Biding my Time in Belem

The Torre de Belem is one of the most photographed buildings in Lisbon and you will see it on most postcards. Every time I see it I am always surprised how small the building actually is and how well preserved it is.

The Torre which is a major landmark is a few minutes walk upstream from the Moistero dos Jeronimos and not far from the Alfama district.This Manueline bastion was built in 1515 -1521 to protect the entrance to Lisbon's harbour. It was conceived as a lighthouse and fortress and lay offshore, but it is now linked to the land. King Miguel incarcarated his political opponents in the dungeon which lies below the terrace and is Gothic in style, as recently as the 19th century. It was also used as a store room for arms.

The exterior is one of great beauty, and is one of the finest examples of military architecture in Europe.

The Moorish turrets bear the cross of the Knights of Christ and the tiny towers at each corner are thought to have been influenced by Indian architecture. The design of the Torre was executed by Fransisco de Arruda who had also worked on many grand pieces of architecture in Morrocco.

By climbing up to the top of the tower you will see a wonderful panoramic view of the shoreline from the 35 metre terrace and should not be missed. Leading up to the entrance of the Torre are pathways of a park and the atmosphere is very relaxed with families promenading and children playing.

Belem has many fine monuments and buildings but there is definitely something rich and splendid about the Torre de Belem. Not only is its shape distinguished but also the light colouring of the stone work which when the sun is slowly rising in the sky casts an amber and azure shadow over the River Tagus during the day.

In the evening when the building is lit up by artificial light you can see this sonorous silhouette from the Alfama and other parts of the city. A truly beautiful building.

Opening times are 10am - 5pm (October - April) and 10.30 - 6.30 (May - Sept). Closed on Mondays.

Fabrica dos Pasteis de Belem
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

There are many fine restaurants in Belem. In fact, they line the
Rua de Belem, which leads away from the Jeronimos monastery into the town centre. Now if you have been to Portugal before you will certainly have eaten a pastel de nata which is an egg custard tart made of the lightest, flakiest pastry ever. Believe me, nobody makes these little tarts like the Portuguese.

There is a traditional cafe called Fabrica dos Pasteis de Belem and it is here where they make the egg custards but the Lisboans call them Pastel de Belem and they have been making them on these premises since 1837. This is a very popular destination for tourists and if you hope to try one of these delicacies then you may have to queue a long time.

But it is worth it because the building is worth a visit even if you don't get to sit down and eat a custard tart. As you approach the pavement made from calcadas (Portuguese mosaics) you will see the front of the Fabrica as each window has a bright blue canopy swaying in the wind with the name of the Restaurant/Cafe above and the facade of the building is adorned in blue and white tiles.

As you enter you will catch a glimpse of a time passed when cafes where grand, had large engraved ceilings with beautiful detailed lamps hanging from the centre, casting golden shadows on the cabinets filled with bottles of port, wine, brandy, medronho and other Portuguese sweet licquers and the counters were higher than the people who stood behind them.

This is a wonderful environment to sit, drink coffee and taste one or two of these creamy filled pastries. There are six rooms in the building - all decorated in blue azulejos (Portuguese tiles).To find the top floor it is like walking through a labyrinth of nooks and crannies. Every room is generally bursting at the seams and the waiters who are always smiling, dressed in black and white, with black bow ties, dance around with drinks and pastries piled high on trays.

In the kitchen of this famous building are lots of women standing over trays and trays of flaky pastry, shaping and moulding the delicate round shape of the custard tart while others are boiling milk, vanilla, sugar and cream to pour into the bases.

I have tasted many a custard tart in lots of countries but the Lisboans know how to create perfection.

Do not miss the Fabrica dos Pasteis de Belem. You will be in for a treat!

The Museu da Marinha
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Two museums have been opened in the monastery and both are worth taking a stroll through. The Museu da Marinha (Maritime Museum) is my favourite and although I am not one to stand for hours scrutinising every little detail like my Mother-in-law does, I find this museum fascinating and always spend longer here - probably because it covers every aspect of the sea.

Originally the museum was housed in the Naval School of Lisbon but after a terrible fire when some of the exhibits were destroyed it was moved north of Lisbon. In 1962 the exhibits were moved again to this location and occupies the north and west wing of the monastery. A modern pavillion and walkway has been added so that larger exhibits can be displayed.

The museum holds an enormous collection of models and drawings including an archive of over 30,000 photographs.

The collections are all in themed rooms which they are interesting in themselves as there are displays of paintings depicting explorations and historical achievements.

There are fantastic exhibitions of ship models conveying most seafaring eras including the famous caravelas and the Voyage of the Dicoverers.

My favourite rooms are the Henrique Maufroy de Seixas room which displays a collection of intricate drawings related to the history of sea travel as well as many books and photographs and beautifully crafted models. After most of the models had been destroyed in the fire Seixa carried out a body of work which incorporated research and preservation work of boats and most sailing vessels. He crafted models of outstanding quality by using his large number of drawn plans and drawings. The scale of the models he built were exact replicas of the originals and some say that they are of a higher quality than the ones that were lost. This room is dedicated to him and his work and is definitely worth a visit if you are interested in maritime travel.

Another room I find very interesting is the Deep Sea Fishing Room probably because my best friend who lived in the Algarve the same time as I did had a deep sea fishing boat and never stopped talking about his travels. This room is dedicated to the Portuguese exploits off Newfoundland and Greenland and demonstrates through picture, drawings and books how important coastal and deep sea fishing were important to Portugal. You can also find out the history of the famous bacalhau (salted codfish).

A fascinating exhibit is the seaplane which I have always had an interest in. The plane made a long trip to Rio de Janeiro from Belem.

There are some fine examples of small fishing boats which are used in the Azores, another favourite haunt of mine. All very bright and colourful, painted in blues, reds, yellow and turquoise with the famous eye which is to ward off devils of the sea.

Refreshments can be bought from the cafe and books and postcards are also on sale as well as a very good visitors guide book.

Opening Times are from 10am until 5pm (6pm in summer). Closed on Mondays and public holidays.

The Museu Nacional de Arquelogia e Etnologia
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The other museum is the Museu Nacional de Arqueologia e Etnologia which has a permanent exhibition depicting Portuguese archaelogy including Roman and Greek artifacts as well as several changing temporary exhibitions. It depends what you are interested in but I usually walk through the archaelogy sections quite quicky mainly because they can be a little dry. Whereas I have a friend who lives in Portugal and she can spend a whole day looking at these kinds of exhibits.

To find your way to both museums take the No 15 tram from central Lisbon to the stop for the Belem Cultural Centre. Alternatively, a train can be caught from Belem station (Cascais Line) which is about 10 minutes walk away.

The Moisteiro dos Jeronimos
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The Mosteiro dos Jeronimos or Hieronymite Monastery in Belem is by far one of the most interesting buildings in Lisbon. The monastery and Torre de Belem watchtower are unique memorial's to Portugal's Golden Age which followed after the Voyages of Discovery. Lisbon was badly hit by the 1755 earthquake but these magnificent buildings managed to survive and didn't topple into dust.

This is one fabulous building and for some reason reminds me of the Parliament Building in Budapest probably because of the Gothic aspects to both buildings even though they were built at different times. The long side of the monastery now overlooks lawns and gardens, but the complex originally stood by the water's edge near Restelo harbour, from where the Portuguese explorers set sail. Before the monastery was built, a small chapel existed on the site and it was in this chapel that Vasco da Gama prayed before leaving for India in July 1497 and where the King of Portugal welcomed him back in September 1499. With a discovery of a sea route to India, the King commissioned the building of a monastery on the site of the chapel and the foundation stone was laid in 1500. It was not finished at the time of the King's death in 1521. Work stopped in 1572 and the project was never completed, a fate shared by many other grand schemes. Consequently, the building cannot be attributed to any one architect but it is known that Joao de Castilho was most influential in its design.

One of the most striking features of the monastery is the south doorway. Like a huge monstrance it rises to a great height of over 32 metres and it is the most ornate entrance of the Manueline period. Here you will see intricately decorated gables, pinnacles and sculptured figures, some depicting the life of St. Hieronymus. Castilho, a Spaniard, was the famous Manueline architect at the time although he changed his style later on to the Plateresco style. This style is lavishly decorative to give an appearance of silver.

The main entrance lies almost hidden away under the west porch. The west doorway is the work of the Frenchman Nicolas de Chanterene who was also responsible for work on the marble altar in the monastery that has now been incorporated into the Palacio da Pena in Sintra. Here, the Renaissance style takes over from the Gothic style and illustrates a scene where King Manuel 1 and his wife Maria of Castille are kneeling in the company of St. Hieronymus and John the Baptist, beneath the scenes from Bethlehem. Close up the carvings are immaculate and the mind boggles, when you think of the time and patience taken to complete such magnificent work. I love the texture of the stonework which I think is limestone. Obviously some of the stone is discoloured through pollution but that is to be expected with any of these great buildings.

The interior is quite deceptive because it is a lot wider than you think it is. It is very ornate with gothic naves and side aisles stretching from the west doorway to the choir in the east. The roof is supported by octagonal columns and covered with delicate Renaissance embellishments. However, the choir on the other hand is quite plain which I find very strange. I think I might have mentioned before in my writing I am very fond of graveyard and burial memorabilia and was a little disappointed to find very little in the interior of the monastery. However, there does stand a marble pantheon, where the sarcophagi of Manuel 1, his son, Jaoa III and their wives rest on stone elephants. This is a sharp contrast indeed to the ornamented nave. In the southern section, an empty grave awaits the last King of the Avis dynasty, Sebastiao, who went walkabout in Morocco. The famous, and a great poet, in my opinion, Luis de Camoes, who died of the plague and was buried in a mass grave, is commemmorated by an empty sarcophagus. The tomb of another Portuguese hero, Vasco da Gama, can also be found here under the gallery.

Although I love the building in all its glory I have to say that the cloisters are some of the finest Manueline architecture I have ever seen in Portugal.They are magnificent and every one has been carved differently. Some are decorated with coils of rope, sea monsters and some with coral and other strange sea motifs. This beautiful work is evocative of that era and the time of world exploration of the sea.The beautiful arch forms are enchanting and you experience a wonderful feeling of serenity as you walk through the arches The arches are reflected in a pool and to me it resembles a palace courtyard built for a rich and extravagant Prince and his courtiers more than a walkway for devout monks.

This is one of my favourite buildings in the whole of Europe and I thoroughly recommend it to any traveller visiting Belem in Lisbon.

Opening Times: May - Sept (Tues - Sun) - 10am - 6pm
Oct - April (Tues - Sun) 10am - 5pm
Cost - Church is free, Cloisters 3 Euros

Belem is an area that lies at the western end of Greater Lisbon and it is not to be confused with the city in Northern Brazil although they bare the same. In Portuguese the name Belem means Bethlehem and sometimes the area used to be known as Santa Maria de Belem. Along with the Alfama, Belem is another favourite area of Lisbon I like to spend time in. Apart from it's very laid back atmosphere the area is filled with monuments, museums, cafes and tailored parks where children, old people and visitors stroll side by side while dogs run riot and frisbees fly high into the dappled blue sky. It is here where you experience the feelings of a golden time when caravelas sailed from the mouth of the River Tagus to the New World and returned ladened with jewels, spices and silks.

I love this area but then I love most things about Lisbon and Portugal in general. I always think that Belem isn't always on everybody's agenda and it is sometimes overlooked by a lot of visitors. Maybe because it isn't central, I don't know. Personally, I find this area alive and kicking but not hectic like other parts of Lisbon. I love to spend time in the parks just strolling around, watching people. Especially at weekends the Portuguese people suddenly become animated and love to promenade.I love all the kiosks dotted throughout the area of which some are quite antiquated. Here you can buy a newspaper, magazine or cigarettes. I know they hae kiosks in other parts of the world but the ones in Belem are so ornate - they are magical as if they belong to a wandering fair.

Belem has a lot of historical buildings and on the river front it has that eerie feeling of a time that once was great but has waned a little. My favourite pastime at night is to sit in one of the cafes opposite the waterfront and look out to sea and the famous monuments. At night it is at its most beautiful when the Torre de Belem and the Monument to the Dicovereries are lit up.If you ever fly into Lisbon on a clear night you will see these monuments illuminated in a sea of gold against a black sky. It is always one of my favourite cities to fly into - I get so excited as soon as I see the silvery white shadows of the Torre de Belem. It always sends shivers down my spine.

Although Belem is a very historical area it isn't wrapped in mothballs - it is alive, used and loved.

There is an attractive cafe scene in Belem that is always alive and buzzing with idle chatter. Lisboans love to stand in coffee bars - it is part of their daily ritual and sometimes if you stay in one cafe long enough you will see the same faces every hour or so.

I suggest before you get involved with the cafe scene you have a good look at the architecture, monuments and parks in the area which I will add to my journal so you can check these attractions out. Belem is definitely worth a visit - when you walk through Belem you will feel the sense of time - when Portugal had a golden past.