Praca do Comércio-Trade Square

The Praça do Comércio is located near the Tagus river, bordering the Baixa, and used to be the gateway to Lisbon where ships used to dock and sell their goods.

The Praça do Comércio was the centerpiece of the reconstruction that took place after the earthquake of 1755 had reduced Lisbon to rubble. Its main attraction is a monumental equestrian statue of king José I.

In the center of the square is a statue of King José I.

Hoa, Valerie, Thomas, Me, Son, and Loan playing tourists for the day.

The centerpiece of the Praça do Comércio is the equestrian statue of José I (Joseph I), created by Joaquim Machado de Castro, one of Portugal's most famous sculptors.
The bronze statue, inaugurated in 1775, shows the king on a horse trampling snakes. The statue is set on a monumental pedestal decorated with large sculpture groups and overlooks the majestic square.

In the back ground is the Triumphal arch

In the middle of the square is statue of King Jose I riding a horse.

Close look at the statue

The square is commonly known as the Terreiro do Paço (Palace Square).

The palace was one of the most impressive buildings in Portugal, decorated with many works of art and home to a large library containing more than 70,000 books.

High above is the Castelo de S. Jorge

Panoramic view of Castelo de S. Jorge up on the hill.

The Praça do Comércio is completely for pedestrians although it is bounded to the north and south by heavily trafficked roads.

Cais das Colunas

Cais das Colunas (Columns Pier), a beautiful pier with a wide marble stairway that for centuries was the main entrance to the city. Dignitaries arrived here by boat and walked straight to the nearby palace. The place is named after the two tall columns in front of the pier.

In 1997 the pier was dismantled due to the construction of an underground metro line but it was restored to its original appearance in 2008. Nice view of the Tagus river.

In the summer I am sure this place must very crowded and filled with tourists.

Ponte 25 de Abril -25th April bridge

On the right side of Cais das Colunas is a bridge that sure looks like the golden bridge in San Francisco.

It is a suspension bridge connecting the city of Lisbon to the municipality of Almada (south bank) of the Tejo river. It was inaugurated on August 6, 1966, and a train platform was added in 1999. Because it is a suspension bridge and has similar coloring, it is often compared to the Golden Gate Bridge.   It was built by the American Bridge Company which constructed the San Francisco–Oakland Bay Bridge, but not the Golden Gate. With a total length of 7,470 feet (2,277 meters), it is the 27th largest suspension bridge in the world. The upper deck carries six car lanes, while the lower deck carries two electric train tracks. Until 1974, the bridge was named Salazar Bridge. The name "25 de Abril" commemorates the Carnation Revolution.

On the left, up above the hill, across the Tagus River is a Statue of Christ (Cristo Rei). The citizens of Lisbon who were grateful that Portugal did not join the fight in World War II built the statue as a thanks to God. The statue is a replica of the Statue of Christ the Redeemer on Corcovado in Rio de Janiero, Brazil (although smaller).

Arco Trinfal da Rua Augusta- The triumphal arch of Rua Agusta

Arco Triumfal da Rua Augusta, a triumphal arch that leads to the Rua Augusta is a beautifully paved street.
The arch was originally designed by Santos de Carvalho in 1759 to celebrate the swift reconstruction of the city after the earthquake of 1755 but work was halted and the project started again in 1843 with a new design by architect Veríssimo José da Costa.

Finally completed in 1873, the monumental arch shows the allegorical figure of Glory crowning Genius and Bravery.

The female allegory of Glory (in the center) is 23 feet tall, stands on a three-step throne and holds two crowns. On the left is the Valor personified by an amazon, partially covered with chlamys and wearing a high-crested helmet with dragon patterns.  She holds on her left hand the parazonium, with a trophy of flags behind. On the right is the Genius encompasses a statue of Jupiter behind his left arm. At his left side are the attributes of writing and arts.

The four statues over the columns, made by Victor Bastos, represent Nuno Alvares Pereira and Sebastião José de Carvalho e Melo, Marquis of Pombal on the right, and Vasco da Gama and Viriatus on the left. The two recumbent figures represent the rivers Tagus and Douro.

Close look at the ceiling of the Triumphal arc which bear a resemblance to the the Arc de triomphe in Paris.

Calcada da Gloria

After a quick siesta, it is now dinner time!  We met up at Son's hotel and from there we walked to the restaurant.  The restaurant is about 10 minutes from Son's hotel and the GPS lead us to Calcada da Gloria street. When we got to the street, we were shocked to find out that the street was pretty steep but we decided to move forward and walk up the hilly street.

You cannot tell how steep this street by looking at these pictures but trust me it was quite a hike!