Oct 7 Ajuda, Alcantara, City center: Day 13
We took the train to Belem then a bus up the hill to the Palácio Nacional da Ajuda.
Just before going in, we saw a mounted troop riding by in full parade dress into the military yard across the street. Then the horses came back out and turned around several times. It looked like they were practicing for parades and processions. What a surprise treat!
The Palácio Nacional da Ajuda is a beautifully furnished palace. There were so many people inside and someone was describing each room in several languages. However, we were never close enough to hear and see, so we managed to pass the group to see the rooms better. We could read the signs instead to learn the purpose of each space.
Palácio Nacional da Ajuda
We walked down the hill into the Alcântara neighborhood. Our destination was the LX Factory, a collection of artist studios and shops and small and unusual restaurants. The space is an old factory. I like the very literary bookshop there where I always find something interesting, often poetry, but on this visit, I found a book of hikes.
We headed back to Cais do Sodré and looked around more, got water at a café at tourist prices,
and walked up the steep hill to AO26, a veggie restaurant that we had been wanting to try. The route took us onto the bridge that crosses over Pink Street.
Oct 8 Belem: Jeronimos Monastery and Botanical Garden: Day 14
When we left our apartment in Caxias and got to the train station, we saw that the main road beside the train tracks was closed and it was a road race, a marathon from Cascais to Lisboa. People were waving flags and cheering the runners onward beside the São Bruno fort. Lots of enthusiasm!
Road Race
We got to Belém and thought the line at Jeronimos Monastery was shorter, so we got tickets and waited for maybe 30 minutes to get in to the cloisters. The ornamental carving in the nature-inspired Manueline style is magnificent in its detail. There are imaginative animal figures on every arch. When we came out of the cloisters, we hoped to see the church but a Sunday service was about to start. We decided to go inside and commit to staying through the service so we could hear and see everything.
Jeronimos Monastery
Afterward, we got fruit juice popsicles across the street on the edge of the park.
There was a dog fair in the park, called Jardim Vasco da Gama, featuring dogs that needed adopting.
We wandered away from that and then all of a sudden, passing around us through the park, there was a parade of groups in traditional costumes, representing the traditions of different rural areas of Portugal.
Our last activity was going into the nearby Jardim Botânico Tropical to appreciate the interesting collection of trees and other plants, including the Oriental garden, plus ducks and peacocks.
We had dinner at the noodle place around the corner from the train station in Algés.
Traditional Costumes and a Peacock
Oct 9 Early Departure: Day 15
Our friends had a plane flight at 11am, but to be there by 8am for the typical 3-hour lead time, we left the apartment at 7am. We took the train to Cais do Sodré and then the metro to the airport.