As always, the images and any videos in this posting are best viewed on the web page. View the complete set of blog posts here.
The first image below was taken from the sliding door of our stateroom. The second was taken as we approached the Lisbon port around noon. The third was a view of the city from the Viking Sky World Cafe on the starboard side of the ship, taken while we had a quick meal before heading out for the day.
Tour – Lisbon City Drive – Witness the enduring legacy of the Age of Discovery in Portugal on this tour of Lisbon’s grandest landmarks. On the banks of the Tagus River, gaze up at the Monument to the Discoveries, inaugurated on the fifth centennial anniversary of explorer Henry the Navigator’s death. Nearby is Belém Tower, a UNESCO Site and a reminder of the great maritime discoveries that laid the foundations of the New World. Another UNESCO Site is the Jeronimos Monastery at the entrance to Lisbon’s harbor. You can also see the 25th of April Bridge, named for the date of the revolution that restored democracy to Portugal. With your guide, view the riverside statue of Christ the King looking over the city, and pass beautifully landscaped Eduardo VII Park, named for England’s king, who visited here to improve Anglo-Portuguese relations.
The Belém Tower (Torre de Belém) is a 16th-century fortification built to defend the city and serve as a ceremonial gateway (see images 1 and 3). The tower is a UNESCO World Heritage site and a prime example of the Manueline architectural style. The Águas Livres Aqueduct, images 2 and 4, was built by Portuguese engineers in the 18th Century to provide Lisbon with a freshwater supply. This beautiful and functional structure features 109 stone arches, with the tallest spanning the Alcântara valley at approximately 65 meters high.
Images 2, 4, and 5 are of Padrão dos Descobrimentos (Monument to the Discoveries) on the Tagus River, celebrating the Portuguese Age of Discovery during the 15th and 16th centuries, and feature figures such as Prince Henry the Navigator, Vasco da Gama, and Ferdinand Magellan. Images 3 and 6 are of the Jerónimos Monastery, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
The pink building is an entrance to the Presidential Palace. Image 2 is the Monumento aos Restauradores (Monument to the Restorers), a prominent obelisk located in Restauradores Square (our last tour stop). Finally, an image of the pastel de nata that we received at the end of the tour. They are world-famous Portuguese egg custard tarts featuring a flaky, blistered, puff-pastry shell filled with rich, creamy egg custard and topped with dark caramelized spots. Tasty, good, and we have the Jeronimos monks to thank for this treat.
The Viking World Cafe had a special Portuguese lunch as we arrived in Lisbon.
We left the tour at the last stop and walked around the downtown area. There are people, shops, and dining on every major and side street. Incredible. And since we were here a few years ago (2019 to be exact), it actually felt familiar. The weather was perfect, and we enjoyed wandering around the heart of the city.
Many images were taken in the central plaza, known as Praça da Figueira. It features the equestrian statue of King John I. The square is surrounded by shops and restaurants. The city’s famous urban elevator, known as the Santa Justa Lift, connects streets in the lower historic Baixa district to the Largo do Carmo Square. Various street scenes showing some beautiful tilework in the sidewalks. Image 8 is the Arco da Rua Augusta, a triumphal arch built to commemorate the city’s reconstruction after the 1755 earthquake, which also destroyed the Ribiera Palace on this site. Images 10 & 11 show the other side of the Rua Augusta Arch facing the Placa Comercio and the statue of King Jose I. The Ribiera Palace previously stood on the site of the Placa Comercio.
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Our cruising buddies, Kara and Greg Cornelius from Alabama, asked us to join them for a nice dinner in Lisbon, and we quickly agreed. I looked around and found a great spot, but could not get a confirmation online. However, while walking around this afternoon, we found the location, and the host quickly set us up for the night. The restaurant is two blocks from the Santa Justa Lift (the fifth image below), a Lisbon landmark, hence the restaurant’s name.
So that evening, we met Kara and Greg and walked from the ship to the restaurant. A stroll through Lisbon is always enjoyable, and tonight was no different. After being seated, we started out with a tasty charcuterie board with plentiful, tasty cheese and fruit. All four of us then had excellent entrees. The food was some of the best we have had on the cruise so far. Both the meal and company were terrific.
The restaurant hosted a Fado Singer this evening. Fado is the soulful, melancholic national music of Portugal. Translating roughly to “fate” or “destiny,” the songs heavily focus on saudade—a deeply Portuguese concept representing profound longing, loss, and nostalgia. The singer is accompanied by acoustic instruments, the guitarra portuguesa (a pear-shaped 12-string guitar) and the classical guitar (the viola).
The singer, Fátima García, was terrific. From the internet: “Fátima García (often known as Fatinha Garcia) is a renowned Fadista, celebrated for her traditional renditions and emotive performances. She regularly performs in Lisbon’s historic quarters and tours internationally to represent authentic Portuguese music.” We really enjoyed her two sets. Cheryl chatted with her after our meal and purchased a CD (returning to the table, asking me if we still have a CD player…).
Our group then walked over to the Elevator to see it in the evening lights. We returned to the ship after a great evening. The second image is a video.
Enrichment – “Explorers-The Age of Discovery.” Learn about the important period of global exploration that began with Columbus and Vasco da Gama – Dr. David Anderson
This talk focused on the Age of Discovery, spanning from the 15th to the 18th centuries. David noted that there had been four previous periods of significant discovery: the Austronesians 4,000 BCE, the Phoenicians 700 BCE, the Chinese 200 BCE, and the Vikings, 800-1100 CE.
David summarizes motivations for the latest period:
- Curiosity – what is on the other side? Fill in blank spaces on existing maps.
- Land, wealth & power – self-explanatory
- Trade routes – primarily to India and China, to avoid the Mediterranean chokehold and tariffs by other empires
- Mythical locations – Presser John, El Dorado
- Religious expansion and missionaries
- Precious commodities – gold, spices, tomatoes, corn, potatoes, etc.
- Greed – also self-explanatory, includes the profitability gained from the slave trade
The most recent period was enabled by improved shipbuilding, advances in navigational technologies, and the Fall of Constantinople in 1453, which significantly increased Silk Road tariffs. Early discovery was led by the Portuguese, who explored east, and the Spanish, who explored west, based on the Tordesillas Line. The English, French, and Dutch all made significant contributions later in the era.
Religion acted as a primary catalyst, justification, and funding source for global exploration. European powers, driven by intense religious zeal, sought to spread Christianity, counter the rise of Islam, and legally legitimize their colonial conquests across the Americas, Africa, and Asia.
David touched on the Caribbean as the epicenter of European colonization. Early on, Spain exploited the region for precious metals, sugar, tobacco, indigo, and cotton, creating a devastating legacy of indigenous displacement and the transatlantic slave trade. Later, England, France, and the Dutch all had large Caribbean footprints. All of the European powers greatly contributed to the Atlantic triangle, the three-legged economic system that connected Europe, Africa, and the Americas, exchanging European manufactured goods for enslaved Africans, who were forced into the Americas to produce raw materials that were then shipped back to Europe.
Another great talk presented by a talented speaker.
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