Castelo

Portugal- 4/13- 4/20/2016

Lisbon-Castelo de Sao Jorge-4/16/2016

Romantic Garden

From the main square steps lead us through the romantic garden. What you see are but are remnants of the former royal palace of Alcáçova (citadel). The palace suffered heavy damage during the earthquake on 1755.

As we are looking up and to our surprise we saw two peacocks perched high above the branches of a huge pine tree.

Here is another look of the long tail

This peacock is trying to get the attention of a pigeon but I really don't think the pigeon care how pretty the peacock look.

Did not see any female peacock around and maybe that's why the male is showing off to the pigeon.

This is the rear of the peacock. All the feathers are on display in the front.

The Permanent Exhibition houses a collection of objects found in the Archaeological Site and introduces various cultures and lifestyles from the 7th century B.C to the 18th century which contributed to building modern-day Lisbon. There is particular emphasis on the Moorish period from the 11th – 12th centuries

As soon as you walk in the Museum a huge reproduction of a 16th century drawing representing what the Royal Palace and what Lisbon were like before the earth quake.

Many of the numerous food products used in the gastronomy of this period remain present in Portuguese cuisine today. Daily meal includes dishes such as stew and stir-fries, cooked with aromatic herb and olive oil, accompanied by vegetables, fruits, and sweet such as "queijadas" from the Arab root "quayata" or dry fruit and honey turnovers.

As evidence of these meals there are bone remains that reflect the use of meat in food preparation. As an example there are cow bones with signs of insistent scrapping to remove meat and other s cut into small pieces for use in meal preparation

This is one of three gates within the walled area of the Citadel which opened onto the northern neighborhoods of medieval Lisbon. It is famous for being associated with a legend dating back to the Conquest of Lisbon from the Moors, in 1147. According to the legend, Martim Moniz, a noble Knight of Alfonso Henriques (the 1st King of Portugal) died by throwing his body between the open gate to prevent it from being shut. This heroic act enabled the Christians to penetrate and conquer the city. Ever since the 13th century, the gate has been know as Porta de Moniz (Moniz gate) or Porta do Olival (Olive Grove gate).

Took the stairs and walked on the rampart. It is a bit scary as you can see there is no protective wall, only walk way with maybe a foot high to prevent people from falling off. Could be dangerous if you have little kids running around.