On Saturday, we spent a long but fairly slow-paced day seeing some of the key monuments and historical sites of Lisbon. (Note: Don’t be completely misled by “slow-paced.” We still got in 11,000 steps for the day.)
Morning, sailing up the Tagus River to Lisbon.
We spent the bulk of our morning in the Belem district. First, we stopped to see the Belem Tower, built in 1514 to commemorate Vasco da Gama’s expedition. It also served as defense of the Tagus River and is now designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Our next stop was nearby at the UNESCO site of the Jeronimos Monastery. It is a massive Gothic structure, with a beautiful cloister.
Also in the area is the Monument to the Discoveries, which notes Portugal’s role in the Age of Discovery.
We walked from the monastery to the Coach Museum. It was interesting to see old royal coaches and to imagine a different age.
Next up was a visit to the Alfama district. I’ve heard of it many times and was eager to see it. It is a labyrinth of narrow, steep, cobbled streets. Up, up we went, curving and climbing. (If you live in this area, you have a handy, built-in stairclimber. No need for gym memberships.) We had lunch and wandered around to look at shops and tiled houses and all the fado clubs. Wrong time of day for fado, of course, so we just tried to absorb the fado vibe.
A map of the Alfama, in tile of course.
Our final stop was the National Tile Museum, or Museu do Azulejo. It has a revered collection of the famed Portuguese azulejos. I have to admit that for years and years, for me, Portugal has been synonymous with glazed tiles. So, though Jerry was ready to call it a day, I had to see the collection. Did it live up to my expectations? Not really, yet I’m still glad I got to see it. There were some beautiful tiles to be seen. But getting to see all the houses and shops covered in tiles everywhere one looked was, in truth, probably more impactful.
So, how is it possible we could spend a full day trekking about and feel like we saw next to nothing? That is somewhat the nature of the beast when cruising, I’m afraid. But at least we now have some sense of Lisbon. I’m sure there’s more should we come back this way again.
Those coaches are beautiful. I didn’t realize that Lisbon had such a history with tile. What a beautiful port to visit!
Thanks for the wonderful descriptions of your day in Lisbon! We now have several great ideas of what to see when we’re there next month. Your photography is great.