Day 15 began with a lovely breakfast at Copenhagen Coffee Lab, and while there we bought filled rolls for later in the day. The day began overcast but not cold. the weather report warned of rain between 3 an 5.30 so we planned our day based on that forecast.
We walked to the train station at the riverfront and caught the train to Belem. It was here that the shop that sold the best pastel de nata tarts ever was located - among other attractions. Breakfast was so substantial that I for one could not face more food just then, so we walked on to the electricity museum.
Before the exhibition proper there was a curious art exhibition of the work and life of men on the river. It involved a lot of underpants and hundreds of dirty and colourful work shorts as well as some photos. Can't say I understood or appreciated it.
Miraculously all manner of heavy duty electrical generation equipment was saved when it was decommissioned and put into a stunning and informative comprehensive display. Johnny was on cloud nine, and as time passed both Britt and I were drawn into the exhibition. The exhibition lighting highlighted key elements of the process and cutaway sections allowed us to see the internal works of those massive lumps of machinery.
We walked on to a stunning riverside building that hosted contemporary exhibitions - MAAT. The building was in the shape of a long wave breaking on the seashore and genuinely took my breath away. The exhibition was ...interesting.
It as mid morning by the time we finished here and headed for the tart shop but a hundred or so people were standing outside it and a fine rain had set in. We decided that no tart was worth that wait so we went to a perfectly acceptable shop next door for a tart and drink.
It was a short walk to the maritime museum, which was on our wish list so off we set, passing another incredibly long line of people waiting to get into the monastery next to the museum. There was an acceptably short line at the maritime museum and the wait was well worth it. The exhibition covered the period from the rise of Portuguese maritime strength and its role in the age of discovery and then colonialism. The display went all the way to 19th and 20th century craft and current submarines. There was a magnificent display of ocean going, river craft and fishing vessels
An astonishing exhibition had the authentic cabins of the royal family. Here there were fireplaces, pianos, heavily upholstered furniture and generally all sorts of fixtures, fittings and decoration that you would expect in a grand house.
Outside there were a series of boats used on Portuguese rivers to carry all manner of heavy goods across the country. In a vast hall, there was an enormous display of some of the royal barges as well as more humble domestic craft. The royal barge that carried Queen Elizabeth on her visit to Lisbon many years ago, was quite splendid. There were several historic seaplanes and in a video bunker we were taken on a journey that Portuguese aviation and maritime pioneers as they dangerously (or recklessly) flew across the Antarctic.
Britt's forethought in buying sandwiches for a picnic lunch was much appreciated as the heavens opened and we sheltered undercover in the museum at the riverboat display. We finished off with a much needed cup of tea before moving on.
It was a short (if slow) walk from the museum to the Belem Tower. My knees had taken a beating from the Portuguese hills and the Lisbon terrain had completely slowed me down. My hiking stick had become my constant companion. The Belem Tower was ornate and clearly attracting a lot of tourist attention but for us, just as interesting was the sight of poor African worker who had been employed by the tower to try to keep the tide at bay with her broom, so that the tourists would not slip. If ever there was an exercise in futility, this was it.
It was a pretty exciting day, but Johnny and I needed a rest before dinner, so an Uber dropped Britt off at the shops and took us back to the apartment. It was an opportunity to chat with a lovely Sikh driver from Delhi and hear of his life journey and how he had come to work in Portugal.
With it being Friday night there were loads of people out wining and dining, but honestly, every night is a busy night for the restaurants here. The buskers in the square were out and there was a great atmosphere. It was Britt's last Lisbon dinner tonight so we went to a special place. The Solar restaurant that Britt and Wil had previously visited was good but it had been expanded and stylishly renovated this time. It was a Florentino's experience this time. The walls were covered with the photos of Portuguese notables that had visited. The food was great. I had fish fillets with Russian salad, while Johnny and Britt had a squid ink risotto with seafood. It was a lovely night and gratefully we Ubered back.
