The same place for breakfast results in extremely friendly service. And they don't speak English anymore.
Today
is fleamarket in Alfama. Various items from all centuries, from jeans
to vintage folding cameras. I wonder around, looking at curious stuff.
Then to Belém to look at the monument of discoveries where a flock of sailing boats suddenly turns up. There's a museum inside the monument but I don't think it could surprise me with anything.
Next to it is Jeronimos monastery. Huge, with loads of people, most of whom seem to be queueing. Luckily I'm not aware that the building could contain something that I needed desperately to see. It's past noon now and MAAT has been opened. So I can stop killing time. MAAT consists of two parts. In an old power station it is explained how the Portugese made electricity by heating water. Until 1972. They even shipped coal from England and Germany because it was three times more effective than the local variety. It's possible to climb around in the machinery and pluck on things. The other part contains modern art. Urban dystopia and technological nightmares. Visuals, mostly video. First time that I understand most of the exhibitions in a modern art museum. Maybe it's just so easy here, maybe the theme speaks me on or maybe I reached a level in my mental development to understand modern art. The last is the least likely.
A walk through Belém takes me to Ajuda botanical garden. Bushes in geometrical shapes and systematically organized plants. Some of these I've seen growing in the wild. Cool cactuses and the orchid society of Portugal displays its products. It's possible to buy the plants. That would be a new level: cactus in handluggage. With that I'm out of ideas and tired of culture. So I read a book in shade of a palmtree until empty stomach gets my attention. I walk to Lx Factory where there were many eateries and otherways also it would be nice to have a more thorough look around. It's not very hot and thanks to well organized transport scheme my feet are not tired.
Last attraction is packed tram and then I walk from Cais do Sodré along the river. Sunset time is approaching so I figure it has no point to check out any of the rooftop cafes. Instead I try to get lost in Alfama with no success. Alfama has something similar to Venice. Narrow streets without any system that don't quite stay on the same place always. People with phones in their hands trying to figure out where they are. But gps gets lost between these high houses. On third day it is almost possible to find the accommodation without getting significantly lost.
Then to Belém to look at the monument of discoveries where a flock of sailing boats suddenly turns up. There's a museum inside the monument but I don't think it could surprise me with anything.
Next to it is Jeronimos monastery. Huge, with loads of people, most of whom seem to be queueing. Luckily I'm not aware that the building could contain something that I needed desperately to see. It's past noon now and MAAT has been opened. So I can stop killing time. MAAT consists of two parts. In an old power station it is explained how the Portugese made electricity by heating water. Until 1972. They even shipped coal from England and Germany because it was three times more effective than the local variety. It's possible to climb around in the machinery and pluck on things. The other part contains modern art. Urban dystopia and technological nightmares. Visuals, mostly video. First time that I understand most of the exhibitions in a modern art museum. Maybe it's just so easy here, maybe the theme speaks me on or maybe I reached a level in my mental development to understand modern art. The last is the least likely.
A walk through Belém takes me to Ajuda botanical garden. Bushes in geometrical shapes and systematically organized plants. Some of these I've seen growing in the wild. Cool cactuses and the orchid society of Portugal displays its products. It's possible to buy the plants. That would be a new level: cactus in handluggage. With that I'm out of ideas and tired of culture. So I read a book in shade of a palmtree until empty stomach gets my attention. I walk to Lx Factory where there were many eateries and otherways also it would be nice to have a more thorough look around. It's not very hot and thanks to well organized transport scheme my feet are not tired.
Last attraction is packed tram and then I walk from Cais do Sodré along the river. Sunset time is approaching so I figure it has no point to check out any of the rooftop cafes. Instead I try to get lost in Alfama with no success. Alfama has something similar to Venice. Narrow streets without any system that don't quite stay on the same place always. People with phones in their hands trying to figure out where they are. But gps gets lost between these high houses. On third day it is almost possible to find the accommodation without getting significantly lost.
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