Tram museum and some wandering

The Tram museum is not a 5* attraction but it’s really interesting. It’s housed in the actual huge Carris maintenance and garage facility. You can see some of the original cars (and actually get a ride on one of the very first electric trams from the early 1900s), but it also gives a very good history of the transformation of the company. From a few horse drawn wagon type trams (called “americanos,” perhaps because one of the two owners was from Brazil), and then the laying of rails throughout the city, lots of fascinating pictures. It was also really interesting to see how different the ethos of the company was back then. There was a barbershop on the premises and all employees were required to be well shaved and coiffed. All men in dress shirt and ties.

Our plan was to visit the Arte Antica museum next, but when we got there they told us that the Hieronymus Bosch painting (which is really the stand out of the European collection) was on loan, and that the entire floor of Portuguese painting (which has some medieval work that I like) was about to close for a two hours lunch break. So we went to Plan B, which involved walking around through the fancy embassy neighborhood and then having lunch in our favorite Lisbon park, Estrela. We were then able to get on the tram 28 for a ride across town to some of the great Miradouros over the Alfama and the Tagus river.

Joe lost his glasses, which is quite the bummer. But he is having some laser glaucoma treatment when we get home so he may need new glasses anyway. Nothing to be done about it for the time being.

Still waiting for some election results!Read more