Citytrip Lisbon, Portugal
October 2015






Day 2
Thursday, October 22th


Today we are off to Cascaise, the former jet-set location. We take the metro to Cais do Sodré railway station where we board the train. The ride will take about thirty minutes, with a view across the Tejo River. The railway track is build right next to the river following the curves of the riverbanks.

Cascaise is a coastal town about 30 kilometres west of Lisbon. It is one of the richest municipalities in Portugal. The former fishing village gained fame as a resort for Portugal′s royal family in the late 19th century and early 20th century. Nowadays, it is a popular vacation spot for both Portuguese and foreign tourists. It is located on the Estoril Coast. It also has an airport for general aviation, Aeroporto Municipal de Cascaise.






Having arrived in Cascaise we first have a coffee in the sun. The weather is simply great today. We venture out into the town area where all the tourist shops and restaurants are, and eventually end up at the far end of the harbour at the Cascaise Marina with all the sailing boats.

Having enjoyed our visit to Cascaise we return to the train station. During our ride back to Lisbon we decide to make a detour at Belém. Since it is still early we can visit the Jerónimos Monastery (Order of Saint Jerome / Hieronymites), maybe even the famous tower of Belém.

As we exit the train, we climb the stairs of the pedestrian bridge and make our way to the Monastery through a park; the Jardim Afonso de Albuquerque. The park is located in front of Belém Palace, an early 18th-century palace that nowadays serves as residence for the President of Portugal.

The park is named after the Second Governor of Portuguese India Afonso de Albuquerque, and offers the best views of Belém Palace. It has a beautiful monument, in neo-Manueline style, and was inaugurated in 1902. The monument carries a bronze statue of Afonso de Albuquerque and has reliefs about his life.






The inspiration and model of the Hieronymites lives, is the 5th-century hermit and biblical scholar, Saint Jerome. The principal group with this name was founded in Spain and Portugal in the 14th century.

The construction of the monastery and church began on 6 January 1501, and was completed 100 years later. King Manuel originally funded the project with moneys obtained from the Vintena da Pimenta, a 5 percent tax on commerce from Africa and the Orient.

Manuel I selected the religious order of Hieronymite monks to occupy the monastery, whose role it was to pray for the King′s eternal soul and to provide spiritual assistance to navigators and sailors who departed from the port of Restelo to discover lands around the world. This the monks did for over four centuries until 1833, when the religious orders were dissolved and the monastery was abandoned.

The church and the monastery, like the nearby Torre de Belém and Padrão dos Descobrimentos, symbolise the Portuguese Age of Discovery and are among the main tourist attractions of Lisbon. In 1983, UNESCO formally designated the Monastery of the Hieronymites and Tower of Belém as a World Heritage Site.

Padrão dos Descobrimentos (Monument to the Discoveries) is a monument that celebrates the Portuguese Age of Discovery during the 15th and 16th centuries. It is located along the river where ships departed to explore and trade with India and Orient. It was constructed in 1939 by Portuguese architect José Ângelo Cottinelli Telmo, and sculptor Leopoldo de Almeida, as a temporary beacon during the Portuguese World Fair opening in June 1940.






Yet, by June 1943, the original structure was demolished after the exposition. Inaugurated on 9 August 1960, it was not completely finished until 10 October 1960. It celebrates the anniversary of the death of Henry the Navigator.

On either side of the Infante, along the ramp, are 16 figures (33 in total) representing figures from the Portuguese Age of Discovery. These great people of the era included monarchs, explorers, cartographers, artists, scientists and missionaries. Each idealized figure is designed to show movement towards the front (the unknown sea), projecting a direct or indirect synthesis of their participation in the events after Henry.

Western side:

Eastern side:

Belém

The Torre de Belém tower was commissioned by King John II to be part of a defence system at the mouth of the Tagus river and a ceremonial gateway to Lisbon. The building was finished in 1519. On the outside of the lower bastion, the walls have spaces for 17 cannons.

For now we have had enough culture for one day! By now it is getting late in the afternoon, and it is time for a bite to eat. We are going to enjoy some of the local Portuguese cuisine. We walk up-hill from the hotel and turn right at the Rua José Falcão street, just a block away. Here is the Cabana do Chile Restaurant where we had dinner once before. This time I go for the Octopus with rice with a nice cold white wine.



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Arroz de Polvo (Octopus with rice)

Arroz de Polvo (Octopus with rice)



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Lisbon, sunset

Lisbon, sunset













and welcome!




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Cascaise

Cascaise



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Agave Americana in bloom

Agave Americana in bloom



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Statue of Afonso de Albuquerque

Statue of Afonso de Albuquerque



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Jardim da Praça do Império

Jardim da Praça do Império



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The lion fountain, Jerónimos Monastery

The lion fountain,
Jerónimos Monastery



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Cloister arches, Jerónimos Monastery

Cloister arches,
Jerónimos Monastery



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Torre de Belém

Torre de Belém



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Torre de Belém, bronze model

Torre de Belém
bronze model



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Railway to Cascaise

Railway to Cascaise