Day 22: Lisbon

Once again, Gonçalo wasn't available to guide us so we had to explore Lisbon ourselves. There's something good about having a guide. Map reading is unnecessary. Furthermore, Gonçalo is a Portuguese. This means that he'll know the place much better than foreign guides.

However, Gonçalo's absence meant that I was the unofficial tour guide. =.=

We headed straight to the same place for brunch. The owner could recognise us. He acknowledged 谢谢 when we handed him the payment.

"Obrigado!" We signalled back.

In Europe, English is not necessarily the lingua franca. However, a simple gesture in their local language will earn yourself some respect from the locals.


Rossio square

Rossio Square is the heart of Lisbon. From here, all city sights are easily accessible on foot. If I don't remember wrongly, the fountains in the square were gifts from Paris a few hundred years ago.

It was in this square where we met a British who begged us for 2 euros so that he could have a simple meal. He claimed that he came to Portugal to work, but remained unemployed. And his visa had expired ages ago. I could barely believe him. Yes, his accent is unmistakingly British. However, he was foolish enough to be stuck in a foreign land, unemployed with an expired visa. He should have stayed in UK instead.

I brushed him off, dismissing him as a thief.


View of downtown Lisbon from Castelo de São Jorge

Castelo de São Jorge was built on a site of a Roman fort, the highest point in Lisbon. This castle was unique as it had plenty of vegetation in the premises of the castle. One of the Portuguese kings lamented about the lack of foliage in Lisbon so he ordered trees to be planted in the castle itself. This king didn't order the construction of the castle. Its existence dated all the way back to the 2nd century BC. The first king of Portugal, Afonso Henríques, only arrived in Lisbon in the 12th century. From afar, the whole castle seemed to be sheltered nicely under the shade of the interlocking canopies.




Inside Castelo de São Jorge. The 3rd picture above spolit everything. What's with the ass peering around the corner of the moat?

The interior of the castle looked pretty bare and bleak. Most of the castle was extensively rebuilt in the 20th century. At 1.50 euro, we had no qualms. Although the castle is rich in history, the lack of exhibits made everything looked dull.


In one of the backlanes near the confines of the castle

The residents in Lisbon reminded me of Singapore in the older estates, where people still hang their clothes outside to dry. Pretty interesting. Portugal is one of the European countries with a resemblance to Asia. The local gastronomy is a prime example. The tiles are another.


Traditional Portuguese tiles

Traditional Portuguese tiles are common. Some facades are plastered with the tiles, forming a part of the Portuguese culture. In some restaurants and cafes, the tiles decorated the interior beautifully. Somehow, these tiles have transported my memories back to Malaysia. The Portuguese influence in Malacca could be a factor. On top of that, it could be the blue and white definition of the tiles which made everything sizzled with an Asian flavour.


Romanesque cathedral, or Sé

Sé used to be the site of a mosque. When the Christian crusaders arrived, the whole structure was rebuilt and it became the first church in Lisbon.

We wanted a good shot of the church with the tram forming the foreground. Since the tram will emerge from around the corner without warning, we had to wait patiently for the best moment. Even with the camera ready in hand, we missed the shot as the trams moved pretty fast. The picture was probably the 4th take. The first 3 trams produced either blurred pictures or photos with missing trams.


Parque das Nações

Parque das Nações is a new addition to the urban facelift of Lisbon. The recent MTV Europe Awards was held here in this convention. Everything looked very modernised compared to the downtown area. Up north of the convention, Vasco da Gama Bridge, one of the longest bridges in the world, spans acorss river Tagus. Standing at the promenade, the end of the bridge is hardly visible.

A shopping complex is located here as well. So you know what to expect when I had 2 girls with me.