|
In April John and I spent a few days in Lisbon after having visited
Cascais and
Sintra.
There are so many interesting places to visit in Lisbon including the
Praca do Comercio, the Sao Jorge castle,
the seafaring district of Belem, the
aquarium and I can also recommend some good
restaurants. Praca do Comercio
We wandered down to the riverfront to the grand square Praca Do Comercio.
In the middle is a large statue of King Jose I.
Sao Jorge Castle
This castle is named after Saint George, the patron saint of England.
In the castle grounds
Belem
Outside the city centre is Belem, where Vasco da Gama and other Portuguese explorers set
sail on their voyages of discovery.
The Belem Tower standing at the edge of the river was one of the last sights
of Lisbon the sailors saw as they left.
The Monastery of Jeronimos contains the tomb of the explorer, Vasco da Gama.
The Monument to the Discoveries is a giant riverside monument honoring the
explorers of Portugal's golden age.
The statues include Vasco da Gama, Magellan and the only woman, Philippa of
Lancaster, who was the mother of Henry the Navigator, who is the lead figure on
the monument.
Lisbon Aquarium
In the huge central tank there were many fish including sharks and lurking on the
bottom we spotted some rays.
Outside these sea otters were having a siesta in the afternoon sun.
Lisbon is a great place to explore on foot (if you don't mind the hills!)
The Edward VII park is situated at the top of the Avenida da Liberdade,
Lisbon's answer to the Champs Elysées.
Restaurants
If you're planning to visit Lisbon, we can recommend these restaurants to try.
Oliviers
www.restaurante-olivier.com
Mediterranean dishes with Portuguese specialities. They have a menu
dégustation, which includes 9 starters including such delights as octopus
carpaccio.
Doca Peixe
www.docapeixe.com
A great fish restaurant situated at the Santo Amaro dock, which is now a
renovated waterfront full of trendy bars and restaurants overlooking the marina.
Tamarind
Rua da Glória, 43, close to Avenida da Liberdade.
Fantastic Indian restaurant. The owner is British, so we felt quite at
home and our curries came with our preferred "heat".
See the photos from the rest of our trip in
Cascais and
Sintra.
Check out my recommendations for other restaurants
I have enjoyed visiting whilst on holiday around the world.
See more holidays photos
|