Portugal - Day 10: Today I went touring around western Lisbon, called Belém. My friend Jorge and I started with lunch on the waterfront with a view of what looks like our Golden Gate Bridge, called 25th of April Bridge. The CEO from the Portuguese electric company, EDP, (our PG&E) was having lunch a few tables over. Of course I would not recognize him but Jorge knows him. Ive had several moments of realizing Im in another country with old fashioned customs, but my favorite example is when Jorge asked me, Do you allow me to take off my coat? when we sat down for lunch. I thought he was kidding, but he most certainly was not. I am here to report chivalry is not dead, its alive and well in Portuguese men! After lunch, Jorge went to the Palácio de Belém (Presidential Palace) where he works and left me for a few hours to explore. The weather cooperated for the first time since I arrived in Portugal so it was nice to walk around. In a one mile radius there is an amazing amount of history and sites to behold. First I went to the Centro Cultural de Belém (Belém Cultural Center) to see a modern art exhibit. Then just across the street is Igreja de Santa Maria de Belém (Jerónimos Monastery), a UNESCO World Heritage Site. This monastery was created in a rare style called Manueline, which is sort of a Gothic expression. The structure is several blocks long so its very difficult to photograph it completely. Then I walked for a bit over a foot bridge toward the Tagus River to see the Padrão dos Descobrimentos (Monument to the Discoveries), marking where ships departed in the 15th and 16th centuries to explore and trade with India and the Orient. Then I walked over to the Torre de Belém (Belém Tower), which is another example of the Portuguese Manueline style and also a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The tower was commissioned by King John II to be part of a defense system at the mouth of the Tagus River. It was so interesting to see so much history in such a small proximity. Jorge then picked me up and we went back to his house for dinner and he made me my first Port Tonic (dry white port instead of gin). It was very refreshing but quite large so I had to pause a few times before continuing to drink (Im not complaining :). Ive heard from several people in both Douro and Lisbon that complaining is a national hobby in Portugal, but I have to say people couldnt be nicer. After dinner, Jorge, his daughter Titi and I went to downtown Lisbon, called Chiado, for her favorite gelado. We walked around until midnight (just a bit past Titis bedtime) and he gave me a glimpse of what I will explore tomorrow during the day. We got back home and stayed up late chatting, where he filled me in on the recent financial crisis of Portugal. Jorge works as an advisor to the President on matters of innovation and technology, but in addition to that he has worked at a bank for 16yrs. He is a Senior Director for the oldest bank in Portugal, called Banco de Espírito Santo. This was a family owed back for 130yrs. I say was because this bank went bankrupt in July. This was international news and customers of mine were telling me about this back home because they knew I was coming to Portugal. I knew Jorge worked for a bank but until I got here I didnt realize he worked for the bank. As part of the restructuring, the bank was renamed Nuvo Banco (New Bank - jajaja) and the government is bailing them out with 49 billion euros! With the Presidents term ending next year and the bank in crisis, it appears its time for Jorge to invent a new career path for himself. The great thing about Jorge is he thinks this is an amazing opportunity and he is not scared, hes excited about the possibilities! Lisbon day one was far less scary than Douro day one. The weather is promising for the next couple of days so we will plan for a lot of walking outside. I look forward to exploring downtown tomorrow and learning more about this ancient city and its people. whc.unesco.org/en/about
Posted on: Fri, 26 Sep 2014 01:30:38 +0000
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