Day 10: Belém – a surprising day/ Bélem

It was a fine mild day. We had decided that we would go to Belém, formerly an industrial part of Lisbon which has had a make-over. It is also where the Pastéis de Nata was created.

Before going there we went to the produce market to get some vegetables for our dinner. The intention was to go out to a Fado restaurant but eat beforehand, but more on that later.

We walked down to the market which is about 2.5 kilometres from us and the market was quietly winding down as we arrived. We got some vegetables and then went next door to the Food Hall where had a nice piece of pizza and couldn’t resist yet another Portuguese tart.

The railway station was next door and we were able to find someone to help us get tickets. The man was helpful in a surly sort of way, however we achieved our aim of getting a rechargeable card.

After taking our food back to the apartment we headed out to Belém negotiating changes to the train that would take us there. I had thought we might take a tram but they are always seriously crowded so the train was a good option although that too was crowded.

Belem is on the banks of the river and it appeared when we got off the train that the riverbank had been made an area for recreation. However we followed the crowds to the town centre. There we found the famous bakery and duly queued with all the other tourists to get our tarts. After a brief stop to have a coffee we followed the sound of bagpipes and came across a very lively and colourful parade which seemed to be the celebration of a whole lot of regions. The participants were wearing a wide variety of costumes and playing different wind instruments and drums with each leader holding a placard similar to those held at the Olympics to announce each team.

The drummers - they kept on drumming despite the distraction

The bagpipes were different the Scottish ones as they had only one pipe rather than the five or so the Scots have. There was also not the same wail that the Scottish pipes have. We spent an enjoyable hour or more watching the parade go by.

One of the many displays

We then went for a walk along the river bank. There was a huge sculpture called Padro dos Descobrimentos (the Monument to the Discoveries) which was first conceived back in the thirties and finally sculpted as a permanent and huge work in the late 1950s. It represents a romanticised idealisation of the age of discovery. It is, as you can see, very large and very impressive.

We had intended to go to a Fado Restaurant/Bar in the evening but the one we had chosen was booked out and we told we would have to reserve a table for the next day. So instead, I cooked a meal using some of the ingredients I had bought from the market earlier in the day. After our meal Bev was determined to go out so we wandered down a street that fronted our apartment and found a little bar with hardly anyone it. There was also a guitarist there to entertain us. We spent a rather enjoyable hour listening to the music, watching people come and go and drinking some very nice red wine that seemed to have quite a punch. Certainly we were both a little tipsy by the time we headed back to the apartment at midnight. It was still very busy with what I think were mostly locals out enjoying themselves. Thank goodness for the double glazing which kept the noise out.