Chapter Four: Crisscrossing Lisbon
December 6, 2022
Chapter Six: Final Day In Lisbon
December 20, 2022Falling For Portugal: A Mai Tai Tom “Trip” Report
Chapter Five: Tell ‘Em We Love Belém!
Day Five: Manuel Labor, Get Here Early!, Boy Are They Strict, Tower Of Power, Navigating The Padrão dos Descobrimentos, Put Me In Coach, A Royal Ride, First PopeMobile?, Cranking Up The Heat, Please Let The Sun Go Down On Me, Gim Tônica Impecável and Revisiting Ginjinha
We got off to an early start on the day, and the tuk-tuks were already zooming near our hotel.
Uber was our choice of transportation as we headed to the Belém suburb of Lisbon. Belém is where Vasco de Gama sailed from on his famed expedition which led to a sea route to India. We had 9:30 timed reservations (the earliest) to UNESCO World Heritage site Mosteiro dos Jerónimos where da Gama’s tomb is located inside its church. It was a 15-minute Uber ride to the monastery, and even arriving early a line was forming, with about 15 – 20 people already waiting. We could also tell this would be the hottest day we had experienced so far, and we’d had some sweltering days already.
Before joining in the queue, we checked out the South Portal which highlights the Manueline architecture. King Manuel I had it constructed on the site of a former chapel by Prince Henry the Navigator. This is the place where Vasco da Gama prayed on the evening before he set sail for India to spice up life for many, and was constructed specifically to commemorate his safe return from his voyage. It took nearly a century to complete.
On the South Portal there are statues of Henry The Navigator, Saint Jerome, the Virgin Mary and 37 other saints, not to mention the 12 apostles. On top is the statue of St. Michael, who is the protector of the monastery … and me, so it seems. With all its spectacular statues, this, however, is not the main entrance.
Shortly after entering the monastery, Tracy spied a ceiling painting featuring the Coat of Arms of Saint Jerome on the right, and on the left his symbol, the lion. A child’s face can also be seen. Many intricate paintings and tiles would be found throughout our self-guided tour.
We made our way through the open passageways of the cloisters.
The Cloisters of Mosteiro dos Jerónimos might be the most beautiful and tranquil site we have visited. It’s said that the double-layered cloisters were “unique for the era.”
Lacy ornamentations and those beautiful spires make for a very peaceful setting.
Walking up the stairs there was an even better view. Tracy ranked this up there with the rooftop of the Milan Cathedral. The cloisters were started in the early 16th century. Nautical and religious symbols abound. We spent a good amount of time admiring them from various angles.
From above, we could see the famous Lion Fountain. From portugalresident.com, “According to legend, a lion one day entered a monastery where Saint Jerome was residing, causing all the other monks to flee. However, Jerome noticed a thorn stuck in the lion’s paw and proceeded to remove it. After cleaning the wound and bandaging up the paw, the lion was forever grateful and from that day forth lived with Jerome inside the monastery.” And as I’ve said on too many occasions, “There ain’t no way to hide your Lion eyes.”
We walked downstairs …
… and entered the Chapterhouse.
Inside the Chapterhouse is the gigantic tomb of Alexandre Herculano, who was a Portuguese novelist, poet and historian.
Although the Chapterhouse construction started in the 1500s, completion of the vaulted ceiling and other interior portions of the monastery didn’t happen until the 19th century.
We made our way to the adjacent Refectory and some really colorful late 18th-century azulejos.
The Refectory was built in the early 1500s as a dining area for the monks with the tiles added between 1780 and 1785.
The tile panels represent different biblical stories. It’s a very beautiful room. This blue, yellow and green panel represent the life of Joseph in Egypt from the Old Testament.
We didn’t know what was behind door #1 after exiting.
Our next stop was scheduled to be the adjoining church, Santa Maria de Belém, where da Gama’s and other royal tombs are located. When we reached the entrance, we were directed outside to join the queue waiting for mass to conclude. The line was long, and the day was blistering hot and it was still early.
On the other side, the line to enter the monastery also stretched forever by this time.
We joined the line and noticed a sign stating that anyone who got out of line would not be able to rejoin it. After 15 minutes we took a chance and found a little shade (very little) nearby. It was not a happy crowd.
Finally, after a half hour, the mass of people at mass departed, and we mercifully slipped inside.
The first thing you notice upon entering are the humongous tree trunk columns and the stone ceiling. Impressive indeed.
The chancel contains a series of 1570s paintings situated around a silver tabernacle.
The burial vaults of King Manuel I, Queen Maria and their son, King Joao III, rest on top of marble elephants.
We stopped into the Sacristy. Inside are scenes from Saint Jerome’s life and a late 16th century wood chest.
It is really cool how it appears the vaulted ceiling is seemingly held up by one large column.
You have to look through an iron grill work to check out the gilded Chapel of Saint Anthony.
And, of course, no visit to the church is complete without visiting the tomb of Vasco da Gama. This tomb wasn’t actually made until 1894.
Mosteiro dos Jerónimos turned out to be one of the highlights of our Portugal trip.
Although not a long walk to our next stop, with discretion being the better part of sunstroke, we took an Uber to the oft-photographed 1521-constructed Torre de Belém.
The first thing we came across was a statue of Gago Coutinho’s bi-plane. Coutinho and Sacadura Cabral, who in 1922 became the first pilots to to fly across the South Atlantic Ocean. The Santa Cruz bi-plane took off from this little park near Torre Belém.
We had contemplated climbing to the top of the tower, but we decided on taking outside photos of the tower originally constructed as a fortress to help defend the mouth of the Tagus River.
King Manuel’s distinctive architecture was also on display here. We walked around the area taking photos from different angles but it wasn’t much cooler even near the water. I tipped this musician who was trying to make a few euro, but he already looked pretty exhausted and emaciated from the heat. 
Next, we took a 10-minute walk along the water and a small harbor toward …
… the awe-inspiring Padrão dos Descobrimentos (Monument of the Discoveries).
Along the way Mary attempted to hijack a wine truck. I told her she should try to steal a Cab next time, but she replied that would be a Zin. “Que Syrah Syrah,” I joked.
We passed a red brick tower that resembled a large chimney stack, but in fact turned out to be the Belém Lighthouse, which had never really functioned as a lighthouse, because it was constructed for the 1940 Portuguese World Expo.
As we continued our walk the Ponte 25 de Abril stood with sailboats in the foreground and the Cristo Rei Statue in the background. The statue was built in the 1950s as a thank you for a 1940 “plea to God to release Portugal from entering World War II … although the idea had originated earlier on a visit of the Cardinal Patriarch of Lisbon to Rio de Janeiro in 1934, soon after the inauguration of the statue of Christ the Redeemer in 1931.” The entire structure exceeds 300 feet.
The Padrão dos Descobrimentos is unlike any monument we had ever seen. It stands more than 150 feet high and was inaugurated in 1960 to commemorate the death of Henry The Navigator (about time after 500 years), although no one nicknamed him that during his lifetime. I learned that Henry did not actually go on voyages, but instead was a scientist and cartographer who helped explorers navigate the seas. Henry can be seen out on the prow of the bow. On the eastern side he is followed by a kneeling Saint Ferdinand.
The details on all the figures are quite amazing.
The eastern side has more Portugal superstars.
Henry is followed by King Alfonso, Vasco da Gama, Pedro Álvares Cabral, discoverer of Brazil in 1500, explorer Afonso Baldaia and Fernão Magalhães (aka Ferdinand Magellan), who crossed the Pacific in 1520 and was killed in a battle with indigenous people who weren’t thrilled with outsiders trying to colonize them and convert them to Christianity.
Near the monument is a 164-foot wide marble map of the world on the ground, a gift from South Africa, which details the routes and dates of Portuguese voyages. Meanwhile, with the hot weather I was more interested in a nearby stand selling ice cream. One needs to know his priorities in life.
Instead of ice cream, we opted for a nearby Italian restaurant), Nosda Italian. Modern and clean, we enjoyed a good lunch of pasta and salads.
There’s always room for gnocchi!
After narrowly escaping tripping over a maze of scooters, we grabbed a taxi to the Coach Museum. “I hope we see Ted Lasso” I said. The hot weather was not conducive to stupid comments like that, and everyone ignored me.
The Museu Nacional dos Coches turned out to be a surprise for my companions, but after reading numerous trip reports in my research, I knew that this would be a winner. I hoped it would be our crowning moment.
Located in a massive complex, the selection of carriages and royal coaches (along with other modes of transportation) truly was fascinating. In 1905, Queen Amélia d’ Orléans and Bragança who was was the last Queen consort of Portugal as the wife of Carlos I, founded the Royal Coach Museum to preserve this unique selection of historical vehicles. The royal coaches are displayed in chronological order showing how the vehicles evolved between the 16th century and the end of the 19th century. Here are just a few of them.
In 1715, the pope (first Popemobile?) offered this coach to João V of Portugal. On the back is a boy holding a flaming heart, which symbolized affection.
The Coach of the Oceans represents the connection of the oceans and all of Portugal’s maritime achievements. Apollo sits between two female figures while the two old guys shaking hands represent the Atlantic Ocean and the Indian Ocean symbolizing the passage of the Cape of Good Hope.
Another intriguing coach represents the Coronation of Lisbon. The Goddesses of Fame and Abundance sit up front, while on the back are figures representing Africa and Asia.
This coach with mythological scenes belonged to the daughters of King Dom Joseph I. It’s good to be a princess.
Many coaches had intricate artwork on the sides of the carriage.
You could even eat in some of them. Table for two please!
The coat of arms of King Pedro V is topped by a royal crown. I wonder if he ever had Crown Royal with a Royal Crown Cola.
This coach with four rows of seats transported people out to hunt.
This one must be from The Gilded Age.
Even little tykes had their own carriages.
Cherubs were popular decorative choices back in the day.
King João I’s carriage had dragons.
Queen Amélia got around in this small promenade vehicle and did her own driving.
Also on display was the first car to zip around Portugal, the four-seater Panhard & Levassor. It could gain speed of 26 kilometers per minute (16.2 miles per hour).
At the Museu Nacional dos Coches you’ll see everything from horse-drawn carriages …
… to vehicles with horse power. What the …?!
There was even a special art exhibit.
How about a game of chess …
… with some unusual pieces?
One more fun piece to look at and that was all for the museum, which, even with high expectations, exceeded them.
On the way out it didn’t take brains to recognize a 2020 statue called Brainless Figure in Stone.
It was mid-afternoon, and although Belém had many more attractions to offer it was time to return to our hotel. Hopefully next time we’ll see the rest. We passed by the famous bridge one last time.
We had about 90 minutes to freshen up for dinner. I had made a note “Gin and Tonic,” next to this restaurant but it had been so long since I made the reservation I couldn’t recall why. After walking down Rua Augusta …
… we passed by a shop with a bicycle in front of it. It reminded me of a person from the Fodor’s travel board, who has subsequently passed away, she used to love taking bicycle photos. Here’s to you Giovanna!
Eventually we arrived at our dinner spot. At the bottom of the Taberna Moderna sign I saw why I wrote that note. It simply read “lisbonita GINBAR.” It would be a tonic on this still warm evening.
Of course, being Americans we were the first to arrive. We were greeted by gentleman who told us the restaurant has more than 125 gins. 
We were so early in fact that he gave us a tour of the very attractive interior of the restaurant.
Ah, so this is where the magic gin and tonics are created.
The mixologist has the tools for a good one.
I asked our server, Miguel, which gin and tonic he recommended. Without hesitation he replied, “Number 3 London Dry Gin, 1724 Tonic from Argentina with a mandarin orange slice.” In a kismet moment, Tracy shared a photo of a gin she had taken awhile exploring the restaurant. “London Dry Gin and tonic it is,” I told the server. It was phenomenal! My Toledo, Spain, GinTonic had just been relegated to number 2, but it will always hold fond memories.
Elton John, who had greeted us, concurred.
The food here is meant to be shared, and each selection comes out individually. They were all delicious, starting with an outstanding Risotto with mushrooms, pumpkin and pumpkin chorizo. We once again knew we were in for some delectable cuisine.
We had a ”double wow dish” of Magret de Poto; duck breast, spices and honey. Wow!
Another winner was Lombo de Boi; center of beef tenderloin with gorgonzola sauce, frite potatoes and Maldon salt.
Finally, we shared a tremendous Filét Mignon com Vinho do Porto; Sirloin filet in a porto sauce served with frites.
Hard as it is to fathom, I still had room for dessert. Of course, I did. The Passion Fruit Pana Cotta made for a perfect evening of dining.
Taberna Moderna is another restaurant I would highly recommend.
My compliments to the bartender!!!
When Tracy was taking bar photos, she also checked out the ladies room. Opening the door, she was transported back to 1979 with a disco ball and bubbles illuminating the room. Lisbon can certainly be a Funky Town.
We passed by the colorful Benamôr store …
… on our way to get Kim and Mary the libation Tracy and I experienced on our first day in Lisbon. Yes, it was Ginjinha time. The young lady carefully poured the infused cherry liqueur into those little chocolate cups.
As you can see our friends liked it!
This multi-colored photo of a tram near the Arco da rua Augusta coupled with her recent disco bathroom had Tracy feeling a little Night Fever.
We took a few photos from the Praça do Comércio of the arch illuminating the area with a cool view down the Rua de Augusta, which was bustling.
Also crowded was the Elevador de Santa Justa. It was here where I had a brain cramp. I had wanted to photograph the Largo do Carmo at night and would use those metro escalators to get up there. I guess the gigantic Gin and Tonic had damaged my memory cells.
Colorful would be amped up to the next level when we stopped by this window, and gazed in at Mundo Fantástico da Sardinha Portuguesa
(The Fantastic World of Portuguese Sardines).
Yes, these are the famed tinned seafood cans of Portugal’s finest, but there are also carrousels, thrones to sit in and array of even more sardines.
It’s very touristy, so being tourists we decided to spend a few minutes here.
Tomorrow would be our last day in Lisbon.
We’d hop on a crowded train early in the morning for the short trip to the palace built for King Pedro de Bragança and and his wife in the 1700s. It also had beautiful gardens (I’m spoiling Tracy). Back on the train, we decided to take a Time Out at a 32,000 square-foot food hall featuring more than 30 restaurants. There I would eventually do one of the most embarrassing things I’ve ever done in a public setting (and I’ve done many). We’d eventually end up at a bookstore that has a major historical distinction, and cap off our time in Lisbon with another great meal in a very cute restaurant.
Day Six: We Won’t Be Taking Our Luggage, “Portuguese Versailles”, No Crowds, Tiles Channel, Time Out For Lunch, Decisions Decisions, This Isn’t The Buzzer?, The Oldest Functioning Bookstore In The World, Channeling My Inner Sinatra, Shut Out Of The Rooftop, A Much Needed Refreshment and A Charming Way To End Our Day
