Lisbon, Part II
I wasn’t going to do another Lisbon post, but it is one of our favorite cities in the world and we did discover some new places on our second visit here. This time around we purposely stayed in different areas which opened up fresh neighborhoods and sites to explore.
Estufa Fria is a semi-covered greenhouse, approximately 8000 square meters of wandering greenness. There are three sections to this place. The Estufa Fria (Cold Greenhouse) is the original complex and is considered “cold” because there is no heating (although it was still quite toasty). The other two sections are the Estufa Quente (Warm Greenhouse) which holds tropical plants, and the Estufa Doce ( Sweet Greenhouse) which hold a small collection of cactus and succulents.
Igreja de São Domingos. Dedicated in 1241 and finished in 1748, this church has been through a lot over the years. Once the main church in Lisbon (and rumored to have a healthy amount of gold covering its interior according to our guide), several earthquakes and fires later, all that remains of its former glory are smoke scarred pillars.
The Reservatório da Mãe d'Água das Amoreiras (Mother of Water Reservoir) is an 18th century water reservoir. While the low lighting and high vaulted arches may make this place look like a church, the walkways surrounded by water and a trickling rock fountain on the far wall, hint at something much more unique.
Just outside the reservoir is a section of the city’s old aqueducts. A peaceful garden area sits behind in the shadows.
Sculptures by the Portuguese artist Bordallo II can be found all over Lisbon (and we’ll see another famous work of his later in Porto). Made of repurposed garbage and waste, it shows how the discarded can still be beautiful.
I love the nooks and crannies where art pops up in this city. In this case, this area lies just beneath the Santa Justa Elevator. And yes, the artist of the two pelicans is Bordallo II.
The MAAT was closed in preparation for a new exhibit when we arrived, but its curved tiled exterior provided a wonderful shaded area to take in the riverside. Also, there are wonderful waterside views from the roof.
Just a walk through a coal oven in a power plant boiler room. The Electricity Museum is a branch of the MAAT just a few steps away from the main building. Wander the internal workings of an old thermal power station and stumble into rotating art gallery collections.
Last time, we avoided the trams because they were usually packed and we didn’t really have a need to ride them anywhere. This time, the place we stayed was further from the city center and the only transit was the tram (we had luggage, and one thing that didn’t change about Lisbon was the hills). But one of the benefits of living a little ways away from the tourist bustle…a practically empty tram!
The Calouste Gulbenkian Museum. A former private art collection (rumored to be one of the best in the world), now open to the public. There are well preserved pieces from all over the globe and all through out antiquity.
Parque Eduardo a stunning park with a stunning view that cuts through the city straight to the river. We spent an afternoon wandering down this stretch…
…ending the day by the waterfront, a perfect place to take in the sunset.