Final Days in Portugal

 Our last two days in Portugal took us to the capital city of Lisbon.  This hilly city sits on the Tagus River and its estuary which empty into the Atlantic Ocean.  It was from this river's ocean access that the explorers of the Age of Discovery began their journeys to far off lands.  However, Lisbon existed long before the Age of Discovery.  Historical records for the city date back to 205 BC.  In fact Lisbon is the second oldest European capital after Athens.  

As I have mentioned in a previous post, Lisbon was thriving during the Age of Discovery (1400-1600AD).  Many well known and accomplished explorers came from Portugal and at one time Portugal had territories spread across multiple continents.  This thriving city was to experience a cataclysmic event on the morning of November 1, 1755.  It was All Saints Day and the city's churches were filled with worshipers when an earthquake believed to have measured about 9 on the Richter scale hit Lisbon.  The quake leveled many of the buildings in the city, opened up 15 foot fissures in downtown, and resulted in multiple fires likely due to candles lit in homes and churches for the holiday.  It also resulted in a tsunami with waves of 20 feet in Lisbon and 65 feet when it reached Spain.  The quake was so strong the tsunami waves reached the Caribbean 10 hours after the quake and some 3,000 miles away.  60,000 people in Lisbon alone were killed by the quake, fires, and tsunami.  The "Great Lisbon Earthquake" as it became known was a seminal event in European history.  In addition to the countless lives lost, priceless works of art, palaces, churches, even historical documents of explorers were lost in the fires and tsunami following the quake.  It became the catalyst for the study of modern seismology and earthquake engineering.

Lisbon rebuilt itself and today remains a thriving modern city.  There are many museums and cathedrals and Lisbon offers any and all of the amenities of a modern capital city.

  Pictures from the top of our hotel The Ritz Four Seasons Lisbon.  Looking out over Lisbon with the Tagus River in the distance.

St. George's Castle atop the hill in Lisbon.

Its oldest parts were fortified by the Romans in the 500s AD.  It served as the royal Moorish residence until 1147 when the first king of Portugal, Alfonso Henriques, captured it.   Much of it had to be restored after the Great Earthquake of 1755.

Belem Tower (below) on the Tagus River.  Built in the early 1500s, it was the ceremonial gateway into Lisbon and served as the embarkation and disembarkation location for Portuguese explorers during the Age of Discovery.

Across the street from the Belem Tower is the Igreja Santa Maria de Belem.  This Gothic cathedral was built in 1601 and has the tombs of two of Portugal's kings and their wives, the tomb of  explorer Vasco da Gama, and several well known poets, playwriters, historians and other nobles.  Attached to the church is the Jeronimos Monastery.  Two wings of the monastery now house The Maritime Museum and the National Archeological Museum.

Igreja Santa Maria de Belem

View along the length of the cathedral and monastery

The entrance to the Maritime Museum on one wing of the Jeronimos Monastery

Our group got to spend some time in the Maritime Museum.  It houses many artifacts from Portugal's explorers.  

Map of the routes followed by the great explorers of Portugal

Globe from the 1600s

Replica of a Portuguese ship.  There were numerous replicas from different periods of history

Coins

Canon

Musket

There were also complete boats in one area of the museum.

After the Maritime Museum we visited the Palacio National da Ajuda ( The National Palace of Portugal).This was the official residence of the Portuguese royal family from the reign of King Louis I in 1861 until 1910 when Portugal became a republic.  Built in 1802 this lavish palace is still used as a venue for some official state functions.  The portion open to the public is maintained as a museum displaying historical furnishings, sculptures, artwork, textiles, and silverwork.

Photos from inside the National Palace of Portugal

Wood inlays around the palace are reflective of the patterns often seen in the tile done by Moorish artisans.

It was quite the busy day around Lisbon.  There were numerous street cars which added an Americana look to the streets.

Because Lisbon is such a hilly city it has several lifts or funiculars.  These large elevators lift pedestrians from lower streets to some of the higher streets making walking easier depending on where you need to go.

One of Lisbon's funiculars

It was the time of year when Lisbon's jacaranda tress were blooming.  These purple bloomed trees are not native to Portugal but were brought from South America and acclimatized to Lisbon.  They are all over the city and quite pretty.

A final treat we got to experience in Portugal is Fado.  This is a genre of music that originated in the pubs, cafes, and restaurants in the Lisbon area in the early 1800s.  Fado is very melancholy with the musician singing about the hardships and struggles of life.  It is a very unique style of music.  We had a lovely luncheon with a Fado performance afterward.

Fado performance

Below is the 12 string Portuguese guitar.  This pear shaped guitar is strongly associated with Fado music and has become an icon for anything Portuguese.

So after several days in Portugal, it was time to make our way to Spain.  I hope everyone has enjoyed the several posts about Portugal.  Next week I will start with some of the sites and experiences from Spain.  Here are a few final pictures from Portugal to end this post.

Coast of Portugal and Atlantic Ocean

Canned fish, particularly sardines, are a big deal in Portugal

Walled cities