Lisbon, Portugal 5 June 2016

An invite to spend a week with Ann and Revel in Lisbon - irresistible!  Getting there though ...   bus to Slough, train to Paddington, bus to Standsted, Ryanair (of flying supermarket fame) to Lisbon, taxi - who took the really long way round.  Then 84 steps up to the apartment - that was probably the hardest part.  All in all 11 hours of forward movement.  Isn't that always the case though and having to haul luggage around just adds to the experience.  But going from a damp, chilly England to a warm, humid Lisbon, all worthwhile and the view at the top!

Ann and Revel had already been there for most of the week so had a good idea of where they were and what  to do and see.  I pretty much tagged along gawking.  The big surprise for me is how many hills there are! Very little walking on the straight, either up or down mostly. They had the measure of the transport systems available and we used most of them, besides the trams that always seemed to be full to bursting.

First day out - isn't the hallway beautiful?

We caught the bus very close by the apartment and headed off to the Tile Museum - or to give it it's full title - Museu Nacional do Azulejo.   Though to travel through Lisbon is to experience ceramic tile art - it's everywhere and gives the city vivacious colour and life, some of it old and cracked, some of it shiny and new, all beautiful.

Today was Museum Day - all museums were free - though I have to admit that one museum a day is enough for me.  Information overload sets in after that.

The museum is located in a former convent - the Convent of Madre Deus, founded in 1509.  The highly ornate chapel and church contrast dramatically with the simple rooms of the convent which house the collections of tiles.

There was so much to see and I took a lot of photos!  At the entrance is an exhibition of materials and techniques, after that the exhibitions follow in chronological order.

Pause for reflection ...

I really like the contemporary tiles.  Also shows the still strong tradition of ceramic tile artistry in Portugal.

Do you see what I'm getting at when I say sensory overload?  So just a couple more ...

Yes, definitely time for lunch.

LX Factory was our destination - a trendy design market in a former abondoned manufacturing complex under the Big Bridge.

Lunch was the priority though, so we headed for Cantina LX.  The day had got really hot so we needed shade and wine, in that order.  Food came after and wasn't hugely memorable.  No pics from that part of the day - heat and low blood sugar caused dodgy photos - that's my story and I'm sticking to it.

Sustained, we strolled around, came across an unhappy South African from Joburg selling bead sculptures, I don't think she was going to be happy anywhere though,  and fantastic graffiti / wall / street art.

And Ler Devaga bookstore - 'read slowly' in Portugese - which offers place to do just that.  Along with an exhibition of kinetic machines - fascinating.

Time to head home on the bus and put feet up - yes, wine too.