Day 4 - Back to Belém AGAIN

I woke up, wrote my blog and planned our last day in Lisbon, which was to start with a trip to the National Tile Museum. I woke Jackie up at 8am.

We went down to breakfast where Jackie told the waiter we were going to Tile Museum which he thought was a good choice. Then to my annoyance, Jackie asked him for the best way to get there, presumably because she didn’t trust my route planning. For the next 15 minutes, the waiter was studying his phone and making notes on a piece of paper.

When he returned, he informed us that the National Tile Museum was closed for refurbishment and had been since June. He had written down a list of alternatives that were mainly in Belém. Jackie hardly ever mentioned again that morning that it was just as well that she had asked the waiter about the Tile Museum.

Around 10am, we checked out of our lovely hotel and walked through the park to the Tram station to catch the 24E downtown. In the park there was a particularly strong smell of dog poo. Jackie (wrongly) thought she had trodden in it and went off to clean the soles of her shoes, whilst I heaved and actually coughed up a full mouthful of bile that I had to spit out under a tree. Not a great start to the day.

The tram arrived fairly promptly and we alighted at the end of the line, then walked back down to Cais do Sodre, where we caught a drama free train back to Belém. Our first stop was the National Coach Museum where our Lisboa card allowed us free entry.

The National Coach Museum boasts an exceptional collection of gala and touring vehicles from the 16th to the 19th centuries. These vehicles were mostly used by the Portuguese Royal Household. Additionally, the collection includes vehicles from Church assets and private collections. It is a unique and fascinating collection that offers a glimpse into the past. The exhibit provides a comprehensive display of the technical and artistic evolution of animal-drawn transportation used by European courts up to the emergence of motor vehicles.
Seventy vehicles are on display, the oldest dating from the 16th century and the most recent a 19th-century mounted courrier. Among the items on display is the Coach of the Oceans, one of our “national treasures”, which was part, in 1716, of the embassy sent by D. João V to Pope Clement XI.

It was a fascinating museum which kept us occupied for over an hour. We then walked along the river to MAAT (Museum of Art, Architecture and Technology) which would have cost us a discounted €12 each with our Lisboa card. Jackie decided we wouldn’t go in.

We continued along the promenade, where we were pelted with a short burst of driving rain. I suggested we did the free for us Pilar 7 Experience, which is effectively an 80 metre lift up one of the pillars of the 25 de Abril Bridge, but it was raining so Jackie decided it wasn’t worth it.

The 25 de Abril Bridge is a suspension bridge connecting the city of Lisbon, capital of Portugal, to the municipality of Almada on the left bank of the Tagus River. It has a main span length of 1,013 metres, making it the 48th longest suspension bridge in the world.

Just the other side of 25 de Abril Bridge, we returned to Alcantara-Mar station and caught the train back to Cais do Sodre. We had just one hour left of our 72 hour Lisboa card, so I suggested we walk back to Praça do Comércio and take a quick run around the Lisboa Story Centre. When we got there it was closed for refurbishment as well. This was now the third so called Lisboa card attraction ‘highlight’ that was closed. We were not impressed.

We then marched all the way back we came to the Time Out Market which is described as the home to top-notch restaurants, bars, a cooking school and a high-end music venue. Here, you can find some of the freshest fish, meat and fruit in town, try the tastiest local wine and dine at over 40 restaurants specializing in both Portuguese cuisine and food from around the world. Sit inside to enjoy the ambience of the century-old market or outside to bask in the Lisbon sun.

The Market was heaving with lunchtime dining tourists and after a cruise around the entire market we decided to find somewhere more laid back and chilled. We headed for the Santa Justa Lift, which we could ride on for free, but yet again it was out of service.

We hunted for a suitable refreshment stop and settled for Restaurante O Adriano near to Rossio Station. We ordered 2 large beers followed by a couple of glasses of wine each, a bowl of cockles in garlic butter, 2 baskets of bread to soak up the garlic butter and to finish a glass of port each, all for just €52.

Towards the end of our lunch, the tables started to fill up with Germans, who turned out to be Bayer Leverkusen fans in Lisbon for their UEFA Champions League match against Benfica that evening. Bayer Leverkusen won 1-0.

Around 3pm, we headed back to our hotel and got caught in another heavy downpour that absolutely soaked us. The hotel staff very kindly told us help ourselves to coffees to warm up.

Slightly drier, we headed to Rato Metro station where we attempted to use our credit cards to pay for the journey to the airport. My credit card didn’t work and staff let me through at both ends for free. Result!

The EasyJet flight home was delayed by over an hour and we finally got home half an hour after midnight.

Song of the Day - Carriage by Counting Crows.Read more