April 2, 2019:
For the first part of our trip to Portugal, we had Nancy’s cousin, Georgia, join us (she flew from California, we flew from Denver and we met at London Heathrow Airport). Here Nancy and Georgia are enjoying our layover in London on our way to Lisbon.
Nancy and cousin Georgia enjoying our layover in London
On our first night in Lisbon, we found a quaint little restaurant close to our accommodation, Solar dos Presuntos Restaurante (a 9-minute walk), to relax and unwind from our long plane rides to Portugal. This restaurant keeps the theater crowd happily fed with meat and seafood specialties – its upstairs is more elegant, while the downstairs – with a colorful, open kitchen, is higher energy. Photos of Lisbon’s celebrities and politicians who have eaten here enliven the walls.
Solar dos Presuntos Restaurante, Lisbon
Reservations are smart (big, splittable portions, good wine list, see daily suggestions): +351 213 424 253 – www.solardospresuntos.com. Located at the top end of Rua das Portas de Santo Antão at #150. Open Monday – Saturday, 12 pm – 3:30 pm; 7 pm – 11 pm, Closed, Sunday.
April 3, 2019:
The next morning we boarded the purple line Avenida Metro towards Reboleira, got off at São Sebastião and walked to the Calouste Gulbenkian Museum – 13-minutes total.
Taking the Lisbon Metro for the first time
Calouste Gulbenkian Museum, Lisbon – The Calouste Gulbenkian Museum houses one of the world’s most important private art collections. It includes works from Ancient Egypt to the early 20th century, spanning the arts of the Islamic World, China and Japan, as well as the French decorative arts, the jewellery of René Lalique and some of the most important painters of all times works such as Rembrandt, Monet, Rubens, Manet, Renoir, Degas and Turner.
Calouste Gulbenkian Museum
Georgia is a cat lover – these cats are from 600 B.C.
Checking out the modern art
Fancy trash can outside the museum
We had an unfortunate event on our first full day in Portugal. Nancy used her phone to take a picture with Georgia in the museum, but accidentally left her phone on a museum bench. We discovered her phone was missing when we reached the metro, but then it was too late – someone had taken the phone – immediately this person(s) had turned the phone off (so Find My Phone wouldn’t work to locate it). The thief(s) left the phone off for over 9 months – finally it was turned on, and per the instructions that Apple had sent us, the phone was immediately erased. We filed a police report with little hope for recovery.
We then took the a four minute walk to the Metro (Praça de Espanha towards Santa Apolónia, getting off at Restauradores) and then walked three minutes to the…
Church of St. Dominic – Our next stop was the Church of St. Dominic (which still has scars from a 1755 earthquake and 1959 fire).
Church of St. Dominic
The memorial in front of the church is for the “Lisbon Massacre” when, in 1506, over 1,000 “New Christians” (converted Jews or conversos) were burned in the square outside this church
“Lisbon Massacre” Memorial
Now we made our way on foot nearby to a…
Salted Dried Cod (Bacalhau) Shop – Our next stop was at Bacalhoaria Silva, a salted dried cod (bacalhau) supermarket; R. Dom Antão de Almada 55, 1100-240 Lisboa, open Monday – Friday, 9 am – 8 pm; Saturday, Sunday – 9 am – 7 pm. The Portuguese carefully reconstitute the dried and salted cod, by soaking the dried fish for over 24 hours, and changing the water frequently to remove the salt. We noticed a lot of demand for the salted cod, but it sure smelled.
Georgia letting us know how the dried salted cod smelled
A meat, cheese, and wine store next to the salted dried cod store
Now we now took the 769 bus from Pç. Figueira towards Cemitério Ajuda, got off at Pç. Comércio and then walked for 2 more minutes to reach…
Old Church of Our Lady of Conception (Church Nossa Senhora da Conceição Velha) – This church survived the 1755 Lisbon earthquake.
Our Church of Our Lady of Conception (Church Nossa Senhora da Conceição Velha)
It was a short walk to reach the…
Lisbon Waterfront – We all enjoyed the nearby waterfront in Lisbon.
Praça do Comércio (Commercial Square) and Arco da Rua Augusta (Arch of Augusta St.)
Nancy and a button door
April 4, 2019:
Pastéis de Belém Bakery – We started our day eating delicious pastries in the famous Pastéis de Belém Bakery. The pastéis de Belém, also called pastel de nata, is a Portuguese egg tart pastry dusted with cinnamon and sugar and served warm and fresh from the oven. We got there via the 15E tram.
Getting ready for the day
Pastéis de Belém Bakery
Jerónimos Monastery – This giant, white limestone church and monastery stretches for 300 impressive yards along the Belém waterfront. It is a short walk from Pastéis de Belém.
Jerónimos Monastery
King Manuel I (who ruled from 1495) erected it as a “thank you” for the discoveries made by early Portuguese explorers. It was financed in part with the Vintena da Pimenta, a 5 percent tax on commerce from Africa and Asia (equivalent to 70 kilograms [150 lbs.] of gold per year).
Manuel built the church near the site of a humble chapel where sailors spent their last night ashore in prayer before embarking on frightening journeys. This humble chapel was dedicated to Santa Maria de Belém (St. Mary of Bethlehem) and where the monks of the Military-Religious Order of Christ provided assistance to seafarers in transit.The monks who inhabited this cloister were Hieronymites – followers of Saint Jerome, hence the monastery name of Jerónimos.
Self-Guided Tour of Jerónimos Monastery:
South Portal – The south portal is located at the eastern end of the south façade of the Monastery of Jerónimos complex – The fancy portal, facing the street, is textbook Manueline.
South Portal
Built between 1516 and 1518 by João de Castilho following a design by Diogo de Boitaca, the south portal is the visual center of the Monastery’s façade facing the River Tagus – Despite its sumptuous detail, however, it is merely a side entrance. The central figure in the portal is Our Lady of Bethlehem (Belém in Portuguese – Santa Maria de Belém);with the Child (the Church and Monastery are dedicated to Our Lady). She holds in her hand a cup with gifts from the Magi – The Virgin is flanked by a multitude of statues representing the prophets, the apostles, Church notables and some saints (or perhaps sibyls)
Our Lady of Bethlehem – Photo: galenfrysinger.com
Open Tuesday – Sunday, 10 am – 6:30 pm; May – September; October – April until 5:30 pm, closed Monday – website: www.mosteirojeronimos.pt; Church – Free; Cloister – €10, includes audioguide (Cloister and Tower are free on first Sunday of the month – purchase combo-ticket at the National Museum of Archaeology.
The tympanum over the south portal features two scenes from the life of Saint Jerome – one in which, in the robes of a cardinal, he removes a thorn from a lion’s paw and another in which he pays penance in the desert – In the spandrel between these scenes is King Manuel I’s coat-of-arms.
Tympanum – Photo: aunclicdelaaventura.com
Further below, between the twin doors of the church, is a statue representing Henry the Navigator as a knight in armor, a tribute to this predecessor (the Uncle) of King Manuel I who founded the Restelo Chapel (original sailor’s chapel on the site) and was a driving force behind the Portuguese discoveries.
Henry the Navigator between the twin doors – Photo: Pinterest
Dominating the whole composition is a statue of the Archangel Michael at the very top, with the cross of the Order of Christ.
Archangel Michael with the Cross of the Order of Christ – Photo: imaginoso.com
Church Entrance – As you approach the church, the main church entrance is on the right and the cloister (usually with a line) is straight ahead (you can cut through the line to enter the church – we’ll see the cloister later).
Flanking the main church entrance (western portal) are kneeling statues of King Manuel I, the Fortunate (left of door, with Saint Jerome), and his kneeling Spanish wife, Maria (right of door, with John the Baptist)
Main church entrance (western portal) – Wikimedia – Lijealso
King Manuel I with Saint Jerome – Wikimedia – Daniel VILLAFRUELA
Wife Maria with St. John the Baptist – Photo: www.voyagevirtuel.co.uk
Church Interior – The Manueline style is on the cusp of the Renaissance – the space is more open than earlier medieval churches – Slender, palm-tree-like columns don’t break the interior space (as Gothic columns would), and the ceiling is all one height. Motifs from the sea hide in the décor – You’ll see rope-life arches, ships and monsters that evoke the mystery of undiscovered lands. Artichokes, eaten for their vitamin C to fend off scurvy, remind us of the hardships sailors faced at sea.
Manueline style arches – Google Street View
On your right as you face the altar is the…
The Memorial to Luís de Camões (1524-1580) is Portugal’s Shakespeare and Casanova rolled into one, an adventurer and writer whose heroic poems, glorifying the nation’s sailing exploits, live on today. It was Camões who described Portugal as the place “where land ends and the sea begins.” After college at Coimbra, Camões was banished from the court (1546) for flirting with the noble lady Doña Caterina.
Memorial to Luís de Camões – Google Street View
Renaissance Altar – Go through the nave and approach the high altar.This high altar was commissioned by Queen Catarina (Catherine of Austria), the wife of King João III, in 1571 – It was designed by the master-builder Jerónimo de Ruão, who here introduced Mannerist art, in a total contrast to the Manueline body of the Church.
High Altar
Nearly everything here survived the 1755 Lisbon earthquake, except for the stained glass (the replacement glass is from 1940).
In the niches surrounding the main altar, elephants – a Far Eastern symbol of power, more powerful and kingly than the lion – support two kings and two queens.
Elephants support two kings and queens – Wikimedia – Sergio Calleja
Make an about face, and head up the aisle on the right, back toward the entrance (noticing more elephants in the transepts).
More elephants
You’ll pass seven wooden confessional doors (on your right). The second one has faces around it.
Faces around the second confessional door – Google Street View
Tomb of Vasco de Gama – On the night of July 7, 1947, in the small chapel that once stood here, da Gama (1640-1524) prayed for a safe voyage. The next day, he set sail from Belém with four ships (see the caravel carved in the middle of the tomb’s side) and 150 men. He was armed with state-of-the-art maps and sailing technology, such as the carved armillary sphere (to the right of the caravel on the tomb – a globe surrounded by movable rings designed to determine the positions of the sun or other stars to help sailors track their location on earth).
Some say the diagonal slash on the armillary sphere on the tomb is symbolic of the unwritten pact and ambition of Spain and Portugal to split the world evenly, but it actually represents the path of the planets as they move across the heavens. The cross (to the left of the caravel) symbolizes the religious military order of the Order of Christ solider-monks who funded these voyages.
Tomb of Vasco de Gama – Photo: aunclicdelaaventura.com
Now we leave the church, turn right, present our combo-ticket to enter the cloister (skip the line), pick up the included audioguide and enter the…
Cloister – This restored cloister is the architectural highlight of Belém – The lacy arcade on the lower floor is Manueline, the simpler diamond and decorative rose frieze above the top floor is Renaissance.
The Cloister
Gargoyles – Photo: medium.com
Merman and Monkey Rain Spouts – www.medium.com
Notice the carvings on the columns:
Carvings on the columns
In the northwest corner, a small lion-topped basin or fountain (where the monks washed up before meals), marks the entrance to the refectory, or dining hall.
Small lion-topped fountain
Refectory – (dining hall) – today is an occasional concert venue – it is lined with fine 18th century tiles (considered rococo, which ignores the parameters set by the architecture).
Refectory
Paintings around the rectory
Painting in Refectory
Exit the rectory and continue straight ahead, you’ll see on your left the tomb of the beloved poet.
Tomb of Fernando Pessoa – Google Street View
The former Chapter House contains an exhibit of the lengthy restoration process, as well as the tomb of Alexandre Herculano, a Romantic 19th century historian and poet.
Tomb of Alexandre Herculano, a Romantic 19th century historian andp poet
Upper Choir – Upstairs via a small doorway gives us a great view of the sanctuary from the Upper Choir, plus a great crucifix.
Doorway to the Upper Choir
Views of the sanctuary, great crucifix
Upper Choir Stalls – Photo: voicemap.me
Maritime Museum (Museu de Marinha): Located through the double doors at the western end of the Monastery of Jerónimos complex, the history of the museum is connected to King Luís I (1838-1889), who had a strong interest in oceanographic studies and was an accomplished navigator himself.
King Luis I
In 1863, King Luís I began collecting items related to the preservation of maritime history of Portugal, a collection that was enlarged in the following decades, culminating in the inauguration of the Maritime Museum in 1963 in its present location.
Map of Portuguese Exploration
You’ll enter past huge statues of great explorers, then follow the one-way route (with English explanations) through the sprawling collection, offering a well-presented recap of an age when Portugal ruled the waves.
Explorer Infante D. Henrique (Henry the Navigator)
The museum is loaded with actual artifacts: nautical paintings, model ships, cannons, uniforms, and maps illustrating Portuguese explorations.
Museum exhibits
The exhibits take you right up to the present day, covering not just explorers and military vessels, but also the fishing industry.
Present Day Exhibits – Photo: crew-center.com
You’ll see reconstructed king’s and queen’s staterooms from aboard King Carlos I’s royal yacht Amelia.
King’s and Queen’s staterooms
Then you’ll walk into a gallery to reach a vast warehouse of actual boats – from rustic (rabelos) to yawls to ceremonial royal barges.
Gallery of boats
The centerpiece is the massive barge of King João VI, with 38 oars bulled by some 80 oarsmen, and plush royal quarters at the stern.
Royal barge of King João VI
The exhibits also include the Fairey III “Santa Cruz” that crossed the Atlantic in 1922 (see the Sacadura Cabral and Gago Coutinho Monument below for more details), and the Portuguese Navy’s first aircraft, an FBA Type B flying boat.
Fairey III “Santa Cruz” that crossed the Atlantic in 1922
Tower of Belém (Torre de Belém):
Tower of Belém (Torre de Belém)
From the Maritime Museum, we walked to this famous tower. The tower was built in the early 16th century and is a prominent example of the Portuguese Manueline style (carved stone representing ropes, Manuel I’s coat-of-arms, armillary spheres, and shields with the cross of the Order of Christ, charged with spreading the faith in new territories).
This was the last sight sailors saw as they left their homeland, and the first as they returned, loaded with gold, spices, and social diseases.
When the tower was built, the river went nearly to the walls of the Monastery of Jerónimos, and the tower was built on a small rock outcropping in the Tagus River near the Lisbon shore.
Tower of Belem, 16th century
In the late 15th century, King João II had designed a defense system for the mouth of the River Tagus that depended on the fortresses of Cascais and São Sebastião (or Torre Velha) in Caparica on the south side of the river. These fortresses did not completely protect the river’s mouth, and further protection was required.
In his “Chronicle of John II” (Chronica de D. Joao II), which appeared in 1545, the author Garcia de Resende affirmed the king’s opinion that the defenses of Lisbon were inadequate, and that he had insisted on building fortifications along the entrance to the River Tagus to supplement the existing defenses.
King Manuel I of Portugal revisited the proposal twenty years later and ordered the construction of a military fortification on the northern margin of the River Tagus at Belém. The project was started on a basaltic rock outcropping a short distance from the riverbank, using some of the stone being collected to build the Monastery of Jerónimos.
The tower was designed by military architect Francisco de Arruda, named “Master of the works of the Belém stronghold” by King Manuel, and in 1516 he began receiving 763 blocks and 504 stones for its construction, delivered by Diogo Rodrigues, treasurer for the project
As construction progressed, a man-of-war called the Grande Nau (Great Ship), a heavily armed, 1000–ton ship continued to guard the estuary at the mouth of the Tagus until the fort’s completion.
Ground Floor – On the ground floor is the room where all the cannons were mounted to fire on enemy ships.
Cannon Room
From this room you can see down into the prison cells are dug out below the water level so they regularly flooded
Prison Cells
Above the cannon room is the large terrace with good views of the River Tagus
Belem Tower terrace – Photo: https://www.belemtower-tickets.com/
Terrace – Tower of Belem
Facing the River Tagus are arcade windows, delicate Venetian-style loggias, and a statue of Our Lady of Safe Homecoming, a symbol of protection for sailors on their voyages.
Statue of Our Lady of Safe Homecoming
As you climb the tower, you’ll find a loggia level, as well as rooms.
Climbing to the Loggia Level
Loggia Level Rooms – Google Street View
Bear playing violin – Photo: indifferentreflections.wordpress.com
Pinnacles – Photo: Mediastorehouse.com
Pinnacles of the Tower – Photo: peek.com
At the top of the tower, there are also great views.
View on top of the tower
Igreja de São Roque (Church of Saint Roch):
We took a tram to get to our next stop, Igreja de São Roque (Church of São Roque). The Igreja de São Roque (Church of Saint Roch) is a Catholic church in Lisbon, Portugal. It was the earliest Jesuit church in the Portuguese world, and one of the first Jesuit churches anywhere. The edifice served as the Society’s home church in Portugal for over 200 years, before the Jesuits were expelled from that country. After the 1755 Lisbon earthquake, the church and its ancillary residence were given to the Lisbon Holy House of Mercy to replace their church and headquarters which had been destroyed. It remains a part of the Holy House of Mercy today, one of its many heritage buildings.
Igreja de São Roque (Church of San Roch) – Photo: artfire.com
The Igreja de São Roque was one of the few buildings in Lisbon to survive the earthquake relatively unscathed. When built in the 16th century it was the first Jesuit church designed in the “auditorium-church” style specifically for preaching. It contains a number of chapels, most in the Baroque style of the early 17th century. The most notable chapel is the 18th-century Chapel of St. John the Baptist (Capela de São João Baptista), a project by Nicola Salvi and Luigi Vanvitelli constructed in Rome of many precious stones and disassembled, shipped, and reconstructed in São Roque; at the time it was reportedly the most expensive chapel in Europe.
Church of San Roch – Floor Plan
Step inside and sit in a pew in the middle to take it all in.
Cost-Hours – Church – Free; Museum – €2.50; open April to September: Monday, 2 pm – 7 pm; Tuesday – Wednesday, 10 am – 7 pm; Thursday, 10 am – 8 pm; Friday – Sunday, 10 am – 7 pm; Closed Major Holidays; open October to March: Monday, 2 pm – 6 pm; Tuesday – Sunday, 10 am – 6 pm; closed Major Holidays.
High Altar – Google Street View
Nave from Balcony – Google Street View
Built in the 16th century, the Church of Saint Roque – dedicated to the saint who protects the faithful from disease and plagues – is one of Portugal’s first Jesuit churches. The painted-wood, false-domed ceiling is perfectly flat – The acoustics here are top-notch, important in a Jesuit church, where the emphasis is on the sermon (given from twin stone pulpits mid-nave).
Ceiling of the Nave – Google Street View
Survey the rich side chapels – the highlight is the Chapel of St. John the Baptist (left of altar, gold and blue lapis lazuli columns).
Chapel of St. John the Baptist – Google Street View
The chapel looks like it came right out of the Vatican… because it did – Made in Rome from precious materials, and shipped to Lisbon – Per square inch, it was the most costly chapel ever constructed in Portugal.
Notice the mosaic floor (with the spherical symbol of Portugal) and, on the walls, three intricate, beautiful mosaics – a Vatican specialty, designed to take the place of real paintings, which were vulnerable to damage from candle smoke and incense
Mosaic Floor – Google Street View
Mosaics on the wall of the Chapel of St John the Baptist – Google Street View
To the right of the chapel, a glass case is filled with relics trying to grab your attention…
Glass relics case – Google Street View
The chapel to the left of the Chapel of St. John the Baptist features a riot of babies
Riot of babies – Google Street View
To the right of the Chapel of St. John the Baptist, find the sacristy where, along with huge chests of drawers for vestments, you can see a series of 17th century paintings illustrating scenes from the life of Saint Frances Xavier – cofounder of the Jesuit order with Saint Ignatius of Loyola.
Sacristy
The São Roque Museum (to your left as you leave the church) is more interesting than your typical small church museum. The church and this art, rare survivors of the 1755 earthquake, illustrate the religious passion that accompanied Portugal’s Age of Discovery, with themes including the mission of the Jesuits and their response to the Reformation; devotion to relics; and devotion to the Virgin (€2.50, same hours as the church)
Museum Entrance – Google Street View
It’s filled with perhaps the best-presented collection of 16th and 17th century church art in town, and is well described in English.
Collection of 16th-17th century religious art
Lottery-Ticket Salesman – Outside the church, there is a statue of a lottery ticket salesman. Legend has it that rubbing his ticket will bring you good luck.
Lottery-ticket salesman statue
We now took a short walk to the Convent of the Order of Carmel (see below). On the way, we stopped for a beer and blessing from the Lottery-ticket salesman:
Cervejaria da Trindade:
The famous “oldest beer hall in Lisbon” is worth a visit for a look at its 19th century tiles.
Entrance to Cervejaria Trindade – Flickr – Pablo Monteagudo
The beautifully tiled main room, once a dining hall for monks (refectory), still holds the pulpit from which the Bible was read as the monks ate.
Main Room – Google Street View
After monastic orders were abolished in 1834, the monastery became a brewery – you’ll notice that while the oldest tiles have Christian themes, the later ones (from around 1860) are all about the beer.
Beautiful tiles of Cervejaria da Trindade
Among the Portuguese beers on tap are Sagres, the standard lager; Sagres Preta, a good dark beer (like a porter); and Bohemia, which is sweet, with more alcohol.
At the bar in front you can get a snack and beer, while more expensive dining is in the back – overpriced and in all the guidebooks, the seafood is charged by weight – clarify prices when you order.
Open Sunday – Thursday, 12 pm – 12 am, Saturday, Sunday, 12 pm – 1 am; R. Nova da Trindade 20C, 1200-303 Lisboa; +33 51 21 342 3506, cervejariatrindade.pt.
Convento da Ordem do Carmo (Convent of the Order of Carmel):
This medieval convent was ruined and over 5,000 books destroyed during the sequence of the 1755 Lisbon earthquake, and the destroyed Gothic Church of Our Lady of Mount Carmel (Portuguese: Igreja do Carmo) on the southern facade of the convent is the main reminder of the great earthquake still visible in the old city. The Marquês de Pombal directed that the delicate Gothic arches of the church be left standing – supporting nothing but open sky – as a permanent reminder of that disastrous event of 1755.
Cost and Hours – Open Monday – Saturday, 10 am – 7 pm (October – May until 6 pm), Closed Sunday; €3.50.
After you pay to enter, you’ll see a fine memorial park in what was the nave, and (filling the former apse at the far end), a simple museum with Bronze age and Roman artifacts, medieval royal sarcophagi, and a few Peruvian mummies – all explained in English.
Ruins of the church
Museum artifacts including Peruvian Mummies
We were all thirsty, so we walked 4 minutes to a wine bar…
Why Not? (formally Lisbon Wines) – This was a very nice tapis and wine bar. The owner was very knowledgeable and the tasting fee was reasonable. A perfect stop for our afternoon. Open Monday – Friday, 12 pm – 11 pm, Saturday, 1 pm – 11pm, closed Sunday; R. Ivens 45, 1200-226 Lisboa, Portugal; +351213474077.
Our Wine Hostess
The wine and food were very good
From the wine bar we walked about 5-minutes to Praça Luís de Camões, Largo Luís de Camões, 1200-243 Lisboa, to explore the shops, bistros and wine stores in the area.
Praça Luís de Camões – This small square is the transition zone between Chiado and Bairro Alto.
In its center is a monumental statue of 16th-century epic poet Luis de Camões standing on a pedestal with other smaller statues of classical Portuguese authors.
Luís Vaz de Camões, sometimes rendered in English as Camoens or Camoëns, is considered Portugal’s and the Portuguese language’s greatest poet. His mastery of verse has been compared to that of Shakespeare, Milton, Vondel, Homer, Virgil and Dante.
Luís de Camões, c. 1577, by Fernão Gomes
It faces Largo do Chiado, where there are two Baroque churches: Loreto (also known as “of the Italians”) and Encarnação.
Igreja de Nossa Senhora do Loreto – Wikimedia – Chabe01
Igreja Nossa Senhora Sra da Encarnação – Wikimedia – Maragato1976
Here is also Lisbon’s best-known café, A Brasileira, a meeting place of several generations of intellectuals and artists. In front of the café is a statue of the Portuguese poet Fernando Pessoa by Lagoa Henriques, sitting in a chair, recalling the days when he used to write at this café.
Statue of Fernando Pessoa (Poet)
Shopping nearby
While we were visiting, Portugal was have a seafood/wine festival – Peixe em Lisboa/Vihos de Lisboa. We went for our dinner/drinks after our busy day traveling around Lisbon and enjoyed sampling wines and different seafood.
Peixe em Lisboa/Vihos de Lisboa