It has been a while since we joined Restless Jo on a Monday stroll, and so I thought I’d take you on one in Belém. It is not a very long stroll, you could walk it in less than quarter of an hour, however it is rather majestic with plenty to see and to explore if you have a few hours to spare.
Although you can’t tell from my photographs on the day we visited Belém – late morning on a Saturday – there were huge crowds of tourists and locals enjoying the sunshine. We decided the view from the top was not worth the queue, and instead headed east towards Lisboa. The walk beside the Rio Tejo as you head east for Padrão dos Descobrimentos is glorious, and despite my many humphs when I wrote this post my memories of this short stroll are all good.
As well as the views there are lots of sidetracking opportunities and places for a bite to eat. Mr B’s attention of course was caught by the derrick crane at the doca do Bom Sucesso, and even I couldn’t resist taking a few photographs.
The crane didn’t keep my attention for long. There is so much more to see on and across the river, as well west to the Atlantic and north towards to Belém. Even Mr B agreed with me and his lovely sister who was with us that it was the Tagus (Rio Tejo) which was truly irresistible. Wouldn’t it have been lovely to have been sailing on one of these yachts?
When I could draw myself away from the river my eye was caught by the stone tableaux on the Museu de Arte Popular. I thought they were lovely. I have just realised though that the women in each frame are seated /kneeling. You may recall me talking about female statues last year. At best I can hope it was an unconscious design but it still makes me go humph! The Museu de Arte Popular began life as the ‘Secção da Vida Popular’, a pavilion at the 1940 Portuguese World Exhibition reflecting every day life and traditions. We didn’t go in as the Tagus had a hold on us, and from what I have read since there are only a few rooms currently open to the public. Perhaps something to save for a rainy day.
The Portuguese World Exhibition was Portugal’s response to the World Trade Fair held the previous year in New York, and also was a chance for the country to celebrate its 800th anniversary of foundation and 300th anniversary of restoration of independence from Spain.
Padrão dos Descobrimentos, Monument to the Discoveries, may have been part of the propaganda stunt by Salazar, but it is a wonderful commemoration of the Iberian Explorers in the 15th and 16th centuries. It was the Portuguese who discovered a sailing route for Europeans to India, who were the first Europeans in Brazil and Japan, and the first ones to discover the Cape of Good Hope. It was also a Portuguese – Ferdinand Magellan – who first circumnavigated the globe although this achievement he did in Spain’s name!
As well as explorers the monument remembers missionaries, painters and writers, many of whom had a significant impact on the development of navigation and cartography.
Our walk finished a few yards from the Monument on a tram as we headed back into Lisboa for lunch.