Lisbon - Day 8

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This morning we set out uphill again – on foot again! – to visit the Castelo de São Jorge. It was still fairly early so it wasn’t too hot slogging up the hill. Mind you we arrived at the castle and there were yellow buses dropping people right at the gate! Why do I keep letting myself be talked into walking everywhere??? Ah well, I guess I need to exercise (a lot!) to make up for the amount of gelato I am eating, to say nothing of the Portuguese tarts. We’ve eaten three tarts per day, for three days in a row. And it’s not like we are deciding between ice-cream and tarts, we have been having ice-creams AND tarts daily. Talk about a sugar overdose!

Bernie purchased our tickets online last night so we entered the online tickets lane rather than join the queue waiting to buy their tickets. The ticket queue was fairly short at the moment BUT it was even quicker to walk straight in with our tickets on Bernie’s phone. We just needed a little bit of help at the turn style to get the bar code on the phone read by the reader. Bernie just could not position his phone in the right place, but the staff member got it to read straight away. She admitted that she gets to practice daily helping tourists through the turnstile.

The castle dates back to the mid-11^th century when the Moors ruled Lisbon and the stronghold was the heart of their alcáçova (citadel). It was overtaken by Christian crusaders in 1147 and occupied by Portuguese royalty from the 14^thto the 16^th centuries. The castle grounds are filled with beautiful pine-trees that provided some welcome shade on yet another warm day. We climbed the castle’s ramparts where we were treated to fabulous views over the city, the river and the Ponte 25 de Abril.

As we made our way around the castle walls we believed that we were following the arrows in the right direction?? Maybe not though because there were so many people going the opposite way?? Anyhow, it was still relatively early in the day so, even with tourists moving in both directions, it wasn’t too congested.

The grounds were filled with peacocks, all of whom have lost their tails at this time of the year. They still have fabulously iridescent necks and chests, but they just aren’t as spectacular with their tail feathers absent. We also happened upon one ginger castle cat as we strolled around.

We wandered into the Núcleo Museológico which displays an excellent collection of artifacts from throughout the castle’s history. It features fragments of Iron Age pottery, Roman amphorae, mediaeval oil lamps and coins and 17^thcentury azulejos. One section of the museum featured arrows on the floor pointing out the direction of viewing and, guess what? we went the wrong way, ha, ha! Luckily there was no-one else in that part of the museum while we were there to be whispering behind their hands about stupid tourists who can follow arrows!

From the castle we meandered down the hill through the mediaeval and Moorish lanes that characterize the Alfama District of Lisbon. We arrived at the Miradouro de Santa Luzia for yet more views of the Rio Tejo. Next on our list was Sé de Lisboa (Lisbon Cathedral). Hmmn, which way to go? Up the hill we could see two beautiful bell towers BUT Google Maps said we should head down the hill. We put our trust in Google Maps and walked down the hill eventually arriving at the Sé. What an anticlimax. The cathedral is spectacular in its proportions, however its decorations are quite austere compared with the exuberantly decorated churches we have visited this week.

After the cathedral we started looking for some lunch. We stuck our noses in at Estrela da Sé because the tile on the wall outside boasted the fact that it is a traditional restaurant that has been run by the same family for centuries?? So, it was virtually empty but, when we confessed that we didn’t have a reservation, we were told by the snooty waiter that they were booked out. What?! I’m sure if he had been more enterprising he would have tried to get us in and fed and out again before all his patrons with reservations arrived?!

We continued down the hill, crossed to the restaurant on the other side of the street to discover that it was called Dear Breakfast and basically only serving breakfast-styled menu items all day. Hmmn, looking for something more like lunch than breakfast. Back across the Largo Santo António da Sé we happened upon Cantinho da Sé. This busy little restaurant didn’t have any trouble at all fitting us in and we enjoyed some delicious salad rolls/baguettes. And tried a couple of new cakes/pastries! Flaky pastry, sugary things, one filled with egg and one with almonds. The egg one sounded a bit weird, but it was good! After Googling while I write this I think our Portuguese pastries were a pastel de Tentúgal and a travesseiros respectively.

We continued walking down the hill to the Praça do Commercio, the vast riverside square surrounded with 18^thcentury arcades and featuring a triumphal arch and an equestrian statue of Dom José I. Boat arrivals used to disembark here and it still has a ‘gateway to the city’ feel about it.

Our our arrival in the square we sought out the Lisbon Story Centre. Co-located along with the Tourist Information Centre in the Pátio de Galé (restored inner courtyard of the former royal palace) the Lisbon Story Centre provides visitors with a 60-minute audio, multimedia and sensory journey through Lisbon’s history.

Next we ventured into the Centre Interpretativo da História do Bacalhau. Here we learnt everything we ever needed to know about the Portuguese obsession with bacalhau (salted cod). Not just an economic necessity to feed the people, bacalhau featured in the dictatorship’s propaganda! Who knew cod could be so political?

Back outside in the square we photographed Dom José I on his horse and the Arco da Rua Augusta. The triumphal arch was built after the 1755 earthquake and features allegorical figures representing Glory, Valour and Genius. And yet further renderings of Vasco da Gama and the Marqués de Pombal. These men are very well represented around the city! At the Lisbon Story Centre we had purchased ourselves another 24-hour Lisboa Card so we used those to ride the lift to the top of the arch for another perspective of the square, the river and the castle atop the hill.

After another huge day of sightseeing we spent a bit of time in the apartment before trying to go to the lamb restaurant again tonight. Closed on Tuesday nights! So meat and seafood on a skewer at Leitaria A Camponeza it was! We really enjoyed out meal at this restaurant a few nights ago so decided to return.



Steps: 12,469 (7.71 kms)

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