Thursday, September 26, 2024
Today, we left Madrid for Lisbon, Portugal. We woke up early, tidied up the apartment, and John arranged for a Bolt ride that picked us up on the Santa de Ana Plaza and took us to Madrid-Barajas Airport (MAD). The traffic was heavy but we arrived with a little spare time before boarding our Air Europa flight for the short (1.5-hour-long) trip to Lisbon.
—— Our Madrid to Lisbon Transport ——
After claiming our bags at the Lisbon Airport (officially, Humberto Delgado Airport, LIS), we Bolted to the Dom Pedro Hotel in the city center. We were too early to check in but were able to store our luggage safely at the hotel. Then we set off on foot to find lunch.
Fortunately, Dom Pedro is located across the street from one of Lisbon’s largest shopping destinations, Amoreiras Shopping Center. (We later learned that amoreiras means mulberry trees in Portuguese and that the chic shopping area was once an industrial silk production region.) We wandered around the huge modern mall and up to the second floor food court where we selected an Italian restaurant (Restaurante Eataly) for our first meal in Portugal. Most of the tables had already been reserved but we were able to be seated and enjoyed satisfying pasta entrees with a Douro white wine (Escadas Infinitas 2023).
—— Amoreiras Shopping Center ——
After lunch, we took a Bolt ride across town to the National Tile Museum (Museu Nacional do Azuejo). This magnificent museum is housed in an old convent dating from the early 1500s. Through history, Portugal has been one of the most innovative countries in the production and use of tiles. This museum explained the origins and evolution of tiles and housed a dazzling collection with examples from the 1400s to modern times. The tiles featured a wide variety of themes, but one that I found amusing that was dated 1665 and entitled, “The Chicken’s Wedding”. It depicted a chicken riding in a carriage with monkeys leading the procession. This piece stood out as satirically humorous and incongruous with its contemporary works.
After wondering through the exhibits which were also displayed in the cloister arcades, we arrived at a stunningly beautiful church, Madre de Deus. This church was amazing with its tile collection, gold-gilded woodwork, and paintings from the 16 and 18th century covering the upper walls and ceiling.
After exiting the church, we climbed stairs to an upper room that housed a huge (75 foot-long) tile panel that was a panoramic view of nine miles of the Lisbon skyline before the 1755 earthquake. The tiles (1,300 total) depicted edifices that no longer exist as well as others that are still prominent in the modern Lisbon skyline. What a unique and valuable record from the pre-photography era!
—— The National Tile Museum ——
After the tile museum, we Bolted back to the Dom Pedro Hotel, checked in, reclaimed our luggage, and moved into our rooms. In lieu of dinner, we snacked in our rooms before heading to bed anticipating more Portuguese adventures tomorrow.