Beautiful Belém and Bohemian Bairro Alto

We were a little late getting going this morning, but we needed the sleep. Once we were on the move, however, that slower pace that I promised myself on this trip did not happen. Instead, we packed a great deal into our second day in Lisbon, another glorious one, weather-wise.

Firstly, we learned how to negotiate the transportation system. We each bought a Viva Viagem card which worked to get us on the metro (subway), a train, and a tram car. It is like the British oyster card on which you can load more value when you need it. Thus equipped, we made our way to Belém,  on the western side of the city. This quarter is linked to Portugal's Golden Age when this tiny country sent explorers all over the world. We stopped for photos at the Monument to the Discoveries, completed in 1960, with larger than life representations of some of the more famous among them. Vasco de Gama, still remembered from my studies in elementary school, was there. Later, in the Mosteiro dos Jeronimos, we saw his tomb.

The Monument of the Discoveries

Further along the river is the famous Tower of Belém. It is very beautiful but since there was a long line-up to get in, we decided not to enter it. We were more interested in the Mosteiro dos Jeronimos, commissioned by King Manuel 1 after De Gama's return from the east. Because it was Sunday, admission to this spectacular building was free.

The Belém Tower

The south face of Moisteiro dos Jeronimos

The bright blue sky, and glorious sunshine lit up the cloister, so much so, that Bob exhausted his camera battery taking pictures in the monastery. Fortunately, he carries a spare. (It is not the first time this sort of thing has happened - hence the spare.) He used it to good advantage when photographing the inside of the church, and the rest of our day.

Have you noticed that the url address for this blog is: "in search of the perfect custard tart", written as one word? These delectable treats are one of the reasons that Bob chose Portugal. It is quite amusing that so many of the readers of this blog have been suggesting we go to the place we went to next, the Antigo Confeitaria de Belém. Not to worry, it has been on the agenda since the beginning. In fact, it was the second place where we have bought custard tarts. We picked some up yesterday at a local bakery near our apartment.

By mid-afternoon, we were ready for a snack (we had had a light lunch at a cafeteria near the tower) so it was time for Pasteis de Belém, at a pastry shop that makes the best custard tarts in the world! We knew well enough to go inside and get ourselves a table, so that we could better savour the experience. Let me say that these tarts were really tasty! Bob's thumbs went up, way up. After we sampled one, we ordered another each. Delicious!!

The Cloister of Moisteiro dos Jeronimos

  

Ready to try Pasteis de Belém. 

The elevator of Santa Justa seems to go nowhere, just up.

Next, we headed back to central Lisbon by tram. The Neo-Gothic elevator de Santa Justa was nearby, so we decided to take it to the Bairro Alto quarter. This part of the city is slightly bohemian in style, with lots of shops, most of which were, unfortunately, closed Sundays. Since we were high above much of the city, we found our way to another viewpoint, the Mirodoura de Sao Pedro. As you can see, Lisbon sure is gorgeous!

Streetscape in Bairro Alto

The view from the Miradoura de Sao Pedro de Alcantera

The subway was an easy way to get back to our neighbourhood, where we made a quick stop at the Se (Cathedral) before we went out for a simple dinner at Maritima das Colunas. Again,we had seafood stew but it was not of the same quality as the one last night.