Every “Best of Lisbon” list seems to include some spots in the southwestern part of Lisbon, called Belém. So before the end of my month in Portugal, I hopped on the 728 bus and headed over to check it out.  Here are some quick notes of four impressive things I found that afternoon.

Jerónimos Monastery

Clearly the reason to pay the entrance fee to the Jerónimos Monastery is to experience the beauty of the cloister.  It is one of the largest I’ve visited, and yet I kept looking at small ornamental details which somehow reduced the scale to something more accessible.  It had the magic of most cloisters, to feel held in a quiet place with sunlight but without the noise of the outside world, so that I can let my shoulders drop a little, and the pace of my steps slow a little, and my thoughts just drift as I add my presence to a long history of people who have enjoyed the same space.  Construction apparently started in 1501 but it took a century to complete.  It was funded through a tax on commerce from Africa and the Orient – yet another reminder of how broad the Portuguese empire was.  The building was a place of prayer for those departing on expeditions, it was a royal burial place, it was a parochial church, and now it is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.  It was also where the Treaty of Lisbon was signed in 2007, as an important guiding document of the European Union.

Tower of Belém

I had generally heard about the Tower, so I walked over to check it out.  As I approached, I reminisced about Ireland, as a rock tower seemed to emerge from the mist.  When I came upon it, it was shorter than I expected, and it seemed like it was submerged in the river.  There was also a line of tourists waiting to go across the small bridge to enter the tower.  I decided that wasn’t how I wanted to spend my afternoon, so I moved on, but made some mental notes to better understand this random monument.  The follow-up research affirmed that it was always supposed to be surrounded by water, and was meant as a true fort to guard the entrance to the port at Belém.  It apparently was built using some of the stone collected to build the monastery, around 1516.  It has gone through cycles of degrading, upgrading, and rehabilitating.  It’s now classified as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.  And is definitely an iconic symbol of the area.

Monument to the Discoveries

Within the same general precinct, there is a third photo stop – a very, very large statue called the Monument to the Discoveries.  Made in 1960, it’s a carved slab of concrete that is 52 meters high (170 feet.)  It suggests a ship’s prow, with lots of figures all looking forward, signaling generational contributions to Portugal’s history of exploration.  Once you can get a good view of it, it really draws you in, to better understand all of the characters, and to join them in their quest. 

Pastéis de Belém

Near the monastery, there is one storefront that always has queues.  I had been advised not to wait outside in those lines, but to walk in, and keep going through the restaurant all the way to very back, and have a seat a table.  It was definitely good advice.  Rather than crowding around a bar, or worse, standing outside when it always seemed ready to rain at any moment, I was comfortably seated, ready to enjoy a true Lisbon treat with a cup of tea (or actually I selected hot lemon water that day.)  It is an inspiring story – that in 1833, when the monastery was essentially shutdown by state decree, they turned to selling sweet pastries in the nearby shop which had a sugar cane refinery attached to it.  As visitors came to see the Tower of Belém and the architecture of the monastery building, they also stopped for tarts.  Full production of the Pastéis de Belém began in 1837, and the recipe has been a closely guarded secret ever since.  When I ordered one and the waiter paused with a raised eyebrow, I gave in and ordered two – good decision!