Mike and Megan's Honeymoon: Day 7 - Lua de Mel

July 4th - HAPPY INDEPENDENCE DAY! Hey, where are the fireworks? Oh...

On our way to buy tile and see what Sunday mass is like in the Old world

Sé de Lisboa (Lisbon Cathedral). It's interesting going to church and not really understand the language, but still know what to do. Must have been what Catholic mass was like when they still did it in Latin.

Taking the trolley slightly up the hill

The ruins of Alfama.

Everyday is a party

These little alley steps are everywhere because everywhere is on a hill. The exact opposite of Chicago.

Very roughly translates to: "To be born in Portugal, to die in the world."

Megan's favorite shirt

Megan was beginning to overheat and it was before noon. So, we went to the mall and ate Ola ice cream. This is the Baixa district.

There's the castle we sleep in!

Here's a bear at a store that seems to have rabies...

Reuse of previous days pic. But, we are going up the Santa Justa Elevator (or Carmo Lift, Elevador do Carmo)! It was completed in 1902

The box to the left takes your metrocard. For folks in Chicago, that's like the Chcago Card Plus for the CTA

They don't build elevators like this anymore...

Nice staircase to something at the top.

Now, we are in the Bairro Alto and Chiado neighborhood. This is the Convento do Carmo, which (again) was destroyed in the earthquake of 1755. Notice a pattern? It was purposely left in this condition as a memorial to the disaster.

São Roque Church (Church of St. Roch) was built in the 1500s. Simple on the outside, crazy on the inside...

These side chapels are intense.

This whole place is tiled like this...

The ceiling is flat, but painted to look like it has a huge dome.

This is the Virgin Mother of Flying Baby Dolls

Here are some of the donors of the church. As some of you know, I work in the nonprofit sector. I have to say, this is the most impressive "donor wall" I've ever seen...

The alter

Chapel of St. John the Baptist. Very difficult to photograph. It's the most expensive chapel ever constructed in Portugal. It was made in Rome with the finest materials, installed in the Vatican and used for one mass by the Pope, deconstructed, shipped to Lisbon, and then installed. Makes me feel very lazy...

Angels at top of St. John's Chapel

More baby dolls

Funicular, which is a trolley that remains level inside while it climbs hills.

Miradouro de São Pedro de Alcántara (San Pedro Belvedere Park)

Apparently, I'm a tough guy with my little lady...

Ah, Lisboa!

Even the map of the city is tile!

Look at this car. This will be my next car. It was a little car with a GPS unit and gave tours

Café A Brasileira is a classy old place famous in the 1920s and 30s as a artistic hangout. The most famous being the poet Fernando Pessoa, who has a statue outside.

Another church. Megan and I discovered that when we started to get "too hot" in the city, look for a church to get some shade. So, that's how religion became popular in a pre-AC world.

BACK AT THE PASTRY SHOP!

Here we are at the pastry shops tables that they kicked us out of. Why? Not entirely sure. We could have stayed for 1.20 Euros. It must be a Portuguese/European thing and why fight on a honeymoon. We just ate inside.

HOT DOG PASTRY. Not really, but it was a sausage of some sort in a pastry...

The peacocks invaded our hotel Solar do Castelo! And they have babies!

They upset the cleaning lady because they were digging up things and messing up everything she was cleaning.

Megan's Portuguese mug shot

A great restaurant near Rua de São Miguel. I can't find the name or anything...

The Last Temptation of Megan Bell. Here's something for people not from Portugal. We didn't order the bread, olives, or fries. But, they are not free. So, don't eat it if you don't want to pay for it.

Mmmm....

Could I make a beautiful meal look any more disgusting or creepy? Probably...

That's enough for now. See you with more in a couple days...