Friday March 28

We began the day off with an extremely confusing encounter in the Metro. A guy tried to help us, but he insisted in speaking in either English or Portuguese (essentially, this was my introduction to Portuguese linguistic pride/their dislike of and refusal to learn Spanish). Lisbon is a cool city, and was almost entirely rebuilt following the incredibly devastating earthquakes, tsunamis and fires of November 1, 1755. This means it benefited from amazing city planning – a feature that many cities in Andalucía, including Seville, never accomplished – and it has a million and one forms of public transportation, which are both a blessing and a curse. In the city, you can choose from buses, trams, trains, cabs and the Metro. It sounds good in theory but it’s ALL only explained in Portuguese and there are sooo many ticket options, combined tickets, passes, weeklong and 10-day passes, tourist passes, and so on. We spent at least half an hour trying to figure out what to do, and ultimately chose 3 10-ride tickets for the Metro only. We had, and still have, virtually no way of knowing if we got a good deal or got ripped off, or what was the best bet.

Once safely on the Metro, we found it was really easy to navigate, and we easily got to the stop near Torre de Belém (Bethlehem Tower). It’s so beautiful; a navigational tower located right on the river, the torre was built between 1515 and 1521 at the order of King Manuel I. Designed by the Portuguese military architect Francisco de Arruda, the torre serves as a ceremonial gateway to Lisbon, and is also a defense mechanism for the Tagus River and the Monasteiro Dos Jerónimos (Monastery of the Jeronimos). The torre is strongly rooted in the Manueline style, from its modest proportions, armillary spheres and crosses of the Order of Christ to its twisted rope-looking details, crenellated tower tops and the many decorative shields. Check it out:

A view of the boot-shaped torre in all its majesty:

The armory, complete with something like 10 cannons. Lots of cannons and vaulted ceilings:

Quite the grouping of Manueline style items: a shield with the cross of the Order of Christ, a turret with rope detailing and, if you look close enough, you can see an armillary sphere in the lower right (it's worn down from centuries of rough weather):

A better view of an armillary sphere, carbed into a corner:

This doesn't look like much but it's actually a really big deal: it is the first representation of a rhinoceros in all of Europe. Portugal was a major naval and world power, and it is likely that its explorers were some of the first Europeans to ever see a rhinoceros. His horn is worn down so he sort of looks like a pig or a horse, but that's him!

Me, in a very tiny turret:

A beautifully carved cross of the Order of Christ (the religious order to which King Manuel I belonged):

A view from up top, looking down into the center of the tower. Soooo many carved details:

After lunch, we went to the nearby Monasteiro Dos Jerónimos, which was incredible. Constructed lasted from 1502 to 1520, but the building was nowhere near finished. It was completed between 1550 and 1580. Begun under King Manuel I, the monastery had many architects: Diogo de Boitaca (Manueline style), Joao de Castilho (Manueline and Plateresco styles), Nicolau Chanterene (Renaissance additions), Diogo de Torralva (Renaissance) and Jérome de Rouen (Classical). Construction finally came to a stop in 1580 because Spain and Portugal united in this year, and funds were pretty much drained due to the building of El Escorial, the Spanish royal monastery.

It is made from pedra lioz, a honey-colored local limestone that lights up beautifully in late afternoon sun. Its funding came primarily from a 5% tax on eastern spices, and from the king’s own money. It withstood the earthquake/tsunami/fires of 1755 with surprising success given the stunning height of the building and its thin columns.

Much like the Torre de Belém, the monastery features tons of Manueline decorative elements, especially the cross of the Order of Christ and twisted rope details. Within the columns, endless faces of cherubs are carved, intertwining with vines and animals. But if you look closely enough, you can find an occasional devil or pig face – carved by bored stonemasons.

The outside of the building is rather impressive (this is the Church of Santa Maria; the monastery itself is hidden behind):
The facade of the church's south portal is awe-inspiring at 32 metres high, full of pinnacles, gables, a baldachin and a statue of Henry the Navigator at the center of it all:
A view of the interior - taaaaallll columns:
The lovely Manueline altar:

Dad didn’t want to see any more (because you have to pay in order to see the cloister) but Mom and I decided to pay and go in – and it was a good decision. The cloister of the monastery is truly one of the most beautiful places I have ever seen.

Ah, so lovely.

Looking out of one beautiful window thingy, at tons of other window thingies. All of which are in the Manueline style:
Here's a photo of Mommy and me in the cloister:

And just for good measure, one more armillary sphere. You can never have too many armillary spheres:Afterwards we headed back into town and went to the famous café, A Brasileira, for coffee and some tasty Portuguese dessert-ish things (arroz dulce, mousse de chocolate, etc.) Its façade is very well known in Lisbon and it’s a popular gathering place and people-watching spot. It looks cool, too: