Lisbon, Evora and Lagos
On the first day in Lisbon we went to a lookout called Belvedere of Our Lady of the Hill, and from there we could see an old ruin on a hill so we wandered over to it. The ruin was called the Castelo de S. Jorge, and had it all the cool things you could hope to find in a castle/forte.
The next day we went out to see the Padrão dos Descobrimentos, a monument to the age of discovery.
Nearby is the Jerónimos Monastery, which houses the Archeology Museum and Maritime Museum. The Archeology Museum had two major exhibitions, the first was on the early civilisations that lived in the region, and had objects that could be touched and picked up which was exciting. The second exhibit was Ancient Egypt, complete with mummy’s and sarcophagus.
The Maritime Museum had hundreds of scale models of ships of numerous purposes, from early Caravels and fishing ships to modern battleships. They also had a collection of retired boats and sea planes.
Other places we visited during the week in Lisbon include the Aljube Museum, Military Museum and the National Pantheon. The Aljube Museum, which looks at the victims and people who fought for freedom during the reign of Salazar, and is set inside of a prison used by the political police. The Military Museum was fascinating, it looked at Portugal’s military history throughout the ages, and had countless canons and mortars everywhere you looked. The largest one fired canon balls weighing 100 KG.
The National Pantheon made for an interesting visit. On either side of the enormous main chamber are six tombs to some of the most important figures in Portuguese History. Climbing up to the top of the pantheon our can look inside, down to the main chamber, or outside at the surrounding city.
The last thing we did in Lisbon was on a day trip to Sintra, and checked out Pena Palace, the Moorish castle, and Quinta de Regaleira. Pena Palace and the surrounding park sit on the highest hill in Sintra. The Palace, build in the nineteenth century for Don Fernando II, celebrates Portuguese Romanticism and heritage.
The Moorish Castle on a neighbouring hill was significantly older, build in the tenth century. It was fun walking around the forts walls, taking in the surrounding countryside.
The last site we visited was by far my favourite. Quinta de Regaleira is an old mansion, like Pena built during the nineteenth century in the spirit of romanticism. Surrounding the mansion are luxurious gardens, teaming with caves and labyrinths, a pond with waterfall, a small lagoon, a deep well with spiralling staircases, and all sorts of other quirky structures.
Onto Evora, we arrived at the tranquil little town and were immediately under its spell. Most of the town is surrounded by the original Roman walls, with an aquaduct leading off into the distance, and the ruins of a Roman temple in the centre of the city. There was also the church of São Francisco, famous for its Chapel of Bones.
The last stop in Portugal was Lagos in the Algarve region. We relaxed on the coast for a couple of days, and went out to Farol da Ponta da Piedade, a coastal lookout point, for the last sunset.
The next day we went out to see the Padrão dos Descobrimentos, a monument to the age of discovery.
Nearby is the Jerónimos Monastery, which houses the Archeology Museum and Maritime Museum. The Archeology Museum had two major exhibitions, the first was on the early civilisations that lived in the region, and had objects that could be touched and picked up which was exciting. The second exhibit was Ancient Egypt, complete with mummy’s and sarcophagus.
The Maritime Museum had hundreds of scale models of ships of numerous purposes, from early Caravels and fishing ships to modern battleships. They also had a collection of retired boats and sea planes.
Other places we visited during the week in Lisbon include the Aljube Museum, Military Museum and the National Pantheon. The Aljube Museum, which looks at the victims and people who fought for freedom during the reign of Salazar, and is set inside of a prison used by the political police. The Military Museum was fascinating, it looked at Portugal’s military history throughout the ages, and had countless canons and mortars everywhere you looked. The largest one fired canon balls weighing 100 KG.
The National Pantheon made for an interesting visit. On either side of the enormous main chamber are six tombs to some of the most important figures in Portuguese History. Climbing up to the top of the pantheon our can look inside, down to the main chamber, or outside at the surrounding city.
The last thing we did in Lisbon was on a day trip to Sintra, and checked out Pena Palace, the Moorish castle, and Quinta de Regaleira. Pena Palace and the surrounding park sit on the highest hill in Sintra. The Palace, build in the nineteenth century for Don Fernando II, celebrates Portuguese Romanticism and heritage.
The Moorish Castle on a neighbouring hill was significantly older, build in the tenth century. It was fun walking around the forts walls, taking in the surrounding countryside.
The last site we visited was by far my favourite. Quinta de Regaleira is an old mansion, like Pena built during the nineteenth century in the spirit of romanticism. Surrounding the mansion are luxurious gardens, teaming with caves and labyrinths, a pond with waterfall, a small lagoon, a deep well with spiralling staircases, and all sorts of other quirky structures.
Onto Evora, we arrived at the tranquil little town and were immediately under its spell. Most of the town is surrounded by the original Roman walls, with an aquaduct leading off into the distance, and the ruins of a Roman temple in the centre of the city. There was also the church of São Francisco, famous for its Chapel of Bones.
The last stop in Portugal was Lagos in the Algarve region. We relaxed on the coast for a couple of days, and went out to Farol da Ponta da Piedade, a coastal lookout point, for the last sunset.
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