Upon leaving the Museu da Marinha, we headed towards the riverfront, crossing busy Praca do Imperio and going through a mural-filled tunnel under a street to reach the strand of Avenida de Brasilia. Regardless of its dictatorial origins (Salazar had it erected to commemorate the 500th anniversary of Henry the Navigator’s death), this stark white apparition jutting out over a sparkling Tejo River on a sunny, clear day impressed us immediately. The location is perfect on the present-day shoreline of a gorgeously wide estuary. Leading on its "prow" is Prince Henry, of course, followed by King Manuel I, and other figures preeminent in the discoveries like Vasco da Gama and Luis de Camoes.

Beneath and in front of this massive monument is a mosaic map of the voyages and lands of the Discoveries which we compared with that of the Museu da Marinha. You can take an elevator to the top, which we didn’t do, and I would imagine the view from there would be brilliant. We drank in the view before us and it was more than satisfying.

Afterwards we strolled towards the Torre passing what had been a lighthouse; both its location and that of the Torre reflect the shift of the river since the explorers set sail. Then, where Jeronimos is now, was the shoreline, and the Torre was erected in the middle of the river as a protective fortress and sometimes prison. Its architect was used to building military edifices in Morocco and many of the details on the domes, arches, and spires are decidedly Moorish. This impressive Portuguese symbol is on the shoreline; adjoining it is a pleasant park with benches for a rest stop.

We had to take the long way back to Parque de Albuquerque and the tram stop as my husband could not cross the fragile-looking trestle bridge which loomed over a busy highway we encountered on the short way. Our son went to the (it’s noted in every Lisbon guidebook) Antiga Casa Dos Pasteis at Rua de Belem 84-8 and returned devouring the luscious custard tart he had left of the three he’d bought. None for us! But the tram came just then so we can only take his word for it- "tasty".

The Torre de Belem, a UNESCO World Heritage Building, looks like a floating white chess piece along the waterside. It was formerly connected to the land, but due to beach erosion, there is now a small bridge that provides access to the tower. It is about 500 meters in front of the Mosteiro dos Jeronimos and served as a harbor fortress at the port. Constructed from 1515 to 1519, the Manueline-style tower was designed by Francisco de Arruda, who had developed some fortification designs in Morocco. Therefore, the Torre de Belem shows a bit of Moorish influence, with balconies, domes, and arched windows. One of the Manueline details is stone shaped to look like twists of rope. The artillery platform juts towards the sea and is protected by battlements. The simpler interiors include a "whispering gallery."

Entrance inside the Torre de Belem is free on Sunday mornings. It's closed on Mondays.

The modern Monument to the Discoveries was built in 1960 to commemorate the 500th anniversary of the death of Prince Henry the Navigator, regarded as the great "promoter of the Discoveries." The curvy concrete structure has a line of sculpted figures on each side, a veritable all-star lineup of great Portuguese discoverers and dignitaries leading to the image of Henry the Navigator at the forefront. It juts out into the water as if it will sail off at any minute.

Go to the top for some nice views along the Rio Tejo, including the Ponte 25 de Abril, which resembles the Golden Gate Bridge. There are some exhibits related to the history of Lisbon on display.