It took very little time for this beautiful city to win me over. We started off the day in Belem, which has the Hieronymites Monastery, where the great Vasco Da Gama is buried. The church, like most in Europe, is more a tourist attraction than a place of worship.. Nearby is the Fort of Belem. It was from here that the brave voyagers and adventurers set sail to conquer the world and change the course of world history.
Da Gama set sail from here to Kerala, where I trace my roots. Say what you want about the Portuguese colonisation of some parts of India, I think they did a good job and enriched Indian culture. They gave us even more diversity and created a beautiful composite culture of the Indian Catholics, many of whom live in Bombay. Bandra is a result of Portuguese colonisation of India.
We drove to the beautiful city centre of Lisboa as the Portuguese call their capital. There are definitely many similarities between the capital of this great nation and San Francisco. Both cities are hilly and have a nice tram system (although in San Fran, they are wrongly referred to as cable cars). One of the to-do things in Lisbon is to hang off a tram for a free ride. It's important to get off at a red light and climb back on when the signal changes.
There is so much history in the city. So many buildings are worthy of being photographed. I can't help but note the calm in the capital city. Lunch was at a pastaleria, again a very genuine Portuguese experience. A beef-stake sandwich with Super Bock!
As we walked up and down the hills of the beautiful city, I soaked in on the history and culture of Portugal. I became a fan of the legendary Portuguese singer Amalia Rodrigues. This was August in Lisbon, a summer say when temperatures were about 15 degrees cooler than they were in Siena. Lisbon has the most ideal climate in the world. Heck, if I lived there, I would be in the best shape of my life.
As the afternoon wore on, we had some sweets and walked through more historical areas. We also went to the church, where the Lisbon Massacre of 1506 took place. That was Portugal's worst anti-Jewish progrom and there is a memorial outside the church that calls for tolerance. Lisbon now is proudly the city of tolerance. The church still has a very negative vibe.
The day in Lisbon was capped off with baby sardines and a Super Bock in a very traditional Portuguese tavern.
I also got my first glimpse of the gorgeous town of Sintra.
Da Gama set sail from here to Kerala, where I trace my roots. Say what you want about the Portuguese colonisation of some parts of India, I think they did a good job and enriched Indian culture. They gave us even more diversity and created a beautiful composite culture of the Indian Catholics, many of whom live in Bombay. Bandra is a result of Portuguese colonisation of India.
We drove to the beautiful city centre of Lisboa as the Portuguese call their capital. There are definitely many similarities between the capital of this great nation and San Francisco. Both cities are hilly and have a nice tram system (although in San Fran, they are wrongly referred to as cable cars). One of the to-do things in Lisbon is to hang off a tram for a free ride. It's important to get off at a red light and climb back on when the signal changes.
There is so much history in the city. So many buildings are worthy of being photographed. I can't help but note the calm in the capital city. Lunch was at a pastaleria, again a very genuine Portuguese experience. A beef-stake sandwich with Super Bock!
As we walked up and down the hills of the beautiful city, I soaked in on the history and culture of Portugal. I became a fan of the legendary Portuguese singer Amalia Rodrigues. This was August in Lisbon, a summer say when temperatures were about 15 degrees cooler than they were in Siena. Lisbon has the most ideal climate in the world. Heck, if I lived there, I would be in the best shape of my life.
As the afternoon wore on, we had some sweets and walked through more historical areas. We also went to the church, where the Lisbon Massacre of 1506 took place. That was Portugal's worst anti-Jewish progrom and there is a memorial outside the church that calls for tolerance. Lisbon now is proudly the city of tolerance. The church still has a very negative vibe.
The day in Lisbon was capped off with baby sardines and a Super Bock in a very traditional Portuguese tavern.
I also got my first glimpse of the gorgeous town of Sintra.
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