On the whole, the visit was just a relaxing holiday. So there were a few relaxing meals and strolls around the city. But along the way we took in some of the highlights Lisbon had to offer.

Castle of São Jorge
One of the first touristy things we did was investigate Castle Sao Jorge. Instead of taking the tram up the hill, we took the scenic route along narrow back alleys and paths. It is a surprising high hill, but it was good to see some of the oldest parts of the city up close. The castle is on the highest hill, over looking the city, and has been there in some form since the 2nd century BC. No interior of the castle remains, just the walls, bridge, and towers. On the outside of the actual structure are large patio areas with brilliant views of the city.


Belem / St Jerome Monastery / Museum
Mosteiro dos Jerónimos was a great adventure. The monastery begun 500 years ago in 1502 in Belém, the seaport near the gates of Lisbon, now just a quick tram ride away. The monastery was built to commemorate Vasco da Gama's voyage to India and to give thanks for its success. It contains the world's most distinctive Manueline church. Manueline, the style of architecture that bears the founder-king's name, combines flamboyant Gothic and Moorish influences with elements of the nascent Renaissance. Richly ornate and unlike any other building in Europe, it has, among other features, columns carved in patterns inspired by the rigging of Portuguese ships laden with riches from Brazil and India. After taking in the sites at the monastery we wandered up the streets of Belém until we found a locals’ only lunch spot completely off the beaten path. We had to order our food by pointing at items in the meat case since no one spoke any English and there was no menu, but is was well worth the walk. We also stopped by the nearby Tower of Belém, part of the World Heritage Site, which was built to commemorate Vasco da Gama's expedition and remains a reminder of the great maritime discoveries that laid the foundations of the modern world. There is a good view of the monastery from the top of the tower.

National Museum
Housed in the south wing of the Jeronimos Monastery complex so we decided to see this as well when we were at the monastery. It has exhibits from the prehistoric, protohistoric, Roman, Visigoth, Arab and medieval periods, It also includes exhibits from Egyptian antiquities, Ethnography and numismatics sections. Jewelry from the Calcolithic period to Visigothic times can also be found here. The exhibition "The Traditional Gold of Viana do Castelo. From the Prehistory to the present day" is a tribute to the millenarian roots of the goldsmithing art, which still exists with a specific culture in a geographic area and is national and internationally known. It was quite impressive to see. The way the coin collection was displayed was especially nice. Abby had fun sliding through the very small opening to a prehistoric sauna that was on display here.

On the last day we spent some time walking up and down the river front for a few hours in each direction, ending up at some bars for lunch which easily turned into a few hours of food and drink on the harbor front - we just wish we found the area earlier on in the visit as it looks like it could have been a great night out. I really enjoyed Lisbon, it was a really relaxed and friendly city. Food was good, beer cheap and even their winter is nice and warm. Could be a winner for a return visit ! Lisbon Photos HERE

This is a prime example of why I should write about my trips as soon as I get back. I have already, half forgotten what I got up on this trip and it was only a couple of months ago, let alone a few years.

It was time a break and Abbys birthday needed some celebration so we headed to Lisbon for a week. It is amazing how a few degrees of latitude can make a world of difference in temperature – loved the fact we got to escape a week of winter for some warmth.

Our hotel was in the city at one end of the main drag, giving us good access to everything, either by walking if it was local or underground / tram if further out. Pretty basic hotel and nothing to write home about except the old staff - each of whom were characters. There was bad B.O. waiter, grumpy hotel clerk, pottery old grandpa waiter and illegal immigrant room service girl.

The city center of Lisboa is a criss-cross of trams and small alleys which you could imagine only donkeys fitting up. All the sidewalks are cobbled with patterns out of black and white marble like stone, making the majority of the city very attractive. In order to get our bearings we took a hop on – hop off bus tour showing the highlights and describing the main historical sites, it was good to create a check list of sorts. By the end of the week we had easily seen everything we wanted to and more really. So for your guidance: a week is more then enough time for the city on its own.

Dinner Dance
Nothin really to say - but a great night out at the British Natural History Museum. The venue was fantastic with bit dinosaur in the center and great lighting effects around the room.

P2D Car
Corde and I finally purchased a car for our rally to Dakar. A 1980 merc 300D. Its a big old rusty Mercedes 3 litre diesel. Its a tank, its a beast and we love it. Corde went looked at car this afternoon down in Wales - and quickly snatched it up for 500 quid. It is a sweet ride even if it has some extra ventilation through the rust holes. We will be cruising in style. We have nic-named our new team member Rusty - for obvious reasons.. On the whole it is in top condition and there is very little work to be done - which suits us just nicely. We were starting to get a tad worried about our lack of a vehical.

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