Day 2 – Belém and Cascais
Going to Belém and Cascais would require taking the train.
Luckily most of the office workers can speak and understand some English, even
if not, people on the street are willing to help. I had an old lady explaining
to me how to buy the train ticket at kiosk three times
in Portuguese! So I got on the right train without much hassle.
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| 25 de Abril Bridge |
Belém was just a few stops outside downtown Lisbon. It was
by Rio Tejo. Getting off the train I took the sky bridge to the river side. Walking
along the river side I saw the 25 de Abril Bridge across the Tagus River and
Christ the King on the east side, and the monument Padrão dos Descobrimentos on
the west side. I headed toward the west to get an up close look at the
monument. Along the way there were marinas filled with parked yachts. Further
west stood the Belém tower (Torre de Belém). The tower was built in the early
16
th century and is a prominent example of the Manueline style
architecture. It played an important role in Portuguese maritime discoveries in
the 16
th-18
th century. On the ground of the square by the
tower there is a giant world map with Portuguese ships marked in many
continents. Portugal was once a world power with colonies all over the world!
Taking the next sky bridge across the road I headed back. The
other side of the road is where the Jerónimos Monastery resides. The building
is expansive with complex sculptural themes and the ornate south portal is rich
with intricate carving. Quite a master piece!
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