This afternoon's adventure is to visit the Monastery of São Vicente de Fora and to discover the streets around it. We begin by walking through small streets which feel like we are going straight uphill, giving our hamstrings a workout. As we have only had breakfast today, we stop in a little Restaurant for what we think is going to be a small bite to eat. We order one of the sausages flamed tableside, a cheese plate, bread and olives. When we are done we look at each other and agree it was not a small amount. Oh well, we'll hope for a light dinner.
More wandering up through the winding streets to brings us to an artesian chocolate shop. We restrain ourselves and only buy one piece each. The chocolate is delicious.
The chocolate shop is in the shadows of Santa Engrecia, a church which was converted into the National Pantheon in the 20th Century. It is an impressive building, but we save going inside for another time and continue our upward climb. Shortly we're rewarded by arriving at the entrance of São Vicente.
The Igreja (church) was built in the 17th Century while the other buildings of the Monastery were completed in the 18th Century. We sit and absorb the beauty of the church then proceed to the Monastery.
The chocolate shop is in the shadows of Santa Engrecia, a church which was converted into the National Pantheon in the 20th Century. It is an impressive building, but we save going inside for another time and continue our upward climb. Shortly we're rewarded by arriving at the entrance of São Vicente.
The Igreja (church) was built in the 17th Century while the other buildings of the Monastery were completed in the 18th Century. We sit and absorb the beauty of the church then proceed to the Monastery.
The walls are full of blue tiles telling the story of the Monastery and upstairs in the cloister there is what feels like an endless display of tiles telling the Fables of La Fontaine.
The Monastery also contains the pantheon of the kings of the House of Braganza. Very notable are the twin tombs of King Carlos I and Prince Líuz Felipe who died in 1908 at the hand of assassins sympathetic to forming a republic.
Throughout the afternoon we practice some of the photographic techniques that we learned yesterday from Miguel. 😊
Throughout the afternoon we practice some of the photographic techniques that we learned yesterday from Miguel. 😊
RSS Feed