June 7: Lisbon, Monastery of Batalha, Condeixa

Dear Friends,

Well, jet lag finally hit me last night, and I hardly slept a wink.  However, dawn and two resident roosters chimed in the morning, and we were off to Lisbon to see two iconic monuments--the Torre de Belem, with windows and stairways embellished with arches and decorative symbols representing Portugal's explorations into the New World; and the Monument of the Discoveries, in the shape of a caravel, built in 1960 to commemorate the 500th anniversary of the death of Prince Henry the Navigator, whose statue stands at the front of the monument along with other important discoverers.   

The sky was a cerulean blue when we climbed back into the bus and made our way to the Portuguese Tile Museum, located in the Madre de Deus Convent.  It has a splendid array of tiles from as early as the 15th c., used for decorating houses, shops, and even metro stations.  Its longest azulejo or tile is a 36-meter tiled panorama of pre earthquake Lisbon, completed around 1738.  I have never seen such beautiful tiles!

From the museum, after a visit of about 1 1/2 hours, we got back on the bus and drove to the Alfama district of Lisbon, the oldest part of the city, with its narrow streets and alleyways. It is the birthplace of the moody Portuguese fado, a song tradition that I am not unfamiliar with, having heard one of its best interpreters, Mariza.  We will get to hear fado again one evening, and I am so looking forward to it!  

From the Alfama, we were driven to the very center of Lisbon, where we were dropped off at Roccio Square, and where I took several photographs of some of the grand old buildings there, such as the train station with its horseshoe-shaped entrances; the Eden Theatre, with its Art Deco extravagance, and several old shops and hotels.  The square reminded me quite a bit of Wenceslaus Square in Prague.  Fellow travelers Barbara and Jill had lunch with me--I can't seem to get away from the soup, this time chicken noodle, and it was delightful.  

We were picked up at about 2:30 at the square and then drove for about 3 hours to the north, to the town of Batalha , site of the Monastery of Batalha, recognized as a World Heritage site in 1983.  It is one of the pinnacles of Gothic architecture in Portugal, and was built in celebration of the battle of Aljubarrota, which secured Portugal's independence.  The highlight and perhaps the most astonishing part of the monastery are the unfinished chapels.  Seven chapels radiate from an octagonal rotunda, divided from each other by deeply carved, incomplete pillars that create an effect of exuberance.  The Monastery is a hybrid French Gothic and Manueline masterpiece, a pantheon and an expression of national pride.  In one of the chapels is the grave of an unknown Portuguese soldier who perished during WW I.  Above the grave hangs a crucifix in wood, showing Christ with a missing hand and two legs which only extended to the knee.  The crucifix had hung in France, but was mutilated in an attack and eventually given to Portugal, where it now hangs as a mute testament to the horrors of war.  A poignant moment as Portuguese soldiers stood guard over the grave, silently.

Another ten minutes away was the town of Condeixa and the Pousada there.  All of us were tired, but our room overlooks a hill undulating down to a swimming pool and the town and fields below.  We immediately had dinner, with a vegetable soup, cod and potatoes mashed (a national dish and absolutely scrumptious), mixed vegetables, and an orange tart that had been steeped in a liqueur--yum!  We also had a great red wine from the area, and then after took a walk around the perimeter of the Pousada property and then down the road to the center of town before turning back.  After writing this, I am going to see if I can't get some shuteye tonight, as tomorrow is replete with more sightseeing!  Best to all, Sylvia/Mami

Sylvia M. Venable, PhD

Instructor, German

St. John's Episcopal School

Dallas, Texas