Lisbon, Portugal is not on my list of city to go yet, but
opportunity calls, so here I am J
The day before I left home I started to panic. I realized that
I had not traveled and toured all by myself ever, and I had no time to plan it yet.
The day I left was the day Justin returned home from his 2-week tour in
California, with a couple of his friends, without a car. My brave son set an
example for me, so off I went, with a 15-page tour information on Lisbon
downloaded on my phone.
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| Praça da Figueira |
I glanced through the information and picked
out a few places, a couple near downtown and a couple in longer distance. But knowing
that I’d be arriving in Lisbon early in the morning, I forced myself to sleep
as much as possible on the plane. It was a smooth run getting through the
custom and checking in at the hotel. With a city map and metro map in hand, I
was off exploring the city by 11am.
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| Terreiro do Paço |
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| Santa Justa Elevator |
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| Praça da Figueira |
I took the subway to Rossio station to explore Lisbon
downtown area (Baixa). The minute I stepped out of Rossio station, I saw Praça
da Figueira (Square of the Fig Tree) in front of me. Following the crowd led me
to the Terreiro do Paço (Commerce Square) near the Tagus River (Rio Tejo). The
statue of King José I is in front of the Arch facing the Tagus River, glistening
in the sunlight and looking grand. There are lot of activities on the square,
music, performers, and of course food, a lot of food! Along the way I spotted
the Santa Justa Elevator, there was a line of people waiting to get on to have
a good view of the surrounding area. I decided to head uphill as I saw the tips
of the towers there as I remembered from the tour brochure.
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| Terreiro do Paço |
The winding roads uphill are much like San Francisco, there
are also stairways to cut through the buildings, as long as you know the general
direction you are heading. When in doubt, I just followed the tourists or tour
bus route (tram track) J
Sé Cathedral is in Romanesque style and solemn looking, the service was on and
the music was touching. The National Pantheon was originally Church of Santa
Engrácia, and currently entombed many of the illustrious Portuguese. The design
was simply ingenious and magnificent. Reaching to the terrace on the 4th
floor I had spectacular view of the city, from hilltop to the river. São
Jorge’s Castle required some time to explore, the forte was extensive and
intricate.
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| Alfama |
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| Alfama |
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| Alfama |
Back to the Commerce Square, I had my meal of the day, egg
tart and sausage sandwich, two famous items in Portugal.
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| The city spread from hill top to Tagus River |
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| São Jorge’s Castle |
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| A city packed with red roof tops |
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