Travelog for: Totoro.

It's Movie Night!
We are going to see Finding Nemo in 3D!





I tried to tell the ticket lady about "My Neighbor Totoro", but she didn't understand.

But look: SNACKS!
Mr. Blubber and I don't know what to order.



Hey! We are NOT candy!



We've got out 3D glasses on! Ready to go!



Shh! The movie is starting!

HELLO!  I arrive already!  It's nice to be in the warm sunshine state of Florida for a change. 

Looks like my host is packing to travel somewhere.  It may be a little while before we can post, but I look forward to having fun!  I wonder where we will be going?

Yippie we are at the airport!

Let's take some Miami-looking pictures.





Hmmm wonder where we are going?



It's a pretty airplane.  It says Portugal on the airplane. Is that where we are going?



Looks like we are flying across the Atlantic!



Wow we are about 17km from Lisbon!!  That's the capital of Portugal!

We are going out to do some sightseeing! 

First thing first.  We need some breakfast!  Naturally we want to try the famous pastel de nata with coffee.  It is an egg tart from Portugal. 



We buy the ticket for the subway.  It can be used on buses and trams too.



Let's check the map to see how we get there.



We are on the subway now!



We arrive at the terminal.  Here they have trains too. 



We get outside the terminal to get on a bus.



Portugal sure looks very different from where I've been before.



After the bus ride we arrive at our destination, the Azulejo Museum.  Azulejo is a type of painted, tin-glazed, ceramic tilework that was introduced to Portugal by the Moors in the 15th century, and has become a typical aspect of Portuguese culture.  A major aspect of Portuguese architecture, they can be found on the interior and exterior of churches, palaces, houses and even railway or subway stations.



The museum building looks very old.



The moment we enter, this azulejo painting of soldier greets us.



These tiles from the 16th centuries are some of the earliest examples of azulejos.





These are examples from the 17th century.





This is a peony pattern.



I have to say, the painter is not very good at drawing!



We see examples of how the tiles are used to decorate churches.



The corridors are decorated with azulejos too.



Some of the azulejos are very large in scale.



Here's an example of tiles along a flight of stairs.



This one has different flowers, animals and boats in it.



This one is pretty, isn't it?  Each tile shows a different picture.



By the 18th century, people certainly can draw much better.  This is depicts maritime and country life.



I really like the colorful tiles.



Sometimes a series of tiles are used to tell a story.



This one is supposedly scenes from China, but to me they look very weird!



Wow, look at this!  A paranoma of Lisbon.



Now we go on to some more contemporary designs.





We are getting tired, let's take a break.



Afterwards, we visit the chapel that is also part of the museum.



The ceiling is very beautiful.





I see a reproduction of the Last Supper.





Did you see the mummy at the bottom?



The inside of the chapel is very beautiful.



As we exit, we pass by the workshop area.  Wish we can see the artisans at work.

Today we go explore downtown Lisbon.

We start out at Praça do Comércio.  The square is still commonly known as Terreiro do Paço (Palace Square), because it was the location of the Royal Ribeira Palace until it was destroyed by the great 1755 Lisbon Earthquake.



We walk through the triumphal arch onto Rua Augusta.  This is a lively pedestrian street with mosaic pavements, outdoor cafes and many shops.



Here is a newspaper kiosk.  The front page of newspapers are displayed, so people stand there to read them.



There are souvenir shops too.  Do you see the many rooster figures?  They are called O Galo de Barcelos, and is the unofficial symbol of Portugal.  There is a story behind it.  At a banquet given by a rich landowner in Barcelos, a valuable piece of silver was stolen and one of guests was accused of the theft. He was tried by the court and was found guilty, despite his claim of innocence. On the day he was to be executed, he was brought to the magistrate.  The magistrate was having dinner with his guests. Seeing the cock on the plate, the condemned man said, “If I am innocent, the cock will crow.” The cock stood up from the plate and crowed, and the prisoner was allowed to go free.



We stop for lunch.  As Portugal is famous for its codfish dishes, we decide to try one.  This one is baked with potatoes.



This is the Santa Justa Elevator which can take you up for a view of the city.



Can you see the car passing under the little arc?



We reach Rossio Square, with the column of Pedro IV in the center and the national theatre behind it.



There are many shops around.



This is a beautiful fountain.  In the 19th century the square was paved with cobblestones in wave patterns, a design seen today in many other pavements all over Portugal, and that has spread to Portugal's former colonies from Rio de Janeiro (Brazil) to Macao (China).



We see an old tram.



And a modern one!



We find a shop and go in for our daily quota of pasteis de nata!



What interesting pattern they have on the streets!



We continue to walk around the streets.



This is a nice-looking police station but we are not interested in a tour.



This is the Rossio Railway Station.  What is special about it is its facade, made in Neo-Manueline style unique to 16th century Portugal.



Look this guy is selling chestnuts!



We find the funicular tram that will take us to a Miradouro (viewpoint).



Let's get on the tram.



After a few minutes we are up the hill!



The tram goes up and down the same track, so it has doors on both sides.



We are rewarded with a nice panorama of the city.





Time to leave.  Should we walk or take the tram?



Hmmmm we are tired.  Let's just hop onto the tram!



And leave the walkers behind!!



We find the metro station and take the subway back to the hotel.

Today we are staying in the Alentejo district. 



It's a small hotel with only 11 rooms.



What a nice fireplace it has!



The wines lined up here in the corridor is from the vineyard.



We have a really nice room!



You can see the garden from the room.  Let's go out and explore!



What a nice pool!  Sadly it's too cold to swim.



We can see the vineyard from here.



Harvest is over so we don't see any grapes on the vines.



We do see a lot of olives though!



We try some fresh olives and find out why we never see fresh ones for sale. It's very astrigent!  This place pick their olives to make olive oil.

Today we stop by the ancient city of Santarém for a short time and get to see the city very briefly.



The region of Santarém has been inhabited since pre-historic times. The city was named after Saint Iria (or Irene).



Look at the beautiful street signs!



Even the facade of the buildings are decorated.







This is the Igreja da Graça, built between the 14th and 15th centuries in a mix of mendicant and flamboyant Gothic styles. It is closed so we cannot get in for a visit.

Today we visit the Alfama neighborhood in Lisbon.  It's the oldest district of Lisbon. Its name comes from the Arabic Al-hamma, meaning fountains or baths.  During the times of Moorish domination, Alfama constituted the whole of the city, and it was also the only part of the city not destroyed during the great 1755 Lisbon Earthquake.

First, we have to take the tram to go to Alfama.  There is a long line!



We wait and wait, and finally our tram comes!



We get off at Miradouro das Portas do Sol.  This is a statue of St. Vincent, the city's patron saint, holding a boat with two ravens, the symbols of Lisbon.



From the terrace we get a very beautiful view of Lisbon.



The weather is lovely and the houses look very cute viewed from high above.



There is a beautiful church on the left.  It's the  São Vicente de Fora Monastry



A short walk away is Miradouro de Santa Luzia where we get more views of the city and spot this wall tile.



There are a lot of souvenir shops around, and we visit some of them.



Look at all the bottles of Port and other wines!  Port is a famous wine from Portugal and here you can see them from different vintages.  New ones to some that are decades old!

Today we visit the Castle of São Jorge.  It was royal residence until the early 16th century.



As it's on top of the hill, we get a great paranoma of the city.



This is remnants of the old gardens.



In the main square (Praça d'Armas) there are many cannons.



Watch out for enemies!!  Ready to fire!



We continue on to the castle.



You can see the Portugal flag.  The tower and wall was built during the Moorish occupation.



We see some peacocks around the castle ground.



I wonder what activities used to go on here?



Still checking for enemies!!



The castle and tower had been rebuilt and fortified over time. 







Hey it reminds me of the Great Wall of China!

We next visit Sé de Lisboa. The Cathedral is the oldest church in the city, it began construction in the year 1147 and had survived many earthquakes.

The main façade of the cathedral looks like a fortress, with two towers flanking the entrance and crenellations over the walls. This menacing appearance, also seen in other Portuguese cathedrals of the time, is a relic from the Reconquista period, when the cathedral could be used as a base to attack the enemy during a siege.



The west façade with a rose window is among the oldest remaining part of the building, from the Romanesque period.





This part is from the Gothic architectural style.

It's time for dinner.

We pass by this building with beautiful azulejo tiles on its facade.



We arrive at the restaurant.



Cervejaria Trindade is the oldest brewery in Portugal.  In 1294 a convent was built on this spot.  Destroyed by fire and earthquake in the 1700s, the remains was purchased and reconstructed as the first beer brewery and factory in  1836.  Here you can see the banner announcing its 175 year anniversary.



The tiles in this room were designed and decorated back in 1860.



We sip on the beer as we go through the menu.  It's nice they draw pictures of the seafood so we know what they are!



First we enjoy a caldo verde.  It means "green broth" and is a popular soup in Portuguese cuisine, made with potato and kale.



Next we enjoy a codfish dish, another favorite of the Portuguese.



After dinner we walk around downtown a bit.  We see vendors selling roasted chestnuts on the street.  They look delicious!



We pass by this bookstore in Chiado district.  Founded in 1732, Bertrand is certified by Guinness Book Record as the world's oldest bookstore!



Quite a historic tour we have today!

Today we take the bus to Belem.



We arrive at the Mosteiro dos Jerónimos.  The monastery is one of the most prominent monuments of the Manueline-style architecture (Portuguese late-Gothic) in Lisbon and is classified as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.



The construction of the monastery and church began on 6 January 1501 (and were completed 100 years later).  The project was funded with commerce from Africa and the Orient.

The monastery was designed in a style that later became known as Manueline: a richly ornate architectural design that includes complex sculptural themes incorporating maritime elements and objects discovered during naval expeditions, carved in limestone.



The local gold-coloured limestone adds a very beautiful aura to the buildings.



We enjoy looking at the intricate carvings.



No wonder it took so long to complete!











We go to the second floor of the cloister.



We next enter the Church of Santa Maria.







This is the entrance of the church.  The tympanum, above the double door, displays, in half-relief, two scenes from the life of Saint Jerome: on the left, the removal of the thorn from the lion's paw and, on the right, the saints experience in the desert.  The Madonna (Santa Maria de Belém) is located on a pedestal on top of the archivolt.



This monastery is really beautiful. 

After a very enjoyable visit to the Monastery we go ahead to visit another sight.





Look at this beautiful tower by the  Tagus river!  It's called the Belem tower.  It is one of the Seven Wonders of Portugal and also UNESCO World Heritage Site, like the nearby Jerónimos Monastery we just visited.  The tower was constructed on a small island but with development the shoreline changes and now it's right by the shore where we can reach from a short bridge.



On the Gothic-rib-vaulted ground-floor bunker, there are canons along the niches.



The bartizans, cylindrical watchtowers, are topped by Moorish-looking cupolas.



Now we will climb up the tower.



What a beautiful view of the city!



Here we get a nice view of the river with its bridge.



This is the inside hall of the tower.



Nice view indeed!  A beautiful day!



The Monument to the Discoveries is a 52 metre-high slab of concrete erected in 1960 to commemorate the 500th anniversary of the death of Henry the Navigator. The monument is sculpted in the form of a ship's prow, with dozens of figures from Portuguese history following a statue of the Infante Henry sculpted in base relief.



After all the sight seeing we are a bit hungry.  Time for a coffee break!  Wow looks like everybody is hungry and lining up for food!



The cafe has been around since 1837!  What's so special about it? 



Ahh, we are here for the pastéis de nata!

It is believed that pastéis de nata were created before the 18th century by Catholic monks at the Jerónimos Monastery.  During Portuguese medieval history, the convents and monasteries of Portugal produced large quantities of eggs, whose egg-whites were in demand for starching of clothes (such as nuns' habits) and also in wineries (where they were used in the clearing of wines, and the monks and nuns make dessert with the left over egg yolks.  The  clerics at the monastery later pass their secret recipe to the cafe.  So they are the maker of the original Portuguese egg tart!



The counter is very busy w all the customers!



The tarts in the photo looks delicious!!  Where are the real things?



We pass by the kitchen.  Look, there are the tarts!!



Lots and lots of them!  I want the whole tray!



Let's get a seat.





We look at the menu, but of course we know what we want!



Hey waiter, where is the waiter?



We want some fresh from the oven, hot pasteis de nata with a delicious cup of coffee!!



It was a fun day of sight-seeing but sadly it's time to leave!

How sad but tonight is our last night in Portugal!  We decide to have a little something special to remember it by. 

We go to a restuarant.  First, we order some pata negra.  The black Iberian pig is from Spain and Portugal, and the best ones roam free in oak forest and eat a diet of acorns.



We also get some delicious Portuguese cheese and bread.



Now the best:  a glass of Madeira from year 1850!!  That's very very old wine!  And of course it's very delicious and memorable! 



We are a bit sad as we leave and go to the station to take the subway home.  This is the Rococo station.

Today is our last day in Portugal.  Before we leave we have a little bit of time, and we decide to go get some delicious Portuguese bread and pasteis de nata to take home. 

We arrive at the Largo do Chiado (Chiado Square). The famous Café A Brasileira is not open yet, but we can see the statue of Portuguese poet Fernando Pessoa sitting outside.  This is one of the oldest cafes in Lisbon.



We walk around the neighborhood a bit.



Here we are at the Praça Luís de Camões.



Ah, the familiar tram 28, which we rode a few days ago!  Goodbye little tram!



We spot this little shop selling coffee and tea.



We find the bakery we are looking for. 



Everything looks delicious.  We have some lugguage space so we decide to fill it with fresh bread!



Now when we get home we can munch on the bread and recall the fond memories of our travel! 

Adeus Portugal!