Porto - Barcelona Day 9 Another day in Lisbon

Good morning Lisbon as viewed from our apartment.

Today we were out without our bicycles and we were going to explore the city by foot.

Taking to steep road towards the nearest Metro station which was Intendente Station GPS : 38.722287, -9.135346

We stopped at Cais do Sodre Station and started exploring the city from there. GPS : 38.706277, -9.144983

Dropped by at Mercado da Ribeira food court / Time-out Market at Praça Dom Luís I GPS : 38.707478, -9.146268

Still in the neighbourhood of the market searching for other lesser commercial place to eat and we dug into secondary roads hoping to find one.

Somewhere at the rear of the market a colourful and interesting graffiti attracted us for a stop.

I just would not hesitate to do a wefie here.

Somewhere along this street we stumbled into a Portuguese restaurant at Rua de S. Paulo

Brunch at Restaurente Bacalhau, a Portuguese restaurant at Rua de S. Paulo GPS : 38.708291, -9.145717 not too far from the Time-out Lisbon market. We were the first customers, hopefully we enter a right restaurant.

Order made and came our food, a pan fried fish and tuna salad together with the popular sangria drink.

We were surprise to see curry dish and it was a prawn curry, simply delicious the way the Portuguese does it. Together with an omelette and octopus dish. Photo credit : Anne Cheong.

 I enjoyed the octopus too another good choice from the menu.

Igreja Santa Maria de Belém, a Catholic Church is part of The Jerónimos Monastery or Hieronymites Monastery, is a former monastery of the Order of Saint Jerome near the Tagus river in the parish of Belém. It is located at Praça do Império GPS : 38.697587, -9.205489

The monastery is one of the most prominent examples of the Portuguese Late Gothic Manueline style of architecture in Lisbon. It was classified a UNESCO World Heritage Site, along with the nearby Tower of Belém, in 1983.

Padrão dos Descobrimentos (Monument of the Discoveries) is a monument on the northern bank of the Tagus River estuary, in the civil parish of Santa Maria de Belém, Lisbon. Located along the river where ships departed to explore and trade with India and the Orient, the monument celebrates the Portuguese Age of Discovery (or Age of Exploration) during the 15th and 16th centuries. GPS : 38.693765, -9.205888.

Belem Lighthouse is a 16th-century fortification located in Lisbon that served both as a fortress and as a ceremonial gateway to Lisbon. It was built during the height of the Portuguese Renaissance, and is a prominent example of the Portuguese Manueline style. The structure was built from lioz limestone and is composed of a bastion and a 30-metre,[4] four-storey tower. Since 1983, the tower has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It is often portrayed as a symbol of Europe's Age of Discoveries. GPS : 38.693040, -9.208972

Doca do Bom Sucesso - Porto de Lisboa. This dock was formerly belonged to the Portuguese Navy and has been opened to house private craft (with 163 berths for boats up to 15 metres in length). GPS : 38.693670, -9.212010

A Polish agency providing cycling tour complete with a support vehicle. That's the way to explore the world on a bicycle. So nice isn't it.

Cute vehicles used as food providers.

The first aerial crossing of the South Atlantic was made by the Portuguese naval aviators Gago Coutinho and Sacadura Cabral in 1922, to mark the centennial of Brazil's independence. Coutinho and Cabral flew in stages from Lisbon, Portugal, to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, using three different Fairey III biplanes, and covered a distance of 8,383 kilometres between March 30 and June 17. Coutinho and Cabral's flight remains notable as a milestone in transatlantic aviation, and for its use of new technologies such as the artificial horizon.

Belém Tower, officially the Tower of Saint Vincent is a 16th-century fortification located in Lisbon that served both as a fortress and as a ceremonial gateway to Lisbon. It was built during the height of the Portuguese Renaissance. The structure was built from lioz limestone and is composed of a bastion and a 30-metre four-storey tower.

Since 1983, the tower has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site, along with the Jerónimos Monastery. It is often portrayed as a symbol of Europe's Age of Discoveries and as a metonym for Portugal or Lisbon, given its landmark status.

The Praça do Império (Empire Square) is a city square and park situated adjacent to principal monuments and tourist attractions in the civil parish of Belém.

Another view of the Empire Square with many ducks seen in the water.

The Lisbon Cathedral (Portuguese: Santa Maria Maior de Lisboa or Sé de Lisboa; Metropolitan Cathedral of St. Mary Major), often called simply the Sé, is a Roman Catholic church located in Lisbon, Portugal. 

One of the many statues in the church.

The oldest church in the city is the seat of the Archdiocese of Lisbon. Built in 1147, the cathedral has survived many earthquakes and has been modified, renovated and restored several times. It is nowadays a mix of different architectural styles. It has been classified as a National Monument since 1910.

A view from the Júlio de Castilho Garden also known as Santa Luzia Garden. 

Up and up we went to the hill top we wanted to see St.Jorges Castle.

Though the path might dimly lit narrow and steep yet there are souls moving up and down. Mostly coming down.

We knew we gonna miss the entry yet we wanted to see as much of Castelo de S. Jorge at R. de Santa Cruz do Castelo, GPS : 38.713630, -9.133835

São Jorge Castle is a historic castle in the Portuguese capital of Lisbon, located in the freguesia of Santa Maria Maior. Human occupation of the castle hill dates to at least the 8th century BC while the first fortifications built date from the 1st century BC.

So bye bye St Jorges Castle as we passed through the historical arch, maybe a second chance to visit you in the future.

One of the many steep stairways leading to higher ground or to the hilltop.

Thanks to Anne for insisting to try the traditional tram before we leave the place.

The tram finally made to the last stop where the driver left the empty tram. We took the chance to take a drama shot "pushing the tram" A little girl came and joined us for the fun. Photo credit : Jocelyn.

The minute I saw a sign that indicates Chinese food I suddenly crave for, it's been too long time since I had one. We went up to a first floor of a building and found this Pangzi Mianguan 胖子面馆, R. do Benformoso GPS : 38.717612, -9.134911. The braised pork ribs noodle soup was gorgeous.

That's all for Day 9, a tired day indeed and good night.