I’d visit Lisbon again in a heartbeat.  Here are the last of some random images.

A familiar face in the crowd.  This very moving monument is dedicated to the Portuguese causalities of the Overseas War of 1961 to 1974.   The flame (just in front of the little girl) burns continuously, and the names of soldiers who died in the African conflict are etched into the three walls that surround the memorial.

 Within walking distance is the Discoveries Monument.  Built on the bank of the Tagus River in 1960, it commemorates the 500th anniversary of the death of Prince Henry the Navigator.

It represents a three-sailed ship ready to depart, with sculptures of important historical figures such as King Manuel I, poet Camões, Vasco da Gama, Magellan, Cabral, and several other notable Portuguese, following Prince Henry the Navigator at the prow holding a small vessel. The only female is queen Felipa of Lancaster, mother of Henry the navigator, the brain of the discoveries – who knew. See Wikipedia link for more details of who’s-who, and a photo of the entire monument.

We didn’t go inside to see the exhibits, or to the top for the bird’s eye view, but we did watch a fella with his copter (6 motors and approx. 6 camera lenses hanging from the middle) take flight around the monument.

The copter spent a lot of time in the air and seemed pretty steady in spite of a stiff breeze off the river.

A gem hidden away in the LX Factory neighborhood is a unique bookstore/library  – Ler Devagar,  which translates to “Read Slowly “.   One could drown in the books, new & used, laid out on floor to ceiling shelves – for 3 stories!  The vast building originally housed a printing press whose guts seem to still remain the center of the building – on 2 levels – gears, rollers and controls exposed.  This cool art bike hung from a wire, a small motor moving it’s wings gently.  More memorable than the bike is the memory of exploring the area, and stepping into the store awestruck at the uniqueness and creative use of the building before us.  

When heads roll, them must end up here. 

 

Universal past time. – Laura