The Praça do Comércio (Commerce Plaza) and Pink Street in Lisbon, Portugal

On May 31, 2024May 31, 2024 By Living The Q Life Travel AdventuresIn Portugal1 Comment

Located on one of the busiest streets in Lisbon, The Praça do Comércio or Commerce Plaza is certainly worth strolling around or stopping for a meal in one of the restaurants in the plaza. There are several features within the plaza that can’t be missed including the Rua Augusta Arch and the Statue of King Jose I. Located on the shore of the Tagus River, it was the location of the palace until the great earthquake of 1755 destroyed the palace and the plaza was rebuilt. The actual plaza is 175 meters by 175 meters or 30,600 square meters (574 feet by 574 feet or 329,000 square feet) making it one of the largest plazas in Portugal.

The Rua Augusta Arch is certainly quite impressive and is dedicated the valor and history of Portugal and was built after the earthquake of 1755 to commemorate the rebuilding of the city. There are several statues on the arch including one of the famous explorer Vasco da Gama. There is certainly no missing the statue of King Jose I riding his horse that is located at the center of the plaza. There is also a beer museum located in the plaza, but we didn’t visit it during our trip to Lisbon. We did, however, stop at one of the local restaurants to enjoy a charcuterie board with a variety of artisanal meats and cheeses.

Located near the plaza is a unique attraction in Lisbon that is known as “Pink Street” for obvious reasons. There are many restaurants and stores located on Pink Street, but you are likely to find lots of tourists posing dramatically as they take selfies of themselves. The rainbow-colored umbrellas that are suspended above the street add to the ambiance. We happened to be there just as the light of day was disappearing, which gave it an interesting glow. We decided to grab dinner at one of the local restaurants and sit outside by the street so that we could people watch while we enjoyed our meal.

If you are going to do any walking in the old town area of Lisbon, you will likely end up at Commerce Square at some point. The weather was overcast during the day that we visited, but that didn’t detract from the beauty of the arch and statues or of the architecture of the buildings. Pink Street certainly isn’t a must when visiting Lisbon, but it is a fun destination, especially in the evening, for those looking for a different experience.

Maritime Museum in Lisbon, Portugal

On May 23, 2024May 23, 2024 By Living The Q Life Travel AdventuresIn Portugal5 Comments

Museums can be hit or miss for us as some of them are boring and others are quite fascinating. The Maritime Museum in the neighborhood of Belém in Lisbon is different than a lot of museums partially due to having several models of ships from Portugal’s Age of Discovery. The exploits of those explorers who left from the shores of Lisbon to discover various trade routes around the world is an important part of Portugal’s history and the Maritime Museum pays homage to that time. It was also the very first thing that we saw during our time in Lisbon, providing context to many other things that we learned during our visit.

There are many exhibits throughout the museum, including maps and globes depicting the understanding of the world as it evolved with exploration, models of ships that would have sailed from Portugal, and statues of famous explorers like Vasco da Gama. There are also many interesting paintings depicting the lives of the sailors at sea and the hardships that they faced. It is clear that to be a seafaring explorer during those times certainly required a lot of bravery as there could be a tragedy at any given time.

The Maritime Museum is located in what seems to have been a church at one time and the exhibits are both inside and outside of the building. Tickets are 6.50 euros for adults and 3.25 euros for children. How long it takes to visit the museum depends on how long you spend reading the placards that provide information on each exhibit or spending looking at the details of the artwork and displays. We spent about an hour and a half walking through and enjoying everything that we saw, but we didn’t stop to read all of the information that is available for the visitors.

Ajuda Palace and Royal Treasure Museum in Lisbon, Portugal

On May 13, 2024May 13, 2024 By Living The Q Life Travel AdventuresIn Portugal2 Comments

One of the fascinating places that we visited while we were in Lisbon was the Ajuda Palace that is located near the Belém neighborhood. It might have been due to the day that we visited, but we were surprised to find that there weren’t many people touring the palace while we were there. The palace was built on the hillside after the earthquake of 1755, but it was never truly completed due to Napoleon invading Portugal and the royal family escaping to Brazil. Even if it was not as grand as the royal family may have wanted, today it is certainly an enjoyable place to visit and see all of the grand rooms and artwork located in the museum.

Paintings on the Ceilings of One of the Rooms

As you walk through the palace, all of the rooms are ornately decorated with many beautiful details. Of particular interest for us were the intricate tapestries that hung on the walls of many of the rooms and the ceilings that changed with every room that we entered. Also, because it does sit high on one of the many hills of Lisbon, the views are quite stunning whether looking out of the palace’s windows and walking the palace grounds. As far as historical buildings that are used as a museum to display the furniture, art, and other items of the wealthy leaders of a country, this was truly quite stunning.

Although most of the tourist locations in the Belém neighborhood are located on the water, it is definitely worthwhile to make your way up the hill to take a self-guided tour of the Ajuda Palace and Royal Treasure Museum. It took us about an hour to walk through the rooms and enjoy all of the beautiful objects located within and that gave us plenty of time to enjoy some food at one of the many restaurants located in Belém.