7/13 Arrival & Exploration
Lisbon is for History and Foodies
07/13/2019 - 07/13/2019 78 °F
View RussRaff to Portugal on paulej4's travel map.
Lisbon, Portugal, is near a perfect natural Atlantic Ocean harbor at the mouth of the Tagus River which winds 600 miles westward from central Spain. Fog was lifting from the river revealing sailors and fishermen as we arrived. Here, the Tagus is spanned by the second longest bridge in Europe, the nearly 11-mile-long Vasco da Gama Bridge and by the shorter and less picturesque Ponte 25 de Abril Suspension Bridge which you see in the distance through our fog.
Southwest of Lisbon's center is the Tagus riverfront Belém district, home to our hotel, the Altis Belém Hotel. From Lisbon's Portela Airport, one can get there by by bus, subway, tram, taxi, car or towncar. We take Uber for 15 minutes and $15 to this Marriott affiliated hotel where The Tagus River is outside the back door. Uber is great in Europe; it really works well here.
We have no plans until tonight for dinner at Cafe Lisboa with Allan and Nancy. We could nap but that seldom solves jet lag for us so we explore the Belém neighborhood and beyond.
Construction of the nearby Jerónimos Monastery began in 1501; it was completed 100 years later. At the church that formerly occupied this spot, Vasco da Gama and his crew devoted a night in prayer before they departed for the Orient in 1497. Inside the doorway at the back of the elegant church are tombs of da Gama to the left and the less famous Luis de Camões to the right (pictured here because the light was better).
Also quite close is the The Padrão dos Descobrimentos monument, conceived for the 1940 Portuguese World Exposition to represent the Portuguese spirit of exploration. Originally temporary, it was demolished after the Exposition only to be replaced by this larger cement sculpture completed in 1960.
Only steps away is the Belém Tower, both fortress and gateway, which was completed in 1519 during the Portuguese Renaissance. Gaspar de Paiva was named to permanently command the fortress on my birthday in 1521, not knowing that I would visit a mere 500 years (or so) later.
Newer by far is the futuristic MAAT Museum of Art, Architecture and Technology. Opened a mere three years ago, it neighbors the Tejo Power Station, industrial architecture from just about 100 years ago.
To understand this place, one has to step back--and think back. Vasco da Gama (in 1497) and Magellan (in 1505) both sailed from here. In 1755, an earthquake followed by a tsunami destroyed virtually all of Lisbon and took (depending on who is telling the story) between 10,000 and 100,000 lives. Fires engulfed what remained; it was All Saints Day and candles had been lit in every home and church. All were knocked over creating a firestorm. The science of modern seismology commenced thereafter and “earthquake engineering” (from which today's California benefits) was pioneered here as a result.
Walking back to the Altis it was time for lunch; the Tagus Riverfront Clube Naval de Lisboa Restaurante beckoned with many varieties of fish and fresh fruit. John Dory and tuna followed by mango for desert. We could just as easily patronized one of dozens of unique food trucks but we wanted to sit and rest our weary feet after taking 15,000+ steps along the way.
A well deserved nap capped the afternoon. Music wafts outside the Altis as people stroll and scurry, all seemingly sharing happiness as their destination.
There is a word to know here: Saudade (singular) or Saudades (plural) which carries a large amount of fatalism and nostalgic longing for something or someone now lost, probably forever. Lisbon’s Fado music—described as being profoundly melancholic—is based on this feeling. I heard no Fado tonight but look forward to it. Fado offers lots of strings and an expressive singer and is best enjoyed with a glass of wine and relaxation; you don’t dance to it. I suppose you could walk your Afghan Hound to it...
After an afternoon rest and a shower, we set off to meet Allan and Nancy at their place before we continue on to dinner near the 'Teatro Nacional de São Carlos', at Café Lisboa, a restaurant of José Avillez, the famous Portuguese chef. A symphony orchestra--don't know if it was the Lisbon Symphony but it sure sounded like it could be--was playing a free concert in the restaurant courtyard to an overflow crowd--young and old. The conversation at dinner was the highlight of the day, but with "Al" and Nancy, I knew it would be. Big day tomorrow; hoping that jet lag won't interfere with a sound sleep.
