Travelmates aboard ship - after a long journey from Africa to Spain
Typical Lisbon Pavement designs
Rainy Lisbon, even the Plaza pigeons were soaked
And the Plaza statues were hiding as well
Afternoon sunshine, a rural Lisbon citizen
Some Portuguese Folkmusic - after the rain
Black Portuguese - a legacy of liberty for Portuguese Colonies in Africa
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| 24 April Bridge over the Tagus River |
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| Monument to Portuguese Discoverers |
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| Belem Tower |
Early morning sail in up the Tagus (Tejo) River towards Lisbon. One passes the famous Belem Tower, a stronghold on the river, built in Manueline style during 1515 and 1521. It looks like an enormous chess piece and is actually Lisbon's most recognizable landmark, pictured on many brochures. Manueline style refers to an architectural style which takes off on late Gothic style and adds flamboyant and lavish decorations to portals, walls, columns and windows. It was started by King Manuel (somehow related to King Henri the Navigator, who never navigated off terra firma, but lend his support to HIS discoverers) who completed almost seventy huge public buildings in his time: monasteries, cathedrals, abbeys, gates, commemorative buildings such as Jeronimus Monastery in Belem, just outside Downtown Lisbon.
This monastery was initially built as a celebration and thanksgiving for Vasco da Gama's famous and incredible discoveries. Unfortunately, Vasco died in Goa in India in 1474 of Malaria, and was only returned to this place dedicated to his memory a few centuries later. Now his sarcophagus graces the Monastery of Jeronimo. Manu line style: many maritime motifs, such as ropes, tassels, Amaryllis (sic) spheres, sea creatures, ships, shells, barnacle and seaweed like embellishments. Supporting columns are sometimes twisted like giant ropes, and gothic cornices seem to be held together by knotted ropes instead of smooth stone.
After passing iconic Belem Tower, where Our Lady of Safe Homecoming greets returning sailors from it's structure, one passes the equally iconic Monument to Discovery (Padrao do Descobrimientos). A huge mass of stone, carved like a powerful bow of a ship under full sail, supports a whole assembly of Portuguese discoverers, with Vasco da Gama proudly at the head and the rest all pushing, pressing and lined up along the rails.
Beyond the 25th April Bridge one discovers the high monument of Christ the King, fashioned after the much larger statue of Christ the Redeemer famously blessing the City of Rio de Janeiro from one of the high cones overlooking that city. This in celebration of the close ties between Portuguese speaking Brazil and Portugal.
The 25th April Bridge was inaugurated as Salazar (?) Bridge, named first after Portugal's deceased and dethroned dictator. On a 25th April revolutionaries removed the brass plaque with the detested name from one of the major bridge supports and painted 25th April on it instead. The name stuck. It is built like a smaller version of the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco, and has grown from a one story four lane bridge to a two story six lane one, with railway tracks suspended underneath the upper level. At almost four kilometre span, it once was the longest suspension bridge in Europe.
Revolution brought other changes to Portugal, as all it's colonies became independent at the same time. Most of these colonies were in Africa, such as Senegal, Gambia, Mauretania and Liberia, and colonist had the choice of either staying in Africa or joining Portugal. Hundreds of thousands Africans choose Portugal, and a large black population lives in Lisbon, which is especially noticeable around central Rossio Square, where many congregate to chat and socialize.
I took one of the many historic trams, which climb wind through the old hilly streets of Alfama Quarter, over which towers the Moorish Castelo de Sao Jorge and the Catholic Cathedral Se Cathedral. The Castle is said to have been built on a lost fortification of 5th century Visigoths. Some streets are so narrow, two people cannot pass each other. Gives one an idea, what it feels like to 'navigate' those inside a little tram, that clangs up and down these hills defying gravity at every turn.
As again it RAINED buckets, with people deserting streets and fleeing to stores and cafes, hiding under awnings, seeking shelter inside doorways to escape, I escaped to a couple more trams, and drove at least quite dryly through Alfama and Baixa Districts, some of the more picturesque older areas of Lisbon.
The City has suffered through many earthquakes, one of them a couple of centuries ago almost destroyed all of it, however, the citizens undauntedly rebuilt it creating a heady mix of styles, interspersed with parks, plazas, fountains, public art old and new. It also has suffered suburban sprawl with the result of Urban gridlock at rush hour during the promising and rich early years of joining the European Union.
The population is suffering from the effects of European recession, tightening their belts, but still eating Cod (bacalhau) cooked 365 different ways, and making the very best of a difficult situation. I tasted one of them, fleeing from a tram station to a nearby bistro...and would not mind tasting the other 364 ways as well.
Back aboard ship, resting - would you believe in bright sunshine - against the dock of the Port of Lisbon with the backdrop of the imposing 25 April Bridge, I found a few travel mates still gathered in some small nooks of the cabin's veranda: ladybugs, which had come all the way from Tangier Africa, and seemed to intend to stick aboard until the next stop - Mid Atlantic Azores.
