Dia 3: Seafaring Belém and the Gulbenkian
Hop on the Bus, Gus!After an early breakfast, we meet in the lobby at 8:45. Today we will travel by bus for the first time. We meet our driver, who is subbing for our regular driver, Carlos. Due to Portuguese labor laws, we learn there are a mandatory number of days they have to rest before they can resume driving again. On a Rick Steves' tour, there is plenty of room to spread out. We appreciate this when we see other tour companies pack their buses like canned sardines.
Parque Eduardo VIIOur first stop is to the largest public park in central Lisbon, just north of Avenida da Liberdade, with one of the best views of the city. Situated on 26 hectares of land (64 acres), the park is named for England's King Edward VII who visited the city in 1903 in an effort to strengthen relations between the two countries. We unload in a lot at the top of the hill. A beautiful green slope with neatly clipped hedges in a geometric pattern stretches out across the field. Shaded walkways flank the gardens. In our bulls-eye is the Marquês de Pombal square and a gorgeous vista of the city, the river Tagus in the distance. Our main purpose for stopping here is to see the April 25 Monument. It commemorates the 1974 Revolution (a.k.a the Carnation Revolution), in which the rebellion overthrew the fascist dictatorship.
Museu Calouste GulbenkianAfter visiting the park, we drive to the Gulbenkian Museum where we meet our guide, Ju. She is soft-spoken and articulate. The museum building itself is simple and clean, with tile facade and flowering vines. There are mirrored glass entry doors and reflecting pools beside the walking path. It lends an air of calm and serenity. There was a contest to design the building instructing that it should be “a perpetual homage to the memory of Calouste Gulbenkian, with its lines reflecting the essential features of his character – spiritual concentration, creative energy and simplicity in life”. And it seems to accomplish this perfectly,
Once inside the building, Ju begins our tour near a dedication wall with a quote from Calouste Gulbenkian that loosely translated reads, "It is time to look to the future of art ... I consider them (the art) 'daughters' ... It is 50-60 years of life guided by personal taste." Gulbenkian was an Armenian financier, businessman and philanthropist who gave his entire art collection to Portugal for providing him asylum during WWII. The Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation was created in 1956 and today employs 500 people. There is so art much contained here - 6,000 pieces spanning 5,000 years of history - it is impossible to contemplate it all in a single day. The benefit of touring the museum with a local guide is to see the highlights, accompanied with an informative narrative.
Gulbenkian Museum in PicturesDid you know ... Since 1249, Portugal did not move its borders. They have been a nationality since then. All the people speak the same language - there are no dialects. |
Tour GuidanceTake a picture of your bus! Our fellow tour members suggested doing this. When visiting major sites, there will be buses by the dozen and often they look very similar. If you have a photo to refer to, you can verify the license plate before hopping back on to avoid joining a different tour altogether. (Now wouldn't that be an experience!)
Back Door DiscoveriesWe had a local guide named Ju for our tour of the Gulbenkian Museum. She provided background on the many treasures we saw and helped us understand it's importance. In total, the Gulbenkian contains art with 5000 years of history and approximately 6000 pieces. 500 people work in the foundation today.
What doesn't kill you fattens you up
Cristina surprised us with treats after lunch from the famous Pastéis de Belém pastry shop. These little custard tarts are amazing. The crust is light, more like puff pastry than pie crust, and the custard is heavenly. Best when served warm from the oven. Definitely among the tastiest we have sampled.
Fale em portugues, por favor Today's word is até logo = see you later. It is pronounced AHtay-loogoh with a hard "g".
Lessons LearnedRelax. Go with the flow. We tend to get tense in situations where we are unsure of what we're doing. At lunchtime, Cristina pointed to a number of quick "fast food" restaurants (not like fast food in the States) where we could grab a sandwich or salad to bring back to the park for lunch. Much like Subway, there were ordering instructions laid out for us on small signs, however lacking understanding of the language, we were lost. Finally, we queued up in line and did our best. There was some confusion and the people behind the counter did not speak English. We misunderstand what they were saying, they misunderstood what we wanted, someone cut in line - or so we thought - and someone's feelings got hurt. In the end, we walked out with delicious food, which we ate under the shade of an elm tree. Really, no big deal in the scheme of things. The Wheels on the BusSmall groups = more seating options. Mark and I each grabbed a window seat on this ride. Most of the couples sit side-by-side, and the front/back of the bus are the most popular choices. If you sit in the middle, you have a better chance to space yourselves apart.
Lunch in the ParkFor lunch, the group divided and went off in different directions. We had limited time and could not venture far. We opted for a picnic in the park. We picked up sandwiches and salad from a small café a few minutes walking distance and sat under the shade of a large tree. It was peaceful and relaxing.
If one is good, three are betterMark has a major sweet tooth. One bite of the pastel de Belém and he had to have another. And another. It was a great opportunity to see the inner workings of the café for ourselves. The line outside moves very quickly, and at only €1, it is not hard to see why these treats are so popular. Our guidebook says they crank out ~20k a day. It is an extremely efficient process. If you squeeze over to the far left of the shop, you can peek in and watch the bakers filling the pastry cups.
Saúde, Lisboa!For our last dinner in Lisbon, we made a reservation at the recommended "A Gina". In sharing, we learned it was so-so and that the portions are huge. It had been a long day and we were not too hungry after eating all those pastries. So we cancelled and opted for a quiet meal in the hotel in their Café Plaza. They have a simple yet satisfying menu and we enjoyed soup, salad and wine.
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Belém Tower
Our next stop is to the Belém Tower. The first thing we see when we pull in is a large seaplane monument. The plaque on its base commemorates the perilous transatlantic voyage by Gago Coutinho and Sacadura Cabral. They were the first pilots to fly across the South Atlantic Ocean. This is an exact replica of their Fairey seaplane. Unguided, we stroll across the grass to the stout, white tower in the background resting along the shore. Our guidebook tells us this is the "purest Manueline building in Portugal" and that it "protected Lisbon's harbor" today symbolizing the "voyages that made Portugal powerful." We view the tower from three sides and take pictures.
Discoveries Monument
We drive three minutes up the road and pull alongside the curb, where we disembark. There are buses all along the boulevard and many people crowded around. We slowly make our way across the square to the large white monument in the distance. It makes for a stunning picture: the rose-tinted stone in the shape of a caravel ship set against the azure sky, the cerulean river just beyond, the black and white cobblestones in their undulating wave pattern, and flapping in the wind in stark contrast are the vibrant colors of the Portuguese flag. Waving a hand up at the limestone statues, Cristina tells us about the image of Prince Henry the Navigator "at the helm" and 16 other figures that represent scientists, artists, explorers, navigators, mapmakers who appear to be on board behind him. She weaves a story, full of passion, about this age of discovery. We listen intently and than amble over to the large marble mosaic at our feet in the shape of a compass and world map. We locate Portugal (which we can now point to, thank you very much) and the United States.
Dessert
We climb back on board the bus and drive across the street to a large parking area ina a park near the Jerónimos Church. Cristina tells us we will eat lunch and then visit the church. She points to a few places where we can get quick eats and then leaves us. She hints that she is going to bring back something special for dessert. When she returns, she is carrying pastry boxes. We are all very excited because we have a strong suspicion of what's inside. She lifts the cover and we "ooh" and aah". She hands us each a pastel de nata from Pastéis de Belém café, the birthplace of the delicious custard tarts. They are light and flaky on the outside, the custard warm and creamy. Delicioso/a!
Monastery of Jerónimos
With our bellies happy and full, we cross the street to the immense white church, the Monastery of Jerónimos. Cristina tells us there is a change to the itinerary because we are not able to enter the Jerónimos Cloister today.The jacaranda trees are in bloom and it's quite beautiful to see their flowers against the limestone backdrop. Built over 500 years ago, we learn the church is a thank you from King Manuel for Vasco da Gama's voyage during the age of discovery. It replaced the small chapel that formerly existed here, where da Gama had prayed for a safe voyage. Construction of the new church began January 6, 1501 and was completed 100 years later. No expense was spared to build it. It was funded by a "Spice Tax" called Vintena da Pimenta - approximately 5% tax on commerce from Africa and the Orient. Inside the monastery is the tomb of Vasco da Gama.
Museu de Marinha
In a separate wing beside the monastery, we enter the Maritime Museum (also called the Navy Museum). Cristina points to the large map on the wall and shows us in great detail the trade routes in the time when Portugal ruled the waters. This is an excellent vehicle to depict how the early explorers reached the Orient, Middle East and Africa - the major influences on Portuguese imports. We make our way through the museum and check out the model ships, armor, pottery and paintings. When we reach the end, we head outside and then enter a retired "shipyard" of actual boats.
Public Transport back to Hotel
We walk straight down the boulevard until we reach a bus stop. Cristina checks the timetable and lets us know when the next bus will arrive. She instructs us where to stand once we board, and warns us about pickpockets. These are more lessons, subtly woven in, that teach us how to travel independently. When we reach our hotel, we rest and then head back out to pick up souvenirs. Perhaps we will purchase some ginjinha and tiles in blue & white. We will then go eat dinner. Afterwards, we will stroll back to our hotel to settle our bill and pack ... tomorrow we leave for Évora. Lisbon has been a great adventure. We decide we love this city and vow to return.