Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
the Japanese guns, Catholicism (Nagasaki was founded by Portuguese Jesuits), and a new
deep-frying technique we now know as tempura.
On the same floor, have a quick look at the impressive jewelry collection decorated
with the red cross of the Order of Christ, responsible for funding Portuguese explorations.
Make your way to a freestanding glass case to see the Monstrance of Belém, made for
Manuel I from the first gold brought back by Vasco da Gama. Squint at the fine enamel
creatures filling a tide pool on the base, the 12 apostles gathered around the glass case
for the Communion wafer (the fancy top pops off), and the white dove hanging like a
mobile under the all-powerful God bidding us peace on earth. There is another notable
monstrance nearby, as well as more jewels and fine porcelain on the rest of this floor.
First Floor
—
European Paintings:
Pass through the gift shop and look for Bosch's
Temptations of St. Anthony
(a three-paneled altarpiece fantasy, c. 1500, in Room 57) and
Albrecht Dürer's
St. Jerome
(just opposite). Note the complete collection of the larger-
than-life
Twelve Apostles
by the Spanish master Zurburán.
To get out of the quaint, Pombal-esque old town and enjoy a peek at the modern side of
Lisbon, ride the Metro east to Oriente Station. Nearby you can stroll through a light and
airy shopping mall, bike across the sprawling site of the 1998 World Expo, and promen-
ade with locals along the Rio Tejo riverfront park. It's worth a visit any day, especially on
Monday (when most museums in town are closed). It's a particularly vibrant scene when
the people are out early on summer evenings.
Oriente Train Station (Gare do Oriente)
—
Oriente
means “facing east.” This impress-
ive hub ties together trains (to the Algarve and Évora), the Metro, and buses under a
swooping concrete roof designed by the Spanish architect, Santiago Calatrava. From the
Oriente Metro station, you'll notice right away that the theme here is the sea. That was
the theme of the 1998 Expo. And just about everything in this area is named for the great
Portuguese explorer Vasco da Gama.
Vasco da Gama Mall
—Facing Oriente Station is the inviting, soaring glass facade of
Lisbon's top shopping mall, also designed by Calatrava (daily 9:00-24:00). Originally
the grand entrance to the 1998 World Expo, the city has done a good job of turning the
remains of that fair into useful infrastructure. Stepping into the mall, you'll see that its
design seems to have been inspired by the main shopping hall of a luxury cruise ship.
Notice the water cascading down the glass roof—a clever and fun-to-look-at way to keep
things cool and avoid any greenhouse effect. From the mall's entrance, climb the stairs
to a small outdoor terrace for a good view back at the train station. Then stroll through
the upper level of the mall to the opposite end, where you can step out to another outdoor
terrace—giving you yet again the feeling that you're vacationing on a cruise ship. Sur-
