Lisbon to Porto

 

Nigerian Headstones

We headed north to Porto. Our primary stop was the Alianca Underground Museum. The cellars which used to be used to age wine are now used to house an eclectic collection of 1000 year old headstones from Niger, stone statues from Zimbabwe, minerals, fossils and petrified wood from Brazil, Portuguese ceramics, and modern frescoes. The cellars still have barrels to age wine and brandy, as well as bottles of sparkling wine. The tour ended with our sampling of sparkling wine.

Tree made from Petrified Wood

We had lunch in the town of Aveiro, known for its canals which were historically used to feed the salt flats.

Gondolas in Aveiro

 After lunch we headed for the Douro Spirit, our riverboat, for the next seven days.

Porto from our riverboat

Easter in Lisbon

 

Monument of the Discoveries

We began our tour at the Monument of the Discoveries. Portugal was famed for its navigation school. Henry the navigator is at the head of the memorial. The Portuguese sailors discovered how to get to the orient by going around the African continent. The map labels the year each territory was reached by the Portuguese. This gave them direct access to the spices of India and the Orient. Nearby is the Belem Tower which defended the port of Lisbon. Then onto the Monastery of St. Jerome where we had their local pastries, Pastéis de Bélum.

Main Entrance to St. George's Castle

In the afternoon, I decided to climb to the St. George’s Castle in the Alfama district of the city. I visited the Church of St. Anthony of Lisbon. The church was built above his birthplace. The climb begins from here through the streets and staircases to St. George’s Castle where a fortification has existed since the 8^th century B.C. I walked the Castle walls with beautiful views of the city. On the way down, I took a wrong turn, but it was hard to get lost, just head down hill and west. That night, we had dinner near where I had walked, kale soup, followed by duck with rice and vegetables. After dinner, we had a Fado concert. A classical guitar and a Portuguese guitar with three different Fado singers.

Arriving in Lisbon

 

Carmo Archeological Museum

We flew front Denver to Montreal, then on to Lisbon. We arrived at the Altis Grand Hotel about 12:30. Lisbon is situated on the Tgus River where it meets the ocean. The ancient town was founded by the Romans on 7 hills which could be used for defense. I walked to the Carmo Archeological Museum, housed in a former Convent destroyed by the 1555 earthquake that destroyed most of the city. There were artifacts from prehistoric, Roman, and Moor periods as well as some mummies from South America brought back by Portuguese explorers. 

Mummy from South America

Nearby are the Santa Justa Lift and Saint Peter’s Viewpoint with views of the city and the Castle of St. George on the opposite hill.  That night the tour group got together for white port and then went to a nearby restaurant for a meal.

St. George Castle and Santa Justa Lift