Belém — RachiePie

On Sunday, we took the bus to Belém, a district west of Central Lisbon. We started our morning at Pasteis de Belem, a famous pastry shop in the area. They are known for their pastal de natas (one of my favorite Portuguese treats - an egg custard tart) and the shop has been around since the 1830's. Alex and I each got one pastal de nata, a bola de berlim (custard filled donut) and a ham and cheese puff pastry. When in doubt, choose everything that looks good right?!?!

After fueling, we headed to the Monastery of Jeronimos. It was built in the 16th-century and is one of the few UNESCO World Heritage sites in Belém. The Monastery is where many ancient Portuguese explorers sought shelter, either before or after a trip and is where Vasco da Gama, the first European to sail to India is buried. We were able to visit both the church and the cloisters.

We then walked down to the river to see the Torre de Belém (Belém Tower). The tower was once used as a fortress guarding the entrance to Lisbon.

Also near the riverfront is the Padrão dos Descobrimentos (Monument to the Discoveries). The monument was inaugurated in 1960 on the 500th anniversary of Henry the Navigator's death. The carvings are of famous explorers including Henry the Navigator (at the prow), Fernão de Magalhães (Ferdinand Magellan), and 30 others. We were able to go to the top of the monument to see a gorgeous view of the river and of Belém.

Our last stop of the afternoon was the Museu Nacional dos Coches. The museum is devoted to 17th, 18th, and 19th-century coaches. Alex and I visited a Coaches museum in Stockholm several years ago and both loved it. I was so happy to see there was something similar in Lisbon! Although it was small, it was neat looking at all the intricate and decorative coaches.

A week ago on our drive to Aveiro, Alex and I were talking about our travels so far and were thinking since we are already in Europe, perhaps we should visit one more country before we leave. It didn't take us long to decide on Paris and we leave for France this morning!! We will be there for five days before heading back to Lisbon to finish out our travels here in Portugal. I'm very eager to go and looking forward to experiencing Christmas-time in Paris. Au revoir!!