Lisboa History Lesson

 The conference ended today so I had the whole afternoon to spend being a tourist. Unfortunately, that was the exact time that on and off drenching rain and wind came through the city.  It's become apparent that we just don't have enough time to see and do everything on our bucket lists, so we ignored the rain and headed back into the old town then boarded a train for Belém. This is another one one of Lisbon's historic neighborhoods and while still within the city, it's located about six miles west of the old city center along the Tagus River waterfront. Thankfully the rain more or less held off while we visited the Belém Tower built in the early sixteenth century right on the waterfront as a defensive work to protect Lisbon from vessels entering the harbor from the Tagus. We were big on UNESCO World Heritage sites in the Canadian Maritimes (see earlier posts for proof that we visited just about every one), and here we are at anther one in Portugal.  

 

Teeny Jen in front of tower for scale

 

The architecture seems like a mash-up and is a style found on many buildings in Lisbon known as Manueline decoration. The details of the building, all carved in stone, are amazing. It's hard to believe this structure has been standing in this exposed coastal spot for more than 500 years! It was blustery today and the wind coming up the mouth of the river from the Atlantic Ocean was whipping up some decent waves. It must get battered during a real storm.

Next stop was a short walk in from the water to the Mosteiro dos Jerónimos also known as the Royal Monastery of Saint Mary of Belém which is (surprise!) another UNESCO heritage site. The building was started in 1501 by Portugal's king and includes living quarters, a cloister, cathedral, and library. It was really pouring while we waited in a long line outside to get in. It was a sea of flimsy neon pull-on ponchos and cheapo umbrellas that everyone bought from the little old woman (modeling one of her neon ponchos) walking up and down the line.

 It was another architectural marvel and the most ornate building I've ever seen. Like the tower, everything is in stone and the details are incredible. Every alcove in the cathedral holds a tomb: the children of various kings, a national poet, and my favorite explorer from 5th-grade- Vasco da Gama!

Still raining as we headed on the train back into the main city and Bairro Alto, also on the waterfront, and the Praça do Comércio.This giant open square is surrounded on three sides by connected arched buildings and opens onto the Tagus. The 100 ft tall Rua Augusta Arch stands on the opposite side of the square and leads into the gridded section of the city. The weather made it tough to take good pics and you really can't sense the scale, so here are some better images.    

We visited the Lisbon Story Center to get out of the rain for a little bit. The museum is located right on the Commercial Square and has a great set-up with high-tech multi-media stations and a self-guided audio tour that gives a great summary of Lisbon's history including the 1755 earthquake that leveled just about all of Lisbon. There are only a few buildings that survived- including the monastery and tower we visited today, but most of the city was rebuilt. The earthquake was the largest ever to hit Europe and, together with the tidal wave that followed, killed thousands of people. 

The rain finally stopped and we rewarded our effort with some beers at one of the bazillion outdoor  dining and drinking spaces. My kind of town!