Belem

Sig and I took a short day trip down to Belem. It started out fairly interestingly. One, we ran into her old supervisor who was also visiting from Norway. Then, a couple of pick pockets got arrested right there in the tram, which had to stop in front of the police station to let them out. Then, we had to get off the tram and transfer to a bus because of an accident further down the line. So that was fun.

The rest of the day was much more relaxing. The Belem district is one of the tourist must see places in Lisbon. It is an old district home to Jeronimos Monastery and the President of Portugal. The most famous sight is the Torre de Belem…

The tower was built during the 1500’s, when the Portuguese trading empire was at its zenith. The architect who built the tower was influenced by many Muslim, African, and oriental designs. The tower was meant to guard one side of the Tagus River, which one must sail up to reach Lisbon. It has an excellent view of the river entrance from its ramparts…

It was an absolutely gorgeous November day…

Here is the view looking back upriver towards Lisbon…

The rest of the day was spent just enjoying the sun and then a brief visit to the Monastery…

Coffee, pasties de belem, and roasted chestnuts. It was a very Portuguese day. Which means it was relaxing and enjoyable in the extreme!!