Reset search
Portugal 2018
  • CL Wanderlust

Portugal 2018

Lisbon, Coimbra and Porto Read more
FollowInsightsCalendarShareShareBucket list
Newest first
  • CL WanderlustPortugal 2018Traveler

    Jardim Botanico university of Lisbon

    June 11, 2018 in Portugal ⋅ ⛅ 20 °C

    That is a huge london plane tree, Platanus x acerfolia

    Their bougainvillea is climbing up and over what may have been the old main entrance. there was a burnt out building next to this. Colin and I wondered how fire trucks would access any of the houses in the narrow streets and we did read that there had been a big fire in the Chiado area in 1988 which devastated many buildings

    I like the bamboo fence, their's is held with zap straps, mine is with raffia when I can get it. this year I just used some of these old plastic green plant ties I had in the greenhouse. i'm not the only one who uses bamboo fencing! reusable, sustainable and cheap :)    Read more

  • CL WanderlustPortugal 2018Traveler

    Jardim Botanico - lisbon univeristy

    June 11, 2018 in Portugal ⋅ ⛅ 20 °C

    They had a monocot section which was interesting.

    That is a calla lily - a weed in south africa where it is native. there is a story of a colonial aristocrat/gentleman in South Africa, ordering up beautiful flowers from london for his daughters wedding, and when they arrived they were the calla lily, what they in South Africa perceive as a weed, but others a beautiful exotic.

    That is Datura or is it Brugmansia, i get them mixed up. I have quite a few in the green house, but mine don't get higher than 3 feet, not enough room. They are native to Peru and are hallucinogenic. We have a lovely large one at Bloedel.    Read more

  • CL WanderlustPortugal 2018Traveler

    Jardin botanica -University of Lisbon

    June 11, 2018 in Portugal ⋅ ⛅ 20 °C

    These are flowering spikes of agave. the first one I don't know the species. no label and I wasn't about to crawl in with all those spiky things.

    the 2nd one is agave chiapensis native to mexico and guatamala

    the next pic is just a neat tropical effect in the monocot garden

    the variegated yellow plant, i can't remember if that was a yucca or a dracaena. I think it was a dracaena and it had a very very spiky foliage.

    I think that is one of the auracarias. not the one we grow in vancouver, monkey puzzle, auracaria auracana, but it may be A. bidwelii - the one we grow at bloedel under the dome. huge pine cone and they had one attached to the tree for all to see. they are the size of bowling balls and weigh a few kg, so you have to be wary when they are coning and dropping their cones. they can knock you out.

    the last pic is a blooming opuntia, again not sure which species.

    they had lots of different cycads and good information panels in both portuguese and english.    Read more

  • CL WanderlustPortugal 2018Traveler

    jardim botanic university of lisbon

    June 11, 2018 in Portugal ⋅ ⛅ 20 °C

    we left the garden and grabbed a coffee and a desert at a small coffee shop across the street. seems to be a common practice here as it was rather busy for 7 pm and it was not dinners they were serving.

    That is a Euphorbia resinifera which I think we have grown at Bloedel in the dry section and that is an aloe in blossom    Read more

  • CL WanderlustPortugal 2018Traveler

    Park Jardim do Principe Real -lisbon

    June 11, 2018 in Portugal ⋅ ⛅ 20 °C

    after our snack of Pasteis de Nata (the portuguese egg custard) and honey cake? with cream filling we are off looking for another lookout.

    en route we pass by this lovely park. from eyewitness:
    "this park laid out in 1860 as a prime residential quarter the square still retains an air of affluence, Smartly painted mansions surround a particularly pleasant park with an open air cafe, statuary and some splendid robin, magnolia (they were in bloom!, smelled great) and Judas tress. The branches of a huge cedar tree have been trained on a trellis, creating a wide shady spots for the locals who play cards beneath it. ON the large square at no 26 the eye catching pink and white neo Moorish building with ones and pinnacles is part of Lisbon University. "

    -I don't know about the pink, but that building across from the park certainly has a lot of beautiful moorish features. The cypress tree trained on the trellis reminded us of the banyan fig that is trained? or was it just the aerial rootlets in the case of the fig, in Lahina Hawaii.

    The view point you can see below the crane the Basilica Estrala which we just came from.....well sort of just came from!    Read more

  • CL WanderlustPortugal 2018Traveler

    Miradoura de Sao Pedro de alcantara -lis

    June 11, 2018 in Portugal ⋅ ☀️ 19 °C

    This was a very busy "touristy" lookout. as we were wandering along the street en route (Dom Pedro V) it was getting more upscale. Lots of boutiques, trendier restaurants and a lot busier. the view was magnificent, and you look acrros to the Castle de Jorge and the Church Graca that we were at on Sunday.

    One of the food venders was selling a rice dish for 12 euro.....they were interesting as they had the food in a huge 3 foot diameter pan and it looked yummy but that is pretty pricy when you cosier we get 6 sardines for 5 euro the other night.

    From Eyewittness:
    The Belvedere (miradura) commands a sweeping view of eastern lisbon, seen across the Baisa. A tiled map plased against the balustrade helps you locate the landmarks in the city(not there, but they were doing construction). The panorama extends from the battlements of the Castelo de Sao Jorge clearly seen surrounded by trees on the hill to the South east, to the 18th century church of Penha de Franca in the northwest. The large monastery complex of the Igreja da Graca (that was where we were at on Sunday) is also visible on the hill, and in the distance Sao Vincent de Fora (we were also there, it had the Dolores booth in front of it) is recognizable by they symmetrical towers that flank its white facade.
    '    Read more

  • CL WanderlustPortugal 2018Traveler

    Igreja do Carmo lisbon

    June 11, 2018 in Portugal ⋅ ☀️ 18 °C

    This is the church that is ruins. We went down , down , down, a back alley, but we went down too far. We ended up having to back up the Calcada do Carmo to get to the square where the church is located.

    Once in the square there was lots of activity, music, restaurants, kiosks with snacks and a group of musicians playing bluesy, jazz stuff. In front of the church there is a night time light show, but it cost 15 euro....it tells the history of Lisbon. Kind of like that light show we saw in Quebec city years ago with the kids for the 400th anniversary of Quebec city - although that was free. We didn't go to the light show as we needed to eat.

    There is a lovely fountain in the square with 4 dolphins. Chafariz do Carmo.

    For dinner we went to the Carmo Restaurant, I had pork with mushroom risotto and colin had seafood risotto. It was pretty good, but a bit glue. the Iberian pork is yummy, but fatty.

    from eye witness of the Igreja do Carmo
    'The gothic ruins of this carmelite church on a slop overlooking the Baixa are evocative reminders of the devastation left by the earthquake of 1755. the church collapsed during mass depositing tons of masonry onto the people below. Founded in the late 14th century by Nuno Alvares Pereira, the commander who became a member of the Carmelite order, the church was at once time the biggest in the city of Lisbon. Nowadays the mains body of the church and the chancel whose roof withstood the violent shock waves, house an archeological museum....
    Outside the ruins in the Largo do Carmo (square) stands the Chafarix do carmo, an 18th century fountains designed by Angelo Belasco, elaborately decorated with four dolphins. '    Read more

  • CL WanderlustPortugal 2018Traveler

    Bario alto Lisbon- riverfront

    June 12, 2018 in Portugal ⋅ ⛅ 19 °C

    Nice walk along river on the way over to the Plaza of Commerce.

    they have a sea bus like boat like we do that connects one side of lisbon to the suburb side of lisbon.

    the statue is in a square that we pass to get to the water.

    Passed through Praca Dom Luis I. this is the park that seems to have a fair number of homeless people.

    Riverfront:
    • Terreiro do Paco Ferry terminal the sea bus terminal
    • 25th of April Bridge
    • Cristo Rei statue way in the distance    Read more

  • CL WanderlustPortugal 2018Traveler

    Terreiro do Paco lisbon

    June 12, 2018 in Portugal ⋅ ⛅ 19 °C

    we got a later start, left apartment and wandered down to the river. It is a nice walk. Like vancouver's waterfront.

    • Statue is of Jose I, the king who gave control of the government to his chief minister the Marques de Pomball. It shows the king on his horse with Pombal on the medallion looking at their port.
    • The horse symbolizes triumph and stomps on snakes symbol of evil while the elephant represents the portugues empires colonies in India an Africa
    • They were setting up a big screen for the world cup    Read more

  • CL WanderlustPortugal 2018Traveler

    Praco commercia lisbon - arch de triumph

    June 12, 2018 in Portugal ⋅ ⛅ 19 °C

    Arc de triumph in the Baxia.
    • Vasco Da Gama on the left and Pombal on the right
    • There was also a women on top placing laurel wreathes on the heads of 2 ?? mercury maybe and someone else.

  • CL WanderlustPortugal 2018Traveler

    Rue Augusta - Baixa Chiado lisbon

    June 12, 2018 in Portugal ⋅ ⛅ 19 °C

    as you walk under the arc you enter this big pedestrian mall. Very busy, even though no cruise ship terminals.

    WE walked up the Rue Augustata under the arch towards another square at the top a few blocks away. Flat walking

    as you walk looking up th side streets gives you views to the Bario alta on the left (west) and the Alfama on the right ( east).

    -a couple of "human" statues, and looking down one side street towards Ce church.

    The Baxia is a flat valley in between the Bario Alto and the Alfama. You get that feeling of being down low. This is why this area had so much damage in the earthquake from 1755.

    • -it was rebuilt quickly by Pombal and it looks like any other Lisbon colonial city. Easily obtained materials, set architectural style, the same 3 stories. Built it quickly to get people housed, no great big churches.

    • -Exterior decoration was only adopted in the l9th century after the Portuguese in colonial Brazil discovered tht the tiles protected against humidity.

    • The black and white cobbled sidewalk –Calcada- is uniquely Portuguese. Mosaic limestone and basalt cobbles first cut and laid by 19th century prison laborers. To this day patterns are chosen from a book of acceptable designs.    Read more

  • CL WanderlustPortugal 2018Traveler

    Rue Augusta - Baxio Chiado Lisbon

    June 12, 2018 in Portugal ⋅ ⛅ 19 °C

    The mall along Rue Augusta
    -Looking up a side street towards the Castle in the Alfama area
    -a nice sweet shop, old wood frame, not the cast iron like we have in our Gastown, but wood. We saw one piece that had splintered off.
    -like those street lamps!    Read more

  • CL WanderlustPortugal 2018Traveler

    Rossio Square - lisbon

    June 12, 2018 in Portugal ⋅ ⛅ 19 °C

    Rossio Square, lots of interesting views from the square. You can see the ruins of the Convento de Carmello up in the Bario Alta on the hill, and the castle on the other side in the Alfama.

    I loved the purple hotel that was renovated on the one side of the square, SW corner? Some buildins were renovated, others tiled and others in disrepear with the roofs growing things out of them..... much like Havana, but not so much actually crumbling.

    We continued up the R. Augusta till it meets with Rossio square. A big open square with 2 fountains and a large statue in the centre. Lots of wave tilings.
    • Because of its elongated shape, and long use it is believed this was a roman racetrack 2,000 years ago. These days it is cars
    • The colonnaded national theater is at the far end. American fast food chains (colin went to the MacDonalds to use the bathroom)
    • The column in the square honors Pedro IV king of Portugal and emperor of Brazil
    • The square once held a palace that functioned as the headquarters of the inquisition. It was demolished and in an attempt to erase its memory, the national theatre was built in its place.
    • You can see the Convento de Carmo
    • And the Elevador de Santa Justa
    • You can also catch glimpses of the castle on the other side of the valley    Read more

  • CL WanderlustPortugal 2018Traveler

    Rossio square - lisbon

    June 12, 2018 in Portugal ⋅ ⛅ 20 °C

    That is the national theatre, on the site of an old palace

    the sta justa elevator going up to the Bario Alto

    looking up another side street, see the flight of stairs, that heads up to the Bario Alto. We were there yesterday not at the very top of those stairs, but just midpoint when we were looking for the carmelittes church. we headed back up the street as we had gone down too far.Read more

    Trip end
    June 25, 2018
  • 2025© FindPenguins
  • Home
  • About us
  • Group Tracking
  • Press
  • Terms
  • Privacy Policy & Cookies
  • Help Center
  • Legal notice