We headed over to a different part of Lisbon today to check out an area that Ton was very interested in seeing. Belem is located near the mouth of the Tagus River. It is quite distinct from the old town of Lisbon because of its proximity to the Atlantic.
We came here to see the sites but also to visit a famous bakery that has the original and best versions of Natal’s which are Tons favorite deserts. The line to get into the bakery was long but we gained entry quickly. Our order went awry and instead of getting Natal’s we got three chocolate cakes. While I was very happy with this chocolate indulgence Ton was disappointed. Luckily our to go order was 6 still warm Natal’s so Ton was ultimately happy.
On the way to the bakery we had walked by the Mosteiro dos Geronimo. It is an old Monastery that is very impressively large. We would have required tickets in advance to get in so we had to satisfy ourselves with pictures from the nice gardens surrounding the Monastery.
While I was overindulging in chocolate cake, Ton discovered that there was supposed to be a small Thai pavilion in the park nearby. So after we ate we set off to find it. It was dedicated in 2012 to commemorate 500 years of Portuguese-Thai relations.
Our next stop in Belem was at the Belem Tower. It is an old fort that was placed to help guard the mouth of the Tagus River. It is an UNESCO world heritage site and is quite pretty.
We next went to a hip area of Belem full of restaurants and cool stores. We explored for a while and found a really interesting bookstore in a space that had previously been a printing plant for a newspaper.
We went up to a rooftop bar and had a beer before heading out for some more exploring in the district. It was full of really nice street art.
This area is located directly under the 25th of April bridge and is a good example of a repurposed industrial district. We really enjoyed walking thru and looking at the restaurants and small shops.
When we finished the district we decided to call the day a bit early and head back to the campground to relax. Ton prepared a delicious meal and I snuck in a short nap. We were both glad we had made it to Lisbon.
