A late -day flight from Rome to Lisbon (managed to get everything ino the suitcases!) and arrival at The Corinthia Hotel. Nice rooms, wth a shower in which you could turn around, and a good bar .... what more could we ask for?!! LOL
Friday morning, up and ready for the city tour. This one was provided by UniWorld ... so we had a chance to begin meeting our fellow passengers.
Our first stop was The Jerónimos Monastery or Hieronymites Monastery in the parish of Belém, in Lisbon. The monastery is one of the most prominent examples of the Portuguese Late Gothic Manueline style of architecture, and it is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The edific is huge, and the lines waiting to enter are "huger"! It has withstood earthquakes due to it's special construction of intersecting arches.
Inside: the Tomb of Vasco De Gama. Special note: there are elephants on the tombs in the monastery! De Gama brought them back from India, and the people were so amazed that they were venerated in the church. The king even stopped riding a horse, and rode on an elephant for ceremonial occasions.
Next: a stop for the traditional pastry of Portugal .. a nata ...a delish, custard filled tart.
Onwards to the Monument to Discoveries and to the Military Monument (a tower designed to look like a monument, but in reality a defensive installation ... made to "fake out" the enemy). A very interesting day to be sure.