West Lisbon from the south bank and the big red bridge. Collette was delighted to note there were no walk or cycle paths on the bridge so I wouldn’t be tempted.

Our aim today is to reach about half way south towards Lagos but there was some unfinished business in Lisbon. We have tickets for 1.30 for the monastery so need to push them earlier if possible and get on the road. A rainy start to the day was supposed to clear by 12. We have found the weather here very changeable and quickly.

On the way we found Belem Tower, a 16th C fortification on the Tagus river. It was originally built as a defensive fortress to guard the port and river. It was recently extensively renovated.

A monument to 100 years of Portuguese naval aviation.

On the way to Jeronimos Monastery.

Built in 1495, the former Jeronimos Monastery promises a lot from the magnificent structure of the outside but inside it is rather underwhelming. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Walkway around the cloister.

The cloister. The stone work and design makes this the best part of the visit.

Inside one of the side rooms.

A huge hall with again beautiful stone and tile work.

Finally into the church. Here visitors are not permitted past the back row of seats so it was difficult to get some decent photos. Again the stone carving work is impressive but not a lot else.

Tomb of Vasco Da Gama

Baroque side chapel.

Overall the monastery left us rather flat. There is no character or soul here. Worth a look but I wouldn’t put it in the top 10 list.

Heading south over the big red bridge we come to Cristo Rei, The statue was inspired by the similar version in Rio de Janeiro and opened in 1959. It is an imposing 75 m tall and is super impressive from below.

Great views back to Lisbon. Looking over the Old Town.

For us Lisbon is a beautiful and vibrant city that has a lot more to give. It is a city we would very much like to re visit and spend 2 or 3 weeks doing what we missed and getting to know the place more.

Finally on the road south. We drove through massive plantations of cork trees which seem to grow well in the sandy, dry soil.

This tree was harvested recently and marked with the year of harvest. Next harvest is 9 years away. Portugal supplies 58% of the world’s cork requirements.

We finally arrived at our camp site just south of the coastal town of Sines. Not for the first time we were told they only had one spot left. We continued to feel lucky until we realised there were plenty of empty spots left overnight. Maybe its a marketing ploy.

Tomorrow we head for the southern city of Lagos.

David & Collette