sign for the Oceanarium we hopped off and soon found ourselves confronted by an enormous albino giraffe looking at itself in a mirror. Of course, it was just a statue but it was certainly a bizarre thing to see. As we made our way down to the riverside we got our first glimpse of the impressive Vasco de Gama bridge which spans the Rio Tejo and runs for a whopping 17km. The weather was superb so we knew we were not likely to venture inside the Science Museum even though it does sound like they have some very interesting stuff in there, nor were we going to explore the depths of the ocean in the much hyped Oceanarium. Instead we walked the length and breadth of the park, past the curvaceous and gleaming shopping centre and the futuristic looking trade fair centre. The cable car ride must be quite nice but we were enjoying the flat walk after the hills of the city centre. A big disappointment was the Vasco de Gama tower which is now part of a luxury hotel and access is restricted. We continued some way along towards the bridge before turning back and grabbing a bite to eat in the shopping centre food court, surrounded by screaming kids!

It had been a lovely morning and, with the weather continuing to impress, we decided against a siesta and took the metro down to Cais do Sodré. From there we took a crowded tram out to Belem, getting off at the Princesa stop for easy access to the Belem Tower. This is one of the symbols the Lisbon tourist board uses to great effect. We decided against queueing to go in but admired the Moorish architecture jutting out over the river. Nearby is the army museum and just along from that is the tomb of the unknown soldier. We were lucky enough to catch the sombre changing of the guard and it was very interesting to walk around the monument reading the inscriptions about Portugal's fallen heroes. The riverside in Belem is perfect for wandering and we soon joined the crowds at the Navigators Monument. This intriguing statue commemorates Portuguese explorer Vasco de Gama and his crew who set sail for India from this very spot in 1497. Our Belem trip concluded with a quick look inside the Jeronimos Monastery. Only the chapel is free to go in, but it's worth having a nose around even if only to see the tomb of Vasco de Gama himself. The 728 bus runs all the way from Belem to the Expo site, so we took it back to the waterfront area. Next to the old tobacco dock we noticed a tall ship and a navy frigate so we went to see what was going on. There was some sort of maritime festival in progress so we were able to climb aboard both boats to have a closer look.

The next day was Russ's birthday so we had a lie in. Being a tourist is tiring work you know! At 11 o'clock we met up with Christina again and took a ferry over the river to Cacilhas. There we enjoyed a coffee and a tasty pastel de nata, the famous Portuguese version of a custard tart but so much nicer! It was also international museum day so we didn't have to pay to go on board the Don Fernando II e Glória, a 17th century frigate which now sits in a dry dock. Despite this it felt as though the ship were swaying gently from side to side. There are several levels to explore with lots of cannons on display. We certainly got a good insight into the cramped conditions on deck and decided that we wouldn't have liked to have been sailors back then! We then had a wander through the town of Almada climbing up to the castle and the top of the elevator. The views over the Tejo were amazing and we could see all the way down to Belem and beyond. Deciding not to climb up to the statue of Christ which looms over the cliff tops, we instead climbed down the steps and had a wonderful lunch of soup, octopus salad and cod, plus some chilled green wine, on a jetty at the Ponto Final restaurant. Yes, green wine! It's actually a young, fresh white wine with a slight bit of sparkling fermentation still going on inside!!

The water was just starting to get choppy as we took the ferry back over. We were then introduced to Katherine who accompanied us on the train out to Cascais. The train was full of Benfica fans on their way to a successful Portuguese Cup Final but they got off a few stops down the line and were not very rowdy at all! We strolled along the promenade admiring the bravery of those swimming in the sea, which must have been very cold, whilst mocking some of the artwork which was on display. Noah's Ark had pandas and even pterodactyls! The sand sculpted crocodile was very good though. Reminiscing about our time in Brazil, we decided to pause at a bar for a caipirinha for old times sake! After a walk around the historic centre of Cascais we went for an Indian to celebrate Russ's birthday. By the time we got back to our apartment we were absolutely exhausted!

The weather changed for our last day in Lisbon. It had been forecast so we couldn't really complain about the rain. We took the train from Rossio station to the hill town of Sintra. There we had hoped to explore the grounds of one of the stately homes but we couldn't really justify the entry fee to trudge around. It gives us something to go back for though. We had a rather damp walk through the town and out the other side before deciding not to go in anywhere though, except for a cafe to have an expensive but yummy hot chocolate. It's a beautiful place and ideal just for wandering around anyway. So that's what we did. Resembling something like a blend of Victorian England and Bavarian Germany, there's certainly a lot to catch the eye. The National Palace with its huge white chimneys is quite a thing to see and there were more beautiful buildings as we went up the narrow cobbled streets to the top of town. We made our way back to the train station stopping to take in some of the weird and wonderful sculptures which lined the road. Back in Lisbon we caught the number 12 tram from the Praca da Figuera all the way up to the castle. It was a nice ride up some steep hills and from the top we were able to meander our way back to the apartment. In the evening we returned to the Floresta de Santana restaurant for a last Lisbon meal and once again we were more than happy with the place. Even the house wine is excellent, and that was a ridiculous €4 for a litre!

Our final morning was taken up with packing quickly and going out for a coffee. When we got back to the apartment the cleaners were already there sorting the place out. That invasion of privacy is one of our main complaints which we are still waiting to have addressed. Picking up our bags we took the metro all the way out to the airport. Once again it was a smooth and quick flight, and before we knew it we had reversed our journey back to Mataró and begun to face the mountain of work that had built up over our five days away. Would wi-fi in the flat have made a difference? Probably not!!!!

Once again, if you have enjoyed the photos and want to see more, head over to Flickr where you can see them all!

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Comments

[global]

Thanks for sharing this helpful information of Lisbon. Thanks & Regards, SEO Mumbai

[D MJ Binkley]

A great lunch
Now that is a great lunch!