Situated on the banks of the Tagus River, sits the City of Lights - Lisboa (Lisbon). The capital and the largest city of Portugal, truly lives up to its name. We had two full days to explore this beautiful city and we made the most of it hitting some interesting spots, exploring the history along our way.
Igreja-Museu São Roque - This 16th Centaury Church of São Roque has a very ornate, gilded interior. Located in the heart of Bairro Alto neighborhood, a short walk from our Airbnb, this church and museum is one of the most impressive of all Lisbon's religious sites. This church is well known for its beautiful, hand painted ceiling and a series of side chapels with unique carvings - Lady Chapel, Chapel of Saint Francisco Xavier, Chapel of Saint Roche, Sacramental Chapel, Chapel of the Annunciation, Chapel of John the Baptist, Chapel of Our Lady of Piousness, Chapel of Saint Anthony and Chapel of the Holy Family. Entry to the Church of São Roque is free to the public.
Igreja do Carmo - The skeletal ruins of the Carmo Convent Church represent some painful history. A devastating earthquake struck Lisbon centuries ago on All Saints' Day in 1755, which destroyed most of the building, and hundreds of worshippers died under falling debris The main structure withstood the quake, and this site has now become a popular tourist spot. There is an entrance fee to visit Igreja do Carmo.
Praça do Comércio - Lisbon's huge riverfront square, Praça do Comércio, is a huge gathering space for the crowds. It opens up from the Arco da Rua Augusta and marks the reconstruction of the capital after the 1755 earthquake. The perimeter of the square is lined up with some great restaurants and a beer museum for the beer enthusiasts. On a clear day, you could hang out here and watch the periodic arrival and departure of cruise ships and the Tagus River bridge in the distance. The bridge looks very much like the Golden Gate bridge, and we had some nice views of the water on our bus ride from Porto.
Castelo de São Jorge - This castle is one of Lisbon's most popular tourist destinations and offers gorgeous sweeping views of the Lisbon, the Tagus River and the Atlantic Ocean. It's relaxing to sit in the shade of the exotic stone pine trees surrounded by peacocks. There are a few food trucks on the premises to grab snacks, coffee or an adult beverage. One could literally spend an entire day at the castle and watch the sky and ocean change its colors from dawn to dusk. There is much to see by way of "architecture", but the beauty is in the location and the views. There is an entrance fee to visit Castelo de São Jorge and it's totally worth it.
Martim Moniz - This is a fun area with many kiosks serving food and drinks from all over the world. It is a nice spot to grab a bite to eat and browse thorough the various shops.
Pink Street - Rua Nova do Carvalho is popularly known as Pink Street in Lisbon. Pink Street used to be Lisbon's red light district where sailors arriving into the city used to venture to get frisky. In 2011, the street was painted pink and since then it's name changed to Rua Cor de Rosa, meaning Pink Street. It was part of an initiative to make the neighborhood safer; it worked with brothels closing down and being replaced with bars and restaurants turning it into a hip spot. You could do a fun bar crawl after a day of sightseeing!
There are many more attractions in and around Lisbon to explore, but we were restricted by time. We did make the most of our days by taking more than 20000 steps each day exploring this beautiful city!
An honorable mention of the beautiful facades of buildings, showcasing the unique Azulejo tiles. These glazed, patterned tiles lend a lovely color to what would otherwise be flat, boring facades. Other unique offerings - the Bolinos de Bacalhau (Codfish Cake), which seems like a fried food lover's (me!) dream and the Pastel de Nata (Egg Custard Tart). And who can miss the various Porthos shops, featuring rows and rows of sardines and other canned fish, another Portuguese specialty. Unfortunately, being vegetarian and having an aversion to 'eggy' textures, we couldn't taste any of these specialties. But our son enjoyed the codfish cakes and pastel de nata thoroughly! We had no issues finding vegetarian options at most restaurants - shoutout to Boa Bao, Valdo Gatti, Taqueria de Chiado and Mano a Mano for satiating our craving for multi-ethnic food and providing fuel for all the walking! Our biggest surprise finding in Lisbon was Ganesha Palace which served very authentic and lip-smacking north Indian cuisine. Everything we ordered was so good that we definitely overate and had to nix plans to stop at a cafe for dessert on our way back.
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