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Cunard Queen Victoria 2022 Western Europe Cruise Part 5 - Lisbon |
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Lisbon, Portugal - Monday 19th and Tuesday 2oth December 2022
Introduction to Lisbon: Lisbon is the largest city and chief port of Portugal. The city lies on the northern shore of the Tagus River, about 8 miles from the Atlantic. We have been to Lisbon several times before on the QE2 and comprehensively explored Lisbon City and the Waterworks Museum in 2001 and on the Lisbon visit in 2005 took a tour along the banks of the Tagus on the scenic coastal road and into the area known as the Portuguese Riviera to the 18th-century Palace of Quelez. In 2007 on the QE2 we walked to the Belem Area including the Maritime Museum and in 2010 saw the Cathedral and Roman excavations. In 2013 on the Queen Victoria we took a train to Cascais, situated on a coastline with small picturesque beaches and peaceful fishing-boat-bobbing waters. We came again for our 2014 Christmas Cruise on the Queen Victoria and also on the Queen Elizabeth in 2015 but the weather was atrocious with horizontal rain in winds too strong to keep an umbrella intact so we decided to spend the day on-board. Finally we had two separate visits on our 2016/2017 Christmas and New Year Cruise on the Queen Victoria when we were moored in the new cruise terminal at Santa Apolonia and did our first extensive investigation of the fascinating Lisbon Water Systems which we will continue this two day visit.
It was barely dawn when the QV passed Belem and continued up the River Tagus. Belem in this case is the area which is an outskirt of Lisbon rather than a Spanish Nativity Display, both having the common root of Bethlehem and slightly different spelling. The QV berthed at the old Tobacco warehouse, so we were much closer to the central square in the Praca do Comercio than in the other berth which is down by the 25th April bridge. The berth is ideally placed for our plans to spend time exploring the pumping engines at the Museu da Agua and other parts of the supply system consisting of aquaducts, reservoirs pumping stations, fountains and much more. The Museu da Agua leaflet we had from the previous visit suggested three walking routes: the Museum Route, Underground Galleries Route and the Fountain Route. All these routes have a common central part, with two main features : the Patriarcal Reservoir and the Mae d'Agua das Amoreiras Reservoir. Unfortunately a Monday and, as we were about to discover, many museums and facilities are closed and the information on opening times is rarely accurate either on information sheets or even the internet. The weather forecast was not promising either and worsening over the two days.
It was a pleasant 25 minute walk alone the promenade to the central square, the Praca do Comercio. The Arch of Rua Augusta leads to the Rua Augusta and is the gateway to the lower town, the Baixa. This is the commercial heart of the city with banks, offices and shops. The pedestrian Rua Augusta always seems to be crowded and it leads to the Rossio square, the Praca de Dom Pedro IV. Continuing in search of Christmas festivities led us along the Rua Aurea to Rossio. On the northern side of Rossio is the Neo-Classical Teatro Nacional Dona Maria II. Narrow pedestrian streets with pavement cafes lead to Don Pedro IV Square, and the National Theatre. On the left is the interesting Moorish facade of the Rossio Railway Station, with a very useful Starbucks for purchase of coffee beans - despite being a big international chain, Starbucks produce the best Decaffeinated Espresso we have found so far and we were running short. Trains run every 30 minutes to Sintra and we will explore these in future. The Cunard shuttle buses terminate nearby.
We admired the nearby monument to the pavers: Two bronze figures, one crouched and chipping at a stone in his hand, the other using a maço to tamp the surface. The statues, created by Sérgio Stichiniare, are next to the grand Hotel Avenida Palace in the central Praça dos Restauradores. A plaque at the site reads: “Tribute from the city of Lisbon to the Pavers who build the ground we tread.” Patterned pavements often in a wave pattern are part of Portugal’s heritage and you will see them everywhere. The first patterned calçada, or pavement, was apparently laid in 1842 by a group of prisoners at the Castelo de São Jorge and its black and white zigzag motif was a great success. Within years, most of the city sidewalks and plazas were carpeted in the small pieces of limestone, most laid in patterns, some just in white stone. At the peak it is reputed there were 400 calceteiros, or pavers, in Lisbon alone.
We gathered some information in the nearby information office and continued to climb towards the Botanical Gardens which had been closed for restoration the previous visit and also hoped to visit the associated museum before continuing our investigation of the Lisbon water systems. By now we had discovered the Museu da Aqua along with the steam pumping engines was closed on a Monday so that was rescheduled for Tuesday morning.
The Botanical Gardens were, to us, a slight disappointment probably because it was the middle of winter. Even so we spent nearly an hour looking round. One new discovery was that there are trees with knees (pneumatophores), roots that emerge from others in the ground to easily access oxygen which is lacking in flooded soils. The example we found was Bald Cypress. Another disappointment was that we found we had not obtained a multiple access ticket including museums because they were closed on Mondays making it rather less good value especially as the Museu Nacional de Historia Natural we wanted to see was next door
However the weather was deteriorating and knowing we would come back a similar route we pressed on. The R D Pedro V becomes the R da Escola Politecnica, leading towards the Rato Square, with its Metro station. The map indicated a fountain, the Arco de Sao Mamede, nearby but we did not find it, although we must have been very close because we found the square of Sao Mamede with the church of Sao Mamede. We passed the National Museum for Natural History and Science which was in a large monumental building and would be interesting to visit next time provided it is not a Monday. Next was Rato. We passed the Rato fountain which was very obvious when you know what you are looking for but took us a long time to find the first time. The Rato fountain is on a corner and is in the baroque style, built between 1753 and 1754, and designed by Carlos Mardel. There are two level of water distribution, the higher one for people and the lower trough for animals. Crossing a busy junction and climbing up a steep road opposite takes one to the Praca das Amoreiras where the incoming aqueduct ended and there was a huge reservoir complex. It is a sight which one should not miss as it is an easy walk from town. We however decided that, with heavy rain due at 1600, we did not have time to reach the spectacular Aquaduto das Aqus Livres which rises to 62 metres above the ground and is open to walk across - I suppose we need to leave something for the next visit.
T Crossing a busy junction and climbing up a steep road opposite takes one to the Praca das Amoreiras where the incoming aqueduct ended and there was a huge reservoir complex. It is a sight which one should not miss as it is an easy walk from town. We however decided that, with heavy rain due at 1600, we did not have time to reach the spectacular Aquaduto das Aqus Livres which rises to 62 metres above the ground and is open to walk across - I suppose we need to leave something for the next visit.he reservoir is a large square building, designed by the Hungarian architect Carlos Mardel in 1746, and containing a water tank 7.5 m deep with capacity of roughly 5500 cubic metres. Unfortunately it is closed on Sunday and Mondays. On other days, visitors can climb to the roof terrace for a panoramic view over the city or visit the inside. The Casa do Registo in Rua das Amoreiras controlled the flow of water which supplied the city. The road behind the reservoir led back to the Largo do Rato, passing the Instituto de Investigacao Scientifica Bento da Rocha Cabral.
We then walked on to the Jardim do Principe Real containing the Reservatorio da Patriarcal which is hidden under the garden, beneath the lake. It was completed in 1864 and was originally supplied by the Aguas Livres Aqueduct, then after 1890 by the Alviela Aqueduct. Access underground to view the octagonal structure with 31 pillars supporting the stone arches of the vaulted ceiling is only on Saturdays, and there are timed tours through the tunnels. The underground route followed by the water in the Loreto Gallery can be visited over four different sections. Advance booking is required to visit the Loreto Gallery which is 1250 m long and carried water from here to the garden of the Sao Pedro de Alcantara Belvedere. Three more run from the Jardim do Principe Real and to the Rua de O'Seculo (300 m), the Sao Pedro de Alcantara Belvedere (410 m) and back to the Mae d'Agua das Amoreiras Reservoir but they are not open for visits. We found it interesting that spacious galleries were built to hold relatively small channels or pipes of water.
The map from EPAL, Grupo Aguas de Portugal showed several fountains close by but even with that map and Google Maps and GPS Essentials's Open Maps we could not find the nearest ones so we started to work back down into town via the Miraduoro de San pedro de Alcantara and the fountain of the same name. The little central fountain was obviously not our destination but the large monumental one in the gardens below. The views of Lisbon from the Belvedere were good although the dismal weather did not produce good photos.
On the edge of the Miraduoro de San pedro de Alcantara is the terminus of the Elevador da Gloria, a funicular down to the Placa dos Restauradores. We suspect the journey uphill is better value than the trip downhill. The next two fountains, at Praca da Alegria and Seculo, were off the direct route, and with the weather deteriorating it was best to go straight down. The easy way down is the Gloria Funicular was not possible as it was undergoing restoration but we walked down the 900 ft route to see the cars. We hoped the rain would hold of as the 17.7% gradient would have become hazardous.
The Glória Funicular was the second of its kind to operate in the heart of the Portuguese capital. It connects to downtown Lisbon’s main thoroughfare – the Avenida da Liberdade – with the cobbled, narrow-laned labyrinth of the ancient Bairro Alto district. When operating it hauled some three million passengers up and down one of the city’s steepest hills every year. Originally it was powered by a system of counterbalances requiring 400 cubic-metres of water every day, which was supplied by the Amoreiras reservoir. Later on, the Glória Funicular was powered by a steam engine, the boiler being installed in a building at Largo da Oliveirinha. More recently is has been powered by electricity supplied from overhead cable like a tram. Lisbon is served by three funiculars all run by Carris alongside the rest of the municipal transport system so it should be back in service soon.
The area at the bottom has many monumental buildings, including the National Museum of Sport. The Praca dos Restauradores merges into the Praca Dom Pedro IV at Rossio. This was our best opportunity to buy the famous custard tarts, Tarta de Nata from the Cafe Gelo, they were still warm from the oven and superb, it is almost an insult to just call them custard tarts.
On our way back into town we walked back past the Elevador de Santa Justa, an original French built elevator tower, which connects the city’s downtown Baixa district with the Bairro Alto and was inaugurated in 1902. This filigree-style metal construction is most attractive and the two solid wooden cabins ascend thirty-metres and there are panoramic vistas from the viewing platform at the top. The vertical column of the Santa Justa elevator measures some 7m x 7.5m and the lift was originally powered by a steam engine mounted on its summit. Since 6 November, 1907 it has been electrically powered. Passengers may linger in the viewing area which looks over Rossio to the north east and the Baixa district to the south. To the east are fine views across to the Castle and Graça. The return continued through the the Praca do Comercio and the walk back along the riverside promenade where we went into one of the stylish old ferry terminals and finally past the last fountain which is in view from the ship, we have not been able to find any information on that fountain.
Day two in Lisbon, 2oth December 2022
To recap, water in Lisbon was supplied by two distribution networks. The first and arguably the most interesting comes from the Aguas Livres Aqueduct which is a line of arches measuring 941 metres long and built over the Alcantara Valley. It was completed in 1744 and carried water from the springs 14 kms away to the Mae d'Agua das Amoreiras Reservoir in the city. This reservoir can be visited as well as the Patriarcal Reservoir which was originally supplied in the same way but after 1890 was supplied by the second distribution network and the Alviela Aqueduct. On reaching Lisbon the water traveled underground through a network of channels and of these the Loreto Gallery, built in 1748, can be visited. By a miracle it all survived the earthquake of 1755. The Alvielo Aqueduct was built much latter when requirements for water were rapidly increasing and that system required pumping hence the Barbadinhos Steam Pumping Station.
So the following day we visited the The Museu da Agua, one of five sites belonging to EPAL, the Grupo Aguas de Portugal and sited next to the Barbadinhos Steam Pumping Station in the building which had housed the 5 boilers and adjacent to the final reservoir of the Alvielo Aqueduct. It was only 15 minutes walk from the berth near the old Tobacco warehouse. One walks past the Military Museum at the National Panthenon and then the Santa Apolonnia Train Station, the oldest train station in Portugal, at which point one is half way. It is not expensive to visit, and there is a combination ticket, 10 euros, which is good value and valid for 12 months. Seniors pay half price. It has many excellent displays showing the layout and history of the Lisbon water systems. Currently there is an exhibition which compares Lisbon water system to other early systems round the world.
The Barbadinhos Steam Pumping Station was in operation between 1880 and 1928 and contains four steam pumps built at Rouen. Three are dated 1877 and were made by E. W. Windsor and Sons; the fourth is dated 1889 by E. Windsor. They were powered by five coal-fed boilers and pumped the water stored at the Barbadinhos Reservoir to supply the Arco Reservoir through the Monte Reservoir and the Veronia Reservoir. One of the engines is in working order, although it is rotated by electricity and operates only at very low speed. It is not permitted to climb to the top floor of the pumping house, but the ground floor and the first floor are interesting, especially when we persuaded the guardian that we had a serious interest in the engines.
In addition to the reservoir, the gardens also contain the more modern electric pumping system currently in use.
On the last visit we were told about a black and white archive film, dating from 1928 and lasting for an hour, which showed much of the countryside and many of the people involved in the industry and after about 36 minutes has a few moments of the engines working at full speed. (Cinemateca "A agua que se bebe") and the staff were very helpful in finding a current link and emailing it to us.
We looked through their books before leaving and found a magnificent two volume book created for the 140th anniversary of the formation of EPAL containing a huge number of prints of the original drawings for the water system and, in the second volume photographs during its construction. We have rarely seen any books of the standard of printing and they were full of fascinating information. They would only be of interest to enthusiasts and were obviously not recent but who cares with historic information. We decided they would be part of our Christmas presents and on enquiring the price for the two volume we were told we could have them both for 10 euros. The only problem was they weighed many kilos but the staff provided a sturdy canvas bag and we rushed back before the imminent rain started - they would have been ruined by any water such was the quality of paper and print. We got back just in time and spent the afternoon engrossed in them whilst watching the rain beat down.
More on Lisbon compiled from previous visits
What follows is a virtual tour of Lisbon based on a number of visits over the years covering much of interest to first time visitors.
We always get up early to see the last of the journey up the Tagus river where one passes some of the best known sights, in Pete's case often from the gym. First comes the Tower of Belem which is a five storey fort which some say looks like a giant chess piece and is one of Lisbon's most recognised landmarks. The masterpiece of Manueline Architecture was built on what was once an island in the middle of the Tagus between 1515 and 1521, since medieval times the river has changed course and the tower is now on the North bank. Then one passes the Discoveries Monument which was constructed for the 1940 exhibition but was erected on its present site only in 1960 - it is built in the shape of the bow of a caravel. Led by Henry the Navigator, stylised over-sized figures look out on the Tagus. The 16th century Jeronimos Abbey of Santa Maria and the Monastery is set back a little from the waterfront. Henry the Navigator built a small chapel on the site at the time of the great voyages of discovery and it is thought that work on the monastery began on the initiative of Manuel I, in 1502, and was finally completed in 1572.
The Maritime Museum comes next on the waterside and very interesting - to us the highlights are the Royal Barges and early amphibious aircraft, including a 1940s Grumman Widgeon, a 1917 FBA H amphibious biplane and the first aircraft to cross the South Atlantic in 1922, a Fairey IIID flown by Admiral Gago Coutinho and Commander Sacadeba Cabral. Then one goes under The Bridge of 25 April. The bridge is two-storied, with a railway bridge below, and a road bridge above. On the southern side is the huge Christo Rei statue modeled on the statue in Rio de Janeiro.
We expected to again berth near the Bridge of 25 April, and had planned to walk back to visit the monuments, monastery and in particular the museums we had passed on the way in as they are usually free on Sunday. So it was with surprise that we passed the usual berth, steaming on towards Lisbon town. Our new berth was beyond the main square, in the cruise terminal of Santa Apolonia, described as the Dock of the Jardim do Tobacco. It was our first visit there and an easy walk into the centre, but a tram ride back to Belem. This gave a fresh opportunity - it had been many years since we last visited Lisbon town, and although it was a Sunday and many shops would be closed, it seemed better to take advantage of our new berth. Next visit we may be back down by the Bridge.
We walked along to the main Square of Praca do Comercio which is the usual drop-off for the shuttle buses from the opposite direction - it is also called Black horse square because of the black statue of Jose I. It has three sides of classical arcaded buildings, with the fourth side open directly onto the Tagus river. One corner has a seasonal typical conical silver metal christmas tree. There was a palace here before the earthquake of 1775, and the Triumphal Arch built afterwards and leading to the Rua Augusta has panoramic views from the top.
Narrow pedestrian streets with pavement cafes lead to Don Pedro IV Square, and the National Theatre. On the left is the interesting Moorish facade of the Rossio Railway Station, with a very useful Starbucks for purchase of coffee beans - despite being a big international chain, Starbucks produce the best Decaffeinated Espresso we have found so far. Trains were running every 30 minutes to Sintra and we will explore these in future. The area was temporarily car-free because there was a race around Lisbon, and many people in shorts and trainers wearing large numbers were arriving at the Praca das Restauradores. We could only just glimpse the obelisk monument in the distance. After a free coffee and wifi with our purchase of beans we set off towards the Lower Town and the Church of San Domingos.
Looking upwards it looked easy to climb up to the Castelo of San Jorge, and from the map it was not far beyond the cathedral. We had hoped to spend time in the cathedral and get an update on the archaeological research in the cloisters but the ticket office was closed on Sunday. Following the tramline and continuing to climb reaches the Miradouro Santa Luzia with good views over Alfama.
The entry to the Castelo of San Gorge was just above. Our visit had to be hurried because there was weather approaching and we had to return to the ship shortly so we could not afford the time to shelter. So we were unable to visit the archaeological site which has houses from the 11th and 12th century and the ruins of the Palace of the Counts of Santiago. And we could not wait to visit the Camera Obscura. Although the tours were every 30 minutes, the next ones were in Spanish, then English and Portuguese. So we had too long a wait. However there was plenty of time to stroll around the gardens, admiring the views towards the Tagus, and then cross the bridge to explore the castle. It was built in the 11th century, and uses the natural slopes of the land as part of its defenses. It retains 11 towers, the most outstanding being the Tower of the Keep, the Tower of the Riches or Tumbling Tower, the Palace Tower, the Tower of St Lawrence and the Tower of the Cistern. The towers are joined by a walkway on top of the walls.
It was quicker to walk down the hill than it had been to climb and we had time to visit the Church of Santa Maria Madelena, and found there was an exhibition of the Turin shroud and a computer generated and full size reconstruction of the body of the person who had been wrapped in the cloth, presumed to be Jesus.
As one approaches the Cruise Terminal one passes the facade of the 16th century Casa dos Bicos with rows of pyramidal stones, occupied by the foundation of Jose Saramago. Opposite was one of the old tobacco warehouses now painted in a cheery red colour.
That is really the end of this fictional tour but if one has time or wants a different experience one can continue (or start) in the opposite direction and visit the famous Pumping station which is under 30 minutes away - turn left and climb just past the railway station. A further ten minutes walk takes one to the Museu Nacional do Azulejo, the National Tile Museum. There are also several buses which stop outside, including the tourist HopOn HopOff bus. The museum is in the cloisters of the Madre de Deus convent which was founded by Dona Leonor, the widow of King Joao II, in 1509. The ground floor has a restaurant with a pleasant garden and then the renaissance cloister gives access to rooms with decorated tiles dating from the 15th century onward. Many of the large tile panels were funded by churches. The Manueline cloister is an important surviving feature of the original convent.
The church of Madre de Deus, which is accessed from within the same complex as the tile museum, was completed in the mid 16th century and the stunning altarpiece was added after the earthquake of 1755. Upstairs there are more tile panels, dating from the 17th century, and a view down into the church from a treasury filled with framed relics of martyrs and saints. The top floor contains the well known 18th century panorama panel which shows the view of Lisbon before the earthquake.
