Always leave something left to see in Lisbon

By now, I’ve been fairly clear about two aspects of the recent trip that my wife and I made to Spain and Portugal:

One, since connecting with our Spokane friends Ann and Matt in Lisbon, it quickly became clear that, unless absolutely necessary, we were never going to get an early start on the day. (My three fellow travelers are late sleepers.)

Two, all of us like pastries. Check that, we love pastries.

That’s why, following another last-minute (if sumptuous) breakfast at the Lisboa Carmo Hotel , we ended up taking an Uber to one of Lisbon’s oldest pastry shops, Pastéis de Belém . As the shop’s website says …

“In 1837 we began making the original Pastéis de Belém, following an ancient recipe from the Mosteiro dos Jerónimos . That secret recipe is recreated every day in our bakery, by hand, using only traditional methods. Even today, the Pastéis de Belém offer the unique flavour of time-honoured Portuguese sweet making.”

Such an interesting turn of phrase, “sweet making.” By the way, the Belém district is the historical site of Lisbon’s shipyards and docks. It sits adjacent to the Tejo Estuary, which is the link between the Tagus River and the Atlantic Ocean. The pastry shop itself is located a couple of blocks from the waterfront, kitty corner to an open space known as the Jardim da Praça Império .

Created in 1940 to commemorate 800 years of Portugal’s independence, the garden was just what we needed. In addition to immersing us in the city’s history, it provided us a means to escape the day’s cloudless, sunbaked sky, courtesy of the shade provided by a virtual forest of trees. It was in that shade that we sat on wooden benches and devoured the treats that we’d scored – a collection of custard creations and chocolate croissants.

Our sweet teeth satisfied, we set off toward one of the district’s most historic sites: the Mosteiro dos Jerónimos (see link above). Unfortunately, we hadn’t bought advance tickets to the monastery itself, billed as one of the city’s “must see” sights. And because the lines were long, we passed on the prospect of an extended wait, not to mention potential sunstroke. Instead, we opted to visit the church next door, the Igreja Santa Maria de Belém , the lines for which were far shorter.

Now, I’ve seen numerous cathedrals over the years, in Italy, France and the United Kingdom. And the week before we’d seen some fairly majestic religious shrines in southern Spain. So, you’ll have to excuse the terse tone of the notes that I made about the Igreja Santa Maria de Belém in my travel journal: “Scenic, etc.” Maybe the better descriptor of the church, completed in 1601 and listed in 1983 as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, comes from the website TripHobo: “stately, mind-numbingly beautiful.” Maybe the chocolate croissant, if not glaring Lisbon sun, had numbed my mind as well.

Anyway, afterward we crossed the busy waterfront thoroughfare via an underground passage, so we could visit the nearby Padrão dos Descobrimentos . Designed along with the Jardim da Praça Império in 1940 as part of the country’s independence celebration, the 14-story-tall monument wasn’t built until 1960. And then it was considered part of the 500-year commemoration of the death of Prince Henry the Navigator – hero of the fabled Age of Discovery.

After paying a small fee (8 and a half euros for seniors), we boarded an elevator that took us up nearly the full 170-plus feet. Once we navigated a short, steep stairway, we emerged to see another amazing panoramic view of Lisbon. Not only could we take in city itself, but turning in any direction gave us a look at the estuary, the towns of Almada and Cachilas to the south and – far off to the west – the blue sheen of the Atlantic.

It was then that we decided to do something different from what the guidebooks advise. Instead of seeking out another church or monument or scenic plaza, we thought it would be a good idea to mingle among regular Lisbon residents. So, we called an Uber and told the driver that we wanted to visit the city’s flea market.

That started a meandering search through a maze of streets, caused by our inability – despite my friend Matt’s able language skills – to explain to our driver just exactly where we wanted to go. Finally, after stopping a couple of times to ask directions, our driver dropped us off and pointed in the direction of streets heading uphill. That left us to walk a ways before finally finding the Campo de Santa Clara and what is known as the ”Feira da Ladra” (or “Thieves’ Market”).

By then, tired, thirsty and realizing that, like most flea markets, the sale items were an eclectic mix of clothing, kitchen wares, art and – not to be too judgmental – junk, we ended up calling another Uber and returned to the hotel.

After a short rest, we again ventured out, Mary Pat having made a reservation at the restaurant Solar do Duque . Located on one of the Chiado district’s streets, not far from some of the area’s trademark steep stairwells, the place offered a full range of traditional Portuguese dishes, all of which Mary Pat and I washed down with some decent Portuguese wine.

We ended up walking back to the hotel, past the late diners and groups of young people excited at the simple act of being alive in such a great city. Exhausted from a day of exploration, we were excited as well. Yet we were regretful, too, realizing that Lisbon offered so much more than we would ever get to see.

At least this time around.

Next up : North to Porto.