Walking Around Lisbon

This morning we were out for breakfast at Beira Gare Cafe, a place I remembered last year for its good food, coffee, and friendly staff. Although today (Day of the Dead) is a semi-holiday I thought this cafe would be open, because it's right next to the Rossio Train station where lots of tourists like to get something to go before jumping on the intercity train for Belem, Estoril, or Cascais.

By noon we'd walked 3.5 miles just taking it easy at the foot of St. George's Castle (built by Moors in 10th century) skirting around it up to the Alfama, the neighborhood we stayed in last year. The Alfama is the oldest neighborhood in Lisbon casting back to when the Moors occupied this hill overlooking the Tagus River from 900-1147. Of course, the Romans had a fort where St. George's Castle stands as far back as 48 BCE. What makes the Alfama special is that it remained intact after the devastating earthquake of 1755 so all the narrow streets and some of the buildings date back to the 10th century.

After a rest at the top at a cafe we frequented a lot last year, we made our way back down to Baixa (the business district of the old part of Lisbon, up to the Chiado neighborhood to the Carmo Convent and then back down to Rossio Square, making our way back to our hotel for a rest before taking another walk up Liberdade Avenue (the 5th Avenue/Rodeo Drive of Lisbon) this time.

Ham and cheese on a croissant, a typical Portuguese breakfast.

The caption above this urban art says, "Consume until you explode."

More traditional urban art just opposite the above art.

Some neighborhoods provide elevators.

Gives you a sense of how steep some of the
walk up to the Alfama is if you take the stairs
connecting one to the other.

Lisbon's tiled apartment homes are beautiful.

Entrance to St. George's Castle. The citadel
wall is to the right circa 900, probably earlier.

Closer look of castle main gate.

Urban art at the ruins of the Belmont & Azurara Palace ruins

(16th-17th centuries). Excavations show that this section dates

back to the 10th century.

Looks like an anteater made of ribbon.

Last year this fence wasn't here. Street artists were "installing"
unauthorized exhibitions on the ruins and I guess the city
decided to put an end to that.

And the citizens of Lisbon are quick to warn you about this, too.

25th of April Bridge from Largo da Graca in the Alfama.

St. George's Castle from Largo da Graca in the Alfama.

The Cathedral (St. Mary Major, 1147-mid 13th
century). The tuk tuks and even #28 Tram
pause in front so everyone can snap a shot.

The Good Health steps (circa 1660)
to the left and the escalator added
in 2013.

Lots of cool streets as we worked

our way up to the Alfama.

Loved how this building was built
to make room for traffic winding
through these narrow streets. By
the way, check out the history
of Palace next to St. Christopher.

Palace next to St. Christopher, a

chronology of its improvements.

click on pic to enlarge.

Looking out from interior court.

Interior courtyard of Palace next to St. Christopher.

The tile design on Rossio Square
can make you nauseous if you
look directly at it too long. The
surface is flat, but the illusion is
more powerful. 

Liberdade (Liberty) Avenue is a
high-end shopping mecca, but we
love the wide tree-lined sidewalks.

A tribute from the city "to the pavers who build the ground
we tread."

Clover, a band from Brazil playing at the base of Justa Elevator.

Justa Elevator takes folks from the
Baixa 43 feet up to Carmo Square.

Vendors roasting chestnuts are on
nearly every street corner/plaza.

This marching band was kicking it in Chiado Square and the crowd of shoppers were loving it.

Our Lady of Loreto Italian Church is celebrating its 500th 

anniversary and we may attend a concert there Friday evening.

Sao Roque was the first Jesuit
church in the Portuguese World.
Construction started in 1590 and
the church was dedicated in 1619.

Side chapels of Sao Roque.

St. John the Baptist Chapel,

1742-1747.

The incredibly ornate chapels belie
the vow of poverty Jesuits take. It's
not their fault; Portugal had to do
something with all the gold taken
from Brazil.

Altar of the Most Holy Trinity com-
missioned in 1622 and finished in
the early 18th century.

St. George's Castle atop the Alfama taken from the Chiado

neighborhood about a quarter mile directly across town.

We returned to Tapas-n-Friends for another delicious meal.
This time we had parma ham and mozzarella cheese bruschetta,
cod cakes, and octopus salad. We hoovered the salad before
remembering to take a picture. We were  hungry after walking
6.5 miles today.

Rue da Ouro, one of the streets in
the Baixa famous for its shops.
We couldn't believe the crowd
gathered to listen to the band we
saw earlier at Chiado Square.

On our walk back to our hotel after
dinner, we walked past Rossio
Square to Figueira Place, the next
square just east of it, and discovered
an open-air market selling regional
sausages, cheeses, breads, & wine.

I think we know where we're having

dinner tomorrow.