ERASMUS IN LISBON

views from Cristo Rei.

Cristo Rey
Belém Tower
Padrao dos Descubridores
Castle of Sintra

Santa Justa´s elevator

Comércio Square

View of the city

very typical of Lisbon (the tram)

Gone were the days I used to get lost in the streets of Lisbon. I just spent there three months of my life, but they were the most thrilling months I have ever lived.

Talking about the history of the city, I would say that the most important and well-known historical moment about Lisbon is the 1755 earthquake, which destroyed a large part of the city. Fortunately, the Marquess of Pombal rebuilt the city after the disaster, but instead of rebuilding the medieval town, Pombal decided to demolish the remains of the earthquake and rebuild the downtown in accordance with modern urban rules. It would appear that Pombal have already been in the future, because his views of a modern city were right, and nowadays the city structure is accord to the rest of european cities. Of course there is a monument of Marquess of Pombal in Lisbon, situated in the very centre of the city.

Some other highlights about the city could be:

- Alfama, the oldest district of Lisbon, which contains the Castle of São Jorge and the Lisbon Cathedral.

- Baixa, the heart of the city, which includes Comércio square, Rossio square, Restauradores square, and Santa Justa´s elevator.

- Chiado, a traditional shopping area that mixes old and modern commercial establishments. The most famous café of Chiado is A Brasileira, famous for having had poet Fernando Pessoa among its customers.

- Bairro Alto, an area of central Lisbon which is today the heart of Lisbon's youth and the Portuguese capital's nightlife.

-Belém is famous as the place from which many of the great Portuguese explorers set off on their voyages of discovery. Perhaps Belém's most famous feature is its tower, Torre de Belém, which was built as a fortified lighthouse late in the reign of Dom Manuel to guard the entrance to the port at Belém. It stood on a little island in right side of the Tagus, surrounded by water. Belém's other major historical building is the Mosteiro dos Jerónimos, an example of Manueline architecture, it was built as a monument to Vasco da Gama's successful voyage to India. Both of these monuments were declared World Heritage Sites by UNESCO.

Belém's main street is Rua de Belém, in which there is a 160-year-old pastry shop, at which can be purchased one of the famous pastel de Belém - custard tarts made with flaky pastry.

The monument to Christ the King (Cristo Rei) stands on the left side of the river, in Almada. With open arms, overlooking the whole city, it resembles the Corcovado monument in Rio de Janeiro, and was built after World War II, as thanks for Portugal's being spared the horrors and destruction of the war. If you go there there is an awe-inspiring view of the city and the river just flowing into the ocean.

There are many other landmarcks to visit in this city, such as the Expo 98 area, where you can find a very modern area, contrasting with the oldest ones. And to point out a building to visit, I suggest you to go to the Oceanarium, which is the second largest in the world.

And if you go to Lisbon with a few days to spend, I recommend you to visit some other towns near Lisbon, like Sintra, Estoril and Cascais. Specially Sintra is worth to visit, it seems you are in a fairy tale when you go there.

As you can see, there are lots of places to visit when going to Lisbon. And if you go for a long period of time like I did, besides you will find out more about their culure and traditions, and also how kind people are there.

I can only end this entry by saying that in Lisbon I was trained professionally but also personally. I will always carry Lisbon deep inside my heart.

Cris sister.