LISBON - Portugal - page 34

• Back outside in the church square (rustic WC underground), visit the statue of a friendly
lottery-ticket salesman. Two lottery kiosks are nearby. Locals who buy into the totoloto
rub the statue's ticket for good luck. Continue (kitty-corner across the square) downhill
along Rua Nova da Trindade. At #20, pop into...
Cervejaria da Trindade: The famous and recommended “oldest beer hall in Lis-
bon” is worth a visit for a look at its 19th-century tiles. While its circa-1860 tiles are more
beer hall than Christian in theme, this was once the refectory (dining hall) of a monas-
tery. It became a brewery after the monks were expelled in 1834. If you're tired of all this
history, continue downhill to Livraria Barateira at #16, Lisbon's biggest used bookstore,
where you can sell this topic.
• Continue down the hill, where at the next intersection, signs point left to the ruined
Convento do Carmo. Follow the inside trolley tracks downhill and to the left to the next
square...
Largo do Carmo: On this square decorated with an old fountain, lots of pigeons,
and jacaranda trees from South America (with purple blossoms in April), police officers
guard the headquarters of the National Guard. Famous among residents, this was the last
refuge of the fascist dictator António Salazar's successor. The Portuguese people won
their revolution in 1974, in a peaceful uprising called the Carnation Revolution. The name
came when revolutionaries placed flowers in the guns of the soldiers, making it clear it
was time for democracy here. For more history, see the sidebar on here .
• On Largo do Carmo, check out the ruins of...
Convento do Carmo: After the convent was destroyed by the 1755 earthquake,
the Marquês de Pombal directed that the delicate Gothic arches of its church be left stand-
ing—supporting nothing but open sky—as a permanent reminder of that disastrous event.
If you pay to enter, you'll see a fine memorial park in what was the nave, and a simple
museum with Bronze Age and Roman artifacts, medieval sarcophagi, and a couple of
mummies unearthed by the quake—all explained in English (€3.50—cheapskates can do
a deep knee-bend at the ticket desk, sneak a peek, and then crawl away; April-Sept Mon-
Sat 10:00-19:00, Oct-May until 18:00, closed Sun year-round).
• Just past the convent, a lane with trolley tracks leads out to a fine city viewpoint from
the top of the Elevador de Santa Justa.
Elevador deSantaJusta: In 1902, an architect—perhaps inspired by Gustav Eif-
fel's tower in Paris—completed this 150-foot-tall iron elevator, connecting the lower and
upper parts of town. The elevator's Neo-Gothic motifs are an attempt to match the ruined
church near its top. While you'll need to pay extra to go to the very top floor lookout for a
fine city view, the view from the entry-ramp level is nearly as good—and free (€5 round-