Sorry

 Bom Dia,

I am over seventy and my digestion can be fragile, so I am not well today and did not go out.  I should be fine tomorrow.

Museu Calouste Gulbenkian

 Bom Dia,

I came to the right place.  The Iberian Peninsula has low Covid rates, and Portugal is doing better than Spain. The rest of Western Europe?  Not so much.  Bright red on the Covid Color Scale.

Lovers of fine art who will visit Lisbon, the Museu Calouste Gulbenkian is the place to come.  The impressive collection would turn the curators of the British Museum green with envy.  What's your fancy? Everything from paintings to statuary, to furniture, to rugs, to tapestries, illuminated manuscripts, ceramics from Western Europe to East Asia in various periods is on offer.

I took the metro finding it a refreshing change from trams and busses.  It's a lot faster.  I went to get my day pass and a couple asked me if I spoke English.  They were having a hard time figuring out the machine, so of course I helped them because we denizens of Lisbon are Nice!  It turned out we were headed to the same place, so I hung around while the poor husband kept messing up the metro gate.  He had to go back and back to get more tickets several times.  But when it came down to it, I took the train in the wrong direction and had to double back.  I got off at my stop and then had no idea where to go.  My first guess was wrong, so I turned around and headed across the Praca do Espanha.  I didn't see anything promising, so I asked a lady.  She didn't speak English, but she recognized the name of the museum and pointed me in the right direction.  The People of Lisbon are Nice!

Something was going on there--not in the museum itself, but in the attached institute.  All kinds of police cars, press, and a lot of important looking men in suits.  Never mind them.  We have art to view.

Calouste Gulbenkian of Armenian descent liked spending his money on fine arts and was a collector of outstanding taste and wide and varied interests.  A visit to the museum is like a walk though of Art History.  You can find Egyptian and Greco Roman Works.  I was especially fascinated by the Islamic collection of rugs and gorgeous ceramics.

Art from India and the Far East is also to be seen.  There's a marvelous exhibit of porcelain vases from the Qing Dynasty, and all of them are exquisite.  Then I moved on to European Art starting with some Late Medieval ivory carvings and illuminated manuscripts in the form of Books of Hours.

You would recognize many of the names of the painters whose works are on show.  How about Rembrandt and Rubens?  There are portraits by Van Dyke and Thomas Gainsborough.  If you like Impressionists you can mind, Manet, Monet and Mary Cassat.

I'm leaving out the statuary, but I liked the furniture.  I prefer period rooms, they arranged pieces of the same style and period together so it was almost like one.  Lovers of Art Nouveau will appreciate the exhibit of Rene Lalique.  Most of it was to clunky for my taste, but I did take a fancy to a couple of tiaras.

When I emerged it had turned hot, and I was in an area of broad streets and scary traffic with lots of hooting horns.  I was glad to get back on the metro and head for home.

Apero is the last of the ham.  I'm going to do my arteries a favor and not get more. I washed it down with green tea.  I went to the grocery store this morning, but I couldn't find any more of that nice wine from Douro, so I got some from Aletejano.

Bye for now

Belem: Mosteiro dos Jeronimos

 Bom Dia,

Let me recruit myself with a sip of chilled vinho blanco.

The Monastery is spectacular and probably Lisbon's most famous and visited attractions.  It is an UNESCO World Heritage site.  Having said that, I have to admit that today was a bit of an ordeal.

For one thing the Belem tram was not running due to track repairs.  A Lisbon Public Transit guy directed us to a bus stop.  As you can imagine the bus was very crowded, but the people were pleasant, and I was able to be helpful to my fellow Monastery travelers.  It's a long ride.

Once there I read the signs and went to get in line for my ticket.  I thought that coming mid week and early, I could escape the crowds.  I was wrong.  The ticket line was long and slow.  One got tickets by card machine only.  I wanted a combo ticket so I could visit the archeological museum.  This was not possible.  Having obtained my ticket, I had to go stand in another line.  I can compare the lines only to the stretching into infinity lines one finds at Versailles.  And the line moved at a pace that would make a glacier look like a greyhound.  I had to stand for fifty minutes in hot sunlight, and I would be lying if I pretended this did me any good.

The exterior is amazing as well.  The Monastery was founded by King Manuel I, because he had plenty of cash to burn because Vasco da Gama had discovered the sea route to India by sailing around Africa.  He came back with a boat load of spices and many a Portuguese caravel followed him.  This is the same King Manuel I, who dismissed Columbus (Rightly so. Columbus was nuts for grossly underestimating the size of the Earth, and don't try to tell me stories.  All educated people knew the Earth was round since Hellenistic Times. ) and blew off Ferdinand Magellan (this may have been a mistake as his voyage greatly benefitted the Spanish Crown.)

Finally! Inside only to realize I had to climb stairs.  At this point I was so stiff and depleted I wasn't sure I could make it.  I managed and followed the signs and emerged in the cloister.

At this point I began to think the line was worth it.  Marvelous!  What came to mind was the art historical concept of horror vacui.  The Cloister comes in two stories, and it is lovely to walk around admiring the exquisite and intricate carving.  The Refectory features some first rate tile work.  The whole thing is simply gorgeous.

When I was done I followed the signs for the exit feeling puzzled.  I wanted to see the church.  Well, it turns out that to see the church one has to leave the monastery and join a huge snaking line for another fifty minutes in the sun.  I decided I wasn't going to do that.  I don't like being an ungracious guest, but the design of this site is not geared toward the comfort and convenience of visitors.  I suppose they know we'll come anyway.

I took the tram part way home and then transferred to a bus.  Mercifully both forms of public transport were air conditioned.

For apero I toasted some bread and melted some cheese on it.  The Portuguese cheese is called Olveha and it's a very soft cheese incased in a waxy rind.  Very yummy indeed, and the white wine is refreshing.

Bye for now

Nucleo Arqueologico de Rua does Correeiros

 Bom Dia,

It rained hard over most of last night--apparently much to the relief of the Portuguese who had suffered from drought.  The season is turning.  It's a bit cooler, and there's more rain in the forecast for next week.

I really wanted to see the archeological site under the bank and booked a tour.  The tours are free, but they must be reserved on line or by phone.  They are given in Portuguese and English.  The place is actually very close to where I live.  I walk around the corner and down the street a ways, so it was easy for me to arrive a bit early.  The tour takes about fifty minutes and is not physically taxing.  There are stairs and places one has to duck, but no one in our group had a problem. 

The tour is led by an actual archeologist who did a good job giving us a sense of the history and structure of the city from the Iron Age on.  She pointed out how the Phoenicians influenced the inhabitants building techniques and life style.  The major portion of the ruins are Roman including the remains of a fish factory.  Conservas are truly an ancient tradition, but the Romans had a taste for fish left in salt to--uh--mature in the sun.  Garum and liquimen were ubiquitous seasonings for all classes.  A sort of modern analogy is South East Asian Fish sauce.  But Olispo also exported olive oil and some wine.  We learned that each product and each province had its own uniquely shaped amphorae.  There's an excellent selection of objects retrieved from the excavations.

If you visit Lisbon and have limited time, a better bet is to take this tour rather than hike up to the Roman Theatre.  Fortunately I had time to do both.

My tour wasn't until later, so I had time for shopping, and I did not have to go far afield.  I got more groceries.  I also picked up some cork products and treated myself to a pair of exquisite hand painted candlesticks from a beautiful shop around the corner.  The shop folks understand the needs of travelers, and she wrapped up my purchase in plenty of bubble wrap.

But all this money spending and archeology does work up an appetite.  And appetite means apero.  I'm having more ham and green tea.  I actually googled pork fat.  Apparently it's not as bad as I thought being less saturated and full of B Vitamins.

To accompany dinner I have a lovely pink wine DOC from the Douro Region.  The label proudly proclaims that the winery is family owned.  They do good work!

Bye for now

Rainy Day Shopping in Lisbon

 Bom Dia,

I had another airport dream.  In this one I made my flight, but when I got to Heathrow things fell apart.  In my dream I was able to board the connecting flight without a boarding pass, so I didn't know where the flight was going or what my seat was. Impossible in real life, I assure you!

The museums are closed on Monday, so it was time to rev up my credit card and go shopping.  I consulted google maps and went back to area where I emerged bewildered from the metro my first night here.  I was far more confident and oriented this time.

Of course it was all up hill and featured stairs as well.  My area is heavily touristed but relatively tranquil.  I walked into a bustling business/tourist district chock full of shops, traffic, trams, and tour groups.  It was noisy and crowded.  Since being here I have learned that a Largo is a plaza and a Praca is a larger largo.  I snooted around and licked windows. (OK not literally.  It comes from a French term for window shopping.)  Then I made my way up another steep hill.

My target was the Lisbon branch of a famous Portuguese toiletries made by Claus Porto.  The shop is small but very elegant.  The shop assistant told me it was a former pharmacy and pointed out the ceiling molding and wooden cabinets that they kept.  These a high class products, and all this elegance and beautiful packaging does come at a price, but the scents are irresistible.  I picked up some small soaps to give as gifts.

My next target did not open until 11, so I walked around for a bit. I also discovered that google maps sent me the long way around.

There is this cork store that came highly recommended by my guidebook.  Now cork and its products can be found in every touristy shop.  You may be thinking of wine bottle stoppers, but that not what we have here.  The cork is made smooth and thin and can be made into all kinds of things, including clothing.  The shop was much smaller than I expected and their sensibility is sleek and modern.  Very nice.  Not what I was looking for.  The offerings in my neighborhood are much prettier, so I'll be shopping local.

Then I came upon a shopping center--miniscule by American standards, but I had a good look around.  I found something I'd be looking for--a premium Portuguese chocolate shop.  I admired the offerings and bought a few things.  I also attended the Sephora and helped myself to some expensive cologne.  You can find it right next to the Starbucks.

I was actually pretty close to home by that time and had my umbrella up, so I came home for apero.  I made some green tea because it goes remarkably well with that fatty, gorgeous Portuguese ham, and it also makes me feel I am not completely destroying my health eating it.  The meat part is chewy and the fat just melts in my mouth.

I opened the window so I could hear the rain falling.  It's just lovely.  When I'm out I carry an umbrella--just in case.  I'm seeing from my windows, hapless folk taking shelter where they can, but they still to get where they are going.

Bye for now

Museu do Teatro Romano

 Bom Dia.

I always like visiting a city's roots, especially when, like Lisbon, the city is a Roman foundation.  Called at first merely Olispo, and Emperor Augustus granted the place the honorific name of Olisipo Julia Felicitas. After trams and busses I was looking for something I could walk to, and this site fitted the bill--even though I knew it was going to be all uphill.

But first I went grocery shopping.  One convenient feature of Lisbon is that most stores are open on Sunday, so if I needed more hummus or to top off my Ginja supply, nothing was easier.

Then I mapped out my route and set off. Uphill. I don't like it, but I can do it.  I got a little turned around because the signposting of streets is a bit inconsistent, but I had my map and soon sorted myself out finding an even steeper hill to climb to my target.  One funny thing.  People have begun to ask me for directions, which I am usually unable to give, especially if the request is not in English.  I tried to help someone get to a train station yesterday, but my pointing and Spanish did not do a thing.  The guy who asked me this morning kinda laughed and shrugged when I told him in English that I was a tourist and did not speak Portuguese.

I enjoyed the museum.  Compared to other Roman sites, I have visited, it's offerings are modest, but it doesn't cost much and the exhibits are well presented even if they have to be eked out by some works by local artists.  Across the street is a related archeological site that you could peek into for free.

I started for home.  It is NOT easier going down hill, and my knees still haven't forgiven me for that day in Naples when I had to take five billion stairs down when the metro stopped working.  I decided to take another route home, so I could see a bit more of the city and go window licking.  So it was a nice albeit shorter day out.

And now it's time for Apero.  Today's offering is some toast (I found really good Portuguese bread!) with some of that cheese from the gourmet shop and a little vinho blanco DOC from Alentejo.  Very nice.  For dinner I'm going to have some more of this wine with some linguine I intend to mix with some tuna conservas.  It's packed in olive oil so that adds to the flavor and makes a nice sort of sauce.  I know it doesn't sound like much, but good ingredients make it special.

There's another bike race on, but it doesn't start until later--and there's rain in the forecast.  Wheee!

Belem: Palacio Nacional de Ajuda

 Bom Dia,

Although I got some decent sleep I woke up with a vivid nightmare where I went to the airport and managed to do everything wrong.  I left too late for my early flight and then despite increasingly desperate attempts, I could not find my gate.  Then I knew I'd missed my fight, but I couldn't find anyone to help me rebook.  It took me a few seconds to sort myself out once I realized I was awake

I'm writing my blog while listening to a bike race.  It's Il Lombardia, one of those loooong one-day races.  I could go out and not have to rush back knowing there would be a lot of race to go when I got home.  I'm looking forward to the showdown between Jonas Vingegaard and Tadej Pogacar, their first race meeting since Jonas trounced Tadej in the Tour de France.  Tadej won the race last year, so he may have the edge this time.

I had to take a bus to reach my target, but the ride there and back went without a hitch.  This is a rare and precious event! In fact the bus dropped me off right outside the Palace.  This is the place the Portuguese Royal Family built for themselves after the earthquake damaged their former home.  It is magnificent and built in a Neo Classical style. Hot puppies! I thought, this is going to be good.

I found the entrance and got my ticket--asking for the senior discount.  I had to go through security, and at first they weren't going to let me take my umbrella in, but after inspecting it, they relented.  I scanned my ticket to get in and took the elevator up to the third floor where I found the Royal Treasures.

The exhibit hall was kept very dark, but what I saw was the Royal Regalia of Portugal, plus a lot of glittering gems, giant nuggets of gold, orders of honor and a lot of such like.  This was nice.  I was there for the state rooms.  Where were they?

And I looked.  I followed the arrow for the North Hall.  It was bare and blocked off. I tried other floors.  Nada.  No signs.  So I made for the exit feeling that I had come a long way for very little.  I had to scan my ticket to get out.  It's a security measure to keep track in case someone wants to hide in the museum and make off with some of those treasures.

I'm having green tea with my apero of olives and Portuguese ham.  The latter is sooo goood!  But it's also so fatty I feel naughty eating it.  I'm hoping that the green tea will counteract some of the saturated fat.

Bye for now

P.S.  Tadej takes it!