It was farewell Spain and hello Portugal. This is my first visit to Portugal and I am excited to see the sights and learn a bit of history. Lisbon is the stunning colourful capital city of Portugal, and is one of the most charismatic and vibrant cities of Western Europe. It is a city that effortlessly blends traditional heritage, with striking modernism and progressive thinking. Lisbon is a hilly, coastal capital city very easy to get around on foot if you don't mind walking up-hill. And it is well worth the effort as the views across the city and harbour are wonderful. As you wander the alleyways be sure to keep a look out for quirky art work along the streets.....you never know what you might find around the next corner.

Sights not to be missed in Lisbon include;

Belém Tower or the Tower of St Vincent is a fortified tower. It is a monument to Portugal's Age of Discovery, often serving as a symbol of the country, and UNESCO has listed it as a World Heritage monument.

Statue to Afonso de Albuquerque. In front of the former Royal Palace of Belém, now the Presidential Palace, there is a massive statue looking out to sea, representing Afonso de Albuquerque, second ruler of Portuguese India in the early 16th century.

The Arch of Augustus is a magnificent triumphal arch built in 1873. It was built to commemorate the city's reconstruction after the devastating 1755 earthquake. It has six columns (some 11 m high) and is adorned with statues of various historical figures.

Another UNESCO site is Jerónimos Monastery and the imperial gardens. This ornate monastery is a sight to behold and was historically associated with the early sailors as explorers, as it was from here that Vasco da Gama spent his last night before his voyage to the Far East.

After the initial construction of the monastery King Manuel I selected the Hieronymites order of monks to reside in the complex. King Manuel I choose this relatively small order as they guaranteed to provide spiritual protection to the king once he died and later on they formed a close spiritual connection with the sailors of the era. The Hieronymites order were dedicated to Saint Jerome, hence name of the monastery, and he was a 5th-century scholar who translated the original bible into Latin. The original time planned to construct the Monastery of Jeronimos was only eight years, but as the 5% tax on colony imports brought in greater wealth the plans grew, and grew. The monastery was finally inaugurated by Felipe II, the Spanish ruler of the Iberian Union, in 1604, almost a century since the foundations were laid.

The Garden of the Empire Square (Imperial Gardens) is across from Jeronimos Monastery and hosts an impressive fountain and manicured gardens. The garden is composed of a combination of 32 coat of arms whose designs of bushes and flowers represent the former empire provinces. There are 4 small ponds on the outer edges crowned by 2 horses with the tails of marine creatures.

View the landscaped gardens of Eduardo VII Park, named for England's king who visited here to improve Anglo-Portuguese relations. Filling a surface of 26 hectares, the Eduardo VII Park is the largest public park in Lisbon. This is a great place to rest your weary legs after climbing the hilly streets.

The riverside statue of Christ the King looks out over the city and is reminiscent of Christ the Redeemer in Brazil (which was the inspiration for this statue). The Cristo-Rei statue was constructed during a deeply religious period of Portugal's history, by a population who were grateful for avoiding the horrors of the Second World War. This religious outpouring was embraced by the nationalistic dictatorship lead by Salazar and encourage by the church. This important religious significance of the Cristo-Rei Christ Statue has continued through to today and the site is an important pilgrimage destination but most foreign visitors go for the impressive panoramic views over Lisbon.

Ponte 25 de Abril is the sister bridge of the San Francisco Golden Gate Bridge (designed by the same architect in 1966) and connects Lisbon with the Setubal peninsula across the Tagus (Tejo) River. Formerly known as the Salazar Bridge, it was renamed after the Carnation Revolution, which on April 25, 1974 ended the dictatorship and restored democracy to Portugal!

Ponte Vasco da Gama is the longest bridge in Europe (including viaducts), and ninth longest in the world, with a total length of 17.2 km, including 0.829 km for the main bridge, 11.5 km in viaducts, and 4.8 km in dedicated access roads.