There are a few significant landmarks located in Belém that warrant a visit!
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| Torre de Belém (Belém Tower) |
You can take a city bus to Belém, which is only a 15-minute bus ride away.
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| Padrão dos Descobrimentos (Monument to the Discoveries) In commemoration of the 500th death anniversary of Henry the Navigator |
The Portuguese are very proud of their discoveries and zest for exploration that there is a museum, Maritime Museum in Belém, dedicated to all aspects of their discoveries and naval achievement! It is an interesting museum and one of the most important in Europe. Why so? The moment Vasco Da Gama steered around the Cape of Good Hope, completing Bartolomeu Dias' voyage, and docked in Calicut, India - from then on, it was the most GLORIOUS period in the Portuguese history. They monopolised the spice trade, which evoked the jealousy in other European nations. After a century, the Dutch, British, French and Danish finally broke the Portuguese monopoly and colonialism.
*Way back then, Asia, to the Europeans, were synonymous with luxury, exquisite, precious - just like France in the 18th century - unbelievable right?*
*Way back then, Asia, to the Europeans, were synonymous with luxury, exquisite, precious - just like France in the 18th century - unbelievable right?*
The taxes earned from the monopoly of the spices funded the construction of the enchanting Mosteiro dos Jerónimos (Jerónimos Monastery). It is one of the most important examples of the Portuguese Manueline style of architecture. The monastery was built to support pilgrims who travelled the region and served as a church for seafaring individuals who embarked during the Age of Discovery.
Captivating isn't it? The details and intricacy of the carvings are fascinating. As you can see, I didn't take many pictures as I was just so mesmerised!
As mentioned in my previous post, the Manueline-style architecture incorporates elements of discoveries brought from the voyages of Vasco Da Gama and others. I wonder, could it have come from the carvings of the Indian temples?
Just a thought......
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| Khajuraho Group of Monuments, India |
There are not only landmarks to see in Belém, the best Pastel de nata (Portuguese egg tarts) are found here as well - at Pasteis de Belém.
The tart is not too sweet, not too egg-y and the pastry - flaky and puff-pastry like! They also serve it piping hot, fresh out of the oven...Divino!
If you have time, do explore the cafe - the story of the making of the Pastel de nata is depicted on the walls of the cafe and you can also see how they make the Pastel de nata.
The tart is not too sweet, not too egg-y and the pastry - flaky and puff-pastry like! They also serve it piping hot, fresh out of the oven...Divino!
If you have time, do explore the cafe - the story of the making of the Pastel de nata is depicted on the walls of the cafe and you can also see how they make the Pastel de nata.
You cannot leave Portugal without having at least one egg tart!
After exploring Belém, you can walk along the river bank from the Torre de Belém (Belém Tower) to the Ponte 25 de Abril (25th of April Bridge) - a scenic 30-min walk.
Once you reach the bridge, you can walk another 1.5km to LxFactory. It is a former factory area which has been converted to an area with many independent retail outlets, cafes, restaurants and a club - a really cool concept!
The LxFactory is located in the Alcântara area of Lisboa. To head back to the city centre, you will need to take a bus.
Now, why is the bridge called the 25th of April? Let's take a look at a very summarised timeline below:
Please bear in mind this is extremely summarised and more focused on Lisboa :S.
Back to the bridge - there was a revolution on 25th April 1974 that led to Portugal's independence. Hence the name of the bridge - to commemorate the Carnation Revolution. Although it is often likened to the Golden Gate Bridge, it was built by the American Bridge Company, which constructed the San Francisco–Oakland Bay Bridge, not the Golden Gate Bridge!
I was surprised when I found out that Portugal was under a dictatorship for approximately 40 years. Like most dictatorships, they retard the growth of a country. However, in my opinion, it could have been a reason why Portugal is quite progressive and modern now - the independence from the dictatorship probably jumpstarted their growth to the latest infrastructure, technologies, etc.
Ok, I thought this would be my last post on Lisboa, but it is already wayyyy too long! One more post - that's it! I promise! Just 2 more things to highlight... :D
Boa noite!
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| Other things to see in Belém: Praça Afonso de Albuquerque (Afonso de Albuquerque Square) He captured Malacca in 1511 |
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| The bridge and Cristo Rei in view |
Once you reach the bridge, you can walk another 1.5km to LxFactory. It is a former factory area which has been converted to an area with many independent retail outlets, cafes, restaurants and a club - a really cool concept!
The LxFactory is located in the Alcântara area of Lisboa. To head back to the city centre, you will need to take a bus.
Now, why is the bridge called the 25th of April? Let's take a look at a very summarised timeline below:
Back to the bridge - there was a revolution on 25th April 1974 that led to Portugal's independence. Hence the name of the bridge - to commemorate the Carnation Revolution. Although it is often likened to the Golden Gate Bridge, it was built by the American Bridge Company, which constructed the San Francisco–Oakland Bay Bridge, not the Golden Gate Bridge!
I was surprised when I found out that Portugal was under a dictatorship for approximately 40 years. Like most dictatorships, they retard the growth of a country. However, in my opinion, it could have been a reason why Portugal is quite progressive and modern now - the independence from the dictatorship probably jumpstarted their growth to the latest infrastructure, technologies, etc.
Ok, I thought this would be my last post on Lisboa, but it is already wayyyy too long! One more post - that's it! I promise! Just 2 more things to highlight... :D
Boa noite!
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