2018-09-20 Hotel Da Baixa, Lisbon, Portugal

This morning we head towards Rossio Square which is surrounded by plane trees and has been famous since the medieval age when there were bullfighting and public beheadings held here

Nearby is a stop for the ‘Hop On Hop Off Buses’ which is great way of seeing a city without having to do miles of walking

We pass the Colombo Centre which is a huge shopping mall which attracts many visitors everyday

Lisbon has some very interesting architecture

Time to hop off the bus and visit a few sights by foot …. another alternative is to travel by tuk tuk tourist taxis

Hiring one of the many bikes is also a popular methods of getting around Lisbon

We decide to get some exercise and head uphill by foot

There is limited seating in this small vehicle

Taking Tram 28 is a must do ride in Lisbon

We arrive at Miradouro de Santa Luzia a scenic area overlooking the water in Lisbon

Beautiful views of Lisbon’s rooftops and the Tagus River

We stop to try one of Lisbon’s famous custard tarts, Pasteis de Nata

We arrive at the entrance to the Sao Jorge Castle

Firstly we line up for tickets and catch our breath after an energetic walk up the hill

Once through the entrance gate, the views from the castle walls were spectacular

Overlooking Praça di Comercio the famous Commercial Square of Lisbon

We look over local housing and gardens from the castle

A little early for a glass of wine !!

Beautiful lyrebirds stroll around close to the tables in a cafe at the castle

We continue over the moat through the walls of the castle

The first fortification on this hilltop date from the 2nd Century BC however this fortification was presumably erected much later around 48 BC

A selfie from the top of the castle

Fabulous views over the city of Lisbon

Overlooking the gorgeous domes and spires of the Basilica da Estrela

Once we leave the castle we set off on foot back downhill and resume our trip on one of the ‘Hop On Hop Off’ buses

The bus takes us past several well known monuments around the city such as this one in the Marquis of Pombal Square

Arriving at Praça do Comercio which is Lisbon’s main square. It is the site where the old Royal Palace stood before it was destroyed by an earthquake in 1755

The southern end of the square opens to the Tagus River and the other three sides have yellow coloured buildings with arcades all along the facades

Popular restaurants can be found around the area

We continue on to Praça do Municipio

Mercado da Ribeira is a busy food court well known in Lisbon

Murals are quite popular in lisbon

We continue on the bus travelling west along the Tagus River passing the sister bridge to the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco

We pass the spectacular 16th century Mosteiro dos Jeronimos, a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1983

Another famous monument by the Tagus River is the Monument of Discoveries (Padrao dos Descobrimentos) which is a memorial to Prince Henry the Navigator and numerous other explorers who are lined up behind him on the massive white stone monument

The Belem Tower which dates back to 1515, sits on what was once an island in the Tagus River and was built to defend Lisbon from invaders

We head back to the centre of the town passing some of the modern commercial buildings of Lisbon

Looking down towards the Marquis of Pombal Square where the tourist buses make their first and final stop for the day

Returning to our hotel we pass many buskers who were beginning to set up for the evening’s entertainment

After our very long and exhausting day of sightseeing, we decide to have dinner at the hotel in the restaurant sitting outside enjoying the warm evening

We order a Portuguese wine to accompany our dinner

We begin our dinner with some wonderful garlic prawns

Followed by a generous entree of tempura vegetables

……. and delicious fish to share with more vegetables !!

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