Professor Sharon

Bom dia!  (Good morning in Portugese)

Our trip, as any trip abroad, started with a very long day dealing with airports and check-ins, and waiting and more waiting. We stayed at the Tivoli Hotel for the first couple of nights.

One of the stops on the first day in Lisbon is the “Tower of Belem”.

“Built on the northern bank of the Tagus between 1514 and 1520 as part of the Tagus estuary defence system, the Tower of Belém is one of the architectural jewels of the reign of Manuel I.  We did not go inside, both because there was a charge, and there wasn’t enough time as we were on the first of many bus tours we would have on this trip with Odysseys.  The  link will bring you to a nice website with interior photos if you are interested.  The outside is impressive with a great deal of symbolism (what large monument doesn’t have that?) such as symbols for knights Templar, and ropes, and more.  The moat and stone patio surrounding the monument is recently built, we were told, to handle the tourists traffic.   And, as anywhere else, the ladies peddling scarfs and stolen bracelets (nice Pandora and similar type bracelets) were always there.  What our tour guide did not tell us about was the rhinoceros story!

Tower of Belem

Monument to the Discoverers

We also got off the bus to tour the Monument to the Discoverers.    It’s very recent, and as our local guide pointed out, used money under Salazar that probably could have been well spent somewhere else.  It is impressive, and it would have been wonderful to have a brochure or handout of who explaining each person represented on the monument.  The Wikipedia site does have a listing if you are interested.  I’ve not been able to find a site that will translate well into English other than the Wikipedia site.

The compass rose and map of the world on the ground is really astonishing – too bad it was totally covered by tourists and their guides.  The guides would have their group stand right on top of the part of the world they were discussing.  While I’ve been sad to see so many sites roped off, this one needs to have that happen!   I think of interest is the word usage – in Portugal and Spain, these men were “discoverers,” in America we call them explorers.  What do you think of those word choices?  Fascinating to me.

Monument to the Discoverers is quite large!

A detail from the beautiful world map constructed of different types of marble next to the Discoverers

We also visited the Jeronimos museum, once a convent, and the Queluz Palace and Gardens as well.

“The National Palace of Queluz and its historical gardens are one of the most remarkable examples of the harmonious link between landscape and palatial architecture in Portugal. They illustrate the evolution of the Court’s tastes in the 18th and 19th centuries, a period that was marked by the baroque, rococo and neoclassicism. Built in 1747 at the orders of the future King Pedro III, the consort of Queen Maria I, the Palace of Queluz was initially conceived as a summer residence, becoming the royal family’s preferred place for their leisure and entertainment. They lived there permanently from 1794 until their departure for Brazil in 1807, as a result of the French invasions. ”

Cloister of the Jeronimos Monastery

Many folks wondered if we were going to go to the more well known Palace in Lisbon: SIntra.   Part of the Odysseys itinerary promises visits to lesser well-known, but equally important sites, and they were spot on with this.  We were the only tour group there with only a handfull of other tourists.  While I really wanted to spend more time in the gardens, it was very nice to walk through the palace without the squish of other people and cameras.

This is a made-man “boat ride” alley covered in the most beautiful tile work.

The royal thrones (tee-hee – exactly what you think they are! 🙂

What a first day of touring so far!  And that doesn’t include our visit, when we had free time in the afternoon, to the Gulbenkian Museum!  I’ll write about that tomorrow as it is a real gem!

One of the palace rooms with a few of our fellow travelers.

For now, we begin understanding just a little the history of Lisbon and Portugal.

Até amanhã.  (See you tomorrow.)