We took the tram to Belem this morning, to go to Mosteiros Jerónimos. It was not our first visit to the site, but it was our first visit inside the cloisters. Construction began in 1501 and was completed 100 years later. The stone sculpture throughout the structure is incredible. It is done in Manueline style, with no two doorways or posts sculpted the same. The attached Church of Santa Maria is stunning, and is the final resting place of Vasco da Gama.
We walked across the park to the Monument to the Discoveries (shrouded in scaffolding as it is being cleaned) and to the Tower of Belem, then down the waterfront to the new MAAT, Museum of Art Architecture and Technology. We had a typical Portuguese lunch of fish and vegetables in Belem and stopped at Pasteis de Belem for pastries before taking the tram back into Lisbon. As we walked to our hotel, there were tv cameras and police all over the Praca do Municipio, where our hotel was located. The King of Spain arrived at 4:30, for a visit with the Prime Minister of Portugal. We watched as the King arrived and walked past the military. We did a bit of shopping at
Principio Real, before calling it a day. It was another terrific day in Lisbon!
