Containing a journal of our life, its journeys, experiences we've had, things we love to do and of course family…!
Here are some interesting views on our trip back to Turin, Italy from Porto, Portugal. Luckily, the weather was perfect on both ends of the trip so our flight was totally uneventful.
On our last couple of days in Lisbon we went across the bowl[1]I note this because it is the lower flat portion of the city the rise gently to the north. and visited the sights in and around the oldest part of the city, Alfama. Then after that we took the 15E Tram and visited Belém, the most important part of the city with respect to ports and its historical noteriety.
This area includes the Moorish Castle of São Jorge and a number of the overlooks that the area enjoys. Of course, there is also Lisbon Cathedral, which actually looks like it might have been destroyed by the great 1755 earthquake and rebuilt afterwards, but the cathedral and area were largely spared from any damage due to that quake.
Perhaps contrary to popular belief, Lisbon and Porto are very busy ALL YEAR. It appears that since RyanAir has a HUB in Porto, everyone and his cousin comes to the area for at least the weekend and many for the entire week. This not doubt puts real stress on Porto, which I can not imagine during the summer when it is really hot and full of tourists.
Lisbon on the other hand is a larger city and can handle more people, however, it has the double wamy of having cruise ships dock as well. So expect the lower parts of Lisbon to be always crowded.
Some walk from the Chiado part of town, where our hotel was located, and across the promenade of R. Augusta, is a totally different part of the city, Alfama. Here you can find the Santa Apolónia train station; in fact, check any train ticket you have that travels to Porto or beyond, and you might notice that it might not be necessary to go all the way to Oriente train station, some of those trains actually start in Santa Apolónia.
If you walk the area it is quite steep, so be prepared, or for those less inclined to walk and climb, take an alternate mode of transportation like the 12E Tram, a Tuk-Tuk or the bus.
The Church of Our Lady of Grace stands on top of one of the hills on this side of the city. It has a beautiful ceiling in the nave, but the altar is rather plain and typical among other churches we have seen.
Adjacent to the church is the Convent of Grace, which is temporarily being used as a modern art museum. However, it is nice just to drop in and see the fascinating Portuguese tiling that adorns the walls.
The Castle of São Jorge is a large Moorish castle with a commanding view of the overall area of Lisbon. It has a surrounding wall with a central castle and a number of amenities, including a cafe and a restaurant.
Though you can purchase tickets at the gate, we found the entire staff appeared to be very confused and we got numerous conflicting stories as to what was available, when and where we had to queue in line. We decided to purchase our tickets online, this was actually quicker and more convienent. However, we still had to stand in a line for about an hour, and it isn’t even tourist season, so bring your patience.
The Church of Saint Vincent de Fora is actually pretty far from everything else, but still walkable. From the Church of Grace and some of the observations points, it can be easily seen in the distance, usually with the National Pantheon dome looming in the frame.
The interior is actually quite spartan and perhaps not worth the effort. However, for a fee you can enter other portions of the grounds like the sacristy, which is known to be far more opulent than the church itself. Having been in so many churches in the past few months, we decided to save our money and continue our travels.
Noted in history as the port from which Vasco da Gama departed for his adventures to India, this port town’s most noticeable attribute is it tower. But there is also the monastery, its cloister and the church, all of which represent fabulous examples of the late Gothic Portuguese Manueline style of architecture.
When you exit the tram the first thing you notice is the Church of Saint Mary of Bethlehem across the street. Then the Jerónimos Monastery comes into view, as an extension to these architectural marvels.
The Belém Tower, or more precisely, the Tower of Saint Vincent, stands just off shore and was actually a lighthouse in the past.
After we visited the Church of St. Vincent we stopped at a small restaurant along the way back called Rendez Vous. They have sort of an eclectic menu which probably does not appeal to everyone, but we found the food and wine very good and would commend the place to anyone looking for something a little different.
References
| ↑1 | I note this because it is the lower flat portion of the city the rise gently to the north. |
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