Map of Globus Tour

Day 2 of my Globus Tour of Northern Spain. Map of the route we took and where we visited and/or stayed: from Portugal to Spain with an optional tour into France.

Lisbon’s Alfama District

This morning, we went for a short walk in the Alfama district of Lisbon, the oldest district of the city and where the fishermen and the poor had lived. It is made up of narrow streets and squares. We were taken to only a small part of the district but it is one with a number of very interesting sights. It would be good to go on your own there or to take an escorted walking tour, both of which I did the last time I was in Lisbon.

Lisbon’s Alfama District

A beautiful Portuguese tile on the wall of a building in the Alfama District. You’ll see many such tiles here.

Jeronimos Monastery

Next, back on our bus to the Jeronimos Monastery in the Belem district of Lisbon. The monastery was begun in 1501 by King Manuel I and completed 100 years later. He chose the Hieronymites order of monks to reside here as they promised the pray for his eternal soul on his death. It suffered little damage from the 1755 Lisbon earthquake but was abandoned when religious orders were dissolved in Portugal in 1833.

Jeronimos Monastery

Inside the monastery––a beautiful church.

Jeronimos Monastery

The monastery’s cloisters.

Belem Tower

Our next stop was at the Belem Tower, a 16th–century fortification that served as both a fortress and a ceremonial gateway to Lisbon.

Monument to the Discoveries

Also in Belem and close–by was the Monument to the Discoveries. The monument celebrates the Portuguese Age of Discovery during the 15th and 16th centuries.

I have put my photos of our Globus Lisbon tour on a slideshow. Go to http://www.peggysphotos.com/lisbon–alfama–and–belem–districts/
(Slideshows, Western Europe, Portugal, “Lisbon: Alfama and Belem Districts”).

Cascais

This afternoon, I took a Globus optional tour to Casais, Cabo da Roca, and the Palace of Queluz in Sintra. We ate lunch in the town of Cascais which is on the Lisbon coastline.

Cabo da Roca

Up until the last 14th century, it was believed that Cabo da Roca was the edge of the world. It is the westernmost point of mainland Europe. You can see its lighthouse on the promontory in the photo.

Inland

To reach the lighthouse, we had to go inland first. Photo: a view of the Portuguese countryside. The Globus bus had light–filtering windows on its side, so any photo I took from those windows came out with off–colors, some photos worse than others. Not a good thing for someone, like me, who likes to take photos from a bus.

Cabo da Rocha

The lighthouse at Cabo da Rocha. It was extremely windy here.

Cabo da Rocha

A stone monument with a cross is at the end of the promontory. Up until the last 14th century, it was believed that Cabo da Roca was the edge of the world. An inscription on the monument is from the Portuguese poet Luis Camoes (1524–1580): “where the land ends and the sea begins.”

Palace of Queluz

From Cabo da Roca, we went to visit the Palace of Queluz in Sintra. We started our visited inside the palace in the Ballroom.

Palace of Queluz

Another room in the palace with a wide chair for women in that time who wore wide dresses.

Palace of Queluz

In the gardens of the palace was the Tiled Canal. The royal family rode gondalas to music on the canal.

Palace of Queluz

The palace has a collection of interesting sculptures. Photo: one of them.

Palace of Queluz

The palace was built as a three–sided square with gardens within the square.

I have put my photos Casais, Cabo da Roca, and the Palace of Queluz on a slideshow. Go to http://www.peggysphotos.com/casais–cabo–da–roca–palace–of–queluz/ (Slide Shows, Western Europe, Portugal, “Casais, Cabo da Roca, & Palace of Queluz.

There are five palaces in Sintra as well as other great sites of interest. The best of all the palaces is the Pena Palace. I asked my tour bus driver why Globus doesn’t go there and he said because big buses aren’t allowed to park up the mountain where it is located. To see Pena Palace, you can go on a day tour from Lisbon. To see all the palaces and the other sites, you have to spend several days in Sintra––it would be well worth it.

Fado Music and Dinner

This evening, I went on another Globus optional tour: a fado music and dinner tour. This was the third time I had heard fado music and it wasn’t the best of the three or even the second out of three. (See Movies, Western Europe, “Europe: Western Europe Movies” for fado music from my favorite two. I have not put them on Youtube, so you might not be able to watch them on your computer, but should be able to on an Apple device). If you want to hear really good Portuguese fado music, it might be a good idea to ask at your hotel for recommendations for the best shows. Fado music is made up of mournful tunes symbolizing a feeling of loss. They can be traced back to the 1820s in Lisbon. Photo: the restaurant where we ate and heard the fado music.

Fado Music–MOVIE

A movie of one of the fado singers who we heard on our optional tour. It was very dark in the restaurant during the show.

YouTube: https://youtu.be/X0yNyXiKNoo