Photos of Tour to Lisbon 24 – 29 April 2022

Day 1 – After arriving the previous evening, we visit Sintra’s two great palaces – Pena Palace, the 19th C romantic creation of King Ferdinand and Queen Maria and the Sintra National Palace dating from the 15th C

Our group at Pena Palace, Sintra
Our group at Pena Palace with our guide Margarida kneeling
Pena Palace, Sintra
Pena Palace – fantasy of styles
Pena Palace courtyard
Triton, Pena Palace – how much longer have I got to hold this up?
Pena Palace
Dusting the beds at Pena Palace
Main square, Sintra from the steps of the National Palace of Sintra.
National Palace of Sintra
National Palalce of Sintra

The Magpie Ceiling, National Palace of Sintra
The Swan Ceiling, National Palace of Sintra

 

Day 2 – City tour and visit to Belem, Lisbon – bit wet in the morning but then lovely sunshine

Mosteiro dos Jeronimos in Belem, Lisbon (after the rain)

 

                                       Church of the Mosteiro dos Jeronimos

Belem Tower
Raining in Belem – time for coffee and a custard tart
The impressive Monument to the Discoveries

The Compass Rose by the Monument, showing Portuguese discoveries
Capering in the sun outside the Museu Colecao Berardo modern art museum
Tiles old and new are everywhere in Lisbon
Some of the group at Restaurante Pinoquio (Pinocchio)

Day 3 – Palace of the Marqueses do Fronteira, Alfama and optional visit to the National Tile Museum

Palacio dos Marqueses da Fronteira – still home to the present Marquis
Arriving at the Palace (photos inside not allowed)

Monkey Business

The real owner of the Palace?
or was it these two?
Time to enjoy the gardens
Margarida guides us in the lanes and alleys of the old Alfama district
In the National Tile Museum – a former Convent

The Chicken’s Wedding – accompanied by monkeys!

Tile Museum – Church of the Convent – more fabulous blue and white tiles
Panorama of Lisbon from before the earthquake of 1755, miraculously preserved

From a walk in the centre – views from the  Elevador de Santa Justa (left, dating from 1901) to the Tagus estuary and up to the Castelo de Sao Jorge

Views from the Praca do Comercio (left) over the Tagus and to the 25 April suspension bridge

Below – Ceremony to mark Anzac Day – 26 April – in Largo do Carmo (left)

One of Lisbon’s famous old trams

Day 4 – a day out south of the Tagus to Sesimbra, Setubal and Palmela and the Arrabida Nature Reserve

Sesimbra – the old church with more wonderful tiles (above) and the group looking at the view from the churchard (below) down to the town and harbour

Beach at Sesimbra and (below) inspecting the fish market

Break for coffee (and in some cases ice cream), Sesimbra
Looking towards the estuary of the Sado and the town of Setubal
Our coach gets a visit while we look at the view

Fortified by a leisurely lunch in Setubal, we go on to the hill town of Palmela, its ancient castle and panoramic  views – and of course a chuch with more beautiful tiles

   

Dinner on our last night

Day 5 – A stop at the Edward VII Park and then a visit to the fabulous Museu Calouste Gulbenkian to see its many treasures before getting the plane home

View from the top of the Edward VII park looking down to the Avenida Liberdade, where we stayed, and the Tagus.

The Gulbenkian has a world class collection, beautifully presented, from Greek, Roman and Egyptian through Islamic, Chinese and Japanese textiles and ceramics to Old Masters, Impressionists and pre-Raphaelite paintings, Rodin and other scultpures, Lalique glass and jewellery.

The Islamic collection at the Gulbenkian is especially strong, as is the Lalique, examples below

  

A lovely John Singer Sargent below

Just time for some lunch at the museum café with a hungry guest