Lisbon and its neighborhoods
We thought September would be a good time to visit Portugal. The weather is still nice, upper 70’s low 80’s (but we didn’t expect the high humidity), but apparently we weren’t the only ones with this idea. Lisbon is heaving with tourists. Some of the touristy things we wanted to do are just too crowded with long lines that could take an hour or 2 to go through. This has altered our plans somewhat.
BELEM: Our first stop was a tram ride out of town to the area of Belem which is the birthplace of Portugal’s most famous dessert, the custard tart. The place that where it all began is a patisserie (bakery) in Belem called the Paties de Belem.
Unfortunately the lines went along the block so we couldn’t sit down and have a pastry and coffee but we found another place closer to where we stayed that made them the same way.
There were other sites in Belem including a monastery called the Mosteiros dos Jeronimos which is an UNESCO World Heritage Site. This monastery and church were built to fulfill a promise made by Portugal’s king Dom Manuel should Vasco da Gama return safely from his inaugural voyage to India in 1498. Interestingly, the value of the spices he brought back with him was more than enough to pay for the buildings. It is a giant structure that covers 2 blocks so it is hard to show how immense and stunning it is but here is my photo.
On the tram ride back to the city center, we were packed like sardine! However, trams are a major mode of transport in Lisbon unlike our experience in Porto. The trams are everywhere here. Most of them are the old style yellow trams that move about the city but there are also newer trams which look just like a city bus but are attached to the overhead electrical lines. We took the modern tram to Belem.
The most famous of the tram system here is actually a funicular system. The funicular is built to go up very steep slopes and are used here to go from the new town down below to the old town known as Barrio Alto up above.
Funicular path down to the new town
Up close photo of the underside of the funicular
BARIO ALTO: We rode the funicular up to the old town. This part of town is filled with hills, views and places to eat. It is known specifically for its bars and nightlife but those days are behind us now:). The cover photo for this entry is one of those streets.
Our refreshment stop
Barrio Alto street
Restaurant and bar at the top of Barrio Alto
The next neighborhood we explore will the the Alfama. So until next time…
