Monastery of Jeronimos

The building of this monastery, commissioned by King Manuel (who ruled Portugal from 1469 - 1521), began in 1502 and took 50 years to complete. It was built on the site of a chapel that the sailors would pray in before leaving on their voyages of discovery and to commemorate the return of Vasco Da Gama from India. Much of the building was funded by a tax on the spices they would bring back from the trade routes.

The Sunday night that we visited the monastery was a beautiful evening and it was interesting, as we moved around the building, that the faint background noise that we heard was not of people praying, but the cheering from the soccer game going on in the stadium that was a few blocks behind the monastery. Shortly afterwards, across the way from the monastery, we watched a big cruise ship pull out of dock and head down the river to the ocean. Monasteries, soccer games, and cruise ships - the span of history, culture, and present day endeavors - so varied and colorful. Yet none of it counts for much without knowing the meaning and purpose for what we were created for, a relationship with the Creator of all this world around us.

Ups and Downs (when walking)

Lisbon is another city that is set on "seven hills", so there are often a lot of "ups and downs" to deal with. We live in an area that is more level so our walk to the Metro (subway) and then to our language class is another part of the city (fairly level, too) is not difficult on a daily basis.

But, there are times that you do have to exert yourself to get around ; ) I'm just glad the Metro has escalators in many of the stations. The picture I have here is the Baixa-Chiado, one you can catch downtown. The escalator/steps tube is like a big throat that swallows you up as you descend to the level of the station. I was actually standing at the bottom of the fist escalator and yes, there is even another set going down, out of sight, at the bottom of the picture.

Windows, Balconies, and Clotheslines

I'm really fascinated with the old architecture here in Lisbon. I love to see the curves and windows, ironwork and stone. They have a law here now that when a building gets too old to use, instead of taking it down they have to demolish just the inside of the building. While they can completely rebuild the inside, they have to leave the facade up and restore it to its original form.

I was thinking the other day how much that is like God working in our lives. He makes us new on the inside when He moves into our lives and even though we don't get our facades restored just yet, someday we will be the way He intended us to be before decay ever came into the world.

For the time being though, life goes on whether the building is being restored or not, and often you get glimpses of life through the windows, balconies, and clotheslines...

Interesting Things in the "baixa"

The word, baixa, has several meanings but in general, when speaking about the city, it is used to describe the town center or "downtown". We have been downtown on several occasions with our friends and it is always a fun place to go, full of all kinds of sights and sounds.

Shops, cafes, churches, historical sights, plazas, ... the list could go on, and around every corner you turn, there is usually something more to see.

This plaza, a historic center of Lisbon and as Rick Steves' Portugal (tourist guide) says, "... is still the city's bustling cultural heart. Given its elongated shape, historians believe it was a Roman racetrack 2000 years ago; these days, cars circle the loop instead of chariots. ... Notice the fine stone patterns in the pavement, which once upon a time made locals seasick." (Rock your computer screen from side to side and you might get a little seasick, too.)

This guy could really play the accordion and I think he would have made money without the little dog holding the cup in its mouth. I felt a little sorry for the dog but it was really cute.

Some streets are really busy with traffic (and you have to watch out for the taxis - those drivers will run over you in a split second) but in the baixa, there are streets for just the people, too.

When we first came upon this guy we thought it was a statue, just drawing attention for the store behind him. It was incredible how still he could hold and then when someone would drop a coin in the can, he would begin to move as if he were a robot. I felt sorry for him, too, as the afternoon was so hot.

Where the Bull Fights Are Held

One day our friends took us to Campo Pequeno, an area of the city where the bull fights are held. I was surprised to see this big building that doesn't look like a traditional stadium where sporting events would be held. I was even more surprised to walk in and see the area the bull fights are held and then go out into the halls and down below to find a very nice shopping mall. Outside the building there are nice big areas for people to sit and walk but all around those areas are very busy streets and blocks of city buildings.

On the Way Home

Every day we walk to the metro stop; go down the escalators; go through the turnstiles; walk down more steps; and, if we get there at the right moment, we can walk right into the "cab" or whatever the compartment is called on a subway train.

Most days we just miss it or it hasn't come yet and we have a short wait for the next one. We are at the end of the green or "Verde" line and we have to ride one stop and then transfer to the yellow or "Amarelo" line.

If we are having good connection times we can jump through the doors and hustle across the platform and squeeze into the train. Most days we have a little longer wait than the first time and we have to stand up for the next four stops, packed in like sardines.

Once there we go back up the steps, through the turnstiles, down a tunnel, up some more steps and into the bright sunshine. We cross several streets - one a major intersection where we often cross two lanes and wait in the middle until the next light turns for us to finish crossing the street. We walk a few more blocks and come to our school building.

Coming back after class, shortly after noon, the ride and walk home are a little more restful. The stations are clearer, the trains much less crowded, and the traffic minimal. These pictures show the last station and part of the walk home. The construction is for a new bike lane and the graffiti under the bridge is ever changing. Notice the pink buildings in the last picture that Don is walking towards. Those are our buildings - we are almost home.

Interesting Things

In this updated building they chose to keep some of the old character. The calling tubes still work, I believe and I intend to ask Don to call up someday when I go up to the school rooms first - there is one tube on the wall when you go in the classroom suite door. The other interesting thing was the old peep that is on the door. If you look closely you will see Don's eyes and nose on the other side of the grate.

Our School Building

We think we have a very interesting school building. For one, on the outside it looks nice but not particularly eye catching. The glass door with the green grillwork is pretty heavy to open and to get in you have to ring the bell so the receptionist can buzz you in from the 3rd floor . Our classroom room suite just has the basic small white rooms and narrow hallways and looks like a completely different world that the foyer. The foyer is - well, I don't know the word to use right now. The building is old and Don is standing by the original talking tubes for calling up the the upper floors. It is really pretty in an ornate sort of way but I think the heads are a little freaky as they stare at you from above, almost as if they are watching who comes and goes.