Lisbon holiday, March-April 2005

We took a five night city break staying in the Sofitel Lisbon - a great hotel in a lovely city.

The view from our hotel window, looking across Avenida da Liberdade; Castelo de São Jorge on the hill [click for larger image (208kb Old Lisbon tram in Praça do Comércio [click for larger image (167kb)]
Praça do Comércio [click for larger image (126kb)] The comfortable hotel library in the lounge [click for larger image (76kb)]
The Elevador de Santa Justa - now just a lift to a café, but in the past it gave access to the Bairro Alto [click for larger image (154kb)] Towers of the Cathedral façade [click for larger image (143kb)]
Romanesque arches at the Cathedral transept [click for larger image (86kb)] Ruins of the old Roman theatre, under excavation [click for larger image (121kb)]
Balconies near the Roman theatre [click for larger image (183kb)] Praça do Comércio and the view across the Tejo [click for larger image (133kb)]
Entrance to the Castelo de São Jorge [click for larger image (157kb)] Portuguese flag at the top of the castle tower [click for larger image (151kb)]
Praça da Figueira, with the tram terminus for the line to Belem [click for larger image (188kb)] Building corner with Azulejos (the tiles) [click for larger image (193kb)]
Museum cat, outside Museo Arqueológico in Chiado district [click for larger image (125kb)] View over the Tejo to Ponte 25 de Abril from Alto de Santa Catarina [click for larger image (139kb)]
Cat near Elevador da Bica, Santa Catarina [click for larger image (166kb)] View down from Parque Eduardo VII to Avenida da Liberdade [click for larger image (102kb)]
The town of Sintra, with the Castelo dos Mouros on the skyline [click for larger image (158kb)] The Palácio Real in Sintra, with amazing kitchen chimneys [click for larger image (107kb)]
Cabo da Roca, the westernmost point on the European mainland [click for larger image (187kb)] Looking south from Cabo da Roca [click for larger image (169kb)]
South door of the Igreja de Santa Maria, Bélem [click for larger image (182kb)] In the cloisters of the Mosteiro dos Jerónimos, Bélem [click for larger image (152kb)]
Another view of the cloisters - unusual in having two levels [click for larger image (173kb)] The Torre de Bélem, built to defend the river [click for larger image (129kb)]
The keep terrace of the Torre de Bélem from the tower [click for larger image (173kb)] The Padrão dos Descobrimentos (Monument to the Discoveries), Belém [click for larger image (102kb)]
Mosteiro dos Jerónimos from the Praça do Império, Belém [click for larger image (175kb)] Refreshments for tired and thirsty tourists, Rua Augusta [click for larger image (116kb)]

We saw quite a lot in our five night city break, and enjoyed the lovely warmth very much indeed. Just one day of rain! John especially enjoyed the early 20th century trams. We will maybe manage to get back to Lisbon some day.