June 1-4, 2012

As Pat was to attend Coty Beauty meetings in Faro, Portugal on the south coast the week of June 4th, we decided to go early and explore Lisbon for a few days. We stayed at the very lovely and well-recommended Hotel Britania (number 1 hotel in TripAdvisor), which was located on a quiet street parallel to the very elegant Avenue de Liberdade, a brief walk from the old downtown core. Hotel entry:



After a wonderful breakfast in the hotel library/lounge, we set off to take the renowned Tram 28 up and down the old hills of Lisbon for 2.85 Euros each.
Here are two approaching trams and some views of the city as we passed by:






















Notice the colourful buildings, some in stucco, others in ceramic tile. Our journey ended at the Cemitério dos Prazerest to the west, a peaceful spot with tombs not unlike those in the cemeteries of New Orleans or Paris.









So peaceful, we found a sleeping kitten, oblivious to our photos:




It was then time for a late lunch and we grabbed a cab to take us to Noobai Café (recommended in Lonely Planet) at the Miradouro de Santa Catarina, a lovely look-out spot over the city, the River Tejo and the lookalike Golden Gate bridge in the background.










The day was becoming increasingly cloudy and cool, with a light drizzle, so after lunch we returned to the hotel for jackets and umbrellas. Raquel at the front desk suggested we spend the rest of the afternoon in the very beautiful Museu Calouste Gulbenkian, located to the north of the city in the Parque Santa Gertrudes and built in 1969. It houses the amazing collection of it's namesake, born in 1869 into a family of Armenian origin. Gulbenkian was a pioneer of the oil industry and with his wealth, began an amazing collection of art and ancient treasures which decorated his two homes in London and Paris. He came to Portugal during WW2, living in Lisbon until he died in 1955. Here is a statue of him on the museum grounds:




Some highlights of his collection follow: a sculpture by Rodin




"Still Life with Melon" by Claude Monet



Some antique Lalique glass, jewellery and silverware:












From the museum we returned to the hotel to watch the Thames Boat Pageant during the Diamond Jubilee celebrations in London on TV. Along the way, we snapped some local shots:




Graffiti or building art is everywhere in the city, particularly on unoccupied buildings:




Praça Dom Pedro IV or Rossio:




In the art deco style, an old theatre:








The National Opera House:







Portugal is famous for its Pastéis de nata, a custard tart in flaky pastry:





For another view of the downtown, you take the Elevador de Santa Justa, a neo-Gothic work by Raul Mésnier, apprentice to Gustave Eiffel...look a bit familiar perhaps? We didn't bother, but thought it looked neat!




More later...

Location:Lisbon, Portugal