Monastery Jeronimo
Cloister
Cloister
Me smirking at the poor people trying to figure out my broken LCD screen
Kiddies dressed up for Carnival outside the monastary
I took advantage of Portugal's gracious attitude towards students and visited the Oriente Museum and the Museum for Modern and Contemporary art free of charge.
After the modern art museum I walked along the edge of the water to Belem Tower. This was one of my favorite structures in all of Lisbon. It was a great blend of effectiveness and aesthetics. Used as a naval defense station for centuries it was lethal and decadent, decorated to near flamboyant heights. I loved the message that it sent to its foes:
We are fierce, fiercely stylish.
We send cannon balls hurling at boats with class.
We sink enemy ships while looking snazzy.
We are not to be messed with because we are dangerous and pretty.
What a great combination!
Belem Tower, looking East
Belem Tower from the roof
Belem Tower, looking West
The decadent Belem Tower - and some clown
I stopped for a bit to play soccer with a seven year old Portuguese boy. It appeared as if he was the sole grandchild in a group of seniors and middle aged siblings. He looked incredibly bored kicking the ball around by himself. I am always pleased to find that soccer is international and a language of it own. All we did was kick a leather ball back and forth but we connected. From across oceans, from completely different cultures, fifteen years of age between us, didn't share 5 words in each others languages but we connected. I loved it. It broke up my touristy sightseeing very nicely.
My soccer pal
I continued my way down the coast, stopping at the grandiose Monument of Discoveries. Large and triumphant the monument conveys its message very clearly. We are badass.
Discovery Monument
Belem Pasteries. I had heard that Belem pastries were comparable to nothing else and I just had to see for myself, twice. They are very very good. It is no lie.
At this point I stepped off the main Belem boulevard and picked my way through the streets uphill into the working class section of Belem. I was shocked at how dramatically the landscape changed. No longer was I greeted with the shiny glass facade of tourism. It got pretty real up there.
Behind the curtain
Working class district
Beautiful Portuguese Door
Nobody in Europe owns a dryer
I caught a bus back to the city center and trudged uphill into the Alfama district to find the Lagos das Portas do Sol lookout for sunset. Only problem is the lookout faces East, not West. No problem!
I wouldn't choose it for my building, but still pretty
From Lagos
Yes it smelled bad, yes I used it
I jammed over to the other side of the hill and literally stumbled (I stubbed my toe on the steps) onto a terrace bar with a wonderful view of the sun setting over the city. At the bar I got myself Ginja, a liquor made from sour cherries. I relaxed and sipped and mused about all that I had seen in one day.
Sunset at a terrace cafe
Streets of Lisbon by night
The wonderful atmosphere at the rooftop terrace.